Wolfdancer Golf Club - Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Review

Wolfdancer Golf Club - Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Review

Review of Wolfdaner Golf Club at the Hyatt Lost Pines in Bastrop

Paying tribute to the Tonkawa Native American Indians of Central Texas who celebrated life through their wolf dance, Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa has named this outstanding course Wolfdancer Golf Club. This very scenic course takes advantage of the natural Hill Country terrain and beauty as it traverses three distinct environments - rolling prairie, a heavily wooded ridgeline, and the Colorado River Valley covered with 200 to 300-year-old native pecan trees.  With such diverse terrain, excellent conditions, good service, and fun and challenging holes, it's not surprising that Wolfdancer has won a number of awards and accolades, some of which include:

• Golfweek rated it the "Best Courses You Can Play"
• Dallas Morning News ranked Wolfdancer number 55 in it's "Top 100 Courses in Texas" in 2020
• Golf Magazine ranked it number 14 in the "Best Public Golf Courses in Texas"
• Golfweek listed it in the “Best Courses You Can Play” - #14 in Texas
• Texas Outside rated it as one of the Best Resort Golf Courses in Texas

The first 12 holes are on the ridgeline and rolling prairie with majestic views for miles of the surrounding countryside.  The remaining holes are along the Colorado River in the river valley which is heavily landscaped with old, broad-canopied oak, cedar, and 200 to 300-year-old pecan trees.  The front nine, which is fantastic, plays more like a links-style course with terraced open fairways and undulating greens.  The back is more traditional as it plays through the Colorado River flood plain - more straightforward with what you see is what you get holes, tree-lined fairways, and elevated greens. 

The first hole tests your nerve and gives you a very good feel for what you're up against for the next several holes.  It is a 420-yard par 4 with a carry over a pond to an uphill dog right fairway with trees along the left side, a minefield of six bunkers carved into the natural terrain about where your drive wants to land, and then a blind shot to a green complex with a large hollow short and left.  And it only gets better from there - you'll encounter panoramic vistas, tight to wide open let-er-rip fairways, bunkers ranging from pot sized to huge monsters (the sweeping fairway on the par 5 603 yard  #3 has 16 bunkers), forced carries, lots of ups and downs on roller coaster fairways, lakes and ponds and waterfalls, gorges and ravines and ridges and depressions, challenging approach shots, challenging green complexes, and more.  You'll need your "A" game with good course management, the right club selection, and great putting to score well on this nine. Make sure you pick the right set of tee boxes if you want to score well - there are 5 sets of tee boxes to choose from with yardages of 4953 to 7205.

On the back nine, holes 10, 11, and 12 remain on the ridgeline before descending into the Colorado River Valley.  In fact, one of the prettiest and most challenging holes is number 12 which is a par three along the top of the ridge with a 180-degree view looking down on the remainder of the course, the Colorado River, the Hyatt Resort, and a small 30 yard oval green with no room for error 155 yards down the hill.  A fun hole and a Kodak moment. 

Holes 13 to 18 are pretty straightforward and your opportunity for some pars and birdies - if you can stay out of the trees and putt.  The fairways are straighter, flatter, and a tad narrower on the back nine.  The greens are elevated seem easier and the bunkers are smaller, but no less dangerous. 

Some of the other holes on Wolfdancer that we really enjoyed included:

• #6 is a beautiful 166-yard par 3 with a cascading waterfall feeding two ponds in front of and raised small green with 3 right side bunkers guarding it
• #11 is a short 345-yard par 4 with an excellent risk-reward shot to go for the green - but you need to carry a creek that cuts diagonally across the fairway and is lined with 8 bunkers
• #18 is an excellent finishing hole - a 535-yard par 5 that plays along the Colorado River with a 200-yard long bunker that cuts into the fairway from the right side, a diagonal string of 11 bunkers along a ridge covering most of the fairway at 190 yards out, and a challenging approach shot to a green with three bunkers on the right and one on the left 

The entire course is well manicured and maintained from the tee boxes to the pin. The fairways range from wide and sweeping to narrow and tree-lined and from flat to rolling, sloping, and heavily contoured.  The fairways were in very good condition and the rough was a tad thick and dense when we played in November.

The greens range in shape and size (24 yards to 40 yards) and are very challenging thanks to lots of slope, undulation, tiers, and ridges.  Some are elevated and most are well guarded with swales, depressions, or grass and sand bunkers.  They were in very good shape when we played, held the ball well, ran true and smooth, and ran at a great speed of around 10 or so.  Practice putting before you head out for your round on Wolfdancer. 

You should also practice your sand shots before you play because you will most likely find several of the 95 bunkers during your round.  They range in size from small pot bunkers to some that are big enough to swallow three tractor-trailer trucks - and most are steep faced including the 15-foot deep "Big Mouth".  The sand is ok, but not great - shallow, gritty, and a little difficult to get under the ball. 

To accompany this outstanding course is a 21,000 square foot clubhouse with a grill (Major Neighbors) and a well-equipped pro shop. Make sure you stop in for breakfast or lunch at Major Neighbors Grill.

Wolfdancer is part of the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines which we rated 5 stars and it is a marvelous place to stay for outdoor enthusiasts.

Bottom line, Wolfdancer Golf Club is a challenging course with a slope of 121 to 141 but there are 5 sets of tee boxes (do not bite off more than you can chew) and if you take your time, study the yardage card, and think your way through each hole, you'll have a fun round and a pretty good score.  This is one of those courses where you hate for your round to end and you can't wait to play it again.