Review of Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort

Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort Overview

Nestled in the Texas Hill Country, just northwest of San Antonio, is a perfect place for a golfing vacation, family vacation, weekend getaway, corporate retreat, reunion, staycation, or wedding at one of the best Hill Country Resorts - . On the four mile winding road through the rolling hills leading to Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort from Boerne and Interstate 10, you start to appreciate the magnificence and peacefulness of the Texas Hill Country. And when you drive down the final hill you'll spot the big clear sparkling lake on the right side of the road spilling over the road into a lake on the left, a huge beautiful home sitting on top of a limestone cliff, the Tapatio Springs sign with a waterfall, the lush green fairways of the golf course, and some of tallest hills in Texas dotted with nice homes. You'll get a sense that you are in for a special treat during your stay - and you won't be disappointed.

Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort sits on 220 acres in a valley surrounded by majestic rolling hills and it incorporates the best that Mother Nature has to offer including a variety of trees, wildflowers, axis and whitetail deer, rolling tree lined hills with deep valleys, limestone cliffs rising out of springs and lakes, and panoramic views from the towering cliffs which are some of the tallest in the area and rise to 1900 feet. Plus you get to enjoy consistently perfect weather with an average annual high of 68 degrees which creates excellent conditions for year round golf and other activities. During the summer, the higher elevation is an average of 12 degrees cooler than San Antonio! Perfect for enjoying the outdoors.

In 1981, Tapatio Springs started it’s evolution from a 2100 acre cattle ranch into a top ranking conference center and golf resort. In fact, Tapatio Springs has maintained it's ranking as a “Texas Top Ten Resort Course” since 1992. Today, in this valley surrounded by beautiful hills dotted with magnificent homes, you’ll find great accommodations, a well stocked pro shop, 18 holes of championship golf, two pools, a spa, fitness center, executive and conference center facilities, the La Cascada Restaurant for dining, and several other amenities to enjoy. Tapatio Springs is an ideal setting for an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Be prepared to be overwhelmed by Tapatio Springs' mission to provide "big-hearted service."

In April of 2011, Country music legend, George Strait and longtime friend Tom Cusick, purchased Tapatio Springs Resort determined to return it to its original grandeur and beyond. They immediately started making improvements to the hotel rooms, the clubhouse, and golf course. In 2014 they partnered with Northview Hotel Group and by 2016 they had invested over $2 million to renovate the golf course, add a new resort pool, make some significant changes to the club house, and lots more. Unfortunately, a large fire completely destroyed the Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort clubhouse in 2017 forcing Tapatio Springs Resort to close for almost two years.

Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort reopened in late 2019 after a multi-million dollar renovation that included a new very well done 47,000-square-foot clubhouse, featuring a contemporary Western design reflective of the Resort's Hill Country setting. The new clubhouse includes:

• a large lobby with communal seating and a modern rustic decor
• an 1,100-square-foot, members-only fitness center, as well as, enlarged locker rooms and saunas for women and men
• 4,000 square feet of interior space for corporate meetings and other events
• redesign of the resort's signature restaurant, La Cascada Table & Bar, which features an expanded patio area, a private dining room with space for up to 35 people, and a cool bar serving local brews and cocktails
• updates to the 111 guest rooms and eight suites with new furnishings and decor
• a new pro shop stocked with everything you need to look good and play well

Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort Lodging

Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort offers suites and hill country guest rooms. There are 111 recently renovated modern rustic-chic design guest rooms and 8 suites. Each guest room is larger than a normal hotel room at around 400 square feet and each room has a flat screen TV, seating area and desk, coffee maker, hair dryer and iron, and upgraded bath amenities including two sinks and lots of counter space. For couples or families, the George Strait suite is perfect - two bedrooms, wet bar and entertaining area, and a living room. Best of all each room has a very comfortable king or double queen bed and either a private balcony or patio - an excellent spot to relax with a morning cup of coffee and enjoy the view of the golf course, deer, rolling hills, waterfall and pond or enjoy a spectacular Hill Country sunrise or sunset.

We stayed in one of the king suites which are even more spacious and include a nicely appointed living space with a leather couch and two very comfy chairs and a 55" HDTV, dining area with a table and four chairs, a wet bar and sink, mini fridge, and a patio with two chairs facing the pool. In addition, there was counter space and a sink outside the bathroom which had a sink and shower/tub; a coffee maker, hair dryer, complimentary high-speed WiFi, and an iron and ironing board. Our room was very spacious, well done, and extremely comfortable - the king bed mattress was out of this world!

All of the guest rooms and suites are a minute walk to the pro shop and restaurant, a lot of the rooms face one of the two pools or the golf course, and all are close to the clubhouse, pro shop, and convention center. Best of all, the Resort does not gouge you on pricing - rooms, golf, drinks, and food are all reasonably priced and well below most Texas Resort prices.

Golf at Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort

One of the primary reasons we keep coming back to Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort is to play golf on 18 of the best holes in Texas. Each nine is unique and different and will test your accuracy and course management skills with a combination of tight landing zones, water features, elevation changes, forced carries, and challenging doglegs. But don't let that scare you away - the course is fair, a little short, and there are four sets of tee boxes plus a combo on the scorecard.

Not only is the layout challenging but it is very scenic with rolling hills, waterfalls, colorful flowers, sparkling ponds, beautiful homes scattered along the hillsides, and towering trees. The front nine plays through the valley with water coming into play on six holes and it's an enjoyable par 35. The back nine plays up and along the ridge line of the rolling hills and then back to the valley. This nine is a blast to play with elevation changes, doglegs, forced carries, and some very fun holes.

In 2014 world-renowned golf course architect, Tripp Davis, was brought in to make significant changes to the course and it was closed most of the year for $2 million in renovations and improvements, some of which included: re-sculpting, adding, and deleting bunkers which were perfect when we played but are now missing all the sand I took home in my shoes, hair, and pockets; re-grading the fairways; significant improvements to the driving and putting area; resurfacing the greens; and lots more. When we played the course was in the best condition we've experienced over the four times we've played golf at Tapatio Springs. To learn more about this great golf course, read our review of Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort Golf Course.

In addition in some fun holes, good service (the cart lady seemed to show up at the perfect time!), and great conditions, the:

• Pro Shop is stocked with everything you need to play well and look good
• the practice area has been significantly improved with a new driving range, putting green, and chipping area
• the men's and women's locker rooms are very upscale and well done - both the locker rooms have a game room, lots of wood paneled lockers, showers, a sauna, and more
• the patio outside the pro shop is outstanding - a stone fireplace and beautiful views of the hills, a waterfall, and the 9th and 18th greens plus reasonably priced drinks and food - and its a perfect place to settle your bets and reminisce about your round and watch fellow golfers try to sink their putts

You're going to want to play this course more than once, so make it a weekend and take advantage of Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort's excellent Golf Stay & Play Package.

Dining Options at Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort

After 18 holes of golf I'm ready to eat and The La Cascada Restaurant which adjoins the pro shop is perfect with it's spectacular views of the cliff-top mansions, golf course, a waterfall, and lakes from the floor-to-ceiling windows. You can eat in the nicely appointed dining room, in the bar area, or on the really cool outdoor patio. When the weather's nice, garage-like doors turn the restaurant into an outdoor setting in a flash. In winter, the outdoor fire pit and patio heaters keep visitors warm. On Friday and Saturday nights, La Cascada hosts a singer-songwriter concert series featuring regional artists or maybe you'll get lucky and hear the "king of country music" himself. And we love the country music that plays continuously throughout the resort.

La Cascada serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and a good selection of choices plus Happy Hour with local brews, specialty drinks, and Strait's Codigo 1530 Tequila. We enjoyed everything that we sampled some of which included: