San Antonio trip

[scottaz]

A friend and I will be in San Antonio in early September for business. We're looking to play 3 days, 36 a day.

 

I'd love some advice for the 3-4 best options. We don't mind the same 18 2x's but any with 27 or 36 holes would be cool. Not worried about cost, only quality. We also don't mind traveling a bit, if it's worth the ride. Thanks!!

 

Scott

[BruceLethal]

San Antonio resident here.

 

TPC San Antonio is probably the best course in town. Home of the Valero Texas Open. Hyatt Hill Country resort is also great. The issue here is that you either need to be a member or stay at the resort to play there so you may have to bounce around hotels to play both. La Cantera golf club is also beautiful. It has 2 courses one of which is an Arnold Palmer design and tee times can be booked online.

 

As far as public courses that are easy to book tee times, The Republic and The Bandit are by far the best in my opinion.

 

Of course we have 8 municipal courses but save for Brackenridge, none are really of note for a somebody traveling to the city.

 

 

[J_Birdie]

San Antonio golfer

 

If money is no object, then $265 a person for public tee time at TPC San Antonio is the way to go but these can only be booked within 2 days of the round. So a crap shoot. If you stay at the JW then you can book priority tee times.

 

La Cantera is about $125 per person, but they have great twilight and golfnow deals. 2 Courses there. Both are great. Palmer is difficult, Resort has best views imo.

 

Brackenridge is the jewel of the city courses and is always in good shape. $75 with cart.

 

The Republic and The Quarry are also great courses. The Quarry being the most 'unique' with the 9 holes inside an old quarry.

 

If you can travel a bit, then Vaaler Creek in Blanco is a phenomenal course for a great rate, and the Bandit is also a great course out in New Braunfels.

[hicks]

All of those recommended so far are great options. The Quarry is definitely interesting, but I'd skip it in early September since it can get miserably hot in an old rock quarry in the summer.

[texasdave]

San Antonio golfer here as well.

 

I agree with everything BruceLethal and Jasonbird110 said with the exception of Brackenridge being the best city course, I would give that honor to Cedar Creek, it's as difficult as any course in the city and is in great shape right now.

 

Brackenridge offers nothing but flat golf with flat greens as well. Cedar creek gives you elevation changes and quick greens with multi-levels.

[J_Birdie]

Cedar is a great course too. I live next to it. The course at Brack is overall flatter but I find Cedar to be a little unfair at times. I find the greens at Brack to be better too. Brack also has more historical importance and I feel is a better recommend to a visitor than cedar. Just my $.02

[texasdave]

Cedar is a great course too. I live next to it. The course at Brack is overall flatter but I find Cedar to be a little unfair at times. I find the greens at Brack to be better too. Brack also has more historical importance and I feel is a better recommend to a visitor than cedar. Just my $.02

 

Different strokes I guess.

 

Just hard for me to drive all the way downtown when I live off the first fairway at cedar.

[scottaz]

Thank you all for the responses. Looks like we have some great options.

[burns9304]

Just a tip on getting on TPC San Antonio, if you or your friend have a World MasterCard you can book rounds as a member for the day program MasterCard has. Rates are cheaper than you would think through it as well.

[jsanatx]

Olympia Hills is also a nice course, a little north of SA in Universal City (I think). Played there a couple of weeks ago and it was pretty nice.

[scottaz]

We're playing Hyatt Hill Country, La Cantera and got an early flight in, so playing The Republic that day in the afternoon.

 

The 4th will be TPC, if we can get it, or Quarry if not. Thanks again!

[J_Birdie]

Which La Cantera?

 

Either way that's a great lineup and would rival any golf trip anywhere.

[md1m]

FYI, played Hyatt Hill Country last month and was surprised that the greens were not in that great of shape. Was expecting resort quality greens and they were worse than the nice public courses (Bandit, Republic, etc) that I usually play.

[scottaz]

Which La Cantera?

 

Either way that's a great lineup and would rival any golf trip anywhere.

 

Both. The day before one is closed and the day after the other. We're doing 36 each day, besides the day we land and play The Republic.

 

Just found out Quarry has a tourney the day we had it locked in. Bandit has it's biggest tourney of the year the same day. So we're taking the ride to Vaaler Creek. It's a Sunday, so hopefully not much traffic.

[scottaz]

FYI, played Hyatt Hill Country last month and was surprised that the greens were not in that great of shape. Was expecting resort quality greens and they were worse than the nice public courses (Bandit, Republic, etc) that I usually play.

 

Hopefully they get it cleaned up by mid-September.

[J_Birdie]

San Antonio courses got so much water this spring they had to punch twice before summer. All the courses I regularly play got punched in March and then again in June/July. That could be it but I haven't been to HHC in a few months. Usually good though.

 

Vaaler is a gem. You'll like it.

[texasdave]

San Antonio courses got so much water this spring they had to punch twice before summer. All the courses I regularly play got punched in March and then again in June/July. That could be it but I haven't been to HHC in a few months. Usually good though.

 

Vaaler is a gem. You'll like it.

 

Cedar Creek just punched their greens again last Monday, playing tomorrow so hope they've recovered.

[J_Birdie]

San Antonio courses got so much water this spring they had to punch twice before summer. All the courses I regularly play got punched in March and then again in June/July. That could be it but I haven't been to HHC in a few months. Usually good though.

 

Vaaler is a gem. You'll like it.

 

Cedar Creek just punched their greens again last Monday, playing tomorrow so hope they've recovered.

 

I thought about hitting cedar. I'll wait another week. Cedar already has slow enough greens without the punch haha

[just plain bill]

omg...the quarry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

played it today, going off by myself at around 10:45 or so after a warm up...

when you walk from parking to the cart area, you turn a corner and BOOM! what a vista! you see the entire back 9 before you in this former rock quarry that puts a big smile on your face! it's a real stunner!

anyway, i pretty much kept to my course management, keeping it in play off the tee, trusting the 5 hybrids to get me where i need to be on approach...the front 9 is links-style, and a real joy to experience; great layout...caught a younger couple on #2, and they waved me up...pinn soft stayed, but i rushed my putts cuz you know how it is when you play thru...you play too fast...i 3-putted..

birdied #4. i think they were doing substantial work on the left bunkers, but i hit a sw about 8ft right, and managed to drain the putt. workers didnt cheer or anything, :(

bogied 8 cuz i missed a 4-footer. over-reading the breaks, cuz it stayed straight. 1-over 36 on the front and feelin' good about it...

#10 is a LOOOOOng par 4, and i bogied it and 11, trying to get more yards off the tee, but getting in left rough...dumb...

parred the par-3 12th when the putt stayed straight, but just caught the left lip and it dropped! i needed that!

bogied 13.

parred 14 on a long putt.

3-putted 15 & 16 cuz i just couldnt get the break read correctly...not happy...

17 is over a chasm, and i took the 16* and put it 140 out in center fairway...par

18 looked tight, so the 16* kept me safe. nice 2nd shot. approach i left a bit right, off the green, and it's sitting down, so had to be careful, and left it 8ft short...really... result was bogie and 42 for a 78...of course i'm happy with a score that begins with 7, but i wonder how low it could have been if i had not tried to 'gun' it at the turn...

bought a quarry logo hat.

got off the course just as the wind picked up. rain started halfway to hotel. got lucky!

 

folks, do what you gotta do to play this course. the setting is phenominal, the layout is interesting and fair and a blast!

drink plenty of fluids. drink more than you think.

one word to describe the quarry? bitchin'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

even better than moab!

one of the best i've played!

[just plain bill]

cant load pics...but if you google 'the quarry golf san antonio' and check images, you'll see what i saw, and it's incredible...

[texasdave]

Glad you had a great time, it's been a few years since I played there but may need to make a trip down there.

[just plain bill]

I'd play it once every 4 rounds at least...it's the perfect course!

[texasdave]

Be sure to give a review of your other rounds, I mostly okay at Cedar Creek since I'm so close but would like to hear how the other local courses are looking.

[just plain bill]

Gonna try to get out thu for as many holes as possible somewhere...same deal fri...

[J_Birdie]

Every SA course is in great shape that I've played in the last 2 months

 

That includes:

 

Brack

Cedar creek

Silverhorn

Canyon springs

Briggs ranch

Oak hills

Olmos basin

Randolph oaks

Landa park

Vaaler

Northern hills

Sonterra

Both la Cantera courses

The republic

 

 

Hell even the Alamo golf club has grass on the fairways again and BS around there for $7 is actually worth it now

 

I haven't played Tapatio in 6+ months but I heard from a coworker this week that it's still in shambles, especially the greens.

 

[Yanki01]

man I need to get up to the quarry again. i think when i played it was in 2010-11 or something? I can't remember. we went up to SA for the weekend and a buddy and I wanted to play some golf so we took our clubs. tee time was set for Saturday afternoon while our girls went out shopping. it was raining all day so we had to move it to Sunday morning. tee time around 8am and we didn't check the weather i had a wind jacket pullover but no pants, just shorts. my buddy had a polo and shorts. he bought a heavy pullover in the pro-shop which felt like wool. it started raining again around hole 7. By hole 9 it was coming down. we both picked up our ball on #9 green and carted it into the clubhouse. we were about to leave after waiting for an hour in the ballroom i think and ate some late breakfast while we waited, we're we can sit and look out at the quarry. the rain stopped, the sun came out and we started the back 9. we were cooking a few holes in but the scenery was awesome. no one in front and by hole #15, someone was teeing off on #10. i can't remember much of the front nine but really want to play it again.

[J_Birdie]

Front 9 is very Scottish links style, back 9 is...in an old Quarry. Can't really describe it any other way. Love that layout.

[texasdave]

Every SA course is in great shape that I've played in the last 2 months

 

That includes:

 

Brack

Cedar creek

Silverhorn

Canyon springs

Briggs ranch

Oak hills

Olmos basin

Randolph oaks

Landa park

Vaaler

Northern hills

Sonterra

Both la Cantera courses

The republic

 

 

Hell even the Alamo golf club has grass on the fairways again and BS around there for $7 is actually worth it now

 

I haven't played Tapatio in 6+ months but I heard from a coworker this week that it's still in shambles, especially the greens.

 

Played Olmos basin last week and course is in really good shape except the tee boxes...hard to find a level lie anywhere.

 

Greens at cedar creek are back to normal after a small punching two weeks ago..playing there tomorrow afternoon after work.

[just plain bill]

the quarry is a bucket-list type of course...you gotta get on it!

[just plain bill]

played canyon springs this afternoon...zero warmup...joined a 3-some on the 1st tee...great guys, and we had a blast!

bogied the 1st 2 holes, 3-putted #1, but didnt panic...

birdied #3, draining the 4-footer! but the greens are hard to figure out...kinda fast, but sandy...

birdied #5, a par 5...

doubled 6, caught behind a tree, then 3-putted...pissed...

birdied 8!

then doubled 9 cuz i suck....3 birdies for a 40???? suck!

 

had swing trouble, but couldnt figure it out, so i went ahead and doubled 10 with a 3-putt...i may have used foul language...

the greens were unreadable....too many putts going straight, when they looked crooked...

finally realized i had been looking up, instead of staring at the ball thru entire swing...then i hit some great shots....43...83 on the afternoon...bummed...

course is a good layout in good shape, except for sandy greens...it would be in my rotation if i lived here, but the quarry would get half my rounds, for sure! might play quarry tomorrow if i sneak out, lol...