Golf in Stafford

Country Place Golf Club's 18-hole course snakes around the banks of a creek for 6,802 yards of tranquil tee-to-green terrain with water coming into play on multiple holes. The newly renovated course boasts recently installed sand bunkers, grass bunkers, and sloped fairways that produce stances more awkward than a crowded zero-gravity subway train. Five tee options dot the picturesque par 72, catering to players of all abilities or foursomes who prefer to complete the round without speaking to each other. Players can prepare for their on-course odyssey with a stint at the driving range, and after the round, golfers can quiet hunger pangs at the grill or peruse the pro shop for equipment and apparel upgrades.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 6,802 yards from farthest tees
• Course rating of 72.8 from farthest tees
• Slope rating of 125 from farthest tees
• Five tee options available

Ranked in Golfweek's Best Courses You Can Play in Indiana, the course at Prairie View Golf Club is situated on 206 acres of environmentally protected land along the White River with scenic prairieland and five lakes. The Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design features natural wetlands with a rushing stream that comes into play on four holes, forcing players to demonstrate deft control or gilled golf bags. On the front nine, the prairie setting invites harsh winds to blow across bentgrass fairways, often knocking shots off course. As players make the turn onto the back nine, they notice a marked difference in the environment, as open prairies give way to tall sycamore, oak, beech, and cottonwood trees lying just beyond the Kentucky bluegrass rough. Across the river lies Conner Prairie, a historical re-enactment village whose elegant, 1830s-era style was adopted for the design of the course's 15,000-square-foot clubhouse.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Total length of 7,073 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 74.5 from the back tees
• Course slope of 138 from the back tees
• Four sets of tees per hole

Glenbrook Park Golf Course’s narrow fairways stretch across 6,700 yards of relatively flat terrain undulating with vibrant tree lines for a challenging, par 72 layout. Running in a straight line through the course, a 180-yard ravine stands in players’ way on six holes, placing confident swings and 9-irons unafraid of heights at a premium. Though not an overwhelmingly long course, the layout counters with narrow fairways and small- to medium-sized greens that are difficult to hit from any distance. Glenbrook’s par five ninth hole—the hardest rated on the course—amply illustrates the course’s manifold difficulties, as players must bisect a narrow, tree-hedged fairway, lay up to the edge of the ravine, and send their third shots somersaulting over the chasm and into a bashful green hiding behind a treacherous bunker and trust issues.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 6,700 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 72.5 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 130 from the farthest tees
• Three tee options

Heron Lakes Golf Course incorporates an array of water hazards into its 5,240-yard, par 68 executive layout. The course is comprosed mainly of par 3s and 4s, yet features one par 5 on both the front and back nine so players can test their long game and show off new flame decals on their drivers.

Players can stretch out their swings before rounds at Heron Lakes' driving range, which also serves as the classroom for lessons conducted by the course's teaching pros. After a day spent roaming the facilities, golfers can avoid a salad of fairway grass with a meal at The Sandtrap Grill, which slings tequila-lime chicken, baja fish tacos, and hamburgers among a menu of classic American fare.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 68 course

• Length of 5,240 yards from the farthest tees

• Course rating of 72.7 from the farthest tees

• Slope rating of 117 from the farthest tees

• Three tee options

Studio Golf beckons to golfers of all abilities with a chic, café-style facility, where PGA-certified instruction, high-tech teaching aids, and virtual golf coalesce to help clubbers groom their golf game year-round. The studio's aboutGolf simulators wrap around golfers, further immersing linksmen in the coastal landscape of Pebble Beach or the sentient bagpipes of Scotland's St. Andrews. Lessons commence at the virtual courses, where pixilated targets stretch into the distance and in-stall video cameras play back each swing, introducing clubbers to a two-dimensional doppelgänger soon to be their inferior. Resident aces augment the studio's full repertoire of skill-grooming amenities with club-fitting services that ensure that smooth swings will be carried out by the optimal equipment.

Situated northwest of Houston, the Houston National Golf Club and Strategic National Grass Reserve pocks itself with 27 holes, playable, like Voltron, in three possible combinations. Designed by legendary hole artists Von Hagge, Smelek, Baril, and McConaughey, the rolling green is punctuated by varied hazards and distractions like ponds, sand traps, and virtual gazelles. Both beginners and professionals can find something to challenge their walking and bad-shot-excuse-making skills. Houston National's GPS-equipped carts automatically keep the game's score and track your position in case you get lost amidst the unending flatness.