Horseshoe Bay Resort. Austin, Texas resort is now positioned as one of America’s premier golf destinations
Serious golfers are always on the lookout for new golf destination experiences. Horseshoe Bay Resort, nestled in the picturesque Texas Hill Country just outside of Austin, is putting the final touches on a $70-million resort and multi-course renovation that has the AAA-Four Diamond- and Conde Nast Readers’ Choice Award-winning property poised to become one of America’s premier golf destinations.
With four acclaimed championship golf courses and the innovative Whitewater Putting Course, Horseshoe Bay offers an appealing array of unforgettable golfing experiences designed by World Golf Hall of Fame members Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Jack Nicklaus.
In 2016, Horseshoe Bay embarked on an expansive $7.5-million project to upgrade all three of its Robert Trent Jones, Sr. designs, Slick Rock, Ram Rock, and Apple Rock. The improvements to the courses and overall golf product has the resort community in position to earn nationwide attention and a rise in out-of-state rounds.
“Everything traveling golfers’ value, you’ll find here in a truly distinct and elevated presentation,” says managing director of Horseshoe Bay Resort Bryan Woodward. “The investment we have put into these renovations have elevated the quality of our golf to a national level and has made the overall golf experience more fun for our guests.”
Situated on the gleaming shores of the constant-level Lake Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) and meandering through a rugged 7,000-acre expanse of rolling Hill Country, the scenic Horseshoe Bay Resort is the only waterfront resort in Texas. Tropically adorned with palm trees, bold water features and the most colorful vegetation this side of Hawaii, this resort stands apart, both visually and in the guest experience. The golfing experience matches that uniqueness.
“People know desert golf, mountain golf, links golf and parkland golf, but if you’ve never experienced golf in the rocky, panoramic Texas Hill Country, your bucket list has another line to check,” Woodward says. “Once you play golf in this setting, it just stays with you.”
Before there was ever a Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Horseshoe Bay was home to three very distinct courses designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. The Ram Rock course, constructed in 1981, has made its reputation as one of the toughest courses in Texas. Slick Rock, the first golf course built (in 1971) at Horseshoe Bay, features a classic parkland setting and classic elements of Jones’ renowned architectural sensibility. Wall-to-wall renovations to both courses have enhanced playability and fun from the forward and middle tees while maintaining each layout’s legendary challenge for scratch players.
Each of the course renovations included installing the latest 007 bent grass greens to improve quality of turf, expanded green sizes by as much as 50 percent in some areas, renovating bunkers, re-shaping and leveling tee-boxes, new irrigation, as well as adding beautiful rock retaining walls along all of the water-hazards to improve over-all course aesthetics. This was most significant with the awe-inspiring “Million Dollar Hole” where golfers follow a winding path across a 35-yard rock-walled waterfall.
The final course and renovation project, Apple Rock, will see much of the same renovations completed as its sister courses and will re-open in May 2019. The course offers some of the most picturesque views in the region. Jones Sr. strategically routed holes to take advantage of the many higher elevation points that overlook Horseshoe Bay and Lake LBJ.
Punctuating the re-opening of the Ram Rock and Apple Rock courses will be the unveiling of the luxe, new Cap Rock Clubhouse. Members and guests of Horseshoe Bay will enjoy the new Cap Rock setting with its expansive views of the courses and Texas Hill Country. It will feature a dining room and bar area along with a pro-shop, swimming pool, cabana, pavilion area for groups, and a practice/teaching facility.
In addition to the resort golf, Horseshoe Bay also offers a distinctive member-only experience with the Jack Nicklaus Signature design, Summit Rock (which opened in 2012). The course offers some of the most stunning scenery in Texas. Nicklaus routed holes along a high ridge, a setting that showcases spectacular views that stretch for more than 40 miles over the Texas Hill Country and Lake LBJ. Resort guests can have limited access to Summit Rock during certain times.
Complementing the championship golf is the highly-unique Whitewater Putting Course, a tropically-adorned 18-hole day/night real-grass putting course that sits adjacent to the hotel and is routed around the energetic 360 Sports Club (A full-service destination for pub food, cocktails and live sports on more than two dozen flat screen TVs). It is the perfect attraction for golf buddy groups, couples and families.
Horseshoe Bay Resort is one of the largest golf resorts in the country and is the original Texas lakeside resort destination. It is located 45 minutes from Austin on over 7,000 picturesque acres of the Texas Hill Country and along the spectacular shores of constant-level Lake LBJ. The AAA Four Diamond resort is the only waterfront resort in Texas and is part of the Crescent Hotels & Resorts management company’s distinguished Latitudes lifestyle hotels and resorts division. It features four championship golf courses designed by World Golf Hall of Fame members Robert Trent Jones Sr, and Jack Nicklaus, as well as the exciting 18-hole natural grass Whitewater Putting Course.
Horseshoe Bay Resort has invested $70 million in a property-wide renovation and new construction. The work included new guest rooms, suites, and multi-room units, as well as renovation of the golf courses and facilities, dining experiences, meeting spaces, and more. The resort also features a world-class spa and health club, tennis facilities with 14 courts, bike rentals, and hiking trails, lake activities with a full-service lake marina and boat valet service, nearby wineries and a private airport. For more information and reservations visit www.hsbresort.com or call 877-611-0112.