Who this guide fits

1. It fits anyone who wants to play golf in or around Austin, Texas: visitors, beginners, regulars, walkers and people watching the budget. Each course comes with who can play, in its own words, and the day it was checked. A green fee is the price of the round itself; a tee time is a booked start time.
2. Visitors without a resort booking: the City's six courses (section 1) and the towns' courses that take the public (sections 3 and 4). Omni Barton Creek's and Horseshoe Bay Resort's courses need an overnight stay or a membership (section 5).
3. Beginners: the City's four-hole Joe Balander Short Course, with no tee time needed and $5 for adults; Hancock's nine holes, paid for at a machine, with no tee times; and the Harvey Penick Golf Campus, nine holes and a three-hole short course (section 7). Teravista, in Round Rock, says the National Golf Course Owners Association named it a "Beginner Friendly Course".
4. Walkers: Hancock and the short course are "walking only". Grey Rock, Point Venture and Hidden Falls post walking rates below their riding rates, and Lockhart State Park lends pull carts, hand carts for your bag, at no charge. The City's pages don't say whether you may walk its four 18-hole courses.
5. On a budget: Lockhart State Park, $10 for 18 holes plus a park day pass; Hancock, $20, "good for play all day"; the short course, $5; the City's evening and sunset rounds, cheaper rounds that start late in the day; and, for City of Austin residents, a $5 resident card that lowers green fees (section 2).
6. Juniors and seniors: the City charges juniors, 18 or younger and in high school, $20 any day at its 18-hole courses, and seniors, 60 and older, $27 Monday to Thursday and $34 on Friday, with no senior rate on weekends (section 2). The Bandit lets juniors 18 and under play at no charge with a paying adult, at set times (section 4).
7. Thinking about a club: private clubs keep their courses for members and the guests they bring; section 6 lists them in their own words. None of the club pages checked posts its membership prices.
8. Practice and lessons: section 7.
9. It isn't the guide for mini golf (Peter Pan Mini-Golf is in "Things to Do With Kids in Austin"), disc golf, indoor golf simulators, or other things to do in town (see "Things to Do in Austin").

The City of Austin's courses: anyone can play

Anyone can play the City of Austin's six courses and its short course, and each 18-hole course closes one day a month for maintenance, so check the day before you go.

The City of Austin runs its golf under the name Golf ATX: six courses it calls "city-operated public golf courses", where anyone can book and pay to play, and the four-hole Joe Balander Short Course. Four of the six, Lions Municipal, Morris Williams, Jimmy Clay and Roy Kizer, share one price list and the City's booking site (section 2). Hancock takes no tee times, and Grey Rock books and prices on its own. They fit anyone, beginners and walkers included: Hancock and the short course need no booking. They don't fit a golfer who wants a weekend time at short notice: those open online at 8 p.m. on the Monday before (section 2). The courses close on different days (the short course's page gives none), and "All Golf ATX courses are closed Christmas Day."

1. Lions Municipal, 2901 Enfield Rd. The City's page calls it "the first public golf course in the city", opened by the Lions Club in 1924 on land it leased from the University of Texas; the lease passed to the City in 1936. It was "later expanded to 18 holes", and its café and phone line use its nickname, Muny. It was "added to the Texas Registry of Historic Golf Courses", and the City says it is "recognized as one of the first courses in the South to desegregate". Its driving range is "irons only". Closed the third Monday of each month, holidays and major tournaments aside. Tee times by phone: 512-978-6869.
2. Morris Williams, 3851 Manor Rd., east of downtown. It "opened in 1964 as Austin's 3rd public course", and the City names Leon Howard as its designer. The City's fee page prices it as an 18-hole course. It has a driving range, a putting green and the Fairways Cantina for food. Closed the second Monday of each month. Pro shop, the course's front desk and golf shop, which takes tee times: 512-974-8333.
3. Jimmy Clay, 5400 Jimmy Clay Dr., in southeast Austin. Opened in 1974 and designed by Joe Finger, by the City's page, the course "plays 6,918 yards", from tees the page doesn't name. It shares a 36-hole complex with Roy Kizer. Practice: a driving range, a sand bunker, and chipping, pitching and putting greens for short shots onto the green. Closed the first Monday of each month. Pro shop, shared with Roy Kizer: 512-974-4653.
4. Roy Kizer, the same complex, opened in 1994: "a links-style layout spread over 200 acres in Southeast Austin", which means an open course with few trees, modeled on Scotland's seaside courses, with "35 acres of lakes and 22 acres of wetlands" that draw migrating waterfowl. It has the same practice areas as Jimmy Clay; the two courses' pages give different range hours, so call before a late practice session. Closed the fourth Monday of each month.
5. Hancock, 811 East 41st St. A par-35, nine-hole course, par being the number of strokes a good golfer is expected to need. Founded in 1899, it "was the original site of the Austin Country Club", and the City calls it "one of the oldest golf courses in the state of Texas". There are no tee times and no pro shop: pay the green fee at the pay station, a self-service machine that takes cards; play goes "on a first-come, first-served basis", and the fee "is good for play all day". It's "walking only", with a putting green. Hancock closes on dates listed on its page, not on a set Monday. Information: 512-974-9350.
6. Grey Rock, 7401 State Highway 45. A "Jay Morrish-designed championship layout" on "160 acres", played "as a member or as a daily guest". The City lists it among its six courses, but Grey Rock has its own site, prices and booking (section 2): 18 holes cost $90 Monday to Thursday and $105 Friday to Sunday, less with the City's resident card. It also lists lessons, the Grey Rock Grille and a tennis club. Closed the first Tuesday of each month. Phone: 512-288-4297.
7. Joe Balander Short Course, at the Jimmy Clay and Roy Kizer complex. It has four par 3s, holes a good golfer should finish in three strokes, with "a practice bunker and practice putting green". "Tee times not required, walking only." It costs $5 for adults and $3 for juniors and keeps the golf courses' hours.

The details (checked on 13 Oct 2026):

1. Who can play: anyone, at the six courses the City calls "city-operated public golf courses"; Grey Rock, "as a member or as a daily guest".
2. Holes and length, where stated: Hancock, nine holes, par 35; Lions Municipal, 18 holes; Jimmy Clay, 6,918 yards; Grey Rock, 18 holes, at 6,909, 6,378, 5,732 and 5,177 yards from its four listed tees; the short course, four par 3s. Par isn't posted for the other courses; the City's scorecards are pictures.
3. Practice: Lions Municipal, a driving range ("irons only") that closes on Mondays at 1 p.m. "until further notice", and putting greens; Morris Williams, a range and a putting green; Jimmy Clay and Roy Kizer, a range, a sand trap and chipping, pitching and putting greens; Hancock, a putting green. Range balls, sold by the bucket: $7 small and $11 large (the Lions Municipal page says $10 large).
4. Food: Cisco's Muny Cafe at Lions Municipal, 512-542-9459; the Fairways Cantina at Morris Williams, 512-974-8367; and the Stag & Finch Snackbar at Jimmy Clay and Roy Kizer, 512-974-3663. Hours aren't given.
5. Paying: "Credit/Debit cards accepted only, no cash please." Hancock's pay station takes cards (its page says "credit cards only" in one place and "credit/debit cards only" in another).
6. Phones: Lions Municipal, 512-978-6869; Morris Williams, 512-974-8333; Jimmy Clay and Roy Kizer, 512-974-4653; Hancock and the Golf ATX office, 512-974-9350 (office hours Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.); Grey Rock, 512-288-4297.
7. Grey Rock: open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; lessons, the Grey Rock Grille and a tennis club are listed on its site.
8. History, from the City's pages: Lions Municipal, 1924, on part of the University of Texas's Brackenridge Tract, with "the transfer of the lease to the city in 1936"; Morris Williams, 1964; Jimmy Clay, 1974; Roy Kizer, 1994; Hancock, 1899.
9. Checked on 13 Oct 2026.

Booking a City tee time, and what a round costs

Weekend tee times at the City's four 18-hole courses open online at 8 p.m. on the Monday before, one tee time per account, so make the account first.

At Lions Municipal, Morris Williams, Jimmy Clay and Roy Kizer, booking online takes a user account on the City's booking site, linked from each course's page, so make it before Monday night. A tee time is a booked start time for your group. Monday-to-Friday tee times open online at 9 a.m., seven days ahead, and the pro shop, each course's front desk and golf shop, also takes them in person when it opens and by phone. Saturday and Sunday tee times open "the preceding Monday online only at 8 pm", and "Golfers may book one tee time for four players per registered account only." Each course's page says weekend times left after that release can be booked by phone from the Tuesday before, when the pro shop opens. This fits anyone booking those four courses. Hancock and the short course take no tee times: arrive and pay.

Grey Rock books on its own site, "7 days in advance for guests and 14 days in advance for members", and by phone at 512-288-4297. It asks for a call 24 hours ahead to cancel, and charges $25 a person, to your card, for a booking that isn't cancelled. When weather leaves the course unfit for play, Grey Rock issues a rain check, a credit to play another day, good for 90 days. The City's own pages state no cancellation deadline, no-show fee or rain-check rule, and no dress code, pace of play (how quickly a group is expected to finish) or weather policy. Those may be on each course's "Course Rules" card, the front of its scorecard, so ask the pro shop when you book.

What a round costs at the four 18-hole City courses, by the green fee, for Monday to Thursday, Friday, and weekends and holidays:

1. A regular 18-hole round: $35, $41 and $44.
2. An evening round: $29, $31 and $34.
3. A sunset round: $28 any day.
4. Nine holes: $28 any day.
5. Juniors, 18 or younger and in high school: $20 any day.
6. Seniors, 60 and older: $27 and $34, with no senior rate on weekends and holidays.
7. A cart: $18 a golfer, or $12 for a sunset round.

Evening and sunset rounds are the City's versions of twilight rates, cheaper rounds that start late in the day, when there may not be daylight for 18 holes. Their start times change through the year, so ask the pro shop. At Hancock, the price is the same each day: $20, or $16 at sunset, $16 for juniors, and $18 for seniors and for college students with a student ID; no carts.

City of Austin residents can buy a Golf ATX Resident card, from the City's golf program, for $5 a year at Lions Municipal, the Jimmy Clay and Roy Kizer complex or Morris Williams. The City says it gives "a discount off green fees and merchandise", without saying how much. At Grey Rock, it lowers an 18-hole round to $85 Monday to Thursday and $100 Friday to Sunday. Regular players can also buy an annual card, a yearly pass that brings rounds down to a few dollars on set days (the details).

The details (checked on 13 Oct 2026):

1. Fees: the City's schedule is headed "New Fees Effective 10/1/2025". Check the fee page for a later one before you go.
2. Holiday prices apply on New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day (observed), Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. The courses close on Christmas Day.
3. Riding along without playing: "No fee for children 12 & under. $10 for persons 13 & up, including pets".
4. Phone bookings: Lions Municipal, 512-978-6869; Morris Williams, 512-974-8333; Jimmy Clay and Roy Kizer, 512-974-4653. Each course's page says weekday times are taken by phone from "30 mins before the first tee time" and that for weekends, "pro shop phones will be answered the Tuesday before when the pro shop opens".
5. Late-day rounds: "Evening & Sunset round times vary throughout the year." The start times are in the City's "Evening & Sunset Fee Calendar" file, linked from the fee page.
6. Who counts as a junior: the green-fee list says "18 or younger and in High School"; the junior annual card says "18 or younger, or in High School".
7. The resident card: "To purchase a resident card you must be a City of Austin resident."; "Card valid for one year from date of purchase."; "Card not valid for any other discounted round, or program."; "Cards are non-transferrable."
8. Annual cards (resident price, then non-resident): Silver, $1,280 or $1,400, then $3.50 a round on set days; Silver Senior, 60 and older, $730 or $810, then $3; Silver Junior, $450 or $500, then $3; Summer Junior, 1 June to 31 August, $135 or $150; Gold GolfATX, $1,600 or $1,780, then $3 Monday to Thursday and $7 Friday to Sunday and holidays; Gold GolfATX Plus, $2,400 or $2,500, with no green fee. Silver and Gold cards include Grey Rock guest passes. Payments can be split in two, six months apart, for about 10% more.
9. Grey Rock's prices (Monday to Thursday, then Friday to Sunday; $5 less with the resident card): 18 holes, $90 and $105; walking, $70 and $85; twilight, seasonal, $61 and $75; super twilight, a later and cheaper rate, $56 and $70; nine holes, weekends after noon, $56 and $70; seniors, $70 Monday to Thursday; juniors walking, weekends after noon, $40 and $50; range balls, $14 to $19. To rent a cart, "You must be 18 years old with a valid drivers license".
10. Paying: "Credit/Debit cards accepted only, no cash please."
11. Checked on 13 Oct 2026.

North and west of Austin: courses that take the public

North and west of Austin, five courses say on their own sites that the public can book; two post a price list, so at the other three, check the price when you book.

Each course sets its own prices and booking rules, so read them on its own site, or call, before you go. A public course, also called a daily-fee course, is one anyone can book and pay to play by the round; a semi-private course also sells memberships, which usually bring perks such as booking further ahead. These fit golfers ready to drive out of the city; for a set price ahead of time, Star Ranch and Point Venture post theirs. They don't fit a golfer who wants a set price before booking at Teravista or Forest Creek, where it moves with demand.

1. Forest Creek Golf Club, 99 Twin Ridge Pkwy., Round Rock. It calls itself a public course: par 72 and 7,147 yards (its pages don't give the number of holes). Its prices "can shift in real time based on the day of the week, time of day, demand, and overall course conditions", with lower prices for juniors, seniors and twilight rounds. Book online or by phone up to 30 days ahead; "in many cases the earlier you book, the better deal you may find." No tee time is needed for its practice range, putting green and short-game area, for shots near the green. Dress is "up to the player's discretion." 512-388-2874.
2. Teravista Golf Club, 4333 Teravista Club Dr., Round Rock. Its site has a "Public Tee Time" booking link beside links for its members and its Players Club, so it works as a semi-private course, though it doesn't use the word. An 18-hole course whose prices "adjust – both lower and higher – in real-time based upon demand", shown when you book. Tee times "must be guaranteed with a major credit card" and "must be cancelled at least 24 hours in advance". Practice: a chipping green, a 22,000-square-foot putting green and a range with Toptracer, screens that track each ball. Its Caldwell Cafe is "a restaurant and bar open to the public." 512-651-9850.
3. The Golf Club at Star Ranch, 2500 Farm to Market Road 685, Hutto. 18 holes. Tee times open "7 days in advance for general public", and 8 for its annual members, so it too works as a semi-private course. Its posted prices "include green fee, shared cart and warm-up range balls": Monday to Thursday, $85 to $99 before 3 p.m. and $62 after, or $67 for seniors 60 and older; Friday, weekends and holidays, $129 to $139 before 3 p.m. and $75 after. Bring your own clubs or rent a set. The range closes on Wednesdays from noon to 2 p.m. Book online or at 512-252-4653.
4. Point Venture Golf Club, 422 Venture Blvd. South, Point Venture. A nine-hole course designed in 1972 by Jimmy Demaret, by its own page, owned and run by the Point Venture Property Owners Association, with public rates and memberships. Its public rates, plus tax: nine holes walking, $24.99 Tuesday to Thursday and $29.99 Friday to Monday and holidays; 18 holes with a seat in a shared cart, $49.99 and $59.99; juniors under 18, $19.99. Seniors 70 and older, military, teachers and first responders get 10% off. Children under 13 play with an adult unless they've passed the club's etiquette class. Book online. 737-373-3033.
5. Falconhead Golf Club, 15201 Falconhead Blvd., Austin, near Bee Cave. It calls itself a "public golf course", and its site has a "Public Tee Time" booking link beside links for its members and its Players Club, so it works as a semi-private course, though it doesn't use the word. Its home page posts no prices, hole count or booking window; book online or call 512-402-1558. A Falconhead in Oklahoma shares the name, so check the town before you book.

Two more take bookings on their own sites but don't say who can play:

1. Crystal Falls Golf Club, on Crystal Falls Parkway, Leander, 3 1/2 miles west of Highway 183. "Owned and operated by the City of Leander", it calls itself "a municipal golf course", meaning city-owned, but its home page doesn't use the word public. 18 holes, 6,654 yards, with water in play on 12 of them. The home page gives no street address, phone or prices, so use the booking link on its home page and check the course there before you go.
2. Mustang Creek Golf Course, 1100 Beech St., Taylor. A nine-hole course with a driving range and a history going back to 1914. Its pages don't say who can play or what it costs; book online or call 512-309-4045.

Not confirmed by a page of their own when this guide was checked, so not described here: Avery Ranch Golf Club, in northwest Austin; Blackhawk Golf Club, in Pflugerville; the Lago Vista course or courses; and the Sun City Texas courses and Kurth-Landrum Golf Course, in Georgetown. Check each one directly. The private clubs in these towns are in section 6.

The details (checked on 13 Oct 2026):

1. Forest Creek: range 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Tuesday from 9:30 a.m.); range balls $10 for about 30 and $15 for about 70; groups of 16 or more use its advance booking; carts "may only be rented and operated by individuals who are at least 18 years old and possess a valid driver's license."
2. Teravista: its home page says "7,200-yard layout" and "5 different sets of tees", and its course page lists four, the longest 7,039 yards; designed by Clifton-Ezell-Clifton, by its course page; range balls $10, $17 and $25 (about 30, 60 and 90 balls); rental sets $80; a cart fee of $35; the page says "Cart Fee with Green Fee purchase includes Shared Cart." without saying whether the cart is extra, so ask when you book; range from sunrise to 5 p.m. (to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday).
3. Star Ranch: Friday seniors before 3 p.m., $99; no senior rate on weekends; juniors 17 and under, "Call for Rates"; "All rates are subject to change at any time."; groups of five for annual members alone; the Traditions Cafe.
4. Point Venture: 18 holes walking, $39.99 and $49.99; nine holes with a cart seat, $29.99 and $34.99; passes of 3 rounds for $159.99 and 10 for $499.99; range buckets $6, $10 and $15; each plus tax; no twilight rate listed; Monday is priced with the weekend.
5. Crystal Falls: the home page asks golfers to "Login in to view our current online specials and promotions."
6. Mustang Creek: memberships, priced by phone.
7. Booking windows not stated: Teravista, Point Venture, Falconhead, Crystal Falls and Mustang Creek.
8. Checked on 13 Oct 2026.

South and east of Austin: courses that take the public

South and east of Austin, three courses call themselves public and a state park's course takes anyone with a tee time and a day pass; for the others, call before you drive out.

These fit golfers planning a drive, and the prices run wide: Lockhart State Park charges $10 for 18 holes, and The Bandit's posted rate reaches $105 from Friday to Sunday before 3 p.m. They don't fit a golfer who wants to book all six online, without a call: Pine Forest takes tee times by phone, and at Hidden Falls a call settles the gate first. A public course is one anyone can book and pay to play.

1. The Bandit Golf Club, 6019 Farm to Market Road 725, New Braunfels. It's "open to public play" and sells memberships too: 18 holes, par 71, 6,928 yards from the longest tees, designed by Keith Foster. Its posted green fees, plus sales tax: $69 Monday to Thursday and $105 Friday to Sunday before 3 p.m.; twilight, a cheaper late-day rate, 3 to 5 p.m., $59 and $69; super twilight, later and cheaper, after 5 p.m., $46 and $51. Juniors 18 and under play at no charge with a paying adult, Monday to Friday any time and after 1:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays. A driving range with Toptracer. Book online or at 830-609-4665.
2. Landa Park Golf Course, 180 Golf Course Rd., New Braunfels. In its own words, "Our 18-hole public course, nestled along the Comal River, covers 122-acres". Its tee times are online "with discounted prices", but its green fees are posted as pictures on its site; call 830-221-4340 for prices. Practice is in warm-up cages and a putting and short-game area with a bunker; no driving range is mentioned.
3. Lockhart State Park, 2012 State Park Rd., Lockhart. "The park operates the nine-hole golf course." Anyone who books a tee time and buys a park day pass for the same day can play. The green fee is $10 for 18 holes, twice around the nine. Carts cost $15 for nine holes and $20 for 18, clubs $7, and pull carts, hand carts for your bag, are lent at no charge; carts and clubs are in "Limited supply". The course is open from 7:30 a.m. to dark and closed each Wednesday. Book online up to 30 days ahead, or call the park, 512-398-3479, on the day. Practice is on the practice green; no driving range is mentioned.
4. Pine Forest Golf Club, Bastrop, about 2 miles off Highway 71, by its page. "Open to the public 7 days a week"; book by phone, 512-321-1181. Its page posts no prices, holes or street address.
5. Hidden Falls Golf Course at Meadowlakes, 220 Meadowlakes Dr., Meadowlakes, near Marble Falls. An 18-hole course from 1973, designed by Leon Howard, by its home page, with a driving range, a chipping and pitching area and a putting green. It posts daily green fees and a "Public rental cart" price, but doesn't say in words who can play: 18 holes with a seat in a shared cart, $48 on weekdays and $57 on weekends and holidays; walking, $32 and $37. The City of Meadowlakes says the town is gated, and neither the city nor the course says how a golfer who isn't a member gets through the gate, so call the pro shop first: 830-693-3300.
6. The golf course at Lost Pines Resort & Spa, 575 Hyatt Lost Pines Rd., east of Bastrop, long promoted as Wolfdancer Golf Club. An 18-hole, par-72 course of 7,300 yards, designed by Arthur Hills, with a 13-acre driving range, eight target greens and two putting greens. Its page links to online tee times and says "Get in touch to find out how you can book an informal relaxed tee time", but doesn't say whether golfers who aren't staying at the resort can play. Call the resort, 855-923-7851, before you plan a round. It's a resort course; the two resorts that keep golf for guests and members are in section 5.

The details (checked on 13 Oct 2026):

1. The Bandit: nine holes, $49 and $69; military, $60 and $95; seniors 60 and older, $59 Monday to Thursday and $70 on Friday, holidays excluded; juniors, $42 and $50; college students up to 22 with a college ID pay the junior rate Monday to Thursday, and after 1:30 p.m. Friday to Sunday and on holidays; rental clubs, $70, reserved ahead; range balls, $11 for 35 and $22 for 70; a 12,000-square-foot practice green. Its rates are "subject to change at any time".
2. Landa Park: its address appears as both 180 Golf Course Rd. and 180 Golf Course Drive on its own site; who runs it isn't stated on its pages; its tee times are booked through GolfNow, a tee-time company.
3. Lockhart State Park: the park day pass, $3 for anyone 13 and older and no charge for 12 and under, on the park's fee page; a yearly green fee pass, $250; tee times and cart rentals until park headquarters closes, 7 p.m. from 1 March to 30 September and 5 p.m. from 1 October to the end of February; up to four players per tee time, checking in at the park; the course was "built by the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps over 80 years ago".
4. Pine Forest: founded in 1979 by a group of professional golfers, by its own page.
5. Hidden Falls: seniors 60 and older, military and first responders, $44 and $52; twilight, 1 to 3 p.m. in standard time (the months without daylight saving time), $40 and $45; super twilight, after 3 p.m., $38 and $43; juniors, $24; nine holes, $24; range balls, $5 and $10, tax included; a "Public rental cart" for a rider over 14 who isn't playing, $16 for 18 holes; your own cart, a trail fee of $12 for 18 holes; twilight hours change with the season, so ask the golf shop. Book online through its site.
6. Lost Pines Resort: its golf page is headed "Golf at Lost Pines Resort", and lostpinesgolfclub.com forwards to it. Memberships are sold as the "Lost Pines Club".
7. Checked on 13 Oct 2026.

Resort courses: Omni Barton Creek and Horseshoe Bay

To play the resort courses at Omni Barton Creek or Horseshoe Bay, you stay the night or join the club: neither sells tee times to the public.

At Omni Barton Creek and Horseshoe Bay, rounds go to people staying overnight and to members of the resort's club, not to walk-in golfers; a resort course is one run by a hotel resort. So they fit golfers planning a stay, and they don't fit a visitor without a resort booking, who has the City's courses (section 1) and the towns' (sections 3 and 4).

Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa, 8212 Barton Club Dr., Austin. "Tee times are available to overnight resort guests and members only." Members belong to Barton Creek Country Club, a private club (section 6). Resort guests can book "120-days in advance", by phone with the resort's planners, 512-329-4018, or online; groups of 12 or more book as a group. Four 18-hole courses:

1. Fazio Foothills, par 72, designed by Tom Fazio; built in 1986, renovated in 2018.
2. Fazio Canyons, par 72, also by Tom Fazio; built in 1999, renovated in 2022.
3. Coore Crenshaw, par 71, by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw; built in 1991, renovated in 2018. Some pages, the members' club's among them, call it Coore Crenshaw Cliffside.
4. Palmer Lakeside, par 72, by Arnold Palmer; built in 1986, renovated in 2024. It sits away from the resort, "on a secluded hilltop overlooking Lake Travis", at 1900 Clubhouse Hill Dr., Spicewood, 40 to 45 minutes' drive from the resort by its two pages.

Horseshoe Bay Resort, 200 Hi Circle North, Horseshoe Bay, on Lake LBJ, short for Lake Lyndon B. Johnson. "All amenities and activities are reserved exclusively for overnight guests and club members"; the public can eat at J's Restaurant and Bar or the Waterfront Bar & Grill and shop at The Market, but golf isn't among the exceptions. Its four courses, each par 72:

1. Slick Rock, 18 holes by Robert Trent Jones Sr., opened in 1972, with more than 70 bunkers; the resort calls it "home of the 'Million Dollar Hole' and a 35-foot waterfall". 6,867 yards from its championship tees.
2. Ram Rock, by Robert Trent Jones Sr., "Famously known as 'The Challenger'"; 6,926 yards.
3. Apple Rock, 18 holes by Robert Trent Jones Sr., overlooking Horseshoe Bay and Lake LBJ; 6,999 yards.
4. Summit Rock, a Jack Nicklaus Signature course, marketed under Jack Nicklaus's name as its designer, and "exclusive, members-only".

Members of The Club at Horseshoe Bay Resort play all four (section 6). For everyone else, golf comes with a stay: the resort's packages pair a room with rounds on the three Robert Trent Jones Sr. courses, and its daily resort fee includes "Access to Golf Practice Facilities". It also has an 18-hole putting course and a teaching academy. Resort: 877-611-0112.

The Lost Pines resort course, east of Bastrop, is in section 4: whether golfers who aren't staying can play there isn't stated.

The details (checked on 13 Oct 2026):

1. Omni Barton Creek: "Yes, you must be a guest of the resort to play golf."; main phone 512-329-4000, reservations 888-444-6664; "Book A Golf Package" for fewer than 12 golfers and "Book Group Golf/Tournament" for 12 or more. No rule for guests of members is posted.
2. Course lengths, where the resort's pages disagree: Fazio Foothills, 7,125 yards in its text and 7,087 on its scorecard; Fazio Canyons, 7,433 on its own page and 7,153 on the main golf page.
3. Palmer Lakeside's drive: Omni says "Just 45 minutes away from the resort"; the members' club says "40 minutes from the main club".
4. Horseshoe Bay Resort: the daily resort fee, $45 per room per night, includes "Access to Golf Practice Facilities" and golf bag storage; "Rental clubs are available for a fee and can be reserved when you book your tee time."; the "Unlimited RTJ Golf" package (RTJ is the resort's shorthand for Robert Trent Jones) gives "unlimited rounds of golf per adult from day of arrival through day of departure" on the three Robert Trent Jones Sr. courses, with blackout dates. The Whitewater Putting Course has 18 holes "through an oasis of waterfalls". No tee-time window, booking method or rule for guests of members is posted; to check whether the courses are open on a given day, the resort says to call 877-611-0112.
5. Checked on 13 Oct 2026.

Private clubs: members and their guests

Private clubs keep their courses for members and the guests they bring or register, and none of the club pages checked posts its membership prices: ask the club.

A non-member plays a private club's course as a member's guest, under each club's rules, or at a charity tournament or company outing, a group event that books the course; a private club is one whose course is for its members and their guests. At The Hills, "Guests are welcome when accompanied by a Member (or pre-registered), and standard guest fees/policies apply for golf"; at Austin Country Club, "members are able to sponsor guests"; and at Westlake Country Club, "Anyone can host a charity tournament, corporate outing, or special event on our courses", with "No membership is required to host." So the clubs fit members, their guests and anyone weighing a membership, and they don't fit a visitor looking for a tee time.

Each of these calls itself private, in its own words:

1. Austin Country Club, 4408 Long Champ Dr., Austin: a "private, member-owned club", founded in 1899, and named to the Texas Registry of Historic Golf Courses in 2018. Its original site, the City says, is the City's Hancock course (section 1).
2. Onion Creek Club, 2510 Onion Creek Pkwy., Austin: a "private golf club" with 27 holes, designed by Jimmy Demaret and established in 1974; run by Arcis Golf, a club company.
3. Westlake Country Club, 2612 Lost Creek Blvd., Austin: "a private golf and lifestyle club in the Austin Hill Country", part of Invited Clubs, a club company; 18 holes, par 71, 6,935 yards, "completely reimagined by Lanny Wadkins".
4. River Place Country Club, 4207 River Place Blvd., Austin: "a private golf and lifestyle club"; 18 holes and about 6,600 yards, designed by Tom Kite; run by Arcis Golf.
5. Barton Creek Country Club, 8212 Barton Club Dr., Austin, with a second clubhouse at Palmer Lakeside in Spicewood: "a private Club" whose members play Omni Barton Creek's four courses (section 5).
6. Balcones Country Club, 8600 Balcones Club Dr., Austin: "Austin's private club built around connections and a spirit of celebration", where "Membership here begins with an invitation."
7. Twin Creeks Country Club, 3201 Twin Creeks Club Dr., Cedar Park: a "Private golf and lifestyle club" with an 18-hole Fred Couples Signature course, one marketed under his name as designer; run by Arcis Golf.
8. The Hills Country Club, 26 Club Estates Pkwy., Austin, in the Lakeway area: "a private golf and lifestyle club" with four 18-hole, par-72 courses: The Signature Course and Flintrock Falls, both Jack Nicklaus designs, Live Oak and Yaupon.
9. Cimarron Hills, 200 Cimarron Hills Trail West, Georgetown: a "private golf and country club" with an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature course; part of Legacy Golf Properties, a club company.

Members' clubs that don't use the word "private" in their own description:

1. University of Texas Golf Club, 2200 University Club Dr., Austin: "Members enjoy exclusive access", in its words; an 18-hole course by Bechtol-Russell and a six-hole par-3 course.
2. The Club at Berry Creek, 30500 Berry Creek Dr., Georgetown: its page title reads "Private Golf"; an 18-hole course, founded in 1986, managed by Encore Leisure Group.
3. The Club at Horseshoe Bay Resort, 101 Horseshoe Bay Blvd., Horseshoe Bay: Summit Rock and other club places "are exclusively for members of The Club at Horseshoe Bay Resort", and membership includes the resort's three other courses (section 5).

Two more, Spanish Oaks Golf Club, near Bee Cave, and Great Hills Country Club, aren't described here: no page of their own confirmed them when this guide was checked.

The details (checked on 13 Oct 2026):

1. Phones: Austin Country Club, 512-328-0090; Onion Creek, 512-282-2150; Westlake, 512-892-1205; River Place, 512-346-1114; Barton Creek Country Club, 512-329-7999; Balcones, 512-258-1621; Twin Creeks, 512-331-5900; The Hills, 512-261-7200; Cimarron Hills, 512-763-8700; University of Texas Golf Club, 512-266-6464; The Club at Berry Creek, 512-930-4615; The Club at Horseshoe Bay Resort, 830-596-2582.
2. Events: Westlake's golf page adds "Select tournaments and outings may also be open to guests."; Onion Creek's outings page markets corporate and charity days; Austin Country Club, Balcones and The Hills host weddings and other private events. Of these pages, Westlake's alone says a non-member can book one.
3. Other clubs: Westlake's members can use other clubs in its network, which it calls "Alliance Clubs", and The Hills' members get "golf, dining, fitness, and travel privileges at clubs across the country."
4. Not on their public pages: the hole counts and architects of Austin Country Club and Balcones Country Club, and membership prices at the clubs checked.
5. River Place's designer: its home page credits Tom Kite and Roy Bechtol; its golf page, Tom Kite.
6. Checked on 13 Oct 2026.

Practice and learning: ranges, short courses and lessons

To practice or learn without booking a round, use a driving range or a short course: five of the City's six courses have a range, all but Hancock, and the City's four-hole short course needs no tee time.

This fits beginners and anyone working on their game, walkers included: the City's short course needs no tee time, and ranges sell balls by the bucket. It doesn't fit someone looking for lessons at a City course: the City posts none, so the lessons here are Grey Rock's, plus First Tee's programs for children. A driving range is a practice area for full swings, and a short course has short holes for practice and beginners.

1. The City's driving ranges: Lions Municipal ("irons only"), Morris Williams (no hours posted), and Jimmy Clay and Roy Kizer, open until 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday by both pages, which differ on the rest of the hours, so call 512-974-4653. Buckets cost $7 small and $11 large. Grey Rock's range has its own prices (the details, item 2).
2. The Joe Balander Short Course, at the Jimmy Clay and Roy Kizer complex: four par 3s. "Tee times not required, walking only." $5 for adults, $3 for juniors.
3. Hancock, 811 East 41st St.: nine holes with no tee times and a putting green; pay at the machine and walk (section 1).
4. The Harvey Penick Golf Campus, 5501 Ed Bluestein Blvd.: a "public golf course" with a par-30, nine-hole course, plus a three-hole short course, a driving range and a putting and chipping green. It is "owned and operated by The First Tee of Greater Austin" and open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. until dusk, and from 7:30 a.m. on weekends and holidays; 512-926-1100. "Golf ATX and Grey Rock cardholders and members" walk nine holes there for $5.50, Monday to Thursday and after noon on weekends and holidays, booked by phone up to 3 days ahead. Its regular green fees aren't on its home page. For children, the campus invites families to "Register a child for a program" with First Tee; its page posts no ages or costs.
5. Lessons: the City posts no lessons or clinics, group lessons on one skill, on its golf pages. Grey Rock lists group, private and on-course playing lessons; a five-lesson beginner package costs $250 for one person, and less each for two to four; and a Senior Clinic for ages 50 and up ("We won't card you.") costs $20, on Wednesday afternoons from March through November.
6. Ranges in the towns: Forest Creek's needs no tee time and opens from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Tuesday from 9:30 a.m.); Teravista and The Bandit have Toptracer ranges; Lost Pines Resort has a 13-acre range (sections 3 and 4).
7. Topgolf Austin, 2700 Esperanza Crossing: hitting bays priced "per hour, per hitting bay", open to midnight or later each night.
8. Butler Pitch & Putt: a pitch and putt is a very short course where each hole can be reached in one short shot, usually played with a wedge and a putter. The City lists Butler Pitch & Putt among its concessions, with no address or details, so check its own site before you go.

The details (checked on 13 Oct 2026):

1. Range hours, by the City's pages: Jimmy Clay, Monday to Saturday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (last basket 8:30 p.m.), Sunday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Thursday from 9 a.m. after maintenance; Roy Kizer, Monday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Lions Municipal's range closes on Mondays at 1 p.m. "until further notice". Morris Williams posts none.
2. Range balls elsewhere: Grey Rock, $14 to $19; Forest Creek, $10 and $15; Teravista, $10 to $25; The Bandit, $11 and $22; Point Venture, $6 to $15 plus tax; Hidden Falls, $5 and $10. The Lions Municipal page lists the City's large bucket at $10.
3. The short course: "The course shares the same operation hours as the golf courses."; designed by Randy Russell, by the City's page; its closing day isn't stated.
4. Grey Rock's lessons: a listed instructor's rate of $90 an hour for adults (half-hour lessons available) and $80 a lesson for juniors; the beginner package at $250 for one person, $225 each for two, $200 each for three and $175 each for four; the Senior Clinic from 2 to 3 p.m.; summer junior programs; questions to 512-288-4297, extension 2. Its range hits from mats Monday to Thursday and from grass "Friday-Sunday (weather dependent)".
5. Topgolf Austin: Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to midnight; Friday, 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to midnight.
6. Checked on 13 Oct 2026.

At a glance: who can play, and how to book

Check three things before you book: who can play, how the course takes bookings, and its closing day.

"Not posted" means the course's own pages don't give it; a tee time is a booked start time.

Before you go

• Check the closing day. Jimmy Clay closes the first Monday of the month, Morris Williams the second, Lions Municipal the third and Roy Kizer the fourth; Grey Rock the first Tuesday; Hancock on dates listed on its page; Lockhart State Park's course each Wednesday. The City's courses close on Christmas Day.
• Book weekend City tee times online at 8 p.m. on the Monday before, with an account made ahead: one tee time per account, for up to four players.
• Bring a card. The City's courses take cards, no cash, and so does Hancock's pay station.
• Ask about the rules. The City posts no dress code, pace of play or rain-check rule, so ask the pro shop. Grey Rock and Forest Creek rent carts to drivers 18 and older with a driver's license.
• Know who can play. Resort courses: overnight guests and members. Private clubs: members and their guests.

The details (checked on 13 Oct 2026):

1. Weekday prices: the City's are for Monday to Thursday (Friday costs more); Star Ranch's and The Bandit's, Monday to Thursday; Point Venture's, Tuesday to Thursday; Hidden Falls', "weekdays".
2. Checked on 13 Oct 2026.