Golf in Universal City

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.

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 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