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4.4
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4.3
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4.0
Layout
4.5
Friendliness
4.6
Pace
3.8
Amenities
4.1
90.9%
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20 out of 22 reviews
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About

Holes 18
Type Public
Par 71
Length 6909 yards
Slope 134
Rating 73.7

Opened for play in November 1997, The Bandit continues to receive rave reviews from everyone who has played it. The staff is friendly and helpful. The greens are fast and undulating. There is plenty of water and bunkers and some holes are quite scenic. There are well placed bunkers and trees. The eighteenth hole, called "Long Creek" is a par 5 uphill to a tight green nestled behind a tree that can make or break a round. Depending on the wind, it can be played several different ways. You can make par, but you may end up with a triple or quad. Number 1 hole is called "Blind Date" and Number 2 is called "Two Much Too Soon." You get the picture. But while a scratch player would find this course very challenging, the five sets of tee boxes make this course inviting for all level of golfers.

Distance: About 45 minutes from downtown. Take I-35 to New Braunfels. Exit 187 (the Lake McQueeney exit) and turn right at the light onto FM 725. Course is about 5 miles on the left.

Food: In the tradition of the old German settlers of the Texas Hill County, the Bandit recently opened a bona fide grill. They are serving hamburgers, hotdogs and a great sausage dog (with sausage from Grandzin's). They also have fried appetizers!

Course Details

Year Built 1997
Golf Season Year round
Architect Keith Foster (1997) Kevin Hargrave (1997)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes - included in green fees
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex, Discover Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No

Food & Beverage

Food & Beverage

Available Facilities

Conference Facilities, Banquet Facilities

Accolades

Reviews

4.4
22 Reviews (22)

What Golfers Are Saying

Course Challenges Include:
Elevation Changes 6
This Course's Location is:
Worth the Drive 6

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

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Recommended
Handicap
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Played On
Reviews 9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
3.0
First Time Playing

SLOW!

I’m usually reluctant to criticize pace of play in course reviews because the course is not entirely to blame in many cases. That being said, I would never return to The Bandit given how they manage this place. The course is very penal, with many hazards and tons of OB, so the 8 minute tee time intervals are very misguided. On top of that there were a pair of back to back fivesomes on the course. I’ve been golfing over thirty years and have never observed fivesomes inserted repeatedly with a full tee sheet. It’s just greedy and bad business. There was not a Marshall roaming course, so three groups routinely were stacked up at each tee box.

Wouldn’t be so unfortunate if not for the fact that the holes that we got to see were fantastic. I love Keith Foster golf courses and how he maximizes the value of every creek, ridge, and stand of trees in all of his designs. Conditioning was also very strong given the extraordinary amount of cart traffic it appears to endure (not reasonable to walk here).

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Poor
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 90
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 250 Contributor
Austin Advisor
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart

The Bandit stole a couple balls, but I'll be back for them.

This was my first time playing this course. Now that I know the layout, I'll be ready to go back and give it another try. I certainly don't mind an hour of driving to get to a different course that's worth playing.

I didn't get to see the clubhouse other than stepping inside to pay. But they had a little bit of everything you might need. The limited staff we encountered were laid back and easy going. If you're not paying attention, you'll miss the small, old graveyard of a half dozen or so tombstones under the trees between the clubhouse and the #10 tee box. That's just something you'll see now and then on old country property that used to be someone's farm or ranch.

The carts are electric and you don't have to mash the brake to lock it. You could just drive up, stop, and get out. I like that far more than I realized. The carts have USB ports for those that need to charge a device, play music, etc. And I like having the four (4) larger drink holders to accommodate various sizes. The carts had club/ball washers on one side and space for a cooler on the other. My cart did not have a cooler attached so I assume you might need to ask for one (as needed).

I believe I saw two (2) restrooms on the course.(#5 & #13). Along with water, the course also provided a cooler with ice water scented towels at each restroom (and at the clubhouse). I believe it was lavender; not sure. I could probably do without the scented part. Still, it's a nice touch and welcome on a hot day. Water jugs were also available on a few other holes. We saw the beverage cart as we were on the #1 fairway around 4:00pm on this Thursday round. We didn't see it again. I imagine they just didn't have that many players on the course to keep it running; I don't blame them. I was kind of surprised to see one at all.

The tees were all in pretty good shape. Every now and then some of them had seen a little more action by those of you who haven't figured out that using a tee is likely to your advantage. I don't recall any of them being rounded or uneven -- so that's nice.

The fairways were all in good shape as well. There was an occasional burned out area but even those had consistent grass off of which to hit. The terrain rolls left/right at times so it helps to hit the high side to have the ball roll towards center. There's certainly a little up/down and right/left to make you work out your game a little. Make any necessary adjustments and choose your clubs wisely.

The rough was on the deeper side. The grass was just fine but was cut a little higher and therefore a little more of a challenge to find your sunken ball and then get a clean hit. All good though. The areas of vegetation around the various water hazards were definitely on the thick side. Maybe the extra rain and lower temperatures this summer had something to do with it. That, or maybe that's just how they keep it on this course. It made it much more difficult (if not impossible) to find an errant ball or two. I guess I'll send the course my mailing address so that they can reimburse me accordingly. :) The bunkers were all in good shape. And there were plenty of them (just enough really) spread around the course. The sand was soft/fluffy and void of rocks. They could use a little more maintenance around some of the edges -- to keep the grass out and the sand in.

The greens had recently been aerated so we may have lost a stroke or two due to the bumps etc. But that's just part of the game. They were fairly soft and receptive. I saw a few burned out areas but nothing over the top. We also likely anticipated too much break on a number of them as most were rolling pretty straight.

All in all I'm very glad that I was able to finally get out to The Bandit and try it out. It'll now be in the list of courses that we try to play when our respective schedules can make it happen. Maybe one day we'll skip the immediate drive (no pun intended) back and just do a stay-n-play since they have condos available. Hmmm....

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 324
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Texas Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
First Time Playing

Cool layout between Austin and San Antonio

I’ve lived in Texas since 2008 and the Bandit has been hyped up to me by a lot of area golfers. With the Austin munis closed due to Covid I figured now was the time to make the hour drive. It’s very popular course right now and getting a good tee time is tough. Plan ahead!

It’s a Keith Foster design from the late 1990s and has some good hole variety and elevation changes. When the turf is dry you’ll want to be conservative off a few tee boxes. There is a short par 4 on each nine which I always like and some elevated tees. (There sure are a lot of power lines on the horizon.) The back nine is a little cooler than the front. I especially liked most of the holes on the back nine especially 12 and 18.

Great service: the cold towels on the back nine were awesome on a 100-degree day and I can’t remember a round where the bev cart came around so often.

I think I like Landa Park’s charm, walkability and value a little more when I’m in New Braunfels but the Bandit compares favorably to most if not all the suburban semi-private courses in Austin. For atx golfers like me shut out from their munis for awhile I’d make the trip.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 128
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Texas Advisor
Top 100 Contributor
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Hill Country fun at the Bandit...

Tucked away in the side pocket of New Braunfels you'll find the Bandit. It's somewhat of a hidden gem being in a smaller town, but folks from San Antonio to Austin know it's worth the traffic on 35.

The course is situated in a small, friendly neighborhood and you'll find the hospitality you expect in Texas from all the staff.

The pro shop, dining area, and practice green are modest, but have everything you need to get ready for the main attraction.

From the start you get a good idea what to expect... number 1 starts with a blind tee shot before you shuffle over to number 2 (a long, uphill par 3) for a rude awakening.

It's a roller coaster the rest of the way. Elevation changes are abundant and you'll find lots of raised greens and false fronts.

The fairways are often generous, but tight enough to keep you honest. There are a few creeks and lakes to keep your attention too. And the true rolling greens will challenge you.

I am particularly fond of holes 4 and 14, which are both short par 4s. The tee shot on 8 provides a stellar view and hole 16 is a lesson in strategy.

The price is a bit on the premium side, but the course is too. I think you get exactly what you pay for.

Long story short, add this course to your list.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 33
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Unique, challenging, fun, and frustrating

There is a lot to like about this course, and a few things that you could pick on. This golf course comes at you with a lot of challenging shots, and a varied collection of holes where each is distinct from the others. The course sits on naturally rolling land and some of the coolest features of the course take advantage of that; the green complex on #5 being a great example. That said, at times the design leans too heavily on elevated tees which detracted from the routing and reduces the walkability of the course greatly.

Lastly, and I hate to be that guy, but the green speeds were actually too much and detracted from the fun of the round. I have played thousands of rounds on hundreds of golf courses, including Tour stops within days of the event and at world class top ranked courses. I don't recall ever playing faster greens.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 6
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart

Excellent course

First time to play the course, it was in excellent shape, greens were quick. It is challenging if you are not use to elevation changes, hitting from different slopes. Definitely will play again when back in New Braunfels. It was very hot, but the scented cold towels was a hit.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played

Chad

The course is in great shape and the employees are great!!

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing

Fun course - good condition

Played The Bandit with 7 other guys today for the first time. Staff was friendly upon on arrival. Saw the Marshall numerous times out on the course- he even helped one of our guys find an errant shot in some high rough. We played one set up of tees up from the back tees - about 6400 yards. Several fairly long par threes and medium length par 4’s mixed in with a few 320-350 yard holes. The course is pretty open from the tee for the most part so plenty of room for hitting driver. Greens were about average speed for a public course. Fairways were decent - didn’t really have any bad lies in the fairway all day. The tee sheet was booked solid in the morning so the round took 4.5 hours. You get to hit a lot of the clubs in your bag, but open enough where you don’t get beat up on wayward shots.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 61
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Texas Advisor
Top 1000 Contributor
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart

Excellent Layout near SA

A forgiving layout near the lovely New Braunfels, The Bandit (with a racoon rather than a Burt Reynolds Logo!) is nice hilly layout with some forgiving, but also some tight and tricky holes.

Fairways and greens are in pretty solid shape when I played. If you hit the fairway you generally had an excellent lie. Greens fairly true.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
3.0
Previously Played

Very Slow Play

Great course. Great staff. However, they allow 5 somes during the week which are very slow. Course Marshall said they were members, so nothing he could do about it. 9 groups backed up behind one group with 5 open holes in front of them. Great course if you have all day to play in the hot Texas sun. Recommend you play elsewhere. Slow 5 somes = miserable round

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 10-14
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Favorite course south of Austin

This course is amazing. It is not boring, straight and un-challenging fairways like many of the courses in NB/San Marcos. This course tests you and I loved every second of it,

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 21
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played

Still a must play

I first played The Bandit in 2000. The scenery has changed a lot. More homes and some of the trees have grown up. Great greens but if you don’t play this course on a regular basis you will lose some strokes putting hitting it on the wrong side. Pin placement was tough this day. Beverage cart came around every 3-4 holes. Only #18 green had some issues but all the others were in excellent shape. Fairways are plenty wide. It’s the approach shots that make this course tough. Definitely playing it again...sooner than later now that I’m retired.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 100
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 250 Contributor
First Time Playing

Bandit Bites

The Bandit is an appropriate name for this course. Hazards lurk off the tee in places that will sneak up and get you if you aren’t familiar with the course layout. Many of the landing areas get pinched by crossing creeks or bunkers. The course plays on and around a hill making undulations plentiful. A good mix of short and longer holes throughout the course can be found. If the wind gets up, it could play fairly difficult because most of the greens are perched on a hill and are very well guarded. Greens and bunkers were in great shape. Not overly fast, but putted smoothly and held balls hit into them nicely. The fairways could use some help in spots, as parts were dormant still without much thatch to grow in. I’m guessing a couple more months of sunshine would help the Bermuda grow in much nicer. The super twilight rate after 4 is a good value during the week. Just be prepared to possibly run into a “6-some” money match or two. I played through easily after a hole or so. Overall, the Bandit was one of the better San Antonio area courses I’ve played. Definitely worth the play if you’re in the area and are looking for something new.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart

The fairways/greens were in great shape and hole #12 has to be the signature hole.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 33
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Golf Trip

I have always heard great things about The Bandit and let me tell you it lived up to the hype. Fun course with unique names for each hole. I live in Austin and It was definitely worth the drive. The pace was slow but its a tough track.

From tee to green, it was in great condition. Greens were quick but rolled true. Fairways were firm enough to roll out but soft enough to take divots.

Loved holes 12 and 13 nestled back on a pond.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 22
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Nevada Advisor
Previously Played
Cold weather
Used cart

Closing out 2016

The weather wasn't exactly what the weatherman had forecasted, but the chilly air backed by a pretty decent breeze was made better by good golf at a maintained facility. We were met at our car by Player Services and got loaded up on an EZ-Go w/out GPS. They looked to be newer carts since the last time with the most noticeable addition of a windshield, which was a huge necessity for today.

I didn't make it to the range on this day, but the putting green condition & speed was solid and totally matched the on course play. The starter was most cordial and got us off right on time.

The tees, fairways and greens were all green grass, while the rough was dormant. The tees & fairways were mown tight. I found the bunkers to have plenty of sand & rakes available, however many opted out of the raking part. The greens are the star of the facility and they were somewhat firm (most likely from the temps) and in excellent condition. They rolled smooth, true & with somewhat fast pace.

Pace of play was on point as we completed our round in 4h18m. We never waited and really only on #18 where it got the best of a couple of guys in our group were we waited on.

Bottomline, w/ the exception of a couple holes you pretty much see what you get. The tee to fairway elevation change offers some views as well as a few more yards to your drive. If you're from the big city the green fee is pretty much in line with what you're paying at comparable metropolitan venues and the experience is probably the same.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 12
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Bandit is out of

Great golf course and tough layout far from the city life. Well worth the drive when there is actually a marshal on the course moving the groups along. We played in over 5+ hours and finished in the dark because there was no course management. Pro shop staff weren't overly friendly and just pushed us out of their hair as quickly as they could. Course was in sold shape.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Fair
Pace Poor
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 22
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Nevada Advisor
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

Chasing the Lion

Perfect day for an after work round. Headed right to the first tee after hitting a few putts. Noticed driving up the greens appeared sandy and the practice green confirmed it. They still rolled decent and the green fee was fair with the condition. In a few days I suspect the greens will be rolling true and fast. The greens offer some extreme and some subtle slope as well as some have areas that if they catch your ball could funnel it back off. Just adds to the challenge of picking a good aiming point and the right club. Otherwise the course conditions were top notch. The tees & fairways were tightly mowed, the rough was dense, but not overgrown and the bunkers were sandy and maintained. The course is pretty much see what you get. There are holes that you need to play the ground slice for position or added distance and getting yourself to aim far enough right to cut the corner on #14 can be a mental challenge.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 10/24/2016

Solid write up, I appreciate your input.

c82ab1da-08d2-5fd5-862e-e17e41cc172c
Commented on 09/19/2016

*Update* I played on 9/18/2016 and the sand top dress had settled. The greens rolled well, but we're still a little more firm. Overall mint conditions.

Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

Great Track

Except Number 5. That is just flat out a stupid hole. Otherwise great shape and great course!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 3
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Poor weather
Used cart

Unexpected full refund

In town for a wedding and I only had 1 day to play so I went to the course and they were able to fit me in with a threesome, after playing 6 holes on the 7th we had heavy rain. Everyone went to the pro shop for a rain check, unable to return in the near future I explained my problem and with out asking they REFUNDED my entire green fee and club rental. WOW!!! Never expected that, but have been telling everyone since!!! Great job!!!

Friendliness Excellent
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