pdicosim

I've played the Resort Course countless times as a SA resident but figured its time for a 2018 mid-season review. With the course shut down nearly all fall of 2017 and parts of this year I have been expecting at some point for this course to return to glory. Unfortunately, for the price-tag the Resort Course still leaves much to be desired. The greens currently are shaggy and at the same time burned out in places. Collars on the greens are not being maintained it seems. Fairways are fair. Cartpaths still have giant curbs most of the way and nearly break your carts axel getting on and off the course (make sure your head covers are on the woods or you'll be scratching those guys up!). Additionally, the patrons of the course seem to be just as rough around the edges these days. In the last couple outings at the Resort Course I've seen golfers with jeans on, shirts untucked and a guy so drunk he was doing "sand angels" in a bunker. Today, I didn't witness anything crazy but felt it needs to be said for a course that is suppose to be one of the prestigious ones in the city. Anyway, in my mind the course will always be a great layout and will always provide a "good round" with nice views of the city with resort level amenities. The staff outside at the bag drop and marshalls were great - 10/10 jobs! The pro-shop guys/gals could provide more of greeting and honestly should be upselling merchandise (nobody has said anything about replay specials, new hats/gloves/clothes etc. in any of the last ~10 rounds or so at the resort). Every course across the country needs to increase revenue - if you can't get more rounds in you better be selling stuff out of the shop! All in all, I do love this place and just want it to be the best it can be!

So, I've written a review before Old Brack and play the course quite often as a member of the Alamo City Golf Trail. Recently, I've played with a number of outta-towners at other area courses who haves said the ratings for Old Brack weren't good so they hadn't considered playing it.

Here are my thoughts - which are the thoughts of a low handicapper who has had the privilege to attend 8 US Opens, The Masters & play many of the US Top 100 courses...

Here is what Brack is not... It is not a Resort Course - it is a municipal golf course in San Antonio. It doesn't have lil cart boys who come over and rub your clubs down for you. It doesn't have pretty lil 18 year olds to pop your beer cans. It doesn't have GPS carts (it does have lasers on the carts) because this course is meant to be walked. Some think it doesn't have a driving range - it doesn't technically but the First Tee Driving Range is a sand wedge from the 8th tee box on Mulberry.

Here is what Brack is... Brackenridge Park Golf Course is part of the Alamo City Golf Trail (ACGT) and is its signature course. Why do I love Old Brack? History & character - something 99% of golf courses these days lack. Brack is the oldest public course in Texas and opened in 1916. The course design is by A.W. Tillinghast. Why is this cool? Tillinghast is probably one of the most prolific golf course architects in the history of golf. The guy designed 265 different courses and a few that you may have heard of... Baltusrol, Bethpage State Park, Winged Foot, Newport C.C., Ridgewood C.C. and the Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort. Brack is also the home to the Texas Golf Hall of Fame and was the original site of the Texas Open (now held at TPC San Antonio). Finally, Brack has become home to many of the top local amateur tournaments and will be holding the city's first Public Links Championship this fall.

Brack is great course for every type of golfer. All 18 holes are contained with OB around the external perimeter on the course. This allows for players to get a little forgiveness on some misses. It isn't uncommon to find a player playing the 9th hole playing from the first fairway or vice versa. I like playing the 14th hole down the 13th fairway (so watch out!). The course is ALWAYS in great shape and the greens ALWAYS roll true. The front 9 features some tighter fairways and smaller greens than the very scorable back 9 with the two short par 5s 12 & 13. It's pretty neat to play Tillinghast's classic square cut greens on holes 2, 4, 6, 7, 11, 14, 15 and 18. Also, when the rounds done take a peak in the locker room where you see old lockers featuring the names of Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, and Sam Snead.

If you are a true fan and lover of the game of golf you will appreciate Brack. If you are looking for someone to hold your hand and tell you how great your white belt looks with your white shoes go to Austin.

Pacific Grove Golf Links is a fantastic little track that winds as a parkland style course on the front 9 through the neighborhood of Pacific Grove and transforms into a coastal links course for the final 9. It is a municipal golf course and still holds true to that "muni feel". I love a good muni track as it brings you back to the roots of the game. Playing alongside a local I was able to chat and learn a little about the course and learn some of its nuances. The course was fairly wet due to all the rain that the Monterey Peninsula has received this year but the course still performed fairly well with only some muddy spots and a couple fairways where ball plugged. The course is short and not too challenging and is perfect for walking. My favorite hole was the first par 5 on the back 9 that is a dog leg right that if you cut the corner sand dune allows for a short approach shot to the green and eagle opportunity - plus the view of the pacific doesn't hurt along with the oldest active lighthouse in California off the right side of the fairway. Overall, a fantastic experience I'll plan to play each time I make it back to the peninsula.

I just got done playing the Fazio Canyons Course at Barton Creek and felt it left some to be desired. As with most things you are paying for not only golf but the experience. The course itself is a great layout, challenging up and down fairway to green shots. Tight windows in places require precision. It would have been nice to have been told when making the tee time that the greens were sanded down (however, they rolled true, so no real complaint here). The course gets 5 stars. Plus, at the end of the round I found the practice facility tucked away near the back nine to be incredible in addition to the fine driving range with rolex clocks.

Despite this, for $200 on a Thursday morning I was expecting a bit more from the experience. First, the check in was a bit odd... The course has been opened for more than a couple years now and the club house is run out of a temp trailer? I expect carts with this price tag to have GPS & have a name placard with tee time on it. The carts had no GPS (see pics) no assigned cart and they charge you to get a yardage book. Also, most courses in this price range provide a free bag tag keepsake or discount on pro-shop item following round (neither offered). Finally, it is a hot Texas day and other courses again in this price range have marshals or beverage personnel offering cold towels or the like. I'm not one to get up in arms on things like this but when I'm shelling out $200 I expect more.

For the average golfer, especially the resort golfer, you are coming for the experience and that is where I saw a big hole. I'm scratch and found the course challenging shooting 76 and think Fazio has another masterpiece here - the greens could easily be made to run 12-14 and you grow the rough out and I would have shot 86. 4 stars overall but I urge Barton Creek to up their game. Coming from San Antonio where La Cantera, JW Marriott TPC San Antonio, The Quarry & Hyatt Hill Country have amazing courses where they provide such experience I describe above. Do better.

So, The Resort Course at La Cantera is the standard that all the resort courses in the area are compared to. As former host of the Texas Open it is a great course setup and design. The current setup is tailored to the average golfer with the fairways cut wide and the greens running a smooth medium pace. With a series of different tees to choose from you can experience varying levels of challenge the course provides. There are many cool tee shots out there but the tee shot standing on the 7th about 200 feet above the fairway and green with roller coasters at Fiesta Texas in the distance is very unique. Other features include GPS on every cart, good beverage services on course and good pace of play. Plus, I can generally find a good price on GolfNow.com or one of the other bargain sites. Overall, one of my favorite places to play in town.

I just finished a trip to Traverse City where I organized a group of 16 for 108 holes in 4 days for a bachelor party & Ryder Cup type event! We had a blast and played The Bear, The Wolverine & Spruce Run. Each course was a bit different but all in great condition. The staff was incredible - we had custom scorecards for each round (2 per day), custom cart placards with tee times & pairings, had our own long drive, longest putt & closest to the pin stakes. They kept us organized and really helped make it an incredible experience. The food in the clubhouse was fantastic - I enjoyed the ceviche salad & one of their massive sandwiches.

Spruce Run is the moderately challenging course at Grand Traverse with The Bear being most challenging and The Wolverine being the easier of the 3. It was a great course for our team shamble and everyone had a great time - greens/fairways in tour shape!

The Palmer course is the #2 most challenging course and the #1 most beautiful course in San Antonio in my mind. The TPC Oaks is the only course I find myself scratching my head more about. While the Oaks is known for firm greens that tend to repel balls I can say the same about most of the fairways out at the Palmer. With a few blind tee shots and some cambered fairways that run hard most of the year you can find tee balls you hit less than perfect finding the rough or very often the hazardous Texas brush lining the majority of holes. It is a phenomenal challenge and rewards quality approach shots. Utilize the GPS system in the carts as much as possible and play conservatively off the tee. The staff here always seems helpful and the restaurant is a great place for views along with a meal after a round. Oh and I forgot to mention the course has the best views of the city looking down from atop one of the highest points on the northwest side of town.

If you enjoy a challenge and are a lower handicapper you'll love this course. If you are a high handicapper be wary or just bring a couple dozen balls.

The Quarry is a course everyone should experience playing in San Antonio. It's always in great shape, greens run smooth and offers some of the most unique shots in golf like teeing off a cliffside on 17 to the fairway across a 100 yard gap laying on the other portion of the cliff. You simply can't go wrong playing this course.

I've played this course 50+ times and would really like to see improvements on the service end. They could offer some services that make golfers feel "special". A weekend caddie service at this course would be great for visitors and up the quality of players wanting to play. Little things like bag tags that use to be offered to full price tee times on weekends and yardage books are nice touches. This course is so close to being 5 star but I think the competition between them and other courses in the area (eg. La Cantera, Hyatt Hill Country, TPC San Antonio) have caused them to sacrifice some of these niceties and put themselves in a different price category just below those of the courses above.

Anyway, I love the Quarry. Two very different 9s that tests all aspects of your game. Has very scoreable holes - great for match play or a game of Wolf.

Made it up to North Michigan while visiting for work. Managed to get a "cheap" rate - $115 on a weekend at Bay Harbor which I had looked up and noticed was ranked a top 10 course in Michigan by Golfweek/Golf Digest.

Anyway, the course itself is beautiful and well manicured. The Preserve 9 plays like a wooded prototypical Michigan course whereas the Links 9 plays like the Scottish coast with winds whipping around and greens that run hard towards the water.

I think the course is a good test of skill but would have liked to see more from a course in this price category. First, the three 9s that make up Bay Harbor are part of a resort property and many guests like myself are playing the course for the first time. I would have benefited greatly from a GPS on my cart and would have hired a caddie if offered. Additionally, I had to wait for a place to hit balls while on the practice tee. I understand that there are also members at this semi-private property but when folks are dropping $300 per round on a weekend this should never happen. Finally, I got lost on my way to the first tee at the Preserve. They have a colored line system that helps you get to the various tees but I was camped out apparently at the wrong hole for about 10 minutes waiting on another group on the Quarry 9 only to be told I was at the wrong place. I missed playing with my prescribed group and ended up playing as a single. Normally, I like playing as a single but this kept me from enjoying the course a little bit as I was simply playing the course and not necessarily enjoying the extras that I was paying for.

All things considered, this is a fabulous property that I would love to come back to. However, I would not pay more than $150 to play here. For perspective, it costs $450 to play 18 at Pebble and this is not Pebble. Get some of the GPS carts so folks can see the course layout, layups, etc. and reduce the price to $100-$200 per round and it will be perfect.

I'm visiting Michigan and was able to get out and play a quick round here in the early evening. First off pace of play was great - I got 18 in 2 hours. I was able to hit some range balls (5$ for a good size bag) and a few putts beforehand. The course features both nice wide fairways and very tight fairways. The rough was grown making it tough to track down some wayward shots and equally challenging when missing greenside as it can easily grab a wedge. Cart paths are just around tee and green areas allowing golfers to disperse. I'd say this course is probably best to walk but I rode just because I wanted to fit in 18. Overall, quality course and challenging enough for a low handicap to be entertained.

So, I've been wanting to review Old Brack for a while and just haven't had the time. So here we go.

First off, Brackenridge Park Golf Course is part of the Alamo City Golf Trail (ACGT) and is its signature course. The ACGT is made up of 6 local courses and you can buy a basic (called "Level 1") membership for just 60$. Even if you are just going to play Brack once its worth the buy considering green fees are about 60$. After getting the membership you get a punchcard for 6 FREE rounds at ACGT courses.

Anyway, why do I love Old Brack? So, if you love golf you probably appreciate a little bit of history. Brack is the oldest public course in Texas and opened in 1916. The course design is by A.W. Tillinghast. Why is this cool? Tillinghast is probably one of the most prolific golf course architects in the history of golf. The guy designed 265 different courses and a few that you may have heard of... Baltusrol, Bethpage State Park, Winged Foot, Newport C.C., Ridgewood C.C. and the Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort. Brack is also the home to the Texas Golf Hall of Fame and was the original site of the Texas Open (now held at TPC San Antonio). Finally, Brack has become home to many of the top local amateur tournaments and will be holding the city's first Public Links Championship this fall.

Brack is great course for every type of golfer. All 18 holes are contained with OB around the external perimeter on the course. This allows for players to get a little forgiveness on some misses. It isn't uncommon to find a player playing the 9th hole playing from the first fairway or vice versa. I like playing the 14th hole down the 13th fairway (so watch out!). The course is always in great shape and the greens roll true. The front 9 features some tighter fairways and smaller greens than the very scorable back 9 with the two short par 5s 12 & 13. It's pretty neat to play Tillinghast's classic square cut greens on holes 2, 4, 6, 7, 11, 14, 15 and 18. Also, when the rounds done take a peak in the locker room where you see old lockers featuring the names of Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, and Sam Snead.

So I frequently practice out at Alamo Golf Club but have only played the course one time. Actually, I only played 8 holes because it was that bad. The fairways are rock and grass is fairly nonexistent except on some greens and so I was forced to quit because my irons were getting so banged up. With that being said this track is huge and has great potential for a facelift. Let's just say I'd love to see the Alamo City Golf Trail buy this place out and put it in its rotation.

With all this said, the practice facility is 3/5 stars but it too has great potential. With a massively wide double decker range with both mats and grass stalls I can hit balls out there for hours. They also have a large putting green (that needs to be smoothed out and resurfaced) that "could" be a great place to hone the flatstick. Finally, there's a short game area too as well as a 9 hole par 3 course! C'mon people get this place into better shape and you will see San Antonio golfer's flock here just to practice!

All in all, I'm giving Alamo Golf Club a "Fair" 2/5 star rating because I personally enjoy practicing here and hitting wedgeshots at the barrels they have at 40-60-80-100 yards. Plus, on your drive in you'll almost always see a ton of deer. And who doesn't like deer?