The pros play here at the Texas Open and I got more evidence showing I’m not pro material – this beautiful course really kicked my butt. This is a Greg Norman (and Sergio!) design that makes great use... Continue »

The pros play here at the Texas Open and I got more evidence showing I’m not pro material – this beautiful course really kicked my butt. This is a Greg Norman (and Sergio!) design that makes great use of the rolling hill country northeast of San Antonio, playing through beautiful oak/mesquite/cedar woodlands. Not a lot of substantial elevation changes; the holes play gently upslope or downslope, with wind a factor almost everywhere, as the resort is set above the surrounding land so the wind blows all the time from various directions. Greens are almost all elevated, pedestal-type greens that are crowned and shaped to repel rather than accept shots. There are lots of bunkers, with those adjacent to greens being especially deep. However, playing areas off the tees are generous – the fun starts on the approaches to the greens, where you see many bunkers and runoffs and drop-offs into deep swales and collection areas. Greens are a mix of large and smaller, with smaller greens on the shorter par 4s and par 5s. Very little silliness, although one par 3 green has a bunker in the middle of it (donut), and there’s a horseshoe-shaped double green bisected by a huge bunker. Not that much in the way of water hazards that are in play, although a few holes have lakes or streams fronting greens.

Played at 11AM on Thursday, 12/3/15, as a single as not that many were playing Oaks after their maintenance. I played about 4 weeks after the course overseeded, so it was CPO and that meant a lot of walking to the ball. Fairways were lush and a little hairy, so lies were always good, but the turf was damp and soft and I couldn’t get any runout on shots, making the course play longer. Tee boxes were all level and a little shaggy. Rough was not too long and very playable, but the ball tended to sit down in the stringy turf, and you had to be aware when the turf was growing toward you. Close around the greens the fluffy rough could make control on pitches and chips difficult. Traps were in great condition, with fairway traps a little firmer/thinner and greenside bunkers with a good playing layer over a damp firm base. Greens were mostly fairly level without a lot of significant tiering, but all had subtle contours and slopes to be deciphered. Greens showed the effects of recent sanding (puffs of sand when shots landed) and were pretty firm but accepted most shots and rolled at medium speed, getting faster as they dried out.

Because of the CPO during play the past few weeks, there were lots of unfilled divots in the fairways and rough, as players failed to carry sand bottles to their shots. While the course is attractive and challenging, some of the holes have a very similar look as you go through the round. Good GPS, sprinklers marked, and yardage book available. Staff was great throughout. Saw the cart girl a couple times, and there’s a snack bar at the turn. Recommended.