About 55 miles west of downtown Austin, in the rolling Texas Hill Country, sits Horseshoe Bay Resort, a sprawling property where the most unique golf course in its vast portfolio might be the one where you only use your putter.
Although the others are no slouches.
There’s one so challenging that everyone on-site — the shuttle drivers, the waitresses, even the girl on the beverage cart — will warn you of its difficulty. There’s another that boasts a “Million Dollar Hole” with a 35-foot waterfall and yet one more where the views of Lake LBJ go on forever like some postcard you find at a truck stop. (And that’s not even including the members-only one, which is technically off-limits to resort guests but still fun to fawn over.)
Yet the courses here are still outnumbered by the restaurants and pools, and all of it is still sparkling from a $100 million renovation in 2020 that touched every part of the resort, from the courses to the rooms and more. One of GOLF’s Top 100 Resorts in the U.S., I long admired Horseshoe Bay Resort from afar. That is, until I finally visited during Spring Break, which was a welcome reprieve from the north, where in Minnesota we had yet to shed our sweatshirts.
But before we go any further, let’s first go back to where we started, which was by mentioning that unique, putter-only golf course that’s plopped in the middle of the entire resort — the Whitewater Putting Course.
It’s the perfect place to start because, well, it’s the only course here where families (or non-golfers) can tee if up together and have a stress-free round on a course anyone can play. And it’s also a true rarity — it’s one of just two Bermuda grass putting courses in the United States.
A mini-golf course with a windmill this is not. Here you are playing on actual grass — it’s mowed every day — on a par-72, 1,712-yard 18-hole course. It’s like playing golf in a zen garden. There’s waterfalls (like, real, big, legit waterfalls), ponds, fountains, streams, more fountains, bunkers and so much landscaping it rivals Augusta National. They recently added speakers and music throughout the course and, get this, you can even play it at night, when colorful lights shine down on the property.
The entire course wraps around the Whitewater 360 Sports Club, where you can grab beer, cocktails, pizza and more after your round.
As for the “big” golf courses, there’s plenty to discuss there too. While the Jack Nicklaus-designed Summit Rock is for members only, there are three Robert Trent Jones Sr. courses at your disposal.
Slick Rock is home to that “Million Dollar Hole,” which refers to the 14th, a short dog-leg right par-4 where your tee shot has to clear Slickrock Creek and the majestic man-made waterfall, which you’ll also cruise through on your cart.
Ram Rock is the most difficult course on property — it’s rating is 75.6 — and the rolling layout is highlighted by the picturesque island-green par-3 4th and several holes that play along water or natural rock outcroppings.
Finally there is Apple Rock, one of the most scenic courses in the area (few views are better than on the tee at the par-5 10th). It boasts massive elevation changes and gorgeous views of Lake LBJ, with one of the most memorable holes being the 12th, a short par-3 that’s so tight against the water it feels straight out of a video game. (Apple Rock also hosted Good Good Golf for a 12-hole Lonestar Shootout last month.)
And since you are wondering, yes, there are restaurants (a.k.a. 19th holes) at each course. The most notable is probably the Cap Rock Clubhouse, which opened in 2021 is at the Ram Rock and Apple Rock courses. Here the service is just as good as the exquisite entrees. And while this place is members-only for dinner, it’s worth trying to fit in for lunch.
You’ll have to go to the main resort (all of the courses are a short drive away) to dine at spots like J’s Restaurant & Bar (life-changing breakfast potatoes in the morning; mouth-watering barbecue later) or the Waterfront Bar and Grill (upscale dining with lakeside views and live music to boot) that looks over Lake LBJ.
A pitching wedge away from the Waterfront Bar and Grill is the Waterfront Floating Pool — yes, you read that right — but that’s just an appetizer to the resort’s Splash Safari Aqua Park, a floating obstacle course of slides, walls and balance beams that would make any teenager drool. There’s other pools on-site, too, and the one connected to the main tower is the only heated one, if that’s your thing. You can stay at the main tower or rent villas or homes. They are spacious, modern and clean, and even more are still being built.
And of course, if you need a break from the pools, pontoon cruises and barbecue, you could always just play golf. And if those championship courses aren’t your thing, word is there’s quite the putting course here.
