The 2009 listing of top Texas golf courses by the Dallas Morning News includes in its roll a significant number of tracks designed, routed or master planned by Roy Bechtol, the noted Austin-based golf architect and community planner.
A total of 13 courses designed or influenced by Bechtol were mentioned in the newspaper’s annual rankings, which take into account a course’s versatility, its demand for shotmaking, its design, its beauty, its maintenance and its overall enjoyment. Seven of those tracks are private, four of the layouts are part of resort properties and two of the courses are public/daily fee courses.
Eight of Bechtol’s courses and routings received mention on the list of the Dallas Morning News’ Top 50 Courses in Texas 2009 rankings. Two of Bechtol’s signature tracks – Comanche Trace at No. 38 (up from No. 40 in last year’s rankings) and The University of Texas Golf Club at No. 44 (up from No. 47) – grace the list. Comanche Trace, located in Kerrville, was designed by the Kite-Bechtol-Russell team, while The UT Golf Club in Austin is a collaboration of Bechtol and his former partner Randy Russell.
“It is a real honor each time our courses I have designed or helped become a reality are mentioned in the Dallas Morning News rankings,” Bechtol said. “There are a lot of great golf courses in the state of Texas, so being on this list is truly an indication that we have been on the right track with our designs and courses through the years.”
Six more tracks in the Top 50 of the list were routed by Bechtol in his work with other noted architects, including tenth-ranked Escondido in Horseshoe Bay (with Tom Fazio); 11-ranked Vaquero in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Westlake (with Fazio); the Fazio Foothills course at the Barton Creek Resort in Austin at No. 18 (with Fazio); the 21st-ranked Austin Country Club in Austin (with Pete Dye); the 32nd-ranked Fazio Canyons course at the Barton Creek Resort in Austin (with Fazio); and, the No. 47 Briggs Ranch Golf Club (with Fazio).
Three additional Bechtol-influenced courses are listed on the DMN’s list of The Next 50, including the 87th-ranked Resort Course at La Cantera in San Antonio (with Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish); the No.91 Signature Course at The Hills Country Club in Austin (with Jack Nicklaus); and the 92nd-ranked Palmer Course at La Cantera in San Antonio (with Arnold Palmer).
Another Bechtol course – The Golf Club at Star Ranch in Hutto was at No. 4 (up from No. 10) was listed in the DMN’s Top 25 High Priced ($55-75) Public Courses. Star Ranch – which also earned the No. 22 spot among the rankings of Top 50 Courses You Can Play – is a Bechtol-Russell-Carter Morrish collaboration.
Making its first appearance on the DMN’s list is Manor’s ShadowGlen Golf Club, which garnered the No. 21 spot on the ranking of Top 25 Mid Priced ($41-$54) Public Courses. ShadowGlen is a Bechtol-Russell design.