Arg's Travel Log

[Argonne69]

Mission del Lago, San Antonio, TX 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/teca2qopxjeydsdt5yl8r/ACRh5xmnkApMV1wOcN8It5c?rlkey=yjf6ol0c9ti4q4uqhvz3tph94&st=3joaw747&dl=0

 

Edited January 22 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Warming my core with a nice Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad at Yard House near the Riverwalk. Lol. 

 

 

The Whiskey burger wasn't too bad. 

 

 

Edited January 22 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

I was going to have a second Belgian brew at Yard House, but Fogo de Chao next door was whispering in my ear. Been a while since I had a tasty Caipirinha. 😊

 

 

[imkirby34]

2 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Warming my core with a nice Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad at Yard House near the Riverwalk. Lol. 

 

 

I picked up a single bottle of that a couple months ago and enjoyed it so much, I picked up a 4 pk when I re-stocked last month.

[Double Mocha Man]

1 hour ago, Argonne69 said:

I was going to have a second Belgian brew at Yard House, but Fogo de Chao next door was whispering in my ear. Been a while since I had a tasty Caipirinha. 😊

 

 

 

That ain't no beer! I'll sip a few of those over the summer and imagine I'm in Brazil.

 

Hopefully they made it with cachaca, not a substitute. 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 22 by Double Mocha Man

[Argonne69]

22 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

 

That ain't no beer! I'll sip a few of those over the summer and imagine I'm in Brazil.

 

Hopefully they made it with cachaca, not a substitute. 

 

 

They're my favorite drink next to a barrel aged imperial stout. Pretty sure Fogo uses real cachaca. I fell in love with them the first time I ate at Fogo some 25 years ago. I jokingly refer to them as the Brazilian margarita. 

 

[ZephyrS4]

1 hour ago, Argonne69 said:

 

They're my favorite drink next to a barrel aged imperial stout. Pretty sure Fogo uses real cachaca. I fell in love with them the first time I ate at Fogo some 25 years ago. I jokingly refer to them as the Brazilian margarita. 

 

Pretty much…..I order one whenever it’s an option…..so tasty!

[imkirby34]

5 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

 

They're my favorite drink next to a barrel aged imperial stout. Pretty sure Fogo uses real cachaca. I fell in love with them the first time I ate at Fogo some 25 years ago. I jokingly refer to them as the Brazilian margarita. 

 

 

But, did you have a Cafe Boom Boom after the meal?  Oh, wait, I think that's at Espetus, not Fogo.

[vallygolf]

Arg, you need to some how get into the TGL stadium.  I finally found a hole that meets your criteria.  Shortish risk reward par 4 right to left with multiple bail outs and extensive fairway bunkering surrounded by blown out bunkers and the ocean. Tips out at 380, but would play closer to 300 for mere mortals  How many cows for this hole:

 

Edited January 23 by vallygolf

[bossman641]

On 1/18/2025 at 1:27 PM, Argonne69 said:

Wonderful day. Plenty of sun and cool temps on the last day before the Big Freeze. Still a little shell shocked from 3 long days of driving this week, so I decided not to spend 2 to 3 hours driving to and from the western courses in hill country. Wound up sticking with the original plan and played Lost Pines, previously know as Wolfdancer. I was pleasantly surprised that they allowed me to walk the resort course, and even chopped off the cart fee. Teed off solo early behind two solo riding members, and pretty much had the course to myself after 2 holes. 

 

I was told yesterday that Lost Pines had built 4 new holes to start the back nine, replacing four of the original boring finishing holes. Wow, what a big improvement. Other than the remaining two flat finishing holes the parkland course has some very nice elevation changes. Plenty of side slope to boot. Bunkering is excellent. Water in play on 8 holes, but a few holes have red staked native areas. Eight holes with left/right movement including two doglegs. 

 

Moderately difficult off the tee with bunkering being an actual factor, along with a couple of forced carries. Minor misses would generally catch the rough, but a few holes had sloped fairways that could find trouble. Big misses were toast. Approaches were tough. Greens were well protected, and many had some odd shapes. Greens had a nice amount of contouring, tiering, and slope. Definitely better than your typical resort layout. Putting required effort. Up and downs were pretty tricky with more than a few carries over deep bunkers. 

 

Par 3s were decent. The new 12th had a green that was a little too big for the short length. Otherwise plenty of trouble and a nice mix of lengths. Par 5s were tough due to their length, but nothing reachable. Short 4s were excellent with two driveable risk/reward holes. The new 11th needed a high bomb to clear the trees, and a creek was in play the entire length of the hole. 

 

Conditions were very good for January. Fairways were dyed, but had a nice cushion instead of the usual firm turf. Rough was short but still fluffy. Bunkers were playable, although a couple could use a little more sand. Greens had a couple of stressed areas, but were overall excellent with speeds pushing 11. 

 

Played the White tees at 6254 yds (72.7/133). Well behaved driver, and the irons were a little better. Credit to the turf, as I wasn't overly concerned about taking a shallow divot. Putter was the ace in the hole. Two birdies and six bogies. Highlight was a nice 15' birdie putt on the 7th. Also had another sandy with the flop wedge. 

 

Solid 7 cows here. Would really like to see a risk/reward par 5, and a little more trouble on the short par 3s. The $162 weekend walking rate was on the high side, but not crazy. They credited me $40 for the cart, which is a bit nuts, so I spent the money on a new straw gambler hat. I played the course back in 2014, and thought that the final six holes were a letdown. However, the new four holes really help. Definitely worth a visit. 

 

Interesting. I've been out of Austin for about 3.5 years now but played Wolfdancer quite a bit while living there. Do you happen to have the scorecard for the new layout? I tried to find it on their website but they have nothing. I agree about a few of the holes on the back nine bring boring but thought the last 3 were a strong finish (long par 4, par 3, par 5 along the river).

[Argonne69]

3 minutes ago, bossman641 said:

Interesting. I've been out of Austin for about 3.5 years now but played Wolfdancer quite a bit while living there. Do you happen to have the scorecard for the new layout? I tried to find it on their website but they have nothing. I agree about a few of the holes on the back nine bring boring but thought the last 3 were a strong finish (long par 4, par 3, par 5 along the river).

 

Sorry, I don't have the scorecard. If a course isn't a Top 100 course I typically toss it the day after the round.

 

The original three finishing holes were tough, but they didn't feel the same as the first dozen.

 

[Argonne69]

14 minutes ago, vallygolf said:

Arg, you need to some how get into the TGL stadium.  I finally found a hole that meets your criteria.  Shortish risk reward par 4 right to left with multiple bail outs and extensive fairway bunkering surrounded by blown out bunkers and the ocean. Tips out at 380, but would play closer to 300 for mere mortals  How many cows for this hole:

 

 

'Very nice. My kind of short par 4. Looks like 9 cows.

 

[deadsolid...shank]

3 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

 

'Very nice. My kind of short par 4. Looks like 9 cows.

 

But it’s riding only!😂

[Double Mocha Man]

56 minutes ago, deadsolid...shank said:

But it’s riding only!😂

 

... and the closest brewery and RV Park is 300 miles.

[Argonne69]

Odd morning. Can't recall the last time I teed off at 10 am two days in a row. The course had the greens covered, so like yesterday tee times didn't start until 10. I managed to get out with another single in the lead group, but at that point they'd only uncovered six greens. In addition to the cold, it was also very windy, and it looked like the crew was struggling with the tarps in the wind. My playing partner bailed after 9 holes, and I only finished 11 before running into the crew. After sitting inside for a few days I needed the exercise, so I teed off on the remaining holes, and hit approaches to the front of the greens. 

 

Riverside GC today, another Alamo City Golf Trail course. Seems that unique names are hard to come by in the state, as it was the third Riverside in three weeks. Lol. The parkland layout was recently renovated, and I was told that it gave the course a few more teeth with new bunkering and green complexes. Fairly flat layout, though. Fairway bunkering was decent. Greenside was also good. Water in play on just four holes. The course is split by the San Antonio River. Seems that they missed an opportunity to have a few holes play across the river. Five holes with gentle left/right movement. 

 

Fairly easy off the tee with generous fairways, but the winds did mess with things a bit. Minor misses would catch the light rough, but trees might be a factor, and there were a few areas with wood chips. Approaches were on the tough side primarily due to the new greens being rather firm. Also a number of false fronts and sides to escort you to the rough. Greens had plenty of contouring, tiering, and slope. Quite surprising for a cheap muni. Putting was work. Up and downs were tough with plenty of crummy lies in the dormant Bermuda rough. 

 

The three par 3s were decent. Variety of length was lacking with holes playing PW - 7i. The three short par 5s were meh. All were reachable, but little risk. Five short par 4s were also disappointing. 

 

Conditions were pretty good. Fairways were tight. Rough was hit or miss. Bunkers had plenty of new sand. Greens were being cut as the tarps came off, and were quite speedy. Add the wind and slope and they weren't your typical muni. Rolling close to 11. 

 

Played the Blue tees at 6304 yds (70.6/137). Decent all around day ballstriking, but the greens had me spooked. One birdie and four bogies for 11 holes. Highlight was a downwind drive that came up just shy of 300 yds. Thank you, Mr. Wind. 

 

Going with a strong 4 cows. Love the tough green complexes, but the design still needs the usual design tweaks. Definitely enjoying the $28 discount senior weekday rate. Only good thing about getting old. Lol. Brackenridge is a better layout, but this one is a fine track for the locals. 

 

[Argonne69]

Riverside GC, San Antonio, TX 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was seriously thinking that the crew was going to sail away like the ol man in Up. 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/z3q6bxtkl7o0urwprp6as/AIsinb705liP78ww9NKy1do?rlkey=bfx4jotx501lp4d31gonvmrrb&st=b1c8m9w0&dl=0

 

Edited January 23 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Back to my home away from home, Yard House. Enjoying one of their own brews, the House Belgian Amber Tripel. 

 

 

Was thinking about a stroll along the riverwalk, but I've done it several times, and with temps barely breaking 50 I'll probably take a pass. The walk is fun when it's warm and the crowds are out in full force. 

 

 

Edited January 23 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Lol. Picked up a new toy yesterday. Much better than a new wedge. I should have bought this months ago. The oil filled heater puts off some serious heat, and is much better than the small ceramic space heaters. It's still only 1400 watts, but it really warms the room. I set it for 80 degrees last night thinking that it would struggle to keep up, but I had to dial it down in the middle of the night. 

 

 

[ThinkingPlus]

12 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

Lol. Picked up a new toy yesterday. Much better than a new wedge. I should have bought this months ago. The oil filled heater puts off some serious heat, and is much better than the small ceramic space heaters. It's still only 1400 watts, but it really warms the room. I set it for 80 degrees last night thinking that it would struggle to keep up, but I had to dial it down in the middle of the night. 

 

 

Had one of those in our water well tank enclosure in ABQ. Turned it to lowest setting in October and would shut it off in May. Never had our water freeze up after putting it in place.

[mci711]

I am shocked that a course of that quality and price spends the time and resources to cover greens. Maybe that is normal down there, new to me though. 

[Argonne69]

39 minutes ago, mci711 said:

I am shocked that a course of that quality and price spends the time and resources to cover greens. Maybe that is normal down there, new to me though. 

 

My playing partner said that they lost the greens a couple of times during the winter when they weren't covering them. After redoing the greens during the last renovation, maybe they learned a thing.

 

[postfold]

Dunno if anyone ever says this, but an extra thank you for the write ups and photos of the cheap 3 and 4 cow courses you visit.  I'm pretty sure that's the tier of courses I'd be looking at if I'm ever able to retire and travel for winter golf.

[Argonne69]

This is my 3rd visit to SATX. My first visit in 2011 was memorable for a number of reasons. 

 

Played the Quarry the day of arrival. The front was OK, but the back nine in the old quarry was a blast. I remember the greens being dog slow, and after my playing partner and I left everything short, he started putting with his driver on the back. Lol. He was making everything. 

 

Next stop was La Cantera. Played a ho-hum round on the resort course in the morning, and then teed it up on the Palmer course in the afternoon. I believe the Palmer course was closed a few years ago. The afternoon round was very memorable because I set a personal record that still stands to this day. I finished the round with 36 near new Pro V1s. Lol. As part of the greens fee they gave you a sleeve of new Pro V1s in a velvet pouch. Very posh. I was stuck behind 24 golfers in an afternoon outing, and I wasn't going anywhere. To kill time I fetched balls from the thorny Texas scrub. Wound up selling the balls to a buddy at work for a dollar a ball. 

 

After visiting the river walk the next morning, I headed to TPC San Antonio. I played an afternoon round on the Oaks course upon arrival. The next morning I played the Canyons Course, and a 2nd round on the Oaks. The highlight was the par 3 16th on the Oaks with its bunker in the middle of the green. I remember the pin being in the back, and hitting a poor teeshot to the front of the green. Took out my flop wedge and hit a nice high flop over the bunker to within a few feet to save par. I dutifully repaired the shallow divot on the front of the green. Teach Greg to put a bunker in the middle of the green. 

 

I booked an early tee time tomorrow at The Quarry. I'm guessing that there will be a frost delay, but I can live with the cold. Tired of these 10 am tee times. Fingers crossed. I assume they don't allow walking, but hopefully I can hike the course. 

 

Edited January 24 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

48 minutes ago, postfold said:

Dunno if anyone ever says this, but an extra thank you for the write ups and photos of the cheap 3 and 4 cow courses you visit.  I'm pretty sure that's the tier of courses I'd be looking at if I'm ever able to retire and travel for winter golf.

 

Thanks. I learned very early on this venture that when you're playing 5 rounds a week you're not going to be teeing it up on a Top 100 course every day. Those cheap rounds help offset the $300 to $400 rounds. Lol. 

 

[hammergolf]

10 hours ago, vallygolf said:

Arg, you need to some how get into the TGL stadium.  I finally found a hole that meets your criteria.  Shortish risk reward par 4 right to left with multiple bail outs and extensive fairway bunkering surrounded by blown out bunkers and the ocean. Tips out at 380, but would play closer to 300 for mere mortals  How many cows for this hole:

 

No bunkers on the right side…. Arg wants at least 7 or 8 more minimum. Lol

[Argonne69]

Bah. This arctic weather is getting old. Looking at a 2 hour frost delay at The Quarry. 

 

 

[CDM]

6 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

Bah. This arctic weather is getting old. Looking at a 2 hour frost delay at The Quarry. 

 

 

 

Some reason I like that course, I know its a a 50/50 thing with many. 

[ZephyrS4]

Can’t remember if you played Quarry Pines in Tucson or not…..same deal there…..ho hum front nine, then a really fun back nine in the old quarry. I’d pay more just to play the back twice…..lol

[Argonne69]

Well, after an excessively long frost delay I was able to jump out as the lead single, so not too much harm. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that they allow walking. Pretty easy walk. Second time playing the course, and it didn't disappoint. The front was a little better than I remembered. The prairie style layout is split into two halves. The front has water on 7 holes. The back plays down in an old quarry with homes and condos perched along the rim. Pretty dramatic. The holes, though, have little elevation change. Fairway bunkering was decent. Greenside was better. Water in play on 11 holes total. Five holes with left/right movement, including three doglegs. 

 

Other than the 13th and 17th if say it's fairly easy off the tee. The short par 4 13th has a forced carry, but one can choose to bite off a small chunk and still have a mid iron in. The 17th is pretty intimidating with a narrow fairway and danger on both sides. Minor misses would typically catch the generous rough. Big misses might get lucky, but would generally be lost in the thick native areas. Approaches were much tougher with plenty of pin areas tucked behind bunkers. Greens had modest contouring and slope. They weren't pushovers, but didn't put a scare in me. Up and downs were fairly straightforward. Plenty of closely mown areas to chip or Texas wedge it. 

 

Par 3s were very good with water in play on all four. Excellent mix of lengths ranging from a PW to a fairway wood. The three par 5s were mixed. The short dogleg 5th had a pond on the inside corner. Solid risk/reward off the tee if you wanted to bite off a big chunk. The pair on the back were meh. The two short 4s were also mixed. The dogleg 13th was another good risk/reward hole off the tee. Driveable for a long hitter, but it was nearly all carry over the rocky ravine. 

 

Conditions were quite good. Dormant fairways were a little shaggy, but it meant some nice lies instead of the typical tight ones. Rough was also producing some nice lies. Bunkers had plenty of sand. Playable, but they could use a grooming. Greens were a little wet from the frost and early morning watering. I was told that they were renovated recently, and while damp they were still very firm. Wedges were barely making ballmarks. Speed was probably 10. 

 

Played a Professional/Championship combo at 6385 yds on the par 71 layout (71.0/128). Very good day ballstriking, but wedges were a bit off off until the final hole. One birdie and six bogies. Highlight of the round, or should I say laugh of the round, came on the par 5 15th. Like a dummy I layed up in a bunker 60 yds short of the green. Didn't want to hit a half wedge fat, so I opted to try and pick it. Wound up blading the shot across the green. The ball buzzed the flagstick, bounced off the rock wall behind the green, and rebounded back on to the green. Too far from the cup for a legit birdie, but I was very happy with the par. 

 

Going with a solid 6 cows. I'd like to see a few more bunkers out there, and more risk near the greens on the par 5s. The course uses dynamic pricing, and I was able to grab an early discounted tee time at $139. Certainly high compared to the local munis, but not crazy. Definitely a must play when in SATX. 

 

[Argonne69]

The Quarry GC, San Antonio, TX 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/jt3wuurbox7ocj340chq5/AENAa3QA_htzjv3RQjA9VEQ?rlkey=6w5iyb5rjhoned6rt5eopzk3s&st=5tclcpab&dl=0

 

Edited January 24 by Argonne69