![]() |
Texas Outside Golf Course Review |
| Return to Golf Home Page |
Date Played: May 23, 2006
Front Nine Rating: 8.0 Stars Back Nine Rating: 8.0 Stars Approximate Weekend Price Range: $39.00 to $69.00 Where To Get Coupons: Avery website, Austin Entertainment Passbook, Golf512, and Avid Golfer Passbook Brief Description: Avery Ranch was voted "Best Overall Course" in Austin by Avid Golfer Magazine for 2004 and 2005. It was also #8 in the Dallas Morning News "Top 15 High Priced ($60 to $79) Courses". I can see why it won all the awards, Avery Ranch is a outstanding course. Avery Ranch is located in northwest Austin, in the heart of the Texas Hill Country and is a spectacular up-scale golf course with natural limestone caverns, knobby live-oak trees, rolling hills, and meandering streams and lakes to create an excellent golf experience. The experience starts with a very nice clubhouse and a friendly and informative starter (Abe) who will provide some excellent tips for the first timers. Avery Ranch was in very good condition; the traps are plentiful, huge, and the perfect sand is just waiting for your ball; the greens seem over-sized and can be challenging to read; and the fairways are rolling hills and lined with trees. The back nine is a little more open, but still challenging with hazards and traps. The back nine of Avery Ranch is unique with 3 par 3s and 3 par 5s. Make sure you spend $3 to buy the course layout handbook -- that and your A game should help you score well on this deceivingly tough but very fun course.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Here's How Texas Outside Determines the Scorecard RatingThe Texas Outside rating scale ranges from 1 to 10 – a perfect 10 course would be something like this: links along a cliff overlooking the Pacific ocean and bordered by tall trees; lush fairways on rolling hills with lots of natural hazards; water (which is crystal clear) on most of the holes; immaculate greens (but they are undulating and tough); lots of variety and character (each hole is completely different and includes blind shots, elevation changes, doglegs, and significant challenges); perfectly manicured traps with the whitest and prettiest sand you’ve ever seen; a nice club house with great food and a 19th hole; a GPS; plenty of beverage carts or your own cooler and ice; and it only costs $40 bucks! What this means is that you probably won’t find any 10s in Texas – try Cabo San Lucas, Pebble Beach, or some of the Hawaii courses!
All of the above determines the overall score for the golf course. In other words, we like courses that are pretty, fun, very challenging with a lot of variety, and fairways and greens in excellent condition – all for $40. We also tend to play the courses that are affordable for the masses, which means in the $30 to $80 range. We rate hard and we haven’t found a 10 in Texas yet – don’t worry we haven’t given up and we’re still looking.
|