Pin itOmni Barton Creek — Coore Crenshaw
Coore and Crenshaw's second course ever built, and the one you can walk.
Designed by Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw (1991)
From $225
Booking via Direct
The Coore Crenshaw Cliffside at Barton Creek is the second course Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw ever built together, completed in the early 1990s after their first project at the Plantation Course at Kapalua in Maui. The early career context matters because the course carries the DNA of a design philosophy still in formation: strategic bunkering, walkable routing, green complexes that reward ground-game creativity, and a respect for the land as found. The same instincts would later produce Sand Hills, Bandon Trails, and Streamsong Red.
What to expect
You're playing 6,630 yards, par 71, slope 130. Shortest and most forgiving of the three Barton Creek courses by the numbers, but the description undersells it. The fairways are wider than the Fazio courses, the forced carries are fewer, and the green complexes invite a variety of approach angles. The difficulty lives in the details of contour and pin position.
This is the walkable course at Barton Creek, designed with pedestrian golf in mind. Transitions between greens and tees are reasonable, the terrain undulates without severe elevation, and the pace of a walking round feels natural. If walking matters to you, this is the round to choose. The bunkering reflects the minimalist instinct that became the partnership's signature: fewer bunkers in more consequential locations. Missing a bunker is often possible with a smart play; finding one means dealing with a recovery shot that tests technique genuinely.
The course was refined as part of Omni's $150 million resort overhaul completed around 2019. Bunkering was tightened and green contours restored, without altering the routing or design intent.
By the numbers
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- 6,630
Is it worth the green fee?
At $225, yes. It sits below the Fazio courses, which provides a practical incentive to add it to a Barton Creek stay. You're paying for an early Coore Crenshaw routing that you can walk, which is a rare combination at this price point.
Booking and trip fit
Resort guests and club members only. Book through the link on this page when you reserve your stay. With two days at Barton Creek, walk the Coore Crenshaw and ride one of the Fazio courses, ideally Fazio Canyons. That gives you both the property's architectural extremes and both modes of transportation. For a wider Hill Country trip, pair Barton Creek with a Horseshoe Bay round.
Where to Stay
Accommodations near Omni Barton Creek — Coore Crenshaw
Hotel
Courtyard by Marriott Austin The Domain Area
Austin, Texas
Reliable Marriott base near The Domain with northwest positioning that shortens the drive to Crystal Falls and the Hill Country corridor.
From $120/night~20 miles to Crystal Falls GC; ~25 miles to Falconhead GC
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Hotel
Hampton Inn Austin NW near The Domain
Austin, Texas
Free breakfast, free parking, and a northwest address that puts Crystal Falls and The Domain within easy reach.
From $110/night~20 miles to Crystal Falls GC
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Hotel
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Lakeway
Austin, Texas
The most affordable option in the Lakeway corridor, with free breakfast and proximity to Falconhead and Lake Travis.
From $100/night~12 miles to Falconhead GC
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Resort
Horseshoe Bay Resort
Austin, Texas
Three Robert Trent Jones Sr. courses, a marina on Lake LBJ, and enough distance from Austin to feel like a destination in its own right.
From $250/nightOn-site golf
Direct websiteVisit website
Other Courses Nearby
Mid-Range
Crystal Falls Golf Club
Austin, Texas
Municipal golf in the Hill Country, priced like a public course should be.
$18–$55PublicJack Miller (1990)
GolfNowBook tee time
Mid-Range
Falconhead Golf Club
Austin, Texas
A public Hill Country layout where the 8th hole, and its waterfall, justify the entire green fee.
$75–$89PublicPGA Tour Design Center, Chris Gray (2003)
GolfNowBook tee time
Premium
Horseshoe Bay Resort — Ram Rock
Austin, Texas
Robert Trent Jones Sr. carved 62 bunkers and 10 water hazards into the Hill Country rock, then called it The Challenger.
$80–$150ResortRobert Trent Jones Sr. (1981)
PartnerBook tee time
Premium
Horseshoe Bay Resort — Summit Rock
Austin, Texas
Nicklaus Signature design in the Hill Country, reserved for members who own the view.
$175–$295PrivateJack Nicklaus (2012)
Direct websiteVisit website
Mid-Range
Lost Pines Golf Club
Austin, Texas
Prairie hills give way to river pines on the east side of Austin, at a price that ranges from reasonable to resort.
$68–$215ResortArthur Hills, Steve Forrest (2006)
GolfNowBook tee time
Premium
Omni Barton Creek — Fazio Canyons
Austin, Texas
Fazio's canyon sequel at Barton Creek, and the course Golfweek once called the best in Texas.
From $275ResortTom Fazio, Beau Welling, Roy Bechtol, Dennis Wise (1999)
Hotels.comBook tee time
Bucket List
Omni Barton Creek — Fazio Foothills
Austin, Texas
Limestone cliffs, natural caves, and Tom Fazio's most geological routing in Texas.
$250–$325ResortTom Fazio, Roy Bechtol (1986)
Hotels.comBook tee time
Hidden Value
Vaaler Creek Golf Club
Austin, Texas
Forty-five minutes from Austin, in Blanco, where the green fees drop and the Hill Country opens up.
$75–$110Semi-PrivateMichael Lowry / J.R. Newman (2009)
GolfNowBook tee time
Plan Your Trip
Explore Austin
Full guide: courses, stays, getting there.
Continue →3 Itineraries
Pre-planned trips to Austin.
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10 non-golf activities at Austin.
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