Attention to detail, programs for members help Golf Club of Texas rise above the

Rest

By Steve Habel, Contributing Writer The Tin Cup

There’s never been a doubt about the quality and playability of the course at the Golf Club of Texas, and that has not changed. But over the past year the southwest San Antonio facility has enjoyed a surge in popularity because of its renewed attention to detail and a series of new programs designed for players to get the most bang for their buck.

The Golf Club of Texas has always been considered the “friendliest course in Texas.” Now that its course and facility conditioning has been upgraded and its player-friendly attributes enhanced, it has become the “go-to” course for players in the booming section of the Alamo City off Highway 90.

Under the direction of Bo LeHew, the Golf Club of Texas’ General Manager & COO of Fortune Golf Management, improvements are in place with many more underway. Those include the first thing players encounter when entering the property – the leveling and repaving of the road to the clubhouse and the parking lot, a move that immediately shows visitors that things have changed, and for the better.

“And that’s not all,” LeHew explains. “We’ve also made a ton of improvements on the course itself, including new sand in the bunkers, new Zoysia sod to repair areas where it was needed and the little things that make a golfer’s round special, like cleaning up places on the edges of the course to esthetically enhance the experience.”

“We are literally leaving no stone unturned out there.”

One thing that’s always set apart the Golf Club of Texas is the way a golfer is treated on the course and while using the facility’s cool amenities after the round. Because of that the facility had already earned a spot in our hearts and a place on the list of “must plays” in South Texas.

“We all take great pride in what we have here,” said LeHew, whose enthusiasm and outgoing and friendly personality set the standard for his team. “Our staff is amazing and their efforts to provide our guests the best experience possible allow the Golf Club of Texas to stand out.”

The facility has also received the confirmation of a new fleet of Yamaha golf carts, a prize in today’s world of supply chain challenges.

The course has always been great

The course at the Golf Club of Texas, located on a 1,900-acre site on the edge of the Hill Country, incorporates the rugged South Texas landscape at the edge of a lush, sprawling flood plain. It has always been a showcase and turns up the fun factor a notch or two with its Roy Bechtol-designed, links-style course that’s turfed throughout with different strains of Zoysia grass.

The Golf Club of Texas was originally designed by Bechtol, the Austin-based golf course architect and master planner, as a Lee Trevinosignature track. It opened in 1999 and in 2014 was renovated, reworked and re-routed, with the nines switched.

Four-holes wide in spots and following a meandering creek, the course provides a core-golfing experience at its best. Indigenous plants are juxtaposed against surprisingly wide fairways and mostly large and challenging greens.

“You really have the feeling of isolation when you are on the course, and I know that’s what was wanted from the start,” LeHew said. “But that attribute is rare in this region where neighborhoods are sprouting up every day. I love the way our course plays and the sensation that you are constantly surrounded by golf and nature.”

There’s the feeling at the Golf Club of Texas that golf was the most important aspect of the site. And while the course is challenging, it is rarely punitive, allowing the golfer to play to his or her strengths. There are places you can miss a shot or two, but the routing provides ways to get those shots back with good execution.

One of the calling cards at the Golf Club of Texas is that it’s the only course in the United States whose putting surfaces are Zoysia, an experiment that was embraced nine years ago when it was renovated. The grass makes every lie in the fairway seem like it’s on a tee and it repels pitch marks on putting surfaces while allowing the greens to remain receptive to approach shots.

Golfers will also love the facility’s expanded practice area, which includes a dual-sided driving range and a private teaching area. Two lighted practice putting greens have also been fashioned in the shadow of the updated clubhouse, one with some challenging slopes that acts as its own place for fun and competition.

New food options and member perks

The circular outside bar is adjacent to the clubhouse and driving range and is the perfect place to recap the day on the course, to settle up bets, and enjoy a few more minutes with friends, both those you knew before the round and those you’ve made during your stay.

The Golf Club of Texas has added to its food offerings with a new halfpound hamburger on the menu made with fresh, never-frozen Angus beef. LeHew couldn’t stop raving about the burger, saying his customers are calling it “the best in San Antonio.”

LeHew has also upped the ante for the club’s members, scheduling monthly tournaments in which participants earn points toward the end-of-year grand prize of a Royal Caribbean cruise for two.

“We want to encourage participation, of course, but we also feel our members deserve something big for being a part of our club and its success story,” LeHew said.

The bottom line is that the Golf Club of Texas is, in itself, something big. And that’s why we keep coming back.