As they should be, the TGA’s major championships are the highlights to any competitive season. This year is no different, as the Men’s and Women’s majors travel to some of the state’s best and most interesting courses.
For example, the 114th Texas Amateur will be played at The Clubs at Houston Oaks, one of the top-ranked courses in Texas. The 102nd Women’s Texas Amateur, meanwhile, goes to Eagle’s Bluff Country Club, one of the state’s more underrated venues.
Designed by Chet Williams, Houston Oaks is sublimely conditioned and will be an excellent challenge for the best male amateurs in the state. A parkland course, Houston Oaks’ fairways are framed by massive oak trees.
“Many of these trees are over 200 years old, and hence the name Houston Oaks,†said Williams, who also created Whispering Pines Golf Club, the perennial No. 1-ranked course in Texas. “Every hole on the course is unique, and most importantly, I think the course is great fun to play.â€
The top female amateurs in Texas will be treated to a special experience at Eagle’s Bluff Country Club in Bullard, which is about 30 miles south of Tyler. With surprising elevation changes, tree-lined fairways and, when in season, blooming azaleas, it’s been said that Eagle’s Bluff offers a semblance of the hilly terrain at famed Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters.
Carlton Gipson designed Eagle’s Bluff in 1999; like Williams, Gipson is a celebrated commodity in Texas. He also designed the likes of The Tournament Course at The Woodlands Country Club and BraeBurn Country Club. Eagle’s Bluff will serve as a formidable test, and its challenging back nine will be a dramatic setting for the match play portion of the 102nd Women’s Texas Amateur.
For more on this year’s Men’s and Women’s majors, scroll below.
City: Hockley
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City: Granbury
City: Bullard
City: Longview
City: Amarillo
City: Midland