Pin itFour championship rounds across two Hill Country resorts, anchored by three nights at Omni Barton Creek and one at Horseshoe Bay.
6 Days
Bucket List Trip
$3000–$5500/person
4
Moderate to Challenging
Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa holds the most concentrated collection of high-quality golf architecture in central Texas. Three courses on one property, designed by Tom Fazio (twice) and the Coore and Crenshaw partnership, give you three distinct expressions of Hill Country terrain. The trip then runs northwest to Horseshoe Bay Resort for Robert Trent Jones Sr.
Austin, Texas
Trip at a Glance
Fly into Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) and drive 30 to 40 minutes northwest to Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa. The resort sits on 4,000 acres of Hill Country terrain west of downtown, and the property's scale becomes apparent on the approach.
Morning round on the Fazio Canyons, the second Fazio design on property, opened in 1999 with contributions from Beau Welling, Roy Bechtol, and Dennis Wise. The routing follows Short Springs Branch Creek through corridors of oak and sycamore, and the canyon terrain creates the kind of elevation that makes each hole feel isolated from the others.
The third Barton Creek round is the Coore Crenshaw, and for students of golf design it may be the most interesting of the three. Opened in 1991, this was only the second course completed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, the partnership that would later produce Sand Hills, Streamsong Red, and Bandon Trails.
Check out of Omni Barton Creek and drive 90 minutes northwest to Horseshoe Bay Resort on the shores of Lake LBJ. The landscape transitions from Austin's western suburbs through increasingly open Hill Country terrain, and the drive itself is worth the windshield time.
Morning at the resort. The marina runs lake activities for those with early energy, and the Bayside Spa is open for those without.
Trip Logistics
Plan the Practicalities
A rental car is essential. The geography spans roughly 90 miles from Austin to Horseshoe Bay, and no public transit connects the two ends. Rental rates run $35 to $55 per day for a standard vehicle. Omni Barton Creek rates range $300 to $550 per night. Horseshoe Bay rates range $250 to $450 per night. The best months are March through May and October through November, when temperatures are comfortable and the courses are at peak condition. July and August offer lower rates but sustained heat above 95 degrees, demanding early tee times.
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