Golf in Boerne

Most courses have one signature hole. SilverHorn Golf Club of Texas has two—one for both nines—and both provide a window into the landscape-savvy brains of Randy Heckenkemper and PGA Tour pros Willie Wood and Scott Verplank, the trio responsible for this 6,922-yard, par 72 course design. At the par-five sixth hole, a 20-acre lake hugs the left side of a 556-yard dog-leg left, making any attempt to shorten the hole by cutting the corner a daring proposition. The inventive use of water hazards—a recurring feature throughout the course—returns on the par-four 15th hole, where two stone-lined creeks cross in front of the green, demanding a strategic approach shot or an amphibious golf cart. Tree-lined fairways and contoured greens characterize the rest of the 18-hole layout, which offers four tees to appeal to golfers of all abilities.

The Club also offers a driving range that serves as the grassy classroom for The Academy at SilverHorn Golf Club, where Director of Instruction Rob Myers and a staff of PGA pros and apprentices offer lessons. Lessons cover everything from putting form to swing mechanics to learning specialty shots, such as drawing the ball off the tee or chipping it discreetly into your rival’s beverage.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 6,922 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 73.4 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 138 from the farthest tees
• Four tee options

Built on land rich in both beauty and history, Canyon Springs Golf Club snakes its award-winning championship course through gentle hills nestled within the original site of the Classen Homestead. Golfers armed with the Longhorn pass can play the 18-hole course any time of the day, bolstered by bonuses including 10-day advanced tee-time privileges and discounted green fees and cart rental ($39 Monday–Thursday and $49 Friday–Sunday). In addition to reduced fees, Groupon holders also swing their way through test runs during one free round of golf, navigating the course's challenging bunkers, rolling fairways, and pommel-horsing greens. During each round, pass holders are outfitted with a cart, range balls, and a GPS device that chirps out location in the voice of Arnold Palmer. Members keep an eye on handicaps with complimentary USGA tracking, rein in slices with discounted range balls, feast with 10 percent off of food and nonalcoholic drinks from the club house, and compete for heady bragging rights in members-only tournaments held throughout the year.

The golfing gurus at Edwin Watts Golf Academy diagnose and correct their students' poor swing and putting habits in an effort to help them improve their shots and lower their scores. In one-on-one swing-analysis sessions, students learn a repeatable swing that eliminates tendencies they may have to slice, hook, push, or pull the ball. A special laser attaches to the end of the player's club and tracks the swing path while JC Video swing-analysis software records the session from two separate angles, lest analysis be thrown off by only looking at the golfer’s good side. Putting analysis employs Tomi technology to measure eight separate parameters of the putting stroke, from clubhead orientation at address to swing path and tempo. After swing and putting lessons, students may access the recordings on a password-protected website, so they can forward videos to friends or sports-documentary filmmakers.

After being ranked 19th on Golfweek's "Best New Courses" list in 2011, the course at Vaaler Creek Golf Club has been stacking up acolytes for its challenging play and picturesque Texas Hill Country setting. The Michael Lowry and JR Newman design stretches through oak forests as well as rocky outcroppings, encountering water on nine holes. Throughout each round, players steer new E-Z-GO golf carts over Bermuda 419 and TifSport grasses, taking advantage of the carts’ automatic braking systems as they stop to smell the flowers or the glorious scent of victory over manual controls.

Though the varied layout presents all manner of challenges, the par 3 12th hole requires a particularly cautious approach. Players must exhibit firm control over iron play as they aim for a peninsula green—discipline that must be then be duplicated four holes later to keep drives dry and on the isthmus fairway. Finally, players round out the round by facing a daunting approach over water, made even more difficult by the tree in the center of the fairway that obstructs flight paths and distracts would-be winners with its self-contained, elf-operated cookie factory.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Total length of 6,864 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 73 from the back tees
• Course slope of 140 from the back tees
• Four sets of tees per hole
• Scorecard

The Hawk at Rebecca Creek Golf Club's 18-hole course takes golfers meandering across 6,863 yards of pristine fairways peppered with scenic oak trees. Golfers will be put to the test from the outset, as the narrow fairways on the front nine funnel between walls of tall oaks, giving an advantage to players who warmed up their swing at the club's driving range or bribed the course Lorax for favorable treatment. Landing zones expand on the relatively forgiving back nine, which ends in dramatic fashion at the 18th hole, a 360-yard par 4 where both drives and approaches must carry intervening ponds.

After the round, players can retire to the recently redesigned clubhouse and refuel with a nosh of savory grill fare under the flickering glow of high-definition TVs inside the Grill & Pub or while catching a cool breeze at the facility's outdoor cabana seating. The Hawk at Rebecca Creek also boasts an outdoor pool, where guests can zone out to the burbling sounds of a poolside waterfall, look out over a sweeping vista of Texas countryside, or train golf balls to swim their way out of water hazards.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Total length of 6,863 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 73 from the back tees
• Course slope of 127 from the back tees
• Four tee options available
• Scorecard

Canyon Lake Golf Club's 18-hole layout flows across 6,582 yards of parkland terrain wafted by cool breezes that drift from Canyon Lake, which rests just northeast of the course. Towering oak trees loom over the course's open fairways, impeding the passage of errant golf balls while trumpeting their unrivaled, bird's-eye views of the surrounding topography. Bookended by two 500-yard par 5s, the par 72 invites golfers to brandish their drivers or modified T-shirt cannons and begin and end the round with massive tee shots. An outdoor swimming pool and tennis courts foster alternative forms of recreation, whereas multifaceted dining facilities host all varieties of social gatherings at the club.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 6,528 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 71.6 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 127 from the farthest tees
• Four tee options
• Link to scorecard