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Played Saturday for the first time in decades. The course and greens were as hard as a rock, due to lack of rain and, apparently, lack of watering.

This course needs redesign to be worth playing for the average player. I'm really tired of Hill Country courses where if you miss the fairway your ball is either lost or unplayable. Cut down some trees, widen the fairways, enlarge the greens, get rid of some bunkers. Either that or water it and grow the rough so it stops a ball before it rolls into oblivion.

In no hurry to return. Nice people, though.

Lions was once one of my favorite courses. But it has not improved in any aspect in 30 years and in some has gone downhill. The greens still have the original grainy, uneven natural Bermuda, while most courses have gone to more modern strains of grass. Rocky, uneven rough reaches into fairways. Weeds go unchecked. Water hazards are ugly. And the fact is, compared to well-designed modern courses it has a quirky layout. The owners keep threatening to convert it to condominiums, so it's been on life-support for years and no one wants to spend the money to bring it into the 21st century. It's like an aging movie star who still wants to be paid top dollar. But there are other, better golf options in Austin now.

You know you are in trouble when you start writing a negative review of a golf course before you even get to the fifth hole. I didn't expect this course to be great, but it was far worse than I feared.

A golf course can affect you in many ways. Some are inspiring in their beauty. Some are challenging in their design. Some are frustrating in various ways. But I've never played a golf course I would call depressing. That is, until today. Lago Vista is like the Bizzaro Country Club. Everything is backward. The structures and signage are in disrepair. The greens are uneven and inconsistent. Weeds are everywhere. One tee box would function better as a sand trap. The fairways are dried out in great yellow swaths. You would think a course so close to the lake could keep its fairways watered. What green grass there is on the fairways is often the length of rough. It is basically a cow pasture. Or deer pasture. That was its one redeeming feature. There are cute and cordial deer everywhere. Unfortunately, they are not enough to justify the $30 I would have tried to get refunded if I'd wanted to endure the ordeal of asking for it. Still, I felt ripped off.

The course is not difficult, and I didn't play poorly. But I quit after nine holes because it just wasn't fun being there. A golf course that charges $30 a round should present itself better. I've only walked off a course twice in my life. The first time was at a course in California where play was so slow it took 1 and 1/2 hours to complete four holes. The second time was today.

A unique golf experience for Austin. Wide-open links style with only one two holes with any trees to contend with. The main challenge is wind, water, bunkers and moguls. Played on a cooler afternoon this summer and it was just perfect. Fairways are lush for the most part. Green are good. The only problem was that weeding was needed on the collars of a few of the greens. Kizer is also a nature preserve so its natural beauty, especially near sundown, is up there with the best in the area.

I grew up four blocks from Hancock and first played golf there as a kid. So revisiting it is always nostalgic. In those days it had no sprinkler system, earning it the nickname "Hanrock." But sprinklers were installed some years ago and now the fairways are decent and the greens are sometimes very good, though a little slow. It's only nine holes. The back nine was sold and became Hancock Shopping Center in 1963.

Built in 1899, Hancock was the original Austin Country Club, the original home of Harvey Penick and the oldest US golf course in continuous operation west of the Mississippi. So in that sense it is beyond criticism. It is a part of history. Still, the City of Austin charges money to play there, so golfers deserve to know what they will get.

The good: A short, hilly fun little track which can be played with nothing more than a five-wood, 7-iron through PW and a putter.

The bad: In a way it's a glorified public park now. Non-golfers stroll, jog and walk their dogs through the course, especially near sundown, which is distracting and makes play difficult. Yardages are hard to ascertain. The ninth green is too small and needs to be redesigned. It's worth about $10, so the $18 they charge on weekends is too much. It's so hilly than on a hot day walking the course can be difficult. The bottom line is there are better options for your golf dollar in Austin.

Still, if you want to chase a little white ball down memory lane, with easy-going Central Austin as a backdrop, and don't mind sharing the course with walkers, joggers, dogs and sometimes frisbees, then this is the place for you.

Overall a good golf value. The layout is a little odd because the clubhouse is not between the 9th and 10th greens. So if you expect to get a drink or snack at the turn that may not happen. Also the course starts with a par three followed by a short par four, so pace early can be a little slow.

None of that is fatal though. This track was once the Austin Country Club and many of the holes have a classic 1950s feel to them. The front nine is a little shorter, and requires good pitches and chips. The back nine has some great long pars fours and fives, so bring your driver.

It's well-cared for and often quite scenic. No practice range, but a very nice practice green. Friendly staff.

I played this short, but deceptively challenging Hill Country course for the first time today. It is scenic and generally well-maintained. (The fairway on hole #4 could use some weeding and work, but it was the exception, not the rule.) The grass on the greens was excellent, which was appreciated because the greens themselves are quite undulating. There are no sand traps on the course at all--which I'm sure helps keeps costs down, but didn't detract from the experience, because the rolling landscape, sometimes tight fairways and smallish greens are challenge enough. What this course concedes in distance, it requires in accuracy--you can hit a two-hybrid instead of a driver, but you still have to hit it straight. A good value for your golf dollar. Like the surrounding Point Venture community, this little gem is unpretentious, fun and recommended.

Okay, I haven't played every course in Central Texas, but I've played many of them and this course puts most others to shame when it comes to value. Fine amenities, friendly staff, country club feel and a beautiful, challenging, but fair, Hill Country course. Fairways, bunkers, tees and greens all in good shape. Though east of Austin, it's more like Avery Ranch than Bluebonnet. Hills, lakes, bunkers, woods and streams, but designed to be fair. The twilight rate is a steal.. Well worth the drive even if you live in west Austin. Highly recommended.

Haven't played this course for over 20 years. Revisited with a discount deal. It's a classic, straightforward design that is being neglected. It hasn't rained in a week and the bunkers were full of water, mud and unconditioned. Fairways had patches of hard clay. Saint Augustine grass taking over in some places. Just needs some TLC and it will be fine. A great course for hitting your driver. Greens were good. But who knows what they'll be like next time, given the condition of other things. Sad.

If you know Austin golf, this course can be described as a cross between Jimmy Clay and Hancock. Only 9 holes, 6 par threes and 3 par fours., but well-designed and visually appealing. Has that East Austin terrain and plant life. The only problem was the need for some mowing, weeding and fallen tree removal.

A good option for kids and beginners, but still a good challenge from the back tees. A better option than Hancock if you are okay with mostly short holes.

Hadn't played this course in years until recently. It has matured and is easier than when it opened. The fairways are wider, grass has spread and there is less undergrowth now. Not long, but accuracy is needed. The picturesque practice range overlooks Decker lake and the practice green is in good shape. Greens putted fairly. I was surprised the tiny clubhouse had not been upgraded. Definitely a "go" especially with a discount.

"Moe Willy" was once the neglected east-side course, so close to the airport that from the 10th green you could count the tread on descending planes' tires, and had to yell "I THINK YOU'RE AWAY!" at the top of your lungs because the jet engines were exceeding 130 decibels. About 15 years ago they moved the airport, and like the surrounding community, Moe Willy has been on the comeback cart path ever since. They built a new clubhouse complete with white rocking chairs on a long southern-style veranda that overlooks the course. They also upgraded the sprinkler system, and the fairways are now much more even.

The staff is friendly and down-to-earth. There is a reassuring familiarity to the place.

The course itself is intriguing. It has a lot of elevation changes, and rare is the hole where the green is not well-above or well-below the level of the tee box. The 9th and the 18th holes are practically twins, but besides them each hole is unique. So if it's variety you want this course is for you. Keep the ball in the fairways and the course is straight forward. Miss fairways and the quirkiness of east Austin terrain, weeds, gullies, rocks, slopes and woods will have you screaming "NO MOE!"