- Updated: January 7, 2022
Horseshoe Bay Golf Resort, TX
A Texas Sized Community and Golf Resort
Ryan Heiman
Founder and head author at Independent Golf Reviews
The Independent Golf Reviews team traveled to Horseshoe Bay Golf Resort in the fall of 2021. Our group stayed on property for 3 days. We played every golf course once and enjoyed a stay at a condo and ate at the restaurants on-site. These are our insights and notes about the trip.
- Community: Some golf courses/resorts are designed to visit and leave. But that I mean, many have lodging options and amenities for guests from all over the world. However Horseshoe Bay is also a community filled with residents that call it their home. They don’t just come to visit like we did, they live, work and play there year round. I would say this massive complex is a combination of both; community and resort. If you are looking for an amazing community to call home about an hour from Austin, TX, Horseshoe Bay has something going on and events for every interest.
2. Summit Rock: The crown jewel of golf at Horseshoe bay is also a private course on-property. If you ask/know the right people you can play there during your visit. It is a Jack Nicklaus design that shows off a wide variety of terrain and views as it climbs up and down the ridge line over the lake. It offers pristine conditions and amazing views. While it may be private, the vibe is certainly casual and fun.
3. Slick Rock: The highlight of this course is the million $ water feature on the back 9. Hole 14 is a shorter par 4 that has an elevated tee overlooking multiple waterfalls. It is spectacular. The rest of the course is very enjoyable and playable. I found it to be a hotbed for birdies.
4. Apple Rock: This was probably our surprise course of the trip. While the name maybe didn’t inspire “wow”, this course is probably the most fun on-property. It has lots of elevation changes and amazing views. It also plays right on the bay for a couple holes which make for both great scenery and some challenging shots. The clubhouse and pro shop are at the top of the hill and have been recently renovated. The renovations are absolutely amazing, especially the pool area.
5. Ram Rock: This course was the most challenging on property in our opinion. It just never lets up on challenging shots. There are numerous forced carries, tricky greens and narrow landing areas. The up and down make it interesting, but don’t expect to shoot a career low here.
6. Whitewater Putting Course: The 18 hole real grass putting course is a rare feature for golf resorts, but this is one of the best I’ve ever seen. It plays like a putt-putt, but offers a great central setting for both adults and children to take advantage of, especially since it is lit for night play.
7. Lake LBJ: The namesake of the property is the Horseshoe Bay on the dammed up Colorado River. The lake is massive and beautiful. The marina on-property makes this a perfect weekend getaway for golf and boating, or longer stays, or even calling it home.
8. Amenities: Golf resorts are more than just the courses, it is also the stay. Horseshoe Bay has multiple restaurants and lodging options. This makes the experience customizable to the group. We loved the 360 sports bar for watching games. The condos were well appointed for groups and were very close to the main hotel. There are numerous houses that can be rented too, or traditional hotel rooms. There are a couple bars, outdoor dining and restaurants at the clubhouses too.
9. Buddies Trip: iGolfReviews schedules an annual buddies trip to connect in-person from all over the country. Horseshoe Bay was a central location in TX, easy to get to from the airport and offers everything a golf buddies trip could want: a variety of golf, good food, fun atmosphere, and many lodging options depending on the group size. This would also make a great family destination. There are many things to do for the kiddos even if part of the family is busy golfing, they will still be entertained by the pools, “zoo” experiences, mini-golf, and other kid friendly activities.
Summary
While Horseshoe Bay may not be in the top 100 golf course list, the courses and resort are an excellent destination for a golf trip. The golf is great, the lodging options are good and outside of golf, there are many things to do. Everything feels TX sized at Horseshoe Bay, whether you call it home or vacation destination.
For more information:https://www.hsbresort.com/
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About The Author
Ryan Heiman – Founder and Head Author of Independent Golf Reviews
Ryan has over 10 years of experience testing and writing golf reviews of nearly every brand out there.
HCP: 3
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