Eagle's Bluff Golf Community Review

Eagle's Bluff

We were invited to play golf at Eagle's Bluff and were very impressed with this Texas golf community. Some of what we think distinguishes Eagle's Bluff from other golf communities includes:

• some stunning custom built lake front homes and homesites with magnificent lake views
• the tall stately Texas pines, oaks, and dogwoods and the vivid colors created by hundreds of azaleas, dogwoods and spring flowers
• a fantastic 18 hole championship golf course with a first class clubhouse
• a variety of beautiful architectural home styles
• lots of good folks that seem very friendly, active, and outgoing
• resort style amenities

It's no wonder that GolfWeek has honored Eagle's Bluff three times with it's prestigious award of "Residential Course of Distinction." What a great place to live or own a second home on the golf course or lake.

Eagle's Bluff is located about 15 miles south of Tyler in the small community of Bullard and sits on over 540 acres of prime east Texas property with over four miles of shoreline along the banks of the beautiful 26,000 acre Lake Palestine. There are 170 lots and around 90 beautiful homes ranging from $260,000 to over $2 million and we didn't see any two that looked the same - no cookie cutters here! As we drove through this small and quaint community, we couldn't help but notice the variety of home styles, how they are all very well maintained and landscaped, and our jaw dropped several times as we drove past some stunning huge homes.

We found out that there are still 89 golf course or waterfront quarter to half acrehomesites for sale that range from $85,000 to $325,000. The homesites include:

• heavily treed bluff view sites that are 120 feet above Lake Palestine and as such offer stunning views of the lake and unbelievable sunsets
• golf course lots offering an opportunity to heckle your fellow golfers from your back porch as they try to hit a straight drive, get out of the bunkers, or sink a putt
• lakefront homes and sites where you're just seconds away from your boat dock
• zero lot villas that are across the street from the clubhouse and next to the tennis courts, pool, and fitness center. These homesites start at a mere $29,000.

In January 2010, the Challenge Golf Group purchased Eagle's Bluff and immediately started making needed improvements to bring the course and community up to to their high standards of excellence. And from what we could tell, they have done a superb job. The common grounds are well maintained and landscaped, the clubhouse was alive with activity, the food was excellent, the service was friendly and efficient, and the golf course was in very good condition. Their mission is to "strive for excellence in quality of service, member relations, and resort style environment" and from what we noticed and heard from talking to some members, they exceeded that mission. In addition to Eagle's Bluff, the Challenge Golf Group also owns and manages six other east Texas golf courses and golf communities: The Pinnacle Boat & Golf Club, Garden Valley, The Challenge at the Woods, The Challenge at Cypress Hills, The Challenge at Oak Forest, and The Challenge at Gladewater. We have played, reviewed, and rated Pinnacle Golf Club, The Challenge at the Woods, Garden Valley, and Eagle's Bluff- click on the link to read our review and learn what we thought of each of these outstanding courses. If you are interested in visiting Eagle's Bluff or taking a tour of the property, contact realestate@eaglesbluff.com, or call 800 214-0462.

Eagle's Bluff Clubhouse

The centerpiece of Eagle's Bluff is the magnificent 27,000 square foot world-class French Country Style clubhouse which is home to:

• a pro shop stocked with everything you need to look good and play well during your round of golf
• men's and women's locker rooms as well as a private members only men and women's card/game/meeting room with a bar, food service, TV, and waitstaff
• bar and excellent restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner and a great outdoor patio overlooking the golf course
• championship 18 hole golf course plus very good practice facilities including a range, bunker complex, and two putting greens
• a special events and banquet room that is perfect for weddings and other occasions
• large sidewalks that connect to green belts
• lots of colorful landscaping all of which is very well maintained and manicured

Before we headed out for our round of golf at Eagle's Bluff, we had a very tasty lunch at reasonable prices. The salad buffet had two delicious soups, salad with all the fixings and six different dressings, plus very tasty chicken, tuna, and pasta salads - I loved both soups and could have gone back for thirds on the chicken and tuna salad. The hamburger was fat and juicy as was the Cajun spiced chicken sandwich - but what really set both of them apart was the delicious jalapeno bun - wow! Based on the quality of our lunch, next time we play we'll play late in the afternoon so we can sample the dinner menu. A couple of members told us that we really need to come back for "Steak by the Ounce" night where you select a high quality steak, pay by the ounce, and it's cooked outside on a grill on the patio. We also heard that the Mother's Day Brunch is not to be missed - there are so many choices that the buffet tables take up more than half of the restaurant area! Our congratulations go out to Chef Rich Neal. We didn't come here to eat, but I'm sure glad we did, so after a great lunch we waddled out to try and play a round of golf.

Eagle's Bluff Golf Course

We knew that if the golf course was anything like the magnificence of the Eagle's Bluff Community, the Clubhouse, and our lunch, we were in for a special treat and we weren't disappointed. Eagle's Bluff was considered to be one of Carlton Gipson's finest designs and the course was a three time winner of GolfWeek's "Courses of Distinction - Best Residential Designs in America." We quickly learned after the front nine that it's important to pick the right set of one of the four tee boxes if you want to have a respectable score. This is a challenging course and we tried to bite off a little more that we were able to handle. Length, yardages from 4936 to 6977, plus water on 13 holes, 46 sand bunkers of all sizes, downhill and uphill shots, dog legs, risk reward opportunities, and challenging green complexes will test your game from tee box to the cup. In fact, the course was rated as the 6th-most difficult in Texas by The Dallas Morning News.

When we played, the sweeping fairways were in very good condition and we felt guilty taking a divot. The fairways are lined with magnificent century old dogwoods, oaks, and pines that you need to avoid as well as some beautiful homes set back under the trees. The TIFF Eagle greens are huge, averaging 8500 square feet, and challenging with slope, undulation, and tiers. The greens at Eagle's Bluff run true and fast and if you land above the pin be very careful.  One of the first thing we noticed during our round was how quiet and peaceful it was - no road traffic or airplanes or barking dogs or police sirens, it just you and nature and birds and squirrels and an occasional ball ricocheting off the trees. We rated Eagle's Bluff a 9 out of 10 stars and you can read our review of Eagle's Bluff Golf Course to learn more.

Eagle's Bluff is challenging but fair and forgiving if you play smart. Make sure you spend some time on the 10,000 square foot putting green, the range and most importantly in the chipping area surrounded by grass and sand bunkers. You'll also enjoy the 19th hole whether for drinks, appetizers, some good food, or just relaxing on the patio watching some fellow golfers. There are roughly 270 golf memberships which means it's never challenging to get a tee time. The golf members are very active and there are several golfing activities or tournaments each month. With a platinum golf membership at Eagle's Bluff ($300 per month) you have privileges to play all of the Challenge Golf Group's courses for a token cart fee - all of which are within a 90 minute drive of Eagle's Bluff. Each of the other courses has it's own unique personality and characteristics, for example: Garden Valley in Lindale has been compared to Augusta National with excellent conditions, tree lined fairways, lakes and ponds, and vivid colors from the crepe myrtles and azaleas Pinnacle Golf Club on Cedar Creek Lake is tight and challenging with a back nine that has three very unique, fun, and interesting holes The Challenge at the Woods in Jacksonville is more straightforward and traditional but no cakewalk

Eagle's Bluff Amenities

In addition to a fantastic golf course, one of the other things that we liked about Eagle's Bluff is that residents have access to some resort style amenities including:

• a fantastic pool with tanning ledges and pool side cabanas
• fitness center that's open 24/7 and has some of the latest and greatest equipment to keep you fit and trim
• two tennis courts with lights
• small kids playground next to the pool and fitness center
• walking, biking, or jogging trails
• well stocked pro shop with a wide array of clubs, clothing, and golf gear
• fishing pier and boat slips

Memberships range from a golf membership with full access to all of the amenities to a junior membership for ages 22 to 40 with use of all facilities to a social membership which excludes golf but does provide reduced golf rates.

Activities and Things To Do

Eagle's Bluff has 4 miles of shoreline on the beautiful Lake Palestine which is a 26,000 acre lake that is excellent for fishing, cruising, skiing or boarding, or just dropping an anchor in a cove and swimming. Boat docks are allowed on the lake some of the waterfront lots at Eagle's Bluff come with very cool boat docks that have small living centers as well as covered boat slips. Eagle's Bluff residents make good use of the fishing pier and common use boat slips. To learn more about the lake, read our review of Lake Palestine.

Eagle's Bluff resides within the city limits of Bullard which has been recognized for its wonderful school district and commitment to education, but we haven't spent any time exploring the city so we can't help you with things to see and do. But that's not the case with Tyler, which is about 15 minutes north of Eagle's Bluff. Tyler is a vibrant city known for it's state-of-the-art medical facilities, good restaurants, quaint shops, and fun things to see and do. Check out Texas Outside's Guide to Tyler which includes our list of 10 Fun Things To See & Do In Tyler as well as an interesting Exploring Tyler article - the Tyler zoo is outstanding.

If you've got kids, you're very close to the Texas State Railroad which runs vintage themed train rides from Palestine to Rusk and back. Kids will love it - take a look at our Ridin' the Rails article to see why. Adults will love the gourmet cooking and wine sampling at Kiepersol Estates - make it a weekend and stay in their unique B&B.

If you like to explore other lakes you have several nearby choices and the same is true for camping (Tyler State Park is fantastic). If for some reason you need to try other courses besides the Challenge Golf Group courses you have several options. Within a 90 minute drive you can be enjoying all that Dallas and the metroplex have to offer or be gambling and enjoying the entertainment at the Shreveport casinos.

Or just stay at home and enjoy your neighbors - there is a good mix of full time residents from young married families to retired couples and weekenders visiting their second homes - and all of the golf tournaments and other special events.

Bottom line - Eagle's Bluff has got to be one of the best lakefront golf communities in Texas - it has beautiful homes and homesites with golf or lake views, a fantastic clubhouse, outstanding golf course, good amenities, a peaceful and serene feeling, and is owned and managed by a company committed to excellence. It's an oasis where you can golf, play tennis, swim, fish, sail, ski or board, enjoy a range of social activities, or just relax and enjoy the view.

Austin Website Design - Lone Star Internet