Austin Country Club
A Pete Dye design on the bluffs above Lake Austin, the modern Austin Country Club opened in 1984 and hosted the WGC Dell Match Play from 2016 to 2023. A par 71 of about 7,100 yards, it is steeped in the legacy of teaching legend Harvey Penick.
Photo via Google.
The verdict
Austin Country Club is one of the most historic names in Texas golf, a club founded in 1899 and now at its third home, a dramatic Pete Dye course that opened in 1984 on the limestone bluffs above Lake Austin. The land tumbles from high ground down to the water beneath the soaring Pennybacker Bridge, giving Dye elevation, rock and lake to work with, and he produced a par 71 of about 7,100 yards that is far more demanding than the modest yardage suggests.
The club's soul is its teaching heritage. Harvey Penick spent decades here, and his pupils Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite grew up on these grounds, so a round at Austin Country Club is a walk through the lineage of one of the game's great instructors. From 2016 to 2023 the course hosted the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play, putting the world's best players on a Dye design most golfers had never seen. For a traveling golfer it is a private club reached through a member, and a uniquely Austin blend of history, scenery and strategic golf.
Austin Country Club at a glance
- Opened
- 1984 (current site)
- Designer
- Pete Dye
- Type
- Lakeside parkland
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- About 7,100 yds
- Green fee
- Members and guests
Designer, opening year, par and length verified June 2026 from the club, the PGA Tour and leading course databases. Pete Dye designed the current course and it opened in 1984, a par 71 of about 7,100 yards on Lake Austin, Texas. It is a private club; access is generally only through a member or an arranged visit, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Austin Country Club uses its site brilliantly. The front nine climbs and falls across the upland, while the closing stretch drops to Lake Austin for a finish that became famous during Match Play week. The par 3 thirteenth, played downhill toward the water, and the lakeside holes around the turn for home give the course its drama, with Dye framing greens against the lake so a slightly long or pushed shot finds water rather than safety.
This is recognizably Pete Dye: small, firm greens, railroad tie and sharp edged bunkering, deceptive sightlines and angles that reward the player willing to flirt with trouble. Length is not the test; precision and nerve are. The wind off the lake, the elevation changes and the tight corridors mean a confident, well shaped tee shot is essential, and the recovery shots Dye leaves for a miss are among the most awkward in Texas golf.
What visitors remember is the setting and the history together: the Pennybacker Bridge arcing over the lake, the holes the world's best fought over in match play, and the ghost of Harvey Penick on every practice ground. It is a course that feels like Austin itself, scenic, characterful and a little contrarian.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Private members club; not generally open to public play, with access usually through a member or an arranged visit |
| Green fee | No published public fee; any guest play is arranged through the club and a host (indicative, 2026) |
| Booking | An introduction and arrangement well in advance through your host is essential |
| On the day | Carts and caddies available; the hilly Dye site walks well with a caddie; collared shirt and a traditional dress code expected |
| Getting there | Northwest Austin on Lake Austin, about 25 minutes from Austin Bergstrom International Airport |
| Best months | March through May and October through November, avoiding the deep summer heat; the Match Play was played in spring |
Access arrangements verified June 2026; Austin Country Club is a private club and policies change, so always confirm directly before planning a visit with the club or your trip planner.
Where to stay nearby
Downtown Austin is the obvious base, about twenty minutes from the club, with a deep range of hotels, the live music scene and some of the best dining in Texas for the evenings. Staying central keeps transfers short and pairs an early round with everything the city is known for.
Austin Country Club folds neatly into a Hill Country golf trip alongside the resort golf at TPC San Antonio, about ninety minutes south, for a varied few days of private and resort play. We can help secure access where possible and build the lodging, dining and transfers around your rounds.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Austin.
Build a Texas golf trip
We help arrange access where we can, plan the visit to Austin Country Club and book the lodging and transfers around your round. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Austin Country Club questions
Who designed Austin Country Club and when did it open?
The current Austin Country Club course was designed by Pete Dye and opened in 1984 on Lake Austin. The club itself dates to 1899 and is at its third home.
What is the par and length of Austin Country Club?
Austin Country Club plays as a par 71 of about 7,100 yards, a Pete Dye layout that climbs the bluffs and runs along Lake Austin beneath the Pennybacker Bridge.
What tournament did Austin Country Club host?
Austin Country Club hosted the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play from 2016 to 2023. The club is also famous as the home of teaching legend Harvey Penick and his pupils Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite.
Can visitors play Austin Country Club?
Austin Country Club is a private members club and is not generally open to public play. Access is usually only through a member or an arranged visit, so contact well in advance is essential.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; WGC Dell Match Play hosting and Harvey Penick heritage verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.