Golf in the Texas Hill Country
The heart of Texas resort golf, where limestone hills, spring fed rivers and the Highland Lakes hold the best stay and play golf in the state. Tom Fazio's top ranked Canyons course at Barton Creek, three Robert Trent Jones Sr. courses at Horseshoe Bay, a PGA Tour stop at TPC San Antonio and a string of fine private clubs around Fredericksburg and Boerne. The courses that matter, the regions, the season, costs and how to plan it.
Photograph: Omni Barton Creek Resort, via Google
Why golf in the Texas Hill Country
The Hill Country is where Texas golf turns scenic. West of Austin and north of San Antonio, the flat coastal plain gives way to rolling limestone hills, clear rivers and the Highland Lakes, and the resorts have made the most of it. Omni Barton Creek alone holds four championship courses, led by Tom Fazio's Fazio Canyons, ranked the number one course in Texas, while Horseshoe Bay strings three Robert Trent Jones Sr. layouts along the shore of Lake LBJ. It is the densest cluster of multi course resort golf in the state, and the natural anchor for a stay and play week.
Around the resorts sits real championship pedigree. The Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio, a Greg Norman design on the southern edge of the hills, hosts the PGA Tour's Valero Texas Open, with a Pete Dye sister course alongside. La Cantera's quarry framed resort course adds another marquee playable round, and the private clubs of the wider region, Hal Sutton's Boot Ranch near Fredericksburg and Jack Nicklaus's Cordillera Ranch near Boerne, set the ceiling. Base in Austin or San Antonio, hire a car, and the whole region opens up within an easy drive, in warm weather for much of the year.
The regions
Austin and Barton Creek
The northern gateway, where Omni Barton Creek puts four championship courses and a full resort in the hills on the city's western edge. Downtown Austin adds music, food and a lively base just twenty minutes away.
The Highland Lakes
Horseshoe Bay and Marble Falls, an hour northwest of Austin, where three Robert Trent Jones Sr. courses line the shore of Lake LBJ. A lakeside resort base built for a multi day golf and water trip.
San Antonio gateway
The southern edge of the hills, home to the Oaks and Canyons courses at TPC San Antonio and the quarry shaped resort course at La Cantera, with the River Walk and the city's history close at hand.
Fredericksburg and Boerne
The Hill Country's wine and ranch country, where the private clubs cluster: Hal Sutton's Boot Ranch, Jack Nicklaus's Cordillera Ranch and the resort golf of Tapatio Springs, amid German heritage towns and vineyards.
Kerrville and the west
The quieter western edge along the Guadalupe River, anchored by the community golf of Comanche Trace. A scenic, less travelled corner that rounds out a longer Hill Country itinerary.
The wider hills
Beyond the resorts, the region spreads through small towns, state parks and ranchland. Distances stay manageable, so most trips base at one or two resorts and reach the rest on short, scenic drives.
The courses that matter
Omni Barton Creek, Fazio Canyons
The headline course of the Hill Country and routinely ranked the number one course in Texas, a Tom Fazio design tumbling through dramatic canyon country on Austin's western edge, one of four 18 hole layouts at Omni Barton Creek.
Omni Barton Creek, Fazio Foothills
The resort's original Fazio course, famous for its waterfall and cliff edge holes and consistently among the best in the state. With the Canyons, Crenshaw and Palmer courses it makes Barton Creek the premier stay and play in Texas.
Horseshoe Bay Resort
Three Robert Trent Jones Sr. courses, Slick Rock, Ram Rock and Apple Rock, on the shores of Lake LBJ, with the rugged Ram Rock among the toughest tests in Texas. A Jack Nicklaus private course, Summit Rock, sits alongside.
TPC San Antonio, Oaks Course
The Greg Norman design at the JW Marriott resort that has hosted the Valero Texas Open since 2010, played through dry oak country with bold bunkering and demanding par 5s. The best big course visitors can simply book in the region.
TPC San Antonio, Canyons Course
The Oaks's Pete Dye sister course, a strategic, beautifully shaped layout across the Hill Country edge that has hosted Champions Tour golf. Together the two give the JW Marriott resort 36 holes of championship golf.
La Cantera Resort Course
Carved into a former limestone quarry in northwest San Antonio, the Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish resort course is dramatic and playable, with big elevation changes, quarry walls and a former Texas Open pedigree.
Boot Ranch
A Hal Sutton design in the undulating country near Fredericksburg, ranked among the very best in Texas, paired with one of the most lavish private clubs and practice parks in the country. Members and guests only.
Cordillera Ranch
A Jack Nicklaus Signature course near Boerne, a multiple award winner regularly rated among the top courses in Texas, set in a ranch community above the Guadalupe River. Private, accessed through a member or community stay.
Designers, opening years and access verified June 2026 from the resorts, clubs and leading databases; several courses are private members clubs with limited or no visitor access, and access rules change. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
Best golf courses in the Texas Hill Country Check tee time availability
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| March to May | Warm, settled and green, wildflowers across the hills | Prime time; the most beautiful and comfortable golf before the summer heat |
| October to November | Heat easing, dry and pleasant, lower resort rates | The other prime window, ideal for a stay and play week |
| June to August | Very hot, often above 95F, humid in the afternoons | Play early morning; good value but plan firmly around the midday heat |
| December to February | Mild with the occasional cold snap, quiet courses | Strong value season; comfortable golf on the warmer days |
The Hill Country plays year round, but the summer heat is the thing to plan around. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable for a full golf trip, while the mild winters offer the best value of the year.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Barton Creek and resort courses | Premium resort rates, best as part of a stay and play | Four courses on one property; packages soften the per round cost |
| TPC San Antonio, Oaks and Canyons | Premium resort rounds at the JW Marriott | Often bundled into a resort stay; the Oaks is a Tour venue |
| Horseshoe Bay courses | Resort rates across three RTJ Sr. layouts | Lakeside resort packages combine golf, rooms and dining |
| Private clubs | Access by member invitation or community stay | Boot Ranch and Cordillera Ranch are not open to casual visitors |
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. Green fees and resort rates move with season and demand. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
The Hill Country sits between Austin and San Antonio, both of which have major airports and lie about 80 minutes apart, so a golf trip flies into either and works outward by car. Austin anchors Barton Creek and the Highland Lakes resorts to the northwest, San Antonio anchors TPC San Antonio and La Cantera to the south, and Fredericksburg, Boerne and Kerrville fill the country in between. Distances are scenic but real, so the practical move is to base at one resort, or split a longer trip across two, rather than driving the whole region each day.
Where to stay
The resorts double as the base. Omni Barton Creek near Austin and Horseshoe Bay on Lake LBJ each put several courses, a hotel and a spa in one place, while the JW Marriott at TPC San Antonio does the same to the south. For a wine country break, the inns and ranches around Fredericksburg make a characterful base near Boot Ranch and Tapatio Springs. Book resort rooms and tee times together for the spring and autumn windows, when both move quickly.
Plan your Texas Hill Country golf trip
Tell us whether you want a Barton Creek resort week near Austin, a lakeside stay at Horseshoe Bay, a run at the TPC San Antonio courses, or a wine country golf escape around Fredericksburg, and roughly when. One concierge secures the tee times, sorts the resort and the car, and costs the whole trip to the head, with no obligation.
Texas Hill Country golf questions
What are the best golf courses in the Texas Hill Country?
For the visiting golfer the standouts you can play are the Fazio Canyons and Fazio Foothills courses at Omni Barton Creek near Austin, the three Robert Trent Jones Sr. courses at Horseshoe Bay on Lake LBJ, the Greg Norman designed Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio that hosts the Valero Texas Open, and the Weiskopf and Morrish resort course at La Cantera. The best private courses are Boot Ranch near Fredericksburg and Cordillera Ranch near Boerne.
When is the best time to play golf in the Texas Hill Country?
Spring, from March to May, and autumn, from October to November, are the most comfortable, with warm, settled weather, easier heat and the famous wildflowers in spring. Hill Country summers are very hot, often above 95F, so plan early tee times from June to August. Winters are mild and good value, with only the occasional cold snap. Always check the forecast for your dates and confirm seasonal rates before booking.
Which Hill Country resort is best for a stay and play?
Omni Barton Creek near Austin offers the most golf in one place, with four championship courses including the top ranked Fazio Canyons, plus a full resort and spa. Horseshoe Bay on Lake LBJ pairs three Robert Trent Jones Sr. courses with a lakeside resort, and the JW Marriott resort at TPC San Antonio puts the Oaks and Canyons courses on the doorstep. All three suit a multi day golf trip without long drives.
Where is the Texas Hill Country and how do you get there?
The Hill Country is the region of limestone hills, rivers and lakes west of Austin and north of San Antonio, taking in Fredericksburg, Boerne, Kerrville and the Highland Lakes. Austin and San Antonio both have major airports and sit about 80 minutes apart, and most golf trips fly into one, hire a car and base at a resort, with the courses a short drive apart.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Hill Country resort news, Tour venue updates and the booking windows that matter. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts, access and seasons verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.