Nested among the tall pines and gently rolling hills of east about a mile from the south shoreline of beautiful Lake Sam Rayburn is Rayburn Country Resort. The resort has a laid back and east Texas friendly attitude, is not too expensive, offers a variety of accommodations and things to do, and has 27 holes of excellent and very challenging golf. So if you're looking for an weekend escape, a hunting or fishing trip, a family vacation, a wedding venue, a perfect place for a reunion or corporate retreat, or a fun golf outing with your buddies, then you should consider Rayburn Country. Rayburn Country has a reputation as providing an inexpensive experience, down home rural accommodations, and good friendly accommodating service. As we drove into the resort and talked to some of the staff, we immediately felt like we were on vacation and knew we were in for a fun weekend.

One of the advantages of Rayburn Country is that you have a choice on the type of accommodation based on number of people and your budget. Rayburn Country offers standard hotel type rooms, one bedroom villas, and two or three bedroom villas along the golf course. The hotel rooms are an easy walk (two blocks or so) from the clubhouse and other amenities. The hotel rooms are in a two story building and most of the rooms have been recently renovated. You'll find comfortable double beds, a TV, dresser, bathroom and shower. For $59 in the summer of 2007, you can't expect and won't find 5 Star Luxury Resort rooms but they are clean and functional - keep in mind your goal is not to spend a lot of time in your room, you're here to golf, swim, go boating, play tennis, catch some fish, and enjoy the great outdoors.

When we visited Rayburn Country, we spent one night in the Hotel and one night in one of the Club Villas which are a step up and much larger than the hotel rooms. Our Villas was a split level unit with a bathroom, show, dresser, TV, and two queen beds on the upper level over looking the living room. Down 4 steps was the living room and kitchen. The living room had a TV, small breakfast table with 4 chairs, a love seat, chair, and comfortable couch which made into a twin bed. The kitchen includes utensils, microwave, coffee pot, toaster, full size refrig, stove and range plus a washer and dryer. The small patio included 4 chairs and was great for relaxing with coffee or a cold drink. In late 2007, the Club Villas were an excellent Rayburn Resort Villas

deal at $105 a night with a two night minimum.

Along the ninth hole of the Gold Course are the Players Place Villas. The Villas have a lock out feature which means that one side of the Villas can be a one bedroom suite or unlocked to become a part of the two or three bedroom Villas. The Villas are perfect for a large family, buddy golf outing, or executive retreat. When we were there a group of golfing buddies had rented a three bedroom suite, had their golf carts parked outside their back door next to a grill cooking some brisket and ribs and a picnic table (loaded with snacks, cards, dominos, and drinks) that overlooked the ninth green - how great is that! The Players Place Villas have a fireplace, two to six queen beds, full kitchen, nice appointments, and an outdoor deck overlooking the 9th hole. 2007 rates were very reasonable at $200 to $240 a night or $105 for the one bedroom suite

In addition to a variety of accommodations, Rayburn Country has lots of things to keep you entertained and active. Some of what you can enjoy during your stay include:

Within the clubhouse is a full restaurant, Mulligan's Grill, serving three meals a day at reasonable rates - not your typical inflated resort prices. For example, 2 eggs with bacon, sausage or ham, toast and hash browns was $5.45 - we recently paid $15 for the same thing at another resort and it wasn't as good as Mulligan's! Lunch choices include sandwiches, burgers, and Po-Boys. For dinner, you'll find catfish, chicken strips, or fried shrimp baskets; chicken fried steak, hamburger steak, or chicken quesadilla; or salads - the most expensive item on the menu being $6.95. We found the service to be very good, the staff was attentive and friendly.

Mulligan's Grill has a full service bar with a sports bar feeling and they serve an excellent Bloody Mary! Sit outside on the deck or near the windows and watch the golfers tee off or finish their round. The view is fantastic - you can see the range, tee boxes, pond, and a water feature - close your ears when you hear one of the approach shots hit the water or when they chip over the green into the trap or water.

The clubhouse is well equipped and offers a variety of different size and style rooms for banquets, special events, weeding receptions, or more. Rayburn Country Events planner can assist you with your wedding plans, family reunions, corporate retreats, or group outings.

If you are looking for an inexpensive place to spend a few days enjoying some of the most challenging golf courses in Texas, then you need to call and book a room and tee time at Rayburn Country Resort now. The 27 hole championship course was designed by three different architects, one of whom also designed Crown Colony which is consistently recognized as one of the top three courses in Texas. Each nine is different and unique and takes advantage of the rolling hills, creeks, and heavily wooded terrain. You'll find a little of everything on these courses - turtle top greens, elevation changes, dog legs, blind shots, steep faced bunkers, very well protected greens, water and other hazards. In general, all of three courses were in above average condition.

The Gold Course is the original nine which was designed in 1968 by Jay Riviere. This course has water on one hole and includes sand bunkers on every hole, plus six holes with fairway bunkers. The course has wide fairways, and there is 47,700 square feet of greens on this nine. To read our review of the Gold Course, click here.

If you're looking for a very fun and very challenging round, then you'll love the Green Course. We rated it an 8.8 out of 10 stars, which puts it in our Top 20 Favorite Texas Courses. If you expect to score well on this course, practice at the range and putting green, keep the driver in the bag, hit the ball straight, deploy your best course management, be extremely accurate on your approach shots, and putt well - sounds easy. We loved this course because of the challenge, beauty, variety, condition, and uniqueness. To learn more, read our review.

The Blue Course was closed for over seeding when we visited, but we rode the course and it appeared like it would be the easiest of the three nines. The greens were larger and most were elevated and fairly well protected. The fairways were rolling and sloping and wider than the other two courses. This would be a fun course to play and it's on our list of courses we plan to play. Check out our review of the Blue Course.

The Pro Shop is well stocked and the head pro, Jason French, will go out of his way to make sure you have an enjoyable golf experience. A range and golf lessons are available and Jason can even customize a golf academy for your needs. Lodging and meal packages can also be arranged for your convenience.

Here is the best news - after those rave reviews, you're probably expecting rates in the $90 to $120 range, but just like everything else at Rayburn Country, they have kept the rates reasonable at $30 to $45. Better yet, their golf packages start at $110 and include: two days, one night's lodging, cart, special dinner, and unlimited golf! If you're really looking for a challenge, play the Green course multiple times and see if you can determine the best way to manage this nine and score well. Have fun!

Rayburn Country is perfect for a wedding, corporate event, reunion, or other special occasion - and the rates are very affordable. For weddings, they have a number of beautiful and serene settings for the ceremony and can provide the catering and services needed to make this a special event. Plus your guests will enjoy all the resort amenities and activities.

If you are planning a corporate or executive retreat or a reunion, Rayburn Country offers a wide selection of meeting venues for groups from 25 to 250 and they will ensure that your needs are met for food, lodging, and recreation. The staff can help organize and implement golf tournaments, fishing tournaments, and awards banquets.

For all guests, Rayburn Country often sponsors special events or can arrange activities like casino tours and more.

Go Boating - when you stay at Rayburn Country, not only are there some fun things to do and some excellent golfing on the property, but less than a mile from Rayburn Country is one of the best lakes in Texas to for you to enjoy - Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Sam Rayburn is the largest body of water wholly within Texas and is a 114,500 Corp of Engineers reservoir. The water is clean and clear and there are lots of coves for skiing/boarding or swimming and sandy beach. Click here to read a review of Sam Rayburn Reservoir. So when you visit Rayburn Country, bring the boat or rent a boat for an afternoon of fun. There are two huge boat ramps just a mile from the Resort - use the one that is closest to the dam because it is well protected from the wind and waves. Here is where you can find a boat to rent.

Catch Some Fish - Sam Rayburn Reservoir is excellent for fishing for bass, catfish, and crappie. A number of huge fishing tournaments as well as local Sabine National Forest Trail

tournaments are held on the lake. If you want to catch your limit for dinner, than call one of the fishing guides on this list.

Hiking The Trails - if you like to hike, try the Trail Between The Lakes located in the southern portion of Sabine County. The trail is a 28-mile hiking trail that winds through the Sabine National Forest. The Trail Between The Lakes extends from Lakeview Recreation Area on Toledo Bend Reservoir to US 96 within sight of the easternmost point of Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Hikers can see plant communities, interesting topography, wildlife, beautiful scenery, and various forest management activities. A portion of the trail is adjacent to Toledo Bend Reservoir, and many portions lie along streams or special wildlife areas. The trail crosses roads at many locations, so it's easy to plan shorter hikes of varying lengths.

Go Hunting - in the Piney Woods near Rayburn Country, you'll find 126,000 acres available for public hunting. The Piney Woods are full of deer, wild turkey, and other small game, as well as ducks and geese that stop by on the winter migration to warmer climates.

Explore Jasper - Jasper, 5 miles south, is the nearest large town and it offers an historic town square with a courthouse built in 1889, art galleries, outdoor art sculptures, antique shops, murals, and the old county jail where county archives are housed. Sandy Creek Park, which is downtown, features children's playground equipment, fishing ponds, walking trail, picnic areas, basketball courts, and a pavilion over the water.

Enjoy Food & Entertainment - don't get your hopes up (remember you came here to enjoy the outdoors), there aren't a lot of restaurant and nightlife choices. Here is what we found - about 5 minutes away is The Stump Restaurant and Club (409 698-9495) which serves a good breakfast buffet, great steaks, and other good food plus they occasionally has karaoke or live music. In Jasper, we spent some time listening to a jazz band at the Jasper Roadhouse Bar & Grill (409 489-3217).

Rayburn Country Resort is not a 5 star resort, but it is a friendly, affordable, and comfortable resort with some excellent golf courses and lots of outdoor activities. So pack you clubs, fishing poles, tennis racquet, hunting gear, bikes, water toys, and get ready to have some fun. To won't find many places in Texas where on a single weekend you can golf, hunt, and fish/boat in one weekend. Call 800-882-1442 or 409 698-2444 or visit Rayburn Country's .