Luling Golf Club Review

Texas Outside Rating: 7.9

Golf - Public Course · 9 Holes · Par 36
Luling
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Luling Golf Club Review

Review and Rating Of Luling Golf Course in Luling, TX

The Luling Golf Course was designed by Edgar Davis and opened for play in 1926.  Edgar gifted the course to the City of Luling in 1928. The hard-working Luling Golf Association (a non-profit organization) manages the day-to-day operations of Luling Golf Course.  

Luling Golf Course is nine holes with four tee boxes and yardages ranging from 2957 to 2339 yards.  The course plays through 21 acres of Pecan trees with the San Marcos River bordering one side of the course. and out of bounds on the other side.  Except for a couple of holes, most of the fairways are flat and you can see the pin and what you're up against from the tee box. 

Luling Golf Course is relatively easy if you can keep the ball in the fairway - spray the ball left and you're out of bounds or in some trees and dense brush that fronts the San Marcos River.  A couple doglegs, 4 bunkers, a carry over a bend in the San Marcos River, and an uphill shot on one par 3 add some challenge and require some shot-making.  The three tee boxes make the course fun for all skill levels.  Our favorite holes at Luling Golf Club included:

  • #2 is a 376 yard par 4 with a slight dog leg right and a good risk reward shot off the tee box to shorten the hole if you think you can carry the tall trees
  • #7 is fun - from the back two tee boxes you've got an intimidating carry over brush and a bend in the San Marcos River to a fairway slightly downhill from the tee box plus a tough approach shot to an elevated green (4 to 6 feet above the fairway)
  • #8 is a 177 yard par 3 with an uphill shot that needs to thread the needle between left and right towering trees that pinch the fairway
  •  #9 is interesting - a 350 yard par 4 with a fairway that turns left with big tree probably blocking your shot to the green unless you think you can fly it to the green - on the second round, we went left through the valley to avoid the dogleg and tree and to have a better shot to the green, however this approach is through manageable rough, not fairway

In March 2019, Luling Golf Course hired a new superentendent and he has done a fantastic job of improving the irrigation and improving the course conditions.  The fairways still have a few brown spots but they are very playable.  The Luling Golf Course fairways are flat and fairly tight - spray the ball left and you're OB and lost, spray it right and you're in another fairway or under some trees, but playable.

The greens are small to average, mostly oval, and have some gentle slope.  Some are raised which prevents a bump and run.  Slope around the perimeter of the green can easily take your ball back to the fairway! The green conditions were ok, very playable, ran true and smooth, but a little slow.

The 4 bunkers could use some TLC but the sand was soft and playable and the lips were manageable.

Bottom line - Luling Golf Course is worth playing if you're in the area.  You'll find some fun holes, friendly people, playable conditions, and very reasonable rates.  

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Course Slope & Ratings

Tee Box Yardage Rating Slope
Blue 2,957
White 2,773 66.7 110
Red 2,339 65.8 106

Course Information

Course Architect:
Edgar DavisE
Greens Type:
TIFGREEN 328
Greens Condition
8.2
Greens Difficulty
8.0
Fairway Condition
7.8
Bunker Condition
8.3
GPS:
No
Walkable:
Easy
Beware of water on 0 holes and the 4 sand traps.

Texas Outside Rating

Overall Rating:
7.9 out of 10
Beauty:
8.0
Difficulty:
7.5
Variety:
8.2
Fun to Play:
8.4
Value:
8.4
Condition:
7.5
Front Nine Rating:
Back Nine Rating:
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FEES & AMENITIES

Approximate Weekend
Rates: $14.00 to $21.00

The pro shop has the basics - tees and balls, some snacks, and drinks. There is a putting green and chipping area but no driving range. The staff is excellent - friendly and helpfull. Check out the old San Marcos river bathhouse in back of the green on #7.

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Here's How Texas Outside Determines the Scorecard Rating

The 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! 
Texas Outside rates courses on the following:

  • Beauty – tall trees, rolling hills, beautiful houses, waterfalls, and similar stuff would score high; a 1 would be flat, bushes or cactus instead of trees, and some grass but mostly weeds
  • Difficulty – a straight, 300 yard par 4 with no traps or hazards, no out of bounds or water would probably get a 1; if it is a 460 yard par 4 over two ravines, with water along one side, natural hazards on the other, strategically placed traps or that dreaded tree right in the middle of the fairway, we are talking a 10. 
  • Variety – what would you give a course where all the holes looked and played exactly the same (“I thought we just played that hole!”); were side-by-side, which is good for finding or dodging other people’s balls, but not much fun; and you can see the flag from every tee box?  That’s right, it gets a 1.
  • Fun Scale – a 10 is where you walk off the course and say “now that was fun” and you can’t wait to get back, or you immediately turn around and play another 18 holes
  • Value – a 5 is $50 to $60, a 10 is $20 to $30, and 1 is $200 or so – of course all of this is dependent upon how you liked the course.  For example, if a run down, boring municipal course, with six players on each hole was only $10; it would still get a value rating of 1.
  • Condition – this one’s pretty easy – what condition are the fairways. A 10 commands very lush perfectly manicured fairways, compared to a 1, which has fire ants, weeds, and more dirt than grass!
  • Condition of Greens and Difficulty – very hard to read greens with lots of undulation and tough pin placement, rate very high on the difficulty scale.  Condition is self-explanatory.  

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.