TexSpence

PV is a nice tidy little gem of course. Located at the end of Lohman Ford Road is a 9 hole course that gives the player an opportunity to use every club in their bag. While there are no sand traps to be found or water hazards for that matter, there are plenty of shots that require you to work your ball around.

This course was a dump for a number of years where you go to slap and roll your ball around. But since the new management has come on board the facility, the grounds and the attitude have all changed for the positive.

Justin Orbin has given this course a new spirit. His attention to the course itself is the most telling. The only downside to playing at Point Venture is the same downside you'd find on most golf courses in Texas. Thanks to the severe drought the region has seen the fairways are most often left to their own for water. Still, Justin sees to it that the grounds are maintained and the area around the greens is given the water. The bright spot, after a good soaking rain, those fairways green right up and show a bit of the luster to come once our drought lifts.

Justin and his staff aim to present you with the opportunity for a good round of golf. You just have to hold up your end. If you can't then Justin is also a PGA teaching Pro.

In the end, the trip out to Point Venture is both scenic and rewarding - scenic because of the leisurely drive through the hill country. Rewarding because you are going to have a great round of golf.

It is a short par 30 course to be sure, but that is where easy ends. Cut into the lowlands east of the Balcones Fault line, this course takes advantage of the terrain in which it lies. Most par 3's require full commitment to get your ball to the landing area. With the exception of the first hole, the par 4's encourage an iron shot off the tee. I must say that the course is much greener than I would have guessed while in the middle of the terrible Texas drought, but there is fairway grass and the greens offer their own challenges even for the most experienced of putters. Our round was quick, 2.5 hours for 18 holes and getting in an out was easy. Thanks to a nice driving range and a multi-tiered putting green the warm up is nice and the staff are friendly. As the title says, Harvey would be proud.

We played on a Friday - got a hot deal for $16 a round - can't be beat. At full price this course is still nicely kept for a region that is in one of the worst droughts on record. Hilly and challenging the undulating course meanders through the Lago Vista neighborhood offering spectacular views of what is left of Lake Travis. The holes are deceptively hard because of the layout. The par 4 #9 hole is a special delight as it is a dogleg right down a terraced hill. Your tee shot should split the trees sown the center and your approach is to a back to front slope so the green holds most approaches. Your putt is almost certain to be from above the hole - short hole -but difficult because of the green. All in all a nice after noon - even had someone from Kentucky playing and his comment was how hilly the course was - it drained him. We finished our round under four hours.