Sitting just over 30 miles outside of Houston amidst grain farms and cattle ranches is a golf haven. Nestled in the remote community of Hockley is The Clubs at Houston Oaks, site of the 38th playing of the Texas Mid-Amateur.
The man-made paradise is courtesy of golf course architect Chet Williams who in 2017 transformed the former site of Tennwood Country Club into a modern masterpiece. Following the comprehensive 17-month, multimillion dollar project, Houston Oaks has soared to the top of every avid golfer’s “must play” list. The media have been impressed, too. Houston Oaks was recently ranked by the Dallas Morning News as the third best course in Texas for 2021.
Coming in first in that annual poll was Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity, another lauded Williams design.
The redesign by Williams has thrust The Clubs at Houston Oaks into the spotlight as it continues to garner more attention from around the state. The 38th Texas Mid-Amateur, scheduled for Sept. 10-12, is the next opportunity for the club to shine.
“The partnership that we have been able to build with Houston Oaks displays their commitment to promoting amateur golf,” said John Cochran IV, Director of Competitions for the TGA. “The excitement they have to be showcased for one of our top state championships will be on full display as they welcome the best mid-amateur golfers from across Texas. We are truly excited to work together with their staff for a wonderful Texas Mid-Amateur.”
The Texas Mid-Amateur will be the first TGA major and third championship overall held at The Clubs at Houston Oaks. The club previously hosted the 2018 Texas Shootout and 2020 Jackie Burke Cup Matches. Houston Oaks will also play host to the 114th Texas Amateur in the summer of 2023.
“We’re really excited about having the Mid-Am here, and the course will be in excellent shape,” said Nick Holligan, Houston Oaks’ Head Golf Professional. “We’ve also got the Texas Amateur in two years, so it’s really nice that the TGA thinks highly enough of the club to be a host venue for these big amateur championships. We’re just proud and going to do our best to put on a good show for everybody and show off the course in its best condition. Hopefully we’ll have some good weather and low scores and make sure everyone enjoys their time.”
Highlighted by rolling fairways and large oak trees, the course can create tough approach shot angles for even the most skilled players.
“The fairways are fairly generous, so I don’t think you’ll see too many people lose a whole lot of golf balls,” Holligan said. “But what makes the course hard is positioning your tee shot so you have a good line in to wherever the pin might be.”
During the renovations, Williams took special care to leave the landscape unmanipulated whenever possible.
“We tried to keep the earthwork to a minimum to leave the property in the most natural state as we were provided,” Williams said.
Instead of contrived elevation changes, the pristine course instead is defined by the 200-year-old mighty oak trees that frame the par-71 layout.
Amidst many picturesque holes, the fourth, fifth, and sixth at Houston Oaks could prove to be the difference makers in this year’s championship. The three-hole stretch includes a par-5, par-3, and par-4 in that order.
Navigating this stretch at even-par or better could help any player gain strokes on the field. The par-5 fourth hole typically takes most players three shots to reach the green. The signature par-3 fifth hole has an island green that requires nothing less than pinpoint accuracy and steely nerves, and the dogleg right par-4 sixth hole is guarded by danger on both sides.
With the course measuring just a hair over 7,000 yards (7,007 to be precise) from the back tees, power and distance aren’t as important at Houston Oaks as other present-day courses. Rather, accuracy will be at a premium.
“Having good distance is always an advantage if you can keep up the accuracy,” said Holligan. “But I think someone that can hit it fairly accurate off the tee and control their iron distances with a good short game will be well-suited for this course.”
The TGA received a record number of entries for this year’s Texas Mid-Amateur in yet another nod to the drawing power of Houston Oaks. More than 750 golfers aged 25 years and older signed up to play in one of 13 qualifiers.
“The number of players who have registered to attempt to qualify for the Texas Mid-Amateur is a testament to the prestige of Houston Oaks,” said Cochran. “When players see that we have the ability to go to top-level clubs, they want to do everything they can to be a part of that championship.”
Headlining this year’s 132-player starting field of decorated mid-amateurs is defending champion Ryan O’Rear of Leander. In a marathon ending, O’Rear beat hometown favorite Colby Harwell on the seventh playoff hole at Oak Hills Country Club in San Antonio to capture the title in 2020.
O’Rear looks to become the second player in recent history to go back-to-back, joining Harwell who accomplished the feat in 2017-18.
Among the notable players who will look to dethrone O’Rear include 2019 Texas Mid-Amateur champion Chris Wheeler of Addison, who recently won the 2021 Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play; Harwell, the 2020 Texas Player of the Year; TGA Director Aaron Hickman of Tyler, who won the 2020 Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play; 2016 Texas Mid-Amateur champion Josh Irving of Dallas; 2020 Texas Senior Player of the Year Mike Lohner of Southlake and 2020 Texas Senior Amateur champion John Derrick of Waco.
Format for the championship is 54 holes of individual stroke play. All contestants will play 18 holes Sept. 10-11. After 36 holes the field will be cut to the low 54 players and ties heading into the final round on Sunday. For more on the 38th Texas Mid-Amateur, click here.
