“Let’s play two” is a phrase usually associated with double headers in baseball, but when you’re with friends and playing well, there are few things better than playing 36 holes. San Antonio is a terrific golf vacation destination for those who want to go around again. In addition to great food, unbelievable margaritas, and the world-famous Riverwalk, San Antonio is also home to some of the best golf courses in Texas.
There are few better places to play 36 than TPC San Antonio, which features the AT&T Oaks Course and the AT&T Canyons Course. Greg Norman, with player consultant Sergio Garcia, designed the Oaks Course, which is the home of the PGA Tour Valero Texas Open. Relatively flat with only 100 feet of fall from the highest point on the course to the lowest, the course has a traditional design with tree lined fairways. The late, great Pete Dye designed the Canyons Course, which is a fantastic compliment to the Oaks Course. The Canyons Course challenges golfers with dramatic elevation changes and was the host of the PGA Tour Champions San Antonio Championship from 2011 to 2015.
Another top Texas golf vacation spot for those looking to play 36 is La Cantera Resort & Spa. The resort has two well renowned courses, the Resort course and the Palmer course. The Resort Course at La Cantera hosted the PGA Tour Valero Texas Open for 15 years and was designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish. Six holes have amazing views of San Antonio and the surrounding hill country, including the par-4 7th that has an 80 foot drop from the tee box to the fairway. The Palmer course is aptly named after its designer, Arnold Palmer. The clubhouse is about 10 minutes from the rest of the resort and the course is immersed in its natural surroundings. Majestic oaks line the fairways, and waterfalls, lakes, and white sand bunkers demand skill from tee to green on this picturesque course.
Hill Country Golf Club at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort & Spa is a fun option to play 36 holes during your golf trip to San Antonio. This 27-hole facility was designed by nationally acclaimed Arthur Hills and Associates on 200 acres of rolling meadows and lush hillsides. Hill Country GC offers golfers 3 unique and balanced 9-hole loops, The Oaks, The Creeks, and The Lakes. Each 9-hole course is par-36.
The Club at Sonterra just north of downtown San Antonio, is home to two 18-hole championship courses, each with their own unique settings and challenges. The South Course, built in 1954, was designed by Press Maxwell. It offers golfers a traditional layout with large oaks lining the fairways and Emerald Bermuda greens. The club’s North Course rates as a Top 100 course in Texas per the Dallas Morning News and was built in 1985. The course has notably few trees, but an abundance of fairway bunkers penalizes wayward shots off the tee.
About 30 to 45 minutes northwest of downtown San Antonio resides Fair Oaks Ranch Golf & Country Club, home to two Gary Player signature courses. Gary Player and Denis Griffith designed the Blackjack Oak course while Player and Ron Kirby designed the Live Oak course. Both courses run along hilly terrain and have large, undulating greens. The tree lined fairways strategically narrow in the landing areas, rewarding good course management and club selection.
One more option to play two different courses while playing 36 holes in one day is pairing up Brackenridge Park Golf Course with The Quarry Golf Course. Both courses are just outside of downtown San Antonio and only 10 minutes apart from each other, so playing both courses in one day is no problem. Brackenridge Park is a historical gem and one of the few public A.W. Tillinghast designed courses in the country. Home to the Texas Golf Hall of Fame, “Ol’ Brack” is a must play when you visit San Antonio. World Traveler Magazine ranked The Quarry as the #7 Most Unique Golf Course in the U.S. Designed by Keith Foster, the back nine sits in a 100-year-old quarry pit. You’ll find yourself taking pictures throughout your round while enjoying a one-of-a-kind Texas golf experience.
