Austin Country Club

Prior to being recruited to Wynstone Golf Club in the Chicago area, I managed the Austin Country Club, a stunning, dramatic Pete Dye design.  It is an extremely challenging course in the hills of Austin, Texas.  It was rated the #3 course in Texas by Golf Digest Magazine.   This past weekend the Dell World Match Play Championship was played there.   Below are a few photos of the course.   It has numerous elevation changes, long carries over deep rock ravines, narrow rolling fairways, penal green's surrounds and very large - undulating Pete Dye signature greens.  The hilly upper part of the course differs significantly in design from the lower 45 links style designed holes along the Colorado River.  If you ever get to Austin, give me a call and I will see if I can get you on the course.  

The original ACC location was a gently rolling Perry Maxwell design just south of Austin.  The new club is located in the hills just west of Austin.  To give you an idea of the difficulty of the course, member handicaps initially increased by almost 50% and an average of 6 hour rounds of play.  A tough track indeed. 

The 11th hole has a 220 to  230 yard carry over the canyon

The 18th hole has very difficult approach shot into the green from 200 yards out at the top of the hill

The 12th hole has a long & difficult approach carry to a very narrow green

                                                                    

#2 Par 3  Requires a total carry

Hole #3 - A 250 yard approach into a green with water 4 feet left of the green

The 11th hole commands a long approach shot into the with a 60 foot deep canyon 6 feet left of the green

 

Ben Crenshaw & Tom Kite are members of ACC

I had the tremendous good fortune of working with Teacher of the Century Harvey Penick