Bluejack National golf course - hole 8
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Bluejack National golf course - hole 8
There's no denying that Bluejack National has an Augusta feel to it, but it's very much a Tiger Woods original design as well. The short, par-4 eighth is one of the best risk-reward par 4s you'll ever play. Courtesy of Aidan Bradley/Bluejack National
Bluejack National golf course - hole 1
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Bluejack National golf course - hole 1
The first hole at Bluejack National is a par 4 with water on the left. Despite the wide fairway, right to left tee shots down the left side tend to get wet. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Bluejack National golf course - hole 2
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Bluejack National golf course - hole 2
Bluejack National's second hole is a straightforward par 5 and a good birdie opportunity. Courtesy of Aidan Bradley/Bluejack National
Bluejack National golf course - hole 5
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Bluejack National golf course - hole 5
The long par-5 fifth at Bluejack National presents a difficult up and down for those who miss the green on their approaches. Courtesy of Aidan Bradley/Bluejack National
Bluejack National golf course - hole 7
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Bluejack National golf course - hole 7
The par-3 seventh hole at Bluejack National brings water into play short and left of the green. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Bluejack National golf course - hole 9
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Bluejack National golf course - hole 9
The uphill par-4 ninth at Bluejack National is very Augusta-like. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
Bluejack National golf course - hole 10
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Bluejack National golf course - hole 10
The back nine at Bluejack National opened in April 2016. This is the dogleg-left, par-4 10th, the no. 4 handicap hole on the golf course. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
Bluejack National golf course - hole 11
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Bluejack National golf course - hole 11
The tee shot on Bluejack National's 581-yard, par-5 11th hole. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Bluejack National golf course - hole 12
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Bluejack National golf course - hole 12
Like the 12th at Augusta National, Bluejack National's 12th green runs away from right-handers. Missing long left is a very difficult up and down. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
Bluejack National golf course - hole 14
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Bluejack National golf course - hole 14
Looking back from Bluejack National's 14th green, the "green mile" represents a stretch where all the fairway bunkers are hidden. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
Bluejack National golf course - hole 18
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Bluejack National golf course - hole 18
Like the ninth, the par-4 18th hole at Bluejack National is an uphill par 4. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
Bluejack National - Playgrounds golf course
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Bluejack National - Playgrounds golf course
The Playgrounds Course at Bluejack National is a 10-hole short course, perfect for juniors, beginners or golfers looking for a quick, fun round. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
Bluejack National - Playgrounds golf course - 1st tee
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Bluejack National - Playgrounds golf course - 1st tee
There are all kinds of goodies available on the first tee of The Playgrounds golf course at Bluejack National. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
Bluejack National - grill
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Bluejack National - grill
There's no shortage of food and drink at Bluejack National. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
Bluejack National - driving range
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Bluejack National - driving range
Not surprisingly, Bluejack National's practice facilities don't disappoint. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Bluejack National - headcovers
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Bluejack National - headcovers
As you might expect, Tiger headcovers are available in the golf shop, which is temporarily located in the Blake Cottage at Bluejack National. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
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Tour Tiger Woods' first U.S. design: Bluejack National golf course near Houston

MONTGOMERY, Texas -- Bluejack National may be ultra private, but it's still Tiger Woods' first U.S. design, and all 18 holes are now open. The front nine opened in the fall of 2015, while the back nine opened in late April 2016.

Already, the course has a maturity level well beyond most new courses. But because the entire golf course was sodded with zoysia and Tif-Eagle (on the greens) from a nearby sod farm, it didn't take very long to grow in.

Also the course, which sits on the site of the old Blaketree National, a daily-fee course that closed in 2012, has a certain familiarity to it. It's no secret that Woods loves Augusta, where he won the Masters four times, and this course certainly has that feel when it comes to conditioning, lack of rough (though Augusta has light rough now), beauty and even topography, though Bluejack isn't nearly as hilly. There are even a few holes that are very Augusta-like, including the ninth, which plays up a fairly steep grade, and the par-3 12th, which has a green over a hazard that works away from right-handers.

But even though the golf course has a bit of an Augusta feel, there are plenty of original ideas, like the Green Mile, a stretch of a couple of holes on the back nine that, when looked upon backwards, hides all the bunkers so that that you see nothing but green grass through a corridor of trees a mile long. Or the short, driveable par-4 eighth hole. Those who miss the green to the right are faced with a daunting up-and-down. Anything short will just roll back at their feet. And if they go long and put in one of the greenside bunkers above the hole to the left, it leaves a near impossible up-and-down with the risk of running off the green and down the hill to the right. The safe play is an iron off the tee, but the possibility of driving the green is ever so enticing for many players.

This family-friendly club also has a Nike Performance Center, outstanding practice facilities, a chef-inspired grill, snack stations and The Playgrounds, a lighted 10-hole short course perfect for kids and adults alike.

As the facility continues to develop, there are plans for ball fields, a movie theater, bowling lanes and a clubhouse, which will make Bluejack one of the most complete private clubs in the country.

Mike Bailey is a former Golf Advisor senior staff writer based in Houston. Focusing primarily on golf in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America with an occasional trip to Europe and beyond, he contributes course reviews, travel stories and features as well as the occasional equipment review. An award-winning writer and past president of Texas Golf Writers Association, he has more than 25 years in the golf industry. He has also been on staff at PGA Magazine, The Golfweek Group and AvidGolfer Magazine. Follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeBaileyGA and Instagram at @MikeStefanBailey.
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Tour Tiger Woods' first U.S. design: Bluejack National golf course near Houston