Barton Creek Golf Resort
Austin, TX
Foothills: 1986 Tom Fazio
Gold 6956, 74.0, 135, 72
Blue 6513, 71.0, 124, 72
White 6231, 69.0, 119, 72
Green 5870, 73.4, 126, 72
Directions: From I-35S take Hwy 71W, look for signs
Fees: ~$175
Per my buddy Tom S., "Really nice."
T&L Golf Review: The Foothills course is set in dramatic Hill Country, where Fazio's masterpiece calls for accurate drives and creative shots. It features woods, water, and dramatic elevation changes. The Canyons outshines and outplays Foothills. Fazio routed it through a series of deep limestone canyons with water on most holes, as well as native grasses, wildflowers, and thick woods. The Cliffs features the TX hills, with Crenshaw's traditional forced shot shaping to fit the lay of the land. The off-site Lakeside (about 25 miles away) features Arnie's ample fairways.
Golf Digest Trip Report, 2011: "Eric Lebowitz works for Golfdigest.com; he was recently inspired by a stay-and-play package at Barton Creek in Austin, Texas. After he got back from a trip with his dad (both have an Index of 11.9), he filed this report:
Typically, I've found that prolonged anticipation usually leaves me disappointed when whatever I've been anticipating finally rolls around. Not so with my recent trip to Barton Creek.
Right after New Year's, with my father approaching a milestone birthday, I decided to book a father-son golf trip to celebrate. Checking out this travel blog, I came upon a terrific deal Barton Creek was offering through this past weekend. The 'Fazio Unlimited Golf Package' included accommodations, unlimited golf on either Fazio Foothills or Fazio Canyons course, swing analysis at the new Callaway Performance Center, day of arrival golf at the twilight rate, unlimited use of practice facilities and daily breakfast in the AAA Four Diamond-rated Hill Country Dining Room -- all for $235 per person, per night. (Barton Creek offers different golf packages year-round, check out bartoncreek.com for details.)
Our flight landed at 11 a.m. Thursday, and the 25-minute drive from Austin-Bergstrom Airport to the resort left us plenty of time to check in, drop off our stuff and hit the range before teeing off on Crenshaw Cliffside just before 3 pm. The brutal winter we've experienced in the Northeast made standing on the first tee a special experience. It was 70 degrees and sunny, and not even 18 holes of lackluster ball-striking and misreads on Crenshaw's huge, undulating greens could diminish the high of opening my golf season with my dad at a beautiful resort.
Our first full day in Texas was the highlight of our trip. On the first tee at Fazio Foothills, we met Ron and Warren (a dead ringer for former Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden), two brothers from the area who were both funny and informative, helping us navigate the intracacies of course.
Foothills will turn 25 in July, and the resort's signature track has aged well. The course hosted the Champions Tour Legends of Golf tournament from 1990-1994 and received new grass on the fairways and tee boxes and an extra 200 yards in 2004. The result is a challenging but fair golf course that places a premium on shot-making.
Foothills has a little bit of everything. Several par 3s offer magnificent views of the surrounding landscape from elevated tees, and elegant waterfalls surround a handful of greens. The course was in immaculate condition from tee to green, and the 18th (pictured above) is one of the finest and most challenging finishing holes I've ever played. A three-shot par 5 with an uphill approach shot that gives you a wonderful view of the hotel but only a sliver of the green, the 18th left me with an indelibly warm feeling for Foothills.
After our round Friday, my dad and I ventured to The Salt Lick, a BBQ joint about 30 minutes from the hotel recommended by pretty much anyone I had spoken to that had ever traveled to Austin. To say it lived up to the hype would be an understatement. The beef brisket ranked among the tastiest things I've ever experienced. It was so good that it left us with a craving for more BBQ, which we satisfied during a layover in Charlotte on the way home. Anyone considering a trip to Austin should make The Salt Lick a top priority.
Saturday we hopped in a van provided by the resort and took the two-mile trip over to Fazio Canyons. Canyons, like Foothills, varies the styles of its holes wonderfully. Unfortunately, the winds were gusting at about 30 MPH at the course with the highest slope and rating of the four at the resort (we did not play Arnold Palmer's Lakeside course, located about 20 miles from the hotel). My dad and I were rendered helpless by a combination of the wind and the demanding layout. We did meet some relatives in downtown Austin for dinner, coffee and music Saturday night, however, which lifted our spirits after a day spent looking for errant tee shots in the woods.
Sunday we returned to Foothills, and with some knowledge of the course and my swing a little less rusty, I managed to play something that resembled golf for the first time on the trip. The only snag we hit during our four days away was a two-hour weather delay on the flight from Charlotte back to New York. We arrived home bleary-eyed at 2:30 Monday morning, but it was worth it.
At the conclusion of our vacation, I asked my Dad for his thoughts on Barton Creek. Here is a summary of his impressions:
- Staff was very professional and accommodating
- Course layouts were varied; courses were all extremely well maintained
- Practice facilities were extensive and well-stocked
- Beyond golf, proximity to downtown Austin provides plenty of nightlife and music options for all different tastes
- Fun options for local fare are a short drive from the resort."
Other Area Tracks To Play: Golf Magazine's Travelin' Joe says a course that's off the beaten path but worth howling about is Wolfdancer (512-308-WOLF, www.wolfdancergolfclub.com; $165, includes forecaddie) 20 miles southeast of Austin, at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort. Arthur Hills and his lead associate Chris Wilczynski fashioned a unique test over three distinct landforms, from forested ridgelines and rolling prairie land to a valley peppered with trees. The downhill plunge at the par-3 12th, its mountainside green a scary but inviting target, is worth the drive out from the Austin city limits.
Best Bar Nearby: Golf Magazine digs Jim Bob's at Barton Creek. In this hipster Texas setting, the Old West looks updated. Some tables have been set aside for pool and poker, but others are reserved for sipping drinks. The Burnt Orange PumpkinRita, named in honor of the Texas Longhorns, is the signature cocktail, made with Patron Silver, sweet & sour mix, and pumpkin liqueur ($11).
Best Bar, Austin: Austin has been described as a high-tech college town of live music, breakfast burritos, and football obsession (their motto: "Keep Austin weird."). With 500 live acts playing Country, Rock-n-Roll, Blues, and Jazz every weekend, it's hard to dispute Austin's claim as The Live Music Capital Of The World.
Per T&L Golf: The Backyard (13101 Hwy 71W) or Antone's (213 W 5th St) are local faves. Follow the crowd in the club district around 4th & Colorado, and you'll end up at swanky dive The Bitter End Bistro & Brewery (311 Colorado), or the rooftop bar at a prohibition-style hotspot called Speakeasy (412 Congress Ave). The Washington Post says Continental Club (1315 S Congress) is also a hotspot for raw live tunes. Tip: Anywhere local country sensations Reckless Kelly is playing will have a female-to-male ratio through the roof.
Maxim says Austin's best dive bar is Lala's Little Nugget (2207 Justin Lane). There's something magic about drinking while surrounded by Christmas décor, especially if it's mid-July and you're in a Texas strip mall. Welcome to Lala's, home of perpetual holiday greetings since 1972.
Maxim's Great American Bar Search recommends the following bar tour itinerary for Austin:
2 p.m. START EARLY
Smitty’s Market
Located just outside of town in Lockhart, this is the place for Texas Q. The order: Lone Star longnecks (the Texas-born brew), dry-rub brisket, wet ribs, and homemade sausage (yep, all three). It comes with white bread and crackers and is served on butcher paper. Order tater salad or beans and you’ll lose your local cred.
5 p.m. HAPPY HOUR
East Side Show Room
A-town’s drink mecca, this place reminds us of Employees Only in New York City: cutting- edge cocktails but zero pretension and no quarter given to douches. Whatever your poison, they’ve
got a freaky mixer that’ll floor you. Prepare to stumble out.
7 p.m. DRINK FUEL
El Mesón Taquería
The conundrum: You’re still full of BBQ from Smitty’s, but you need a touch of chow to keep the booze train going: Enter El Mesón, Austin’s number one taco shop. Get a Modelo in a can and two tacos and—bang!—you’re right back in it. We like the al pastor and chorizo con papas tacos.
8 p.m. THE BOOZE SESSION
The Dogwood
This is the newest spot from a team of young former ‘tenders who pooled tips and now own four awesome Austin hotspots (including the divey Dizzy Rooster). It’s overrun with hot ladies, has Lone Star on tap, and boasts ring-on-a-string boards, maybe the best beer game ever. (Sorry, flip cup!)
11 p.m. LATE-NIGHT GOURMET
Parkside Austin
"Best menu in Texas. It’s an elite gastro experience but doesn’t take itself too seriously, thanks to owner-chef Shawn Cirkiel, a young gun who loves cart grub as much as four-star food. Get the stiff house Aperol cocktail, the sweetbreads-tongue-app, and then the pork-jowl polenta with Texas peaches." Or, Food Network's Adam Richman (Man vs. Food) digs Casino El Camino for post-last-round grub. "When you’re hammered or even just hungry, the green chili cheese fries here are great. Unbelievable. The last time I had them I literally turned into McLovin. I wanted to runa train on those fries. Nomnomnomnomnom."
1 a.m. ONE MORE
Rebel’s Honky Tonk
Think Gilley’s but packed with drunk, giggling UT gals. Hook ’em, Horns! You’ll see two-stepping, dudes in cowboy hats without irony, and, of course, a mechanical bull. Get another Lone Star, then hop on and see if you can keep it all down! Yee-motherfuckin’-hurl!
See also: Friday Night Lights Golf Weekend
Where To Grub: For the best finger-lickin' BBQ and live music in Austin (Stevie Ray Vaughn got his start here), Travel Channel says hit Stubb's (801 Red River, www.stubbsaustin.com). Or, you won't regret the 30 minute drive to The Salt Lick BBQ (18300 Fm Rd 1826, Driftwood). For Tex-Mex, try the roasted-green-chile enchiladas at Chuy's (1728 Barton Springs Rd). Guero's Taco Bar (1412 S Congress Ave) is THE Mexican restaurant in SoCo, frequented by Bill Clinton, with homemade corn tortillas, mole enchiladas, and margaritas. SoCo's Magnolia Cafe (1920 S Congress) is a 24/7 souped-up Denny's, serving gingerbread pancakes and migas (scrambled eggs with tomato, onion, peppers, jalepeno, tortilla chips, cheddar jack & black beans). Maxim digs the burgers at Martin's Kum-Bak Place, and be sure to order them with the sweet grilled onions.
T&L Golf likes The Oasis (6500 Commanche Tr) or The Iguana Grill (2900 Ranch Rd 620 N), both just outside of town near Willie Nelson's 9-hole Pedernales (in Spicewood), as a great stop for Margaritas and dinner on the deck overlooking Lake Travis, with a young partae crowd. Also on Lake Travis, try Hudson's On The Bend (3500 Ranch Rd 620 N), maybe the best wild-game restaurant in America. Try the signature "Mixed Grill" with antelope, rabbit, venison sausage, and buffalo, each in it's own distinctive sauce.
FoodNetwork.com recommendations:
Huts
Good burgers near Waterloo Records
807 W. 6th St.
(512) 472-0693
Dirty's
An Austin institution
2808 Guadalupe
(512) 477-3173
Pappadeaux's
A chain restaurant that's good
6319 N I-35
(512) 452-9363
Stubbs BBQ
Listen to tunes while eating BBQ
801 Red River St.
(512) 480-8341
Rudy's BBQ [Fat Guy Note: Quite probably my personal favorite BBQ sauce on the market.]
Part of a gas station
11570 Research Blvd.
(512) 418-9898
Ruby's Barbeque
Try their organic beef
512 W. 29th St.
(512) 477-1651
Iron Works BBQ
Traditional Texas BBQ
100 Red River St.
(512) 478-4855
Trulucks
Where crab reigns supreme
400 Colorado
(512) 482-9000
Driskill Grill
Elegant dining in a traditional atmosphere
604 Brazos St.
(512) 391-7126
Vespaio
Italian eats south of the river
1610 S. Congress
(512) 441-6100
Maudie's
Margaritas are a must here
2608 W. 7th St.
(512) 473-3740
Guero's Taco Bar
The place to be seen
1412 S. Congress
(512) 447-7688
Matt's El Rancho
An Austin establishment serving Tex-Mex
2613 S. Lamar
(512) 462-9333
Trudy's
A favorite among UT students
8820 Burnett
(512) 454-1474
Juan in a Million
Don't miss their $2 breakfast
2300 E Cesar Chavez
(512) 472-3872
Kenichi
Have sushi before hitting some bars
419 Colorado St.
(512) 320-8883
Hoovers
Great southern soul food
2002 Manor Road
(512) 479-5006
Where To Stay: Barton Creek's courses are reserved exclusively for resort guests, so book a room ($250-$1300 per night). Expanded rooms, new pool, and several restaurants on-premisis. Golf Digest Senior Travel Editor Matt Ginella named Barton Creek as his #2 Most "Affordable" Golf Hotel in the country for 2010 [apparently his definition differs from mine]. "I Ambushed there a few months ago and I couldn’t believe the deal those guys were getting. The resort is so nice it hardly looks or feels “affordable.” There are two Fazio courses that get a lot of publicity, but they also have a Crenshaw and a Palmer, which aren’t bad either. And be sure to take advantage of the shuttle service to downtown Austin for a slab of beef and some live music. Best deal (based on double occupancy): 'Guys Golf Getaway' is $351 per person on weekends for the month of April and the first two weeks of June 2010 (prices go down for the month of May). The package includes lodging, breakfast, unlimited golf on any of the four courses, cart fee, range balls and day of arrival golf at twilight rate ($84-$135 on weekends, prices vary depending on the course)."
Or, in the heart of the nightlife (and to keep the budget down after checking out of Barton Creek), Travel Channel says book a stay at the way-hip, spartan chic Hotel San Jose (1316 S Congress, $75-$225/night, www.sanjosehotel.com), where '50's Austin meets the postmodern martini crowd. The cement floors only add to the colorful industrial feel, with top notch linens, wireless internet throughout, and a cozy outdoor cafe/bar kicks out non-guests at 10:30. Hit next door Jo's Cafe for breakfast, or beers on nights where the featured band plays a few tunes then picks a movie for everyone to watch from lawn chairs on a big screen TV in the parking lot. Or, crash at the ultra-hip Austin Motel (S Congress), who's slogan is, "So close, yet so far out."
Where To Shop: For unique vintage, antique, and boutique shops head for South Congress Ave aka SoCo, South Austin. Check out Mi Casa (20 rooms of furniture and folk art), Off The Wall (don't-realize-you-need-it-til-you-see-it kitsch), Tinhorn Traders (a study in random), New Bohemia (purest retro), Allen's Boots (Stetsons & cowboy wear), Uncommon Objects (for junk lovers; "We had this exact [fill in the blank] when I was growing up!"), or Lucy In Disguise With Diamonds (Halloween acid trip costume shop).
Further Diversions: Comedy Central's Insomniac Dave Atell named the Bad Girl/Good Girl roller derby at Playland Skate Center (512-452-1901) as "Best Hottie Wheels" in the country.