The Best Golf Courses in Texas Hill Country
West of Austin and north of San Antonio, the limestone hills, spring fed lakes and live oak country of central Texas hold some of the finest golf in the state. Robert Trent Jones Sr built three courses at Horseshoe Bay, Hal Sutton and Tom Fazio shaped elite private clubs, and the resort golf runs above Lake LBJ. Our ranked eight, with verdicts, fees and how to play them.
Photograph: Horseshoe Bay Resort via Google.
How we ranked them
The Texas Hill Country is the most scenic golf country in the state, a rolling landscape of limestone outcrops, oak and cedar, wildflowers in spring and the clear spring fed lakes of the Highland Lakes chain. Horseshoe Bay Resort anchors the region with three Robert Trent Jones Sr courses on Lake LBJ, while around it sit a cluster of elite private clubs and a handful of strong resort and daily fee layouts, all within easy reach of Austin and San Antonio. This is varied golf, from the manicured resort test to the rugged, native edged design, set against backdrops few other Texas regions can match.
We weighed the quality and conditioning of the golf, the strength of the setting, how easily a visiting group can get on, and the pedigree of the design. The very best courses here are private, so we have flagged access clearly; the highest resort and daily fee rounds are noted as such. Every fact below, the designers, the opening years and the indicative green fees, was checked at the time of writing in June 2026 by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Fees move with season and demand, so treat the numbers as a guide and always confirm directly before booking. The verdicts are ours.
The 8 best golf courses in Texas Hill Country
Boot Ranch
The best golf in the Hill Country, a Hal Sutton design routed through rolling granite, oak and native grass near Fredericksburg, consistently ranked among the top residential courses in the country. Big, muscular and beautifully conditioned, with a 34 acre practice park that is among the largest in Texas, it is a private club where play is generally limited to members and their guests. The clear number one for sheer quality.
Escondido
A superb, exclusive Tom Fazio course on the shores of Lake LBJ at Horseshoe Bay, threading manicured fairways among the hills and villas of a luxury community. Fazio shaping at its most polished, with strong elevation changes and water in play, it is widely rated one of the best courses in the state. Play is limited to members, but it sets the standard for private Hill Country golf.
Ram Rock, Horseshoe Bay Resort
Known as the Challenger, Ram Rock is the sternest of the three Robert Trent Jones Sr courses at Horseshoe Bay, with narrow fairways, dramatic elevation changes, water and rugged rock outcrops. A proper championship test and the most respected resort round in the region, open to resort guests. If you want one accessible Hill Country course to measure your game, this is it.
Slick Rock, Horseshoe Bay Resort
The original and most beloved course at Horseshoe Bay, a Robert Trent Jones Sr design famous for the 14th, where the approach plays over a 35 foot waterfall. More forgiving and more fun than its sibling Ram Rock, immaculately kept and set among the hills above Lake LBJ, it is the signature resort experience in the Hill Country and an easy pairing with Ram Rock for a 36 hole day.
La Cantera Golf Club, Resort Course
At the southern gateway to the Hill Country in San Antonio, the Resort Course at La Cantera is a Jay Morrish and Tom Weiskopf design carved from an old quarry, with dramatic elevation, blind shots and long carries. A former PGA Tour host with big views over the city and the hills, fully open to resort guests, it is the most accessible marquee round on the San Antonio side of the region.
Summit Rock
A Jack Nicklaus Signature course within the Horseshoe Bay community, routed across high ground with sweeping Hill Country views and the bold bunkering and demanding green complexes of Nicklaus design. A private club for residents and members, it adds a third design pedigree, alongside Jones and Fazio, to the remarkable concentration of golf at Horseshoe Bay.
Apple Rock, Horseshoe Bay Resort
The third Robert Trent Jones Sr course at Horseshoe Bay, and the most scenic, running down toward Lake LBJ with water and big views on the closing stretch. More relaxed than Ram Rock and a fine complement to Slick Rock, it completes a resort trio that makes Horseshoe Bay the single best stay and play base in the Hill Country, with three Trent Jones courses at one address.
The Club at Comanche Trace
A handsome Tom Kite designed layout along the Guadalupe River at Kerrville, the original Valley and Hills eighteen opened in 2000 with a third Morrish designed nine added later. Rolling, well treed and a member club that also offers limited resort and package play, it is the pick of the western Hill Country and a worthy round on any tour through Kerrville and Fredericksburg.
Designers and opening years verified June 2026 by the GolfForKings editorial desk. The Horseshoe Bay Resort and La Cantera courses are open to resort guests; Boot Ranch, Escondido and Summit Rock are private. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
Where they are, and indicative costs
The Hill Country golf spreads across a triangle between Austin, San Antonio and the Highland Lakes. Horseshoe Bay Resort, with its three Robert Trent Jones Sr courses, sits about an hour northwest of Austin on Lake LBJ and is the natural base for a golf trip. Fredericksburg, home to Boot Ranch, lies in the heart of the wine and peach country to the west, Kerrville and Comanche Trace are further southwest along the Guadalupe, and La Cantera anchors the San Antonio gateway to the south. Austin and San Antonio airports put the whole region within easy reach, and a hire car is essential to move between the courses and the Hill Country towns.
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Horseshoe Bay Resort and La Cantera | Around US$150 to US$275 | Resort guest green fees, peak spring and autumn, with cart |
| Comanche Trace and regional courses | Around US$90 to US$160 | Member, resort and package access; lower in summer |
| Private clubs | Not publicly priced | Boot Ranch, Escondido and Summit Rock, members and guests only |
| A trip, all in | Around US$2,500 to US$5,000 per person | Resort lodging, several rounds, car, excluding flights |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Plan your Texas Hill Country golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head, secures the resort and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Texas Hill Country golf questions
What is the best golf course in the Texas Hill Country?
Boot Ranch, the Hal Sutton design near Fredericksburg, is our number one, a private club routed through rolling granite and oak country and consistently ranked among the best residential courses in the country. Escondido, the Tom Fazio course on Lake LBJ, and the Robert Trent Jones Sr courses at Horseshoe Bay Resort, led by Ram Rock and Slick Rock, complete the top of the list. Our ranking weighs the golf, the setting and the ease of access together.
Can you play Horseshoe Bay Resort as a visitor?
Horseshoe Bay Resort's three Robert Trent Jones Sr courses, Slick Rock, Ram Rock and Apple Rock, are open to resort guests, so the simplest way to play them is to stay on property. They are the most accessible of the marquee Hill Country courses. The elite private clubs, Boot Ranch, Escondido and Summit Rock, are members only and play is generally limited to members and their guests. Always confirm access and tee times directly before booking.
When is the best time to play golf in the Texas Hill Country?
Spring and autumn are prime, roughly March to May and September to November, with warm, comfortable days and the Hill Country at its greenest in spring. Summer from June to August is hot, often into the high 30s Celsius, so early tee times are advised, while winter is mild and quiet with the occasional cold snap. Spring wildflower season is the most beautiful window of all. Always confirm conditions before you travel.
How much does Hill Country golf cost in 2026?
Indicative 2026 green fees at the resort and daily fee courses run roughly US$120 to US$275 per round, with the Horseshoe Bay Resort courses and La Cantera at the top of that range and Comanche Trace and the regional courses lower. The elite private clubs do not publish visitor rates. A golf focused trip with resort lodging, several rounds and a car typically lands between US$2,500 and US$5,000 per head excluding flights. Always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
American resort golf, the best tee times and where to play next. Every other week.