If you’re a fan of March Madness, then you’ll love Texas League Play. Much like the men’s college basketball tournament, Texas League Play offers an exciting combination of competition, team spirit, and unpredictability. It all adds up to a thrilling experience for hundreds of participating TGA Members.
In addition to its annual schedule of events for individual members, the Texas Golf Association established Texas League Play in 2006 as part of its commitment to support and grow amateur team competition at the public and private club level.
“We’re constantly trying to make Texas League Play bigger and better,” said Tournament Director Justin Guthrie, who oversees the popular program. “We want the TGA to be an active resource with the captains and clubs throughout the season, and we want to make it easier on clubs from an administrative side.”
All clubs and courses (both public and private) that are current members of the TGA are eligible to participate in Texas League Play. The team roster is open to male amateur golfers that are full dues paying members of the club. PGA Professionals which are employed by the club are also encouraged to participate.
During the regular season, regional conferences are formed so that four member clubs in the same geographical area play a home-and-away series for a total of six matches. The conference winners then advance to League Play Playoffs, a single-elimination bracket tournament to determine the overall state champion.
Club teams are comprised of eight players and each match consists of four separate four-ball matches using a Nassau point system. Three points are available for each match: one point each for the front nine, back nine, and overall 18 holes. The team that earns 6.5 or more points of the available 12 points wins the match.
Match rosters are organized based on the players’ lowest to highest current WHS Handicap Indexes®. The first four-ball match is played at scratch with no strokes given or received. If a club pro does play, they must play in the first match to ensure they go up against the opposing team’s club pro or best amateur.
In a typical year, Texas League Play will feature 16 conferences of four teams each for a total of 64 teams. That means only 64 of the more than 550 TGA Member Clubs currently participate.
“A goal of ours is to expand Texas League Play participation,” Guthrie said. “There are so many more clubs and courses that could benefit from this fun, competitive, team-focused league. I have a vision that one day Texas League Play will grow to the point where we’ll need regional playoffs before the state championships.”
At the end of the regular season, conference winners are invited to the Texas League Play Playoffs, where they square off against one another for state champion bragging rights in a March Madness-style bracket tournament. This “win or go home” format means that any team can be eliminated at any time, regardless of their seed or ranking. This creates an atmosphere of unpredictability that keeps teams on edge throughout the entire playoffs.
Texas League Play is one of the most exciting events of the year due to the camaraderie and high level of pride it instills among the participating teams.
Listed below are the champions from each year since League Play first started in 2006. Last year, captained by Mark Jones, Odessa Country Club came away victorious at Horseshoe Bay Resort. Learn why Mark and many others enjoy playing in Texas League Play on the following page.
2022 – Odessa CC (Hosted by Horseshoe Bay Resort)
2021 – Green Tree CC (Hosted by Horseshoe Bay Resort)
2020 – Nutcracker GC (Hosted by Horseshoe Bay Resort)
2019 – Odessa CC (Hosted by Horseshoe Bay Resort)
2018 – DeCordova Bend CC (Hosted by Horseshoe Bay Resort)
2017 – Golf Club of Houston (Hosted by Horseshoe Bay Resort)
2016 – Dallas Athletic Club (Hosted by Horseshoe Bay Resort)
2015 – Tierra Verde GC (Hosted by Horseshoe Bay Resort)
2014 – Tierra Verde GC (Hosted by Horseshoe Bay Resort)
2013 – Tierra Verde GC (Hosted by Horseshoe Bay Resort)
2012 – Green Tree CC (Hosted by Horseshoe Bay Resort)
2011 – Dallas Athletic Club (Hosted by Horseshoe Bay Resort)
2010 – Dallas Athletic Club (Hosted by Hyatt Lost Pines Resort)
2009 – Woodforest GC (Hosted by Horseshoe Bay Resort)
2008 (Spring) – DeCordova Bend CC (Hosted by Hyatt Lost Pines Resort)
2008 (Fall) – Woodforest GC (Hosted by Hyatt Lost Pines Resort)
2007 – DeCordova Bend CC (Hosted by Hyatt Lost Pines Resort)
2006 – Brook Hollow GC (Hosted by Hyatt Lost Pines Resort)