Why is South Texas home to some of the greatest golf and vacation spots in the country? How much time do you have? Year-round warm weather. Authentic Mexican cuisine and world-class fine dining. Affordable courses set against the backdrop of mature live oaks and expansive ranchlands. The list goes on. In border towns like McAllen, Pharr, and Laredo, you’ll enjoy affordable, idiosyncratic courses for some truly unforgettable rounds. Between the Hill Country and the beaches of Corpus Christi are charming ranch towns like Beeville and Alice, where you’ll enjoy a relaxing nine holes at a number of local courses. San Antonio acts as a vibrant hub to the region, with an expertly maintained system of upscale munis, a phalanx of top-notch country clubs, and a trio of world-class resorts fit for a king or queen.
ALICE TX Golf Courses
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A stone’s throw west of Corpus Christi and named after the daughter of Richard King— the of King Ranch fame—Alice is home to both the Alice Municipal Golf Course and the eminently charming nine-hole Alice Country Club, one of South Texas’s best kept secrets.
GOLIAD TX Golf Courses
Home of the restored Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo de Zuñiga and situated on the San Antonio River, Goliad is South Texas small-town charm personified. Goliad Golf Club, just west of historic downtown Goliad, is an enjoyable public ninehole course that is easy on the wallet.
LAREDO TX Golf Courses
The Max Golf Course is just one reason to flock to this border town on the north bank of the Rio Grande. Newly opened in 2014, The Max is a gorgeous, award-winning public course rife with mature mesquite trees and situated on a bluff overlooking the river.
The Max A. Mandel Municipal Golf Course, designed by world-renowned architect Robert Trent Jones, Jr., continues to be recognized as one of the top public access courses in Texas. It has received notable attention nationally and in the southern United States in regional publications over its short life span.
This $8 million project, which includes the championship golf course, clubhouse, roadways and maintenance facility, was made possible by the generous land donation of 270 acres by the family of the late Max A. Mandel, a Laredo bank executive and economic visionary whose involvement in a variety of civic issues the past 45 years is legendary. Along with the property, the family also donated $1 million to the facility, as well as water rights for irrigation purposes.
The City of Laredo public facility features a Par 72 course with five sets of tees with the longest distance up to 7,069 yards set along the scenic Rio Grande. Several holes allow golfers the chance to hit the ball into another country- right into Mexico!
GOLF Magazine featured Laredo’s stunning new addition to the golf scene in south Texas in an April 2013 article titled “Rio Grande Slam” in which The MAX was praised as an exceptional value for the quality experience. The favorable course review also advised golfers to “run to the border to play this superb, affordable new RTJ II signature design.”
MCALLEN TX Golf Courses
At the southern tip of the Rio Grande Valley is McAllen, a formerly sleepy agricultural town that was transformed by a NAFTA-led economic boom in the late-90s. The water hazard-laden, 18-hole Palm View Golf Course is an upscale muni, and a highlight of the region.
PHARR TX Golf Courses
Adjacent to McAllen is this culturally diverse, medium-sized town just minutes from the Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley. Look forward to year-round tee times at the Dave Bennett-designed Tierra del Sol Golf Club, where you’ll walk the creeks from hole to hole, tall palms gently swaying in the Gulf breeze.
UNIVERSAL CITY TX Golf Courses
Halfway between San Antonio and New Braunfels and adjacent to Randolph Air Force Base is this small suburb, highlighted by Olympia Hills Golf Center. Drought-proof due to grey-water usage and featuring 50-foot elevation changes, rolling hills, and breathtaking views of some of Bexar County’s oldest and most beautiful live oaks, this municipal course stands as a must-play.
Road Trips: San Antonio
While there are many, many worthy courses scattered along the border and across the plains of South Texas, the Alamo City has enough top-notch golf to last a lifetime (or two!).
Aside from the authentic Mexican cuisine, rich cultural heritage, and exciting downtown nightlife, the nation’s seventh-largest city is a golf mecca, with thousands upon thousands of world-class holes spread across impeccable munis, championship country clubs, and five-star resorts.
Just south of the rolling hills of Central Texas is the vast municipal system of San Antonio courses known as the Alamo City Golf Trail. These six 18-holers—Brackenridge Park, Cedar Creek, Mission Del Lago, Olmos Basin, Riverside, and Willow Springs—plus the nine-hole San Pedro par 3 are all meaningful stops in San Antonio, and you really can’t go wrong with any of them. Brackenridge, opened in 1916 and new home of the Texas Golf Hall of Fame, is the oldest public course in the state.
Beyond the munis are a smattering of exquisite resorts, perfect for a weekend golf getaway, anniversary celebration, or family trip. The original Resort Course at Westin La Cantera features unbelievable views of Six Flags Fiesta Texas, downtown San Antonio, and the Hill Country, and contains a whopping 75 pristine-white bunkers. The Palmer Course, designed in 2001 by the King himself, is characterized by the remarkable hole #4, with greens-adjacent waterfalls and the Winnie Palmer Memorial Bridge, a touching tribute to Palmer’s late wife.
There are more than 50—yes 50—other top-rated courses in and around San Antonio, so even if you’re looking for more than the resort scene or the wonderful muni system, the Alamo City has you covered.
Golf Courses in the the South Texas Plains
| golf course | phone | physical address | city | zip | web address |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamo Country Club | 956-787-0907 | 920 N. Tower Rd. | Alamo | 78516 | myalamocountryclub.com |
| Alice Country Club | 361-664-5702 | 260 County Rd. 341 | Alice | 78332 | alicecountryclub.com |
| Alice Municipal Golf Course | 361-664-7033 | 2290 N. Texas Blvd. | Alice | 78332 | ci.alice.tx.us |
| Beeville Country Club | 361-358-2136 | 182 Country Club Dr. | Beeville | 78102 | |
| John C. Beasley Golf Course | 361-362-7618 | FM 351 and Veterans Park | Beeville | 78102 | |
| Carrizo Springs Municipal Golf Course | 830-876-2596 | 1604 Hwy. 85 | Carrizo Springs | 78834 | |
| Eagle Pass Golf Club | 830-773-9761 | 2149 Del Rio Blvd. | Eagle Pass | 78852 | www.eaglepasstx.us/default.aspx?name=parks_golf_course |
| Ebony Hills Public Golf Course | 956-381-1244 | 300 W. Palm Dr. | Edinburg | 78539 | |
| Los Lagos Golf Club | 956-316-0444 | 1720 S. Raul Longoria Rd. | Edinburg | 78539 | |
| Monte Cristo Golf and Country Club | 956-381-0964 | 3101 N. Kenyon Rd. | Edinburg | 78542 | www.montecristogcc.com |
| Falfurrias Golf Course | 361-325-5348 | 401 E. Travis St. | Falfurrias | 78355 | |
| Goliad Golf Club | 361-645-8322 | 1103 W. Fannin St. | Goliad | 77963 | www.goliadgolf.com |
| Oak Valley Golf Course | 210-695-2606 | 18632 Bandera Rd. | Helotes | 78023 | |
| Karnes County Country Club | 830-583-3200 | 8824 Hwy. 181 S. | Kenedy | 78119 | |
| Casa Blanca Golf Course | 956-726-2019 | 3900 Casa Blanca Lake Rd. | Laredo | 78041 | www.golfcasablanca.com |
| Laredo Country Club | 956-727-2900 | 1415 Country Club Dr. | Laredo | 78045 | www.laredocc.com |
| Max A. Mandel Municipal Golf Course | 956-726-2000 | 27700 FM 1472 | Laredo | 78045 | www.themaxlaredo.com |
| Adobe Wells Golf Course | 956-686-8801 | 4901 Daffodil Ave. | McAllen | 78501 | www.adobewells.com |
| McAllen Country Club | 956-631-1103 | 615 Wichita Ave. | McAllen | 78503 | www.mcallencountryclub.com |
| Palm View Golf Course | 956-681-3444 | 2701 S. Ware Rd. | McAllen | 78503 | www.palmviewgolf.com |
| Llano Grande Golf Course | 956-565-3351 | 379 Golf Course Rd. | Mercedes | 78570 | www.llanogranderesort.com/golf.htm |
| Mid Valley Golf Club | 956-565-3211 | 11550 FM 491 N. | Mercedes | 78570 | |
| Club at Cimarron | 956-581-7401 | 1200 S. Shary Rd. | Mission | 78572 | www.clubcorp.com/Clubs/The-Club-at-Cimarron |
| Martin Valley Ranch Golf Course | 956-585-2131 | 7400 W. Expy. 83 | Mission | 78572 | www.martinvalley.com |
| Meadow Creek in the Valley | 956-581-6262 | 1300 Circle Dr. | Mission | 78572 | www.meadowcreekinthevalley.net |
| Shary Municipal Golf Course | 956-580-8770 | 2201 N. Mayberry St. | Mission | 78572 | www.missiontexas.us/departments/golf |
| Tierra del Sol Golf Course | 956-702-2320 | 700 E. Hall Acres | Pharr | 78577 | www.pharrgolf.com |
| Tropic Star RV Resort Golf Course | 956-787-5957 | 1401 S. Cage Blvd. | Pharr | 78577 | |
| Pleasanton Country Club | 830-281-3486 | 1801 McGuffin Dr. | Pleasanton | 78064 | www.southtxgolf.com |
| Alamo Golf Club | 210-696-4000 | 9700 Rochelle | San Antonio | 78240 | www.alamogolfclub.net |
| Brackenridge Park Golf Course | 210-226-5612 | 2315 Ave. B | San Antonio | 78215 | www.alamocitygolftrail.com |
| Briggs Ranch Golf Club | 210-670-9400 | 2818 Rustlers Trail | San Antonio | 78245 | www.briggsgolf.com |
| Canyon Springs Golf Club | 210-497-1770 | 24405 Wilderness Oak | San Antonio | 78260 | www.canyonspringsgc.com |
| Cedar Creek Golf Course | 210-695-5050 | 8250 Vista Colina | San Antonio | 78255 | www.alamocitygolftrail.com |
| Club at Sonterra, North Course | 210-496-1560 | 901 Sonterra Blvd. | San Antonio | 78232 | www.clubatsonterra.com |
| Club at Sonterra, South Course | 210-496-1560 | 901 Sonterra Blvd. | San Antonio | 78232 | www.clubatsonterra.com |
| Dominion Country Club | 210-698-3364 | 1 Dominion Dr. | San Antonio | 78257 | www.the-dominion.com |
| Fort Sam Houston Golf Club, La Loma Course | 210-222-9386 | 1050 Harry Wurzbach Rd. | San Antonio | 78209 | www.fortsammwr.com |
| Fort Sam Houston Golf Club, Salado del Rio Course | 210-222-9386 | 1050 Harry Wurzbach Rd. | San Antonio | 78209 | www.fortsammwr.com |
| Gateway Hills Golf Club at Lackland Air Force Base | 210-671-3466 | 1800 Dimsted Pl. Bldg. 2901 | San Antonio | 78236 | www.lacklandfss.com/gateway_golf.html |
| Golf Club of Texas at Briggs Ranch | 210-677-0027 | 13600 Briggs Ranch Rd. | San Antonio | 78245 | |
| Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort, Creeks Course | 210-647-1234 | 9800 Hyatt Resort Dr. | San Antonio | 78251 | www.hyatthillcountrygolf.com |
| Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort, Lakes Course | 210-647-1234 | 9800 Hyatt Resort Dr. | San Antonio | 78251 | www.hyatthillcountrygolf.com |
| Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort, Oaks Course | 210-647-1234 | 9800 Hyatt Resort Dr. | San Antonio | 78251 | www.hyatthillcountrygolf.com |
| JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa AT&T, Canyons Course | 281-276-2500 | 23808 Resort Pkwy. | San Antonio | 78261 | www.jwsanantonio.com |
| JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa AT&T, Oaks Course | 281-276-2500 | 23808 Resort Pkwy. | San Antonio | 78261 | www.jwsanantonio.com |
| Mission del Lago Municipal Golf Course | 210-627-2522 | 1250 Mission Grande | San Antonio | 78221 | www.alamocitygolftrail.com |
| Northern Hills Golf Club | 210-655-4148 | 13202 Scarsdale St. | San Antonio | 78217 | www.northernhillsgolfclub.com |
| Oak Hills Country Club | 210-349-5151 | 5403 Fredericksburg Rd. | San Antonio | 78229 | www.oakhillscc.com |
| Olmos Basin Municipal Golf Course | 210-826-4041 | 7022 McCullough Ave. | San Antonio | 78216 | www.alamocitygolftrail.com |
| The Quarry Golf Club | 210-824-4500 | 444 E. Basse Rd. | San Antonio | 78209 | www.quarrygolf.com |
| The Republic Golf Club | 210-359-0000 | 4226 SE Military Dr. | San Antonio | 78222 | www.republicgolfclub.com |
| Riverside Golf Course | 210-212-7572 | 203 McDonald Rd. | San Antonio | 78210 | www.alamocitygolftrail.com |
| San Antonio Country Club | 210-824-8861 | 4100 N. New Braunfels Ave. | San Antonio | 78209 | www.sanantoniocc.com |
| San Pedro Golf Course | 210-349-5113 | 6102 San Pedro Ave. | San Antonio | 78216 | www.alamocitygolftrail.com |
| SilverHorn Golf Club | 210-545-5300 | 1100 W. Bitters Rd. | San Antonio | 78216 | www.silverhorngolfclub.com |
| The Westin La Cantera Hill Country Resort, Palmer Course | 210-558-6500 | 17865 Babcock Rd. | San Antonio | 78255 | www.resortlacantera.com/golf |
| The Westin La Cantera Hill Country Resort, Resort Course | 210-558-6500 | 16641 La Cantera Pkwy. | San Antonio | 78256 | www.resortlacantera.com/golf |
| Willow Springs Golf Course | 210-226-6721 | 202 AT&T Center Pkwy. | San Antonio | 78219 | www.alamocitygolftrail.com |
| Windcrest Golf Club | 210-655-1421 | 8600 Midcrown Dr. | San Antonio | 78239 | www.windcrestgolf.com |
| Woodlake Golf Club | 210-661-4141 | 6500 Woodlake Pkwy. | San Antonio | 78244 | |
| Olympia Hills Golf and Conference Center | 210-945-4653 | 12900 Mount Olympus | Universal City | 78148 | www.olympiahillsgolf.com |
| Randolph Oaks Golf Course at Randolph Air Force Base | 210-652-4653 | Randolph Air Force Base, Bldg. 1300 | Universal City | 78154 | www.randolphfss.com |
| Tierra Santa Golf Club | 956-973-1811 | 1901 Club de Amistad | Weslaco | 78596 | www.tierrasantaweslaco.com |
| Village Executive Golf Course | 956-968-6516 | 3300 S. International Blvd. | Weslaco | 78596 | |
| Los Ebanos Golf Course | 956-765-8336 | 701 Lincoln St. | Zapata | 78076 |
Don’t miss these other great attractions!
Eagle Pass
Fort Duncan Museum
(830) 773-4343
www.eaglepasstx.us
Goliad
Goliad State Park and Historic Site
tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/goliad
(361) 645-3405
Laredo
Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium
www.tamiu.edu/planetarium
(956) 326-3663
McAllen
Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge
www.fws.gov/refuge/santa_ana
(956) 784-7500
San Antonio
The Alamo
www.thealamo.org
(210) 225-1391
Briscoe Western Art Museum
www.briscoemuseum.org
(210) 299-4499
Natural Bridge Caverns
www.naturalbridgecaverns.com
(210) 651-6101
Pearl Brewery
www.atpearl.com
(210) 212-7260
River Walk
www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com
(210) 227-0074
San Antonio Botanical Garden
www.sabot.org
(210) 207-3250
Six Flags Fiesta Texas
www.sixflags.com/fiestatexas
(210) 697-5050
Witte Museum
www.wittemuseum.org
(210) 357-1900