Recovery. Hope. Prosperity.

Two years ago, those were keywords heard over and over again throughout the Houston golf scene because of Hurricane Ike. Twelve months ago, course owners and general managers were repeating the same words, only the main culprit was the economy.

This year, recovery, hope and prosperity became reality!

It’s been a long time coming, that’s for sure. But 2010 finally provided area golf clubs with full tee sheets, packed parking lots, constant ringing sounds from the cash registers, and plenty of charity and corporate events to host. Sure, there was a casualty to the golf scene this year, but overall it seems things are rebounding quite nicely.

At least, that’s what our panelists saw during their visits this year to area public golf courses. That and better course conditions. Better service. Better value. Simply put, going to the golf course became a fun experience once again, not a “woe-is-me” sob story.

Recovery. Hope. Prosperity. 2010. Please enjoy this year’s Best of Public Rankings.



Best Overall Club
The Tournament Course at Redstone Golf Club

For the third consecutive year, the Tournament Course at Redstone Golf Club is our choice as the Best Overall Club in the Houston area public golf scene.

Can you say dynasty?

Much like the Houston Rockets championships of the mid-1990s and the defunct Houston Comets WNBA franchise when that league first started, the Tournament Course at Redstone is dominating in all aspects. First is the layout, which is a playable yet challenging Rees Jones design that moseys through some thick pines and winds alongside some serene water features. Then there are the conditions, which are absolutely flawless. And conditions are not only like that during the springtime, but also during the course’s “transition period,” when it’s recovering from wall-to-wall overseeding.

When it comes to service, the Tournament Course has no equal. From the cart attendant who greets you the moment you arrive to the friendly faces behind the bar and the pro shop counter, to the forecaddies that accompany every group, players are spoiled rotten here.

Oh and there’s that small event that occurs on the Tournament Course the week before the Masters, the PGA Tour’s Shell Houston Open. Players gush about the experience and the course’s Augusta National-like conditions (the reason why the course is overseeded and goes through such a late transition period). No wonder the field is solid and chock-full of stars like Phil Mickelson, Paul Casey, Greg Norman and others.

Best part about it, you can play here … for $150. Yet, the rate includes cart and the forecaddie fee. If you break it down you’re playing a Tour-quality course that’s in Tour-quality shape at a place that always makes you feel like a Tour pro for around $100.

If Redstone continues that formula, they will have a stranglehold on this category for a very long time.



Top-10 Luxury ($75 and Over)
 1. BlackHorse Golf Club – North Course (Pictured Above)
 2. BlackHorse Golf Club – South Course
 3. Meadowbrook Farms Golf Club
 4. High Meadow Ranch Golf Club
 5. Canongate at The Woodlands – Panther Trail
 6. River Ridge Golf Club
 7. Tour 18 Houston
 8. The Falls Golf Resort and Club
 9. Wildcat Golf Club – Highlands Course
10.Augusta Pines Golf Club

A year ago, the South Course garnered top honors. This year, its sister course, the North Course, nabbed the top spot from our panelists. Both courses are thrilling Peter Jacobsen-Jim Hardy collaborations that offer distinct challenges. In fact, locals will tell you that if you take the front nine from the North Course and the back nine from the South Course, you’ve got a layout that could rival the Tournament Course at Redstone. You can’t go wrong with either the North or South, nor will you be disappointed by the amenities offered at BlackHorse. The same holds true at Meadowbrook Farms; you won’t feel cheated by the golf experience here. The course offers an exceptional Greg Norman design and a splendid clubhouse. Located in the tiny town of Magnolia, High Meadow Ranch is a unique David Ogrin layout that is broken down into three distinct loops. Canongate at The Woodlands – Panther Trail made a big jump in this year’s rankings. Credit that to overall improvement in conditions and service at this worthy club.

River Ridge in Sealy offers 27 outstanding holes designed by the late Jay Riviere, some of which hug the Brazos River. It’s a great escape from the city’s hustle-and-bustle. Tour 18 Houston is a fantasyland for golfers, as they get to experience playing replicas of golf’s greatest holes. It’s also a tournament hotbed. Another escape from Houston’s concrete jungle is The Falls Golf Resort and Club in New Ulm. Some will tell you this was Riviere’s best work. The Highlands Course at Wildcat Golf Club scores high marks for its “Wow” factor, mainly its views of Reliant Stadium. The track and club amenities also will dazzle you. Augusta Pines rounds out the top-10 in this category, and was the site of the Champions Tour’s Administaff Small Business Classic for several years. Thus, you have the opportunity to walk the same fairways many of golf’s legends walked.



Top-10 Mid-Priced ($51-$74)
 1. Cypresswood Golf Club – Tradition Course (Pictured Above)
 2. Eagle Pointe Golf Club
 3. Cypresswood Golf Club – Cypress Course
 4. Timber Creek Golf Club
 5. The Wilderness Golf Course
 6. Woodforest Golf Club
 7. Moody Gardens Golf Course
 8. Canongate at Lake Windcrest Golf Club
 9. WindRose Golf Club
10. The Golf Club at Cinco Ranch

The Tradition Course at Cypresswood retained the top spot in this category … barely. Not saying that the others came close to dethroning the Tradition Course; no, a Saturday morning tee time with a cart here runs $74. Still, that’s very reasonable for an outstanding Keith Foster design that’s always in great shape. Situated out east in Mont Belvieu, Eagle Pointe is an exceptional Rick Forrester layout that features some astonishing elevation changes and challenges. The Tradition Course’s neighbor, the Cypress Course at Cypresswood, shot up the rankings this year. The loss of the Creek Course made our panelists cherish the Cypress Course even more, and it didn’t hurt that the course maintained superb conditions even with the added traffic. Timber Creek offers 27 challenging holes that helps break up the monotony. They also benefit from a spacious clubhouse and very popular practice facilities. South of town in Lake Jackson, The Wilderness is a city-owned golf course that is definitely worth the drive, even for those from the northern suburbs.

Woodforest might have dropped the “at Fish Creek” from its name, but they didn’t drop the ball on its service or conditions this year. Located in Galveston, Moody Gardens was devastated by Hurricane Ike, but rebounded and looks amazing today. Canongate at Lake Windcrest makes its debut in this category, and features a sensational Thomas Walker design. Texas golf aficionados should be familiar with another Thomas Walker gem – Canyon Springs Golf Club in San Antonio. “Genuine” and “solid” best describe the golf experience at WindRose. Oh, and “satisfying.” The same could be said about The Golf Club at Cinco Ranch, a Carlton Gipson design that is at the center of immense residential community.



Top-10 Value-Priced ($50 and Under)
 1. Memorial Park Golf Course (Pictured Above)
 2. Quail Valley Golf Club – El Dorado Course
 3. Raven Nest Golf Club
 4. Evergreen Point Golf Club
 5. Oakhurst Golf Club
 6. Battleground at Deer Park Golf Club
 7. Texas National Golf Club
 8. Hermann Park Golf Course
 9. The Village Golf Club
10. Wedgewood Golf Course

If this category was statewide, Memorial Park would still be ranked No. 1. Nationwide? Definitely top-5 – it’s that good. The golf course itself is simply an amazing track. And it sits in the heart of town, which makes it accessible for everyone … that is, if you have a tee time. If you don’t, good luck getting on. The course’s popularity makes it the toughest tee time in town bar none. After the magical round, you can enjoy a satisfying lunch or dinner at Becks Prime in the clubhouse. We stated in last year’s rankings that everyone was anticipating the El Dorado renovation. That included our panelists. As you can see they gave this Jeff Blume redesign a very big thumbs-up. Situated just off Interstate 45 in Huntsville, Raven Nest is a great Tripp Davis design. Houstonians might not know Davis that well, but he has created some absolute gems in the Dallas area – The Tribute Golf Club and The Old American Golf Club. Evergreen Point continues to remain a favorite among those in the east Houston/Baytown area. It has a solid golf course, worthy course conditions, and ample room to practice. Oakhurst dropped its price and now ranks in this category. Good move. A year ago they were tied for 10th among the Mid-Priced courses, now they’re fifth.

The Battleground at Deer Park leapfrogged several golf clubs this year thanks to improvements in course conditions. Some work still needs to be done in other areas, but they’re working hard at bringing Battleground to the upper tier in this category. Often overlooked by golfers traveling up to Montgomery or Conroe to play more prolific layouts, Texas National is a fun test of golf in Willis. If your doctor smells gamey or comes to the appointment with golf shoes on, chances are he or she played Hermann Park or has a tee time right after your Medical Center visit. Both The Village and Wedgewood are located in Conroe. The Village offers three nine-hole layouts – Winged Foot, Thunderbird and Rolling Hills, while Wedgewood offers 18 insanely difficult holes.



Best Service
1. The Tournament Course at Redstone Golf Club
2. BlackHorse Golf Club
3. Wildcat Golf Club
4. Meadowbrook Farms Golf Club (Pictured Above)
5. The Golf Club at Cinco Ranch

The top-3 remained the same in this category from a year ago. The Tournament Course at Redstone is the only course on this list that enlists a forecaddie for each group. Those golfers who spray it everywhere love that service. And everyone enjoys the smiles from the friendly staff. BlackHorse also has a reputation for providing exceptional service. Wildcat is the home course for many of the Houston professional sports teams. Great thing about it is no matter how large or small your paycheck is, you’re treated equally. When it first opened in 1999, Meadowbrook Farms was one of the first high-end courses to make service a priority. More than 10 years later, that focus hasn’t changed. Eagle Golf operates The Golf Club at Cinco Ranch, and the company is known for providing excellent service at their facilities. That holds true at their Katy club.



Hidden Gems
1. Eagle Pointe Golf Club (Pictured Above)
2. High Meadow Ranch Golf Club
3. The Falls Golf Resort and Club
4. The Wilderness Golf Course
5. Columbia Lakes Resort and Conference Center

These courses are in remote areas of our fair burg, yet they are all worth the drive. Eagle Pointe Golf Club in Mont Belvieu retains the title of Best Hidden Gem, and has a long list of admirers from Baytown to Spring to Katy to even Sugar Land. Just off State Highway 249 in Magnolia sits High Meadow Ranch, a beautiful layout that sits on a splendid piece of property. For years Houston-area golfers have gathered their regular foursomes and headed out to New Ulm to play The Falls. It’s good to see that this course still has a strong following after 26 years. Down south in Lake Jackson sits The Wilderness, a fantastic daytrip golfing option just off State Highway 288. While you’re visiting Lake Jackson, also be sure to stay the night in West Columbia and visit Columbia Lakes Resort and Conference Center. A familiar name designed this course when he was a young pup – Tom Fazio.



Best Cart Girls
1. Evergreen Point Golf Club (Pictured Above)
2. The Tournament Course at Redstone Golf Club
3. Houston National Golf Club
4. Gleannloch Pines Golf Club
5. BlackHorse Golf Club

Two words for you – Delaney Guilbeau. My, my, my! The Evergreen Point staff will tell you that after her Cart Girl of the Month feature in the March/April edition, people would call to make a tee time around Guilbeau’s schedule. Smart guys! For years we’ve asked Redstone to let us showcase one of their beauties. They haven’t budged yet, but once/if they do the question becomes which one of their many outstanding cart girls do we feature? Houston National always has a bevy of lovely ladies, as does Gleannloch Pines. BlackHorse’s “stable” of pretty faces are from either local colleges or went to high school in the Cy-Fair district. So not only are they young and pleasing on the eyes, they should know a thing or two about football.



Best Place to Hold a Corporate Event
1. The Tournament Course at Redstone Golf Club
2. BlackHorse Golf Club
3. Cypresswood Golf Club
4. Tour 18 Houston (Pictured Above)
5. Wildcat Golf Club

One of the best things that we saw in 2010 was the return of many corporate and charity golf outings. It was a welcomed sight indeed for all of us in the golf industry, but especially for the tournament coordinators at the golf clubs. The top-3 remained the same from a year ago, with two newbies added to this category. Not only is the service impeccable at the Tournament Course at Redstone, the course plays host to the Shell Houston Open. Once again, people love to play where the Tour pros play, and that’s a big draw for the Tournament Course. BlackHorse, Cypresswood and Wildcat each offer 36 holes, so they can house larger events. BlackHorse get the nod based on the quality of courses and its stellar off-course amenities (clubhouse, practice facility, banquet areas). Like Wildcat, Tour 18 Houston makes its debut in this category. If players can’t play where the pros play, the next best thing for them is to play replicas of holes they see on television.



Best Overall Value
Memorial Park Golf Course (Pictured Above)
Best Value Under $70: The Wilderness Golf Course
Best Value Under $60: Eagle Pointe Golf Club
Best Value Under $50: Evergreen Point Golf Club
Best Value Under $40: Quail Valley Golf Club – El Dorado

Memorial Park raised its price this year, and is still considered the best overall value in town. Of course, that price increase was just a buck. But no one will complain about that or the golf experience you get here. And the price is even cheaper if you decide to hoof it, which a lot of players do at Memorial Park. Walking might not be the best option at The Wilderness, but neither is leaving this course off your must-play list. And at $60, that’s a bargain to play here. Next to Memorial Park, the best value option has to be Eagle Pointe Golf Club. All it takes is $55 to play here. At Evergreen Point, green fee and cart for a prime tee time is $49. That still gives you enough dough to splurge in the pro shop or buy another round of 19th hole drinks. Golfers are elated and eager to play the revamped El Dorado Course at Quail Valley. And the $38 sticker price makes it even more alluring.