Where to play? Dallas May 3rd-5th and Houston 6th-12th

[Sconnie Hacker]

Help! I'm coming to Dallas/Houston next week and am hoping for some advice on where to play? Never played in Texas being from Wisconsin. The wife is in conferences all day while in Dallas so I have all day to keep myself busy!

 

Thinking Cowboy golf club since we are staying in Grapevine.

 

Any assistance is greatly appreciated. No private access, but I don't mind paying a little more to for something memorable

[glayne2]

Go play Cowboys.

 

http://www.idealgolf...rth/cowboys1704

[bigjohntripod]

I'm in Houston, right Downtown. I play WildCat all the time, great views of downtown Houston (NRG and the Astrodome) great course layout. Let me know if you roll out, we'll tee it up.

[LL75]

texas star or cowboys golf course are great !! $89 from Idealgolfer for cowboys. Can't beat that price with free food.

[Sconnie Hacker]

<<edited due to my own laziness>>

 

Any other suggestions? I don't mind driving a few hours (~2 or less) if it's worth it?

 

Is Tour18 in decent shape?

[TravelingGolfSticks]

In DFW I like The Old American. Cowboys and Texas Star are solid choices as well. In Houston, Public courses wise, Wildcat, Tour 18 (the humble one is usually in great shape), Blackhorse, heard good things about Eagle Pointe lately, and Golf club of Houston should still be in decent shape. I'll be happy to play with you on any clubcorp course the weekend you are in Houston.

[bigjohntripod]

What is Clubcorp?

[TravelingGolfSticks]

What is Clubcorp?

 

Private course corporation.

In Houston they have about 10 golf clubs. Not too many near downtown though. Mostly north and south of town and couple west.

[Sconnie Hacker]

So, I've nailed down Cowboys via idealgolfer for Wednesday (thanks for the tip!) is grapevine a good warm up for Cowboys? They seem close distance wise?

 

I appreciate the invites, I'll PM and see what we can work out!

 

Thanks everyone so far!

[Sconnie Hacker]

Wed. - Grapevine & Cowboys

Thurs. - Old American and ????

Fri. - Morning round? Drive to Houston

Sat. -

Sun. -

Mon. -

Tues. - Tour18 - Humble

Wed. -

Thurs. -

Fri. - morning

 

The Houston rounds will have the wife along who breaks 100 fairly consistently.

 

We are both used to 36/day so I don't foresee any problems there

[snpcrk121]

Wed. - Grapevine & Cowboys

Thurs. - Old American and ????

Fri. - Morning round? Drive to Houston

Sat. -

Sun. -

Mon. -

Tues. -

Wed. -

Thurs. -

Fri. - morning

 

The Houston rounds will have the wife along who breaks 100 fairly consistently.

 

We are both used to 36/day so I don't foresee any problems there

I would recommend playing Tribute along with Old American on Thursday. They are right next to each other. Tribute would be a great warm up round as it is pretty wide open and fun. It is a 'tribute' course, so lots of the holes are replicas of the real links holes overseas. I haven't played most of the courses they were tributing, but actually think they did a great job with 1 and 18 at the Old Course.

[Sconnie Hacker]

I read elsewhere in this forum of Frisco Lakes? Better than Tribute?

[UTace10]

Frisco Lakes is in much better condition than Tribute. They're about to shut Tribute down to redo the greens.

[RossG]

For Houston, Golf club of houston, Cypresswood tradition, tour 18, wildcat, meadowbrook farms, and black horse

[Sconnie Hacker]

Is there a consensus on which Blackhorse to play? North, south or both?

[TravelingGolfSticks]

Always forget about Cypresswood, nice course. I played Meadowbrook farms a few weeks ago, greens were terrible. It is not in near the condition it used to be.

 

As far as Blackhorse, I lean the south course only because the back nine of the north is boring to me. The front 9 of the north is probably the best stretch of 9 holes out there, just the back is a let down after the front.

 

Also played Frisco lakes a few months ago, fun track.

 

A lot of people like to play memorial in Houston as well. It's a solid track.

 

I'd say in a 5 day, 36 holes in Houston my itinerary would look like

 

Day 1: Golf club of Houston, Tour 18

Day 2: Memorial Park (early), Eagle Pointe

Day 3: Blackhorse South and toss up (cypress lakes or cinco ranch

Day 4. Cypresswood Traditions and Cypress

Day 5: Wildcat Highlands and the lakes

 

Logistically speaking, all are in easy driving distance except for Memorial and Eagle Pointe. Not much close to Eagle Pointe unless you are headed to Lake Charles.

[TravelingGolfSticks]

I would be willing to help you out on the 6th if you wanted to play with me as guest in the afternoon on any of the clubcorp courses.

 

Here's a link to a list of the courses. http://www.clubcorp.com/Membership/Membership-in-Houston-TX (guest fees should be around $100 for most of them. A few are higher)

[Sconnie Hacker]

Is golf club of Houston in decent shape in early May? I seem to recall reading on here that conditions aren't the greatest some times of year?

 

Thinking of playing FL in place of Tribute. Any ideas on pace of play at tour18 during the week in the morning?

[TravelingGolfSticks]

The one time I've played at tour 18 during the week it wasn't that busy at all. Also went one time on a Sunday when it was suppose to rain and after hole 2 didn't feel another drop and never saw anyone else on the course. Was pretty cool.

 

I don't know about Golf club of Houston, as I've only ever played before the tourney. It hasn't been all that warm (relatively speaking) down here yet so its possible the ryegrass is still OK.

[kgk]

GCOH will be awful then. All the rye dies & the bermuda takes forever to come back. Avoid.

[cjblake09]

If you want to drive a little north Augusta Pines and Woodforest are 2 great options. Played Augusta Pines today and it is in great shape and Woodforest might have the best greens in Houston.

[Sconnie Hacker]

I'm leaning grapevine and cowboys Wed.

Texas star and ?? Thursday. Friday morning ??

 

Sounds like GCOH is not worth the effort. Is there something else worthwhile near Tour18 in humble? Have an earlyish time and was thinking of 36

[TravelingGolfSticks]

Cypresswood is close enough to Tour 18. Also, I always forget about stevens park in Dallas. Fun muni track with views of downtown Dallas.

[txeconomist]

Most of the good tracks are on the north side of town; here is my list for Houston:

#1 Woodforest - this is the course that is in consistently the best shape in my opinion as far as public tracks go

#2 Golf Club of Houston - Cant speak for value but I played this the week after the Shell and I suspect it is still in good shape. It has not been very hot at all. I'd say dismiss the above saying to avoid unless you are $ conscious

#3 Cypresswood Tradition - this is one of my favorite layouts in Houston and is in really good shape right now; played it twice in the last two weeks, great value; Cypress course sucks don't play that one

#4 High Meadow Ranch - way up north by Woodforest, haven't played in a while so can't speek to conditions but this is a great track with typically better than average conditions

#5 Blackhorse - Both are good, maybe prefer the North. Usually in nice shape

#6 Memorial Park- right in the middle of the city, good layout but they were doing some work a month or so ago and not sure they are done, greens were bad last time I played. Overall great place to play, get a burger and a beer

#7 T18 - Greens are really good right now, everything else is meh, starting to get run down a bit...little depressing

#8 Wildcat - usually in pretty good shape but the layout is pretty god aweful...blind shots all over the place, both very quirky

 

Other good courses I haven't played in ages such as Augusta Pines, Glenloch, etc. I'd play the top five or so above and you'll probably be happy with them.

[TravelingGolfSticks]

I have to disagree with the wildcat layout being god awful. If you want something different or memorable, Wildcat meets that criteria. I've played too many courses over the years that are straightforward. Take out the big dog and swing away with out any regard to placement. Yea, if the pins here you have a better angle on this side of the fairway boring crap is not Wildcat, especially the highlands. Risk/reward shots are plentiful. But then again, it's what I like. Reminds me a bit of the Palmer course at La Cantera in San Antonio as far as having to think about hitting different clubs of the tee to give you a couple different options with your approach shots.

[bigjohntripod]

Great write up here. WildCat (both 18's) are tough. And when the wind blows, forget about it. I play either Lakes or Highlands 4-5 times a week and am always faced with a challenge. If you're looking for easy, WildCat isn't it. 200 yard, uphill, dead into a 30mph wind (#7 Highlands) is tough but, I love it.

 

I'll be there all week this week and next (except Wednesday-Friday next week). Let me know if you want a third.

[jflores8]

Wildcat sucks, but due to the lack of options in the area (Central Houston) it is most folks go to golf course. Want cheap golf, play Clear Creek definitely a much better option than Wildcat.

[TravelingGolfSticks]

Haven't played Clear Creek yet but heard good things. Whats type of course is it?

[snagy2000]

Wildcat sucks, but due to the lack of options in the area (Central Houston) it is most folks go to golf course. Want cheap golf, play Clear Creek definitely a much better option than Wildcat.

 

Have to concur with this...The layout of Wildcat's courses are great, but ever since they changed owners a few years back, the course conditions are very lacking for what they ask to play...A buddy of mine has played Clear Creek recently and was talking it up good...

[cpriceAP2]

Lots of great golf all around Houston. Really depends on where you are willing to travel.

The construction at Memorial is finished and the greens are coming along after being aerated in early April. Cypresswood Tradition is an easy choice. Home to the Shell Houston Open Monday Qualifier and other tournaments. You want the best greens in town right now, head over to Eagle Pointe in Mont Belvieu. Tour 18 is another course in good shape aside from some bunker work around the course. I read yesterday(5/1) that #12 Augusta is closed due to the bunkers being reworked. The West side has Cinco Ranch, Blackhorse and Cypress Lakes. I have to agree about Wildcat not being a great place.