From Golf Digest’s “11 of the Best Spring Golf Trips You Can Take to Play Where the Pros Play”
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/golf-trips-pga-tour-stops
“Texas is certainly a great state for golf, but when it comes to public courses, it doesn’t necessarily have a standout resort destination (though that might change with the Omni PGA Frisco development). It does have a collection of very good public options, and TPC San Antonio—where the Valero Texas Open takes place—is worth building a trip around.
The Oaks course, where the tournament is played, is Golf Digest’s top-ranked public course in the state. The Greg Norman design (with an assist from Sergio Garcia) tips out at 7,435 yards and incorporates some rocky terrain and native grasses nicely in the routing. The facility’s Canyons course, which hosted a PGA Tour Champions event from 2011-15 views, ranks inside our top-15 public courses in Texas. The Pete Dye design offers views of a 700-acre nature preserve.
Those building a golf trip in San Antonio can add some other very good public tracks. The Quarry Golf Course (above) is a Keith Foster design that utilizes rock formations that were part of the old Alamo Quarry that date back to 1908. La Cantera Resort & Spa (Resort) was named Golf Digest’s Best New Public Course of 1995 and features thrilling elevation changes. And Brackenridge Park, or “Brack” to the locals, is an A.W. Tillinghast original design that dates back to 1916. It hosted the inaugural Texas Open in 1922—and following a restoration in the late 2000s—boasts one of the best values in Texas at tee times starting under $60.
Of course, Austin is just about an hour and a half away, and offers plenty for those looking to extend their San Antonio golf trips. Horseshoe Bay Resort and its three public 18-hole courses (plus the private Summit Rock) should be on every golfer’s radar (it’s about an hour from Austin and an hour and a half from San Antonio).
Ram Rock is the second-highest ranked public course in Texas, and the demanding test has hosted the Texas Open on multiple occasions. The island-green par-3 fourth hole is a standout. The resort’s Apple Rock and Split Rock are also Robert Trent Jones Sr. layouts and worth playing.”