Golf - Public Course · 18 Holes · Par 72
Houston
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Review of Wildcat Golf Club's Lakes Course
Home to two outstanding 18 hole layouts, Wildcat Golf Club is the preferred golf club of Houston's professional sports teams and now it's also one of Texas Outside's Preferred Courses! Built on a landfill, the Lakes and Highlands courses both feature elevation changes of up to 100', spectacular panoramic views of Houston's downtown skyline, the Galleria, and the Reliant Stadium complex.
Common to each of the courses are good conditions, a links layout with topography similar to the Texas Hill Country, friendly service, Matt Swanson's Golf School, and first class facilities. Each 18 hole layout has it own unique personality and characteristics:
We loved playing the Lakes Course and hated to see our round end and can't wait to get back and play this fantastic course again. Some of what makes the Lakes Course a blast to play includes:
What makes playing the Lakes both fun and demanding it that every hole is very different and unique and has something to test your shot making, club selection, and course management skills. But don't let the challenges scare you, the course is very fair and has five sets of tee boxes with yardages ranging from 4906 to 7016 yards - don't bite off more than you can chew. The first time you play the Lakes, make sure you get a yardage card because the hole tips are invaluable. The second time you play the Lakes, it should be much easier to turn in a lower score.
After the first five holes, you may say "why is this called the Lakes" and you'll quickly find out when water comes into play on the next 8 holes. Each of the holes is fun and some are outstanding, for example:
The fairways are heavily contoured, sloping, and rolling with lots of ups and downs - you'll need to manage the extra roll, the uneven lies, and the slope. Dramatic elevation changes, both up and down, require you club up or down and in several cases you'll face a blind shot and lots of intimidating forced carries from the back three tee boxes. Most of the fairways are ample with a wide playable rough but miss both and you're wet or lost in the native areas. The fairways were in ok condition but had some rough and bare spots.
The greens on Wildcat's Lakes Course are all shapes and sizes from oblong and narrow to small to about average size. They have plenty of slope, tiers, and swells, plus a lot are elevated making bump and runs tough. Most are also well guarded. They were in near perfect condition, rolled true and at a great speed (around 10), and held the ball well.
The bunkers were also in near perfect condition with soft fluffy thick sand. They range in size from small deep pot bunkers to some huge multi-fingered monsters! The lips very in size and some are pretty steep.
Bottom line, Wildcat's Lakes Course is one of the most fun and unique we have played in Texas - a must play! Can't wait to play it again.
Tee Box | Yardage | Rating | Slope |
---|---|---|---|
Black | 7,016 | 73.2 | 135 |
Blue | 6,045 | 68.9 | 114 |
White | 5,482 | 66.3 | 103 |
Gold | 6,535 | 71.2 | 131 |
Red | 4,906 | 68.7 | 111 |
Approximate Weekend
Rates: $57.00 to $75.00
The facilities are first class with valet service, upscale locker rooms, a well stocked pro shop, and a great restaurant and bar - the Bourbon Chicken Poor Boy sandwich was excellent. The practice facilities are adequate and service is very good - friendly and helpful.
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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