White Bluff Resort Stay & Play Review
Sitting on a bluff overlooking beautiful Lake Whitney is a golf resort that Golf Digest rated four stars and when we found out that they were open after being closed for a year, we immediately called and booked a room and tee times at both courses at
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White Bluff Resort truly lived up to its 4 Star Rating and it is a true hidden gem. We loved the accommodations, both courses were fun and in excellent condition, the prices are reasonable, and all the resort amenities were outstanding.
White Bluff Resort is centrally located about halfway between the DFW metroplex and Austin and 20 minutes west of Hillsboro. White Bluff Resort is a planned gated residential community with some beautiful homes, residential lots, and plenty of amenities which are situated on 3,450 acres with four miles of prime shoreline along beautiful Lake Whitney. The terrain is gently rolling and heavily treed with plenty of grazing and roaming deer.
In 2018, the Property Owners Association took over ownership of the Resort golf courses and the majority of the amenities. They immediately closed both courses and started making improvements, some of which included redoing the bunkers, new TIF-eagle greens, improvements to the club houses, and completely renovating the condos used for golf stay and play. We were very impressed with all of the improvements that the POA had made.
White Bluff Resort Golf Courses
White Bluff Resort is home to two outstanding 18 hole golf courses, each of which has it's own unique personality and characteristics. But common to both golf courses are excellent conditions, smooth greens, good service, an excellent pace of play, peace and solitude, and some fun, challenging, and memorable holes. White Bluff Resort's Old Course was designed by Bruce Lietzke and opened in 1992 and it is generally regarded as the easier and most scenic of the two courses. At 6,866 yards with a slope of 74.6 and rating of 138 from the tips, the Old Course is no walk in the park and it demands accuracy off the tee box as well as on the approach shots and you'll need to manage some dramatic elevation changes, ponds and creeks that come into play, strategically placed bunkers, and lots of deer. The good news is that although the deer carefully analyze each and every swing very closely, they don't critique your shots, heckle you, or giggle among themselves when you dribble your ball down the fairway. I wish my golf swing was as smooth and graceful as those deer. The Old Course has hosted seven US Armature Qualifiers over the years! Read our review of the Old Course to learn more about this course.
If you're staying for only two days, you may be tempted to play this 18 again - don't do it, head over to New Course and let it test your golf skills, you'll really enjoy this 18.
The New Course at White Bluff Resort was also designed by Bruce Lietzke and opened in 1998. The New Course hosted the Texas State Open from 2003 to 2005! This 18 is almost 200 yards longer and with a slope of 144 and rating of 75.5 it is the more demanding of the two White Bluff Resort golf courses. The New Course is more traditional and is characterized by tighter flatter fairways, tough and demanding approach shots from 150 yards and in, water on 16 holes, 30 huge bunkers, and smooth fast big greens. The front nine is fun and different - the first couple holes wind through the trees and the next few holes open up and feel like a links style course, and then it's back into the trees. Like the Old Course, the front nine is your warm up for the back nine.
The back nine of the New Course is fun and very challenging. The 10th hole, a 411 yard par 4 that doglegs right around a pond, is an example of what you'll encounter on this nine - accuracy and positioning are critical off the tee thanks to a narrow fairway that horseshoes around a pond on a very narrow fairway pinched by the pond on the right and tall side by side berms and trees along the left side - all of which creates an excellent risk-reward shot to carry the pond to the green in two. And the next 17 holes will give you more of the same - elevation changes, lots of water, steep faced big bunkers, forced carries, and more. This is a very memorable nine holes that is demanding but fair. The greens on both nines are excellent - smooth, good speed, true, and big. Read our review of White Bluff Resort's New Course to learn more about why we love this 18.
The pro shop at the New Course is well stocked with everything you need to look good and play well - in fact, they once won "merchandiser of the year!" The clubhouse at the New Course has a restaurant serving a great breakfast and lunch with a wide selection of food, but thanks to COVID-19 it was closed when we visited. The New Course veranda, overlooking the putting green, as well as, the 9th and 18th greens is perfect for a cold drink after your round. The Old Course clubhouse currently has limited golf gear and serves only snacks and hot dogs. In the spring of 2021, a grill will be open at the Old Course. Practice facilities at both courses are adequate.
White Bluff Resort Amenities
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What was the Trophy Grill at White Bluff Resort has been redone and renamed Mulligans after a total interior renovation and culinary transition plus new entrance and exterior landscaping and a new state-of-the-art kitchen. With St. Andrews, Scotland as its inspiration, the restaurant boasts panoramic views of one of the resort’s golf courses from floor-to-ceiling windows. A welcoming Texas limestone fireplace and tartan sofa provide a cozy cocktail nook while the open-air porch offers a great place to compare post-golf scorecards. The hand-crafted, burl wood bar serves a variety of craft beers, wines, and specialty cocktails. The food menu features a wide array of appetizers, sandwiches, salads, and entrees. Because of COVID-19 Mulligans is currently only open on Thursday thru Saturday from 3 to 7 PM for take out and, unfortunately, it was closed when we visited. When COVID is over Mulligans will be open breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Some of the other amenities at White Bluff Resort include:
- 5 different swimming pools including a beautiful pool with tiered landscaping and a cascading waterfall
- volleyball court, pickleball courts, and a lighted tennis court
- an RV park with hook-ups tucked in and among the tree
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lots of bird and wildlife spotting - White Bluff Resort is a designated wildlife preserve and, as such, is home to a variety of birds, turkey, bobcats, deer, and wild and crazy golfers roaming all over the property
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a marina on Lake Whitney with a two lane boat ramp, ample trailer parking, and overnight guest slips
- a baseball field
- a marina store and gas pump that will open in the spring of 2021
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a primitive campground on the shoreline of Lake Whitney that will open in the summer of 2021
One of the best amenities at White Bluff Resort is Lake Whitney. White Bluff Resort got it's name from the beautiful towering white limestone cliffs and bluffs along the shoreline of Lake Whitney, which is over 23,000 acres and 225 miles of shoreline. The lake is perfect for any type of water recreation - fishing is excellent for catfish and bass, the northwest end of the lake is the Brazos River and it's excellent for boarding, skiing or tubing; and there are several small coves that are great for dropping an anchor and swimming or cliff jumping. If you like fishing, you should consider hiring one of these Lake Whitney Fishing Guides to help you catch a great dinner. Read our review of Lake Whitney to learn more about the lake.
White Bluff Resort Lodging
In addition to two great golf courses and some good amenities, one of the other reasons to pick White Bluff Resort for a golf outing and golf stay and play is because they offer two very comfortable and reasonably priced options for overnight stays. We stayed in one of the four two bedroom fully furnished condos which overlook the green and fairway of the 18th hole at the Old Course - and the pro shop is just across the street. The condo had been completely renovated and was immaculate! The living area was comfortable with a large screen TV and comfy sofas, the kitchen was well stocked with everything needed to cook a hearty meal, and the master bedroom had a soft queen bed. The outside patio was perfect for a drink and sunset or to watch the golfers finish their round with the deer grazing in the background.
White Bluff Resort also has three rustic Log Cabins overlooking the 16th green of the new course. The cabins will sleep up to seven in two queen beds, a single bed, and a pull out sofa bed. In addition to one full bathroom and a fully equipped kitchen, there is a washer and dryer. A chip shot away from the Log Cabins is a pool, volleyball court, and horseshoe pits.
Bottom Line - if you're a golfer looking for great golf outing or just want a fun weekend escape, then White Bluff Resort is an excellent choice and provides good friendly service, two top notch golf courses, a beautiful lake to explore, a variety of excellent and comfortable accommodations, and affordable and reasonable prices.
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