Golf - Semi Private Course · 18 Holes · Par 72
Aledo
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Review of Split Rail Links & Golf Club
Split Rail Links & Golf Club is a real find - excellent conditions, good variety, fun and challenging holes, and a great deal! It's not surprising that it was given 4 stars in Golf Digest's "Places To Play.
Here are a few reasons why we love this course:
To score well on Split Rail Links & Golf Club you're going to need select the right set of tee boxes (there are 5 of them with yardages of 5392 to 7353 yards), take advantage of some risk reward opportunities on a couple holes, apply some shot making skills off the tee and on the approaches, and manage the strategically placed bunkers, mounding, and complex greens.
But don't let the keep you from playing Split Rail - you'll love this course and several of the holes are a blast to play, for example:
When we played in October the fairways were in very good condition as was the rough. There were a few bare spots in the rough and on some of the mounds but nothing that distracts from your game. The fairways range from wide and forgiving off the tee box (bring out the big dog and let- er-rip) to tight with several tee shots where you need to fly the trees or thread the slot between them. The fairways have some gentle ups and down and plenty of contour. The rough was wide and cut very thin and playable - but miss it and you're stuck on a mound, lost in the trees, out of bounds, or in a back yard.
The greens at Split Rail Links & Golf Club are a large part of what makes the slope and rating so high - 76.2 and 138 from the tips. The majority of the greens are huge but they are raised, well guarded by pot to gigantic bunkers, and surrounded by berms and swales. Plus they have plenty of slope and undulation and some tiers and ridges. The greens were running at a good speed (10 or so), ran true and smooth, held the ball well, and were in very good condition. A few greens had some minor damage around the fringe.
The bunkers at Split Rail are strategically placed around the greens as well as your tee shot landing zone. They range in size from a small deep pot bunker to some huge monsters and a few are steep and deep. It rained the day before we played so it was had judging the condition because they were still wet and some had huge puddles of water, however we would guess that the sand is a little gritty and fairly thin and could be challenging to get under the ball.
The greens and mounding are a large part of what defines Split Rail. The greens are challenging and the mounds range from small to huge, there are lots of them along the fairways and surrounding the greens, and most have clusters of thick natural grasses that can devour your ball and make for a very tough shot if you land in them.
Bottom line - a fantastic layout that's fun, memorable and demanding but fair and an excellent value for such a quality course. A must play!
Tee Box | Yardage | Rating | Slope |
---|---|---|---|
Black | 7,353 | 76.2 | 138 |
Blue | 6,613 | 71.6 | 131 |
White | 6,182 | 69.4 | 130 |
Gold | 6,966 | 73.8 | 136 |
Red | 5,392 | 72.4 | 129 |
Approximate Weekend
Rates: $39.00 to $49.00
Split Rail is working out of a trailer for a clubhouse until a new clubhouse is built. As such there is no bar, limited golf supplies, and food is limited to hand made sandwiches, dogs, and more. Service is very good and the cart lady seemed to show up every 3 or 4 holes. Pace of play is very good. Practice facilities are good.
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.
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