Golf in New Braunfels

Golf, long ridiculed as the easiest of sports, is so childishly simple that many casual players go home feeling angry and frustrated at how quickly one can master the game. Luckily, these golfers can still savor the thrilling velocity and parabolic motion of a well-struck ball, especially with today's Groupon. For $12, you get three large buckets of driving range golf balls (a $30 value) at Northeast Golf Center.

The hilly terrain of Woodlake Golf Club has hosted five PGA Tour events, including the 1973 Texas Open, in which Ben Crenshaw notched his first PGA Tour victory. Built in 1972 by Desmond Muirhead, the par-72 course meanders along slopes spattered with such dangers as water hazards and sand traps, which trap sand as part of a scheme to produce low-cost hourglasses. On the sixth hole, a vast pond maroons all three tees far from the green, the fairway stretching tantalizingly just beyond the boggy, aquatic prison. A pair of water hazards squeezes the par-5 ninth hole, where Crenshaw’s first title ambitions were nearly dashed in the final round of the ’73 Open.

Customers looking to polish their game can work with John Clay, a 35-year PGA professional with 40 years of teaching experience. For one hour, John help pupils identify swing imbalances, bolster consistent muscle memory, and distinguish a pitching wedge from a wheat scythe. Freshly minted techniques find their form with a post-lesson round on the Woodlake Golf Club course and a bucket of range balls at the driving range.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par-72 course
• Length of 6,691 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 72.3 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 130 from the farthest tees
• Four tee options
• Scorecard

The successive pinging of golf balls as they speed toward distant targets at Cedar Park Driving Range is a welcoming sound to visiting golfers, almost therapeutic. The expansive facility boasts 12 grass hitting bays for players who prefer a natural feel as well as 18 shaded stations with mat hitting bays, 10 of which cool down hardworking golfers and parched sand wedges with a water-misting system. Four circular targets—positioned at distances of 25, 50, 75, and 100 yards—help players dial in approach shots, while five distance markers—stationed at 50-yard intervals from 100 to 300 yards—help golfers gauge how far their golf-ball trebuchet is capable of sending a ball. Cedar Park Driving Range also has more than 100 clubs that they rent out free of charge.

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

Golfers stop by Home On The Range for a change of scenery, chipping balls at a surreal-garden’s worth of quirky targets, ranging from animal statues to abandoned school buses. The accommodating range stays open seven says a week. Its covered tees shield from the rain or blistering sun and it even flips on powerful lights to illuminate the grounds after sunset. Players can also work on their short game at the putting green or head down into the practice bunker to build and bludgeon sand castles. Home On The Range's golf shop houses a variety of golf gear by brands including TaylorMade, Adidas, and Nike, as well as a staff expertly trained to repair and fit a broad spectrum of clubs.

After rolling out the green carpet as a 9-hole facility in 1971, Lago Vista has expanded into an 18-hole, par 72 championship course that stretches across a peninsula on the north shore of Lake Travis. Undulating fairways and vibrant flora guide players through the course's 6,500 yards of challenges, and a practice facility helps hone swings with three tiers of natural, Botox-free hitting surfaces.

As the younger of the two courses, Highland Lakes flaunts a collection of sloping tifdwarf greens, complete with regular elevation changes that require golfers to make deft club selections throughout. On hole five, a tight dogleg lures balls toward a downhill fairway sheathed in the shadows of towering oaks as outcrops flanking both sides invite shots into their rocky heaps.

Lago Vista Course at a Glance

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 6,579 yards from farthest tees
• Course rating of 72.6 from farthest tees
• Designed by Leon Howard
• Four tee options available
• Click here to see the scorecard

Highland Lakes Course at a Glance

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 6,529 yards from farthest tees
• Course rating of 72.2 from farthest tees
• Designed by Leon and Charles Howard
• Three tee options available
• Click here to see the scorecard