Slick Rock is the most user-friendly course and receives the most
play, about 30,000 of Horseshoe Bay’s 70,000-plus collective rounds.
With tight
fairways, strategic bunkering and smallish, well-protected
greens, Ram Rock is
the most penal.
Applerock sits between its siblings in difficulty—and it’s the
most scenic. The three-hole stretch beginning at the elevated 10th tee
(back-to-back par 5s and a 179-yard par 3 over water) ranks among the
state’s
most photogenic acreage. Because of the hilly terrain, club
selection can be
problematic on all three courses, and golfers will
face a number of uneven
lies.
“I like to say we have the toughest resort course, the prettiest
resort course and the resort course that’s the most fun to play,” says
director
of golf James Rolls. “That’s a great package to offer.”
That’s not even considering the impressively landscaped Whitewater
Putting Course. With holes ranging from 50 to 150 feet and featuring
doglegs,
bunkers and swales, this 18-hole Bermuda grass track would be
a challenge even
for nearby resident Ben Crenshaw.
Unlike some get-away-from-it-all retreats, Horseshoe Bay is conveniently
located—only 45 minutes northwest of Austin and its renowned music
scene. The
resort is a favorite getaway for favorite son Willie Nelson,
as well as country
icon George Strait and state football legends
Darrell Royal and Roger Staubach.
When one is on the road as much as
Willie, there’s no place like Horseshoe Bay
to decompress.
