By Editorial Staff Print | Email Who's No. 1? It’s the most anticipated, and most controversial, feature in the publication – the Best of Public Rankings, Hill Country 2006 edition. Readers flock to the racks to see where their favorite layouts stack up against other courses in the Hill Country. And so do the course owners and staff members, who also eagerly wait to see where their course ranks and wonder why they aren’t perched higher. It’s an arduous task – visiting the public courses around the area in a year. Sometimes we announce our arrival; other times we go incognito. But our lone goal each and every year is to provide a complete and accurate representation of the public golf courses in the area. After countless trips to the gas station, greens fees receipts, burgers at the turn and cold beers at the 19th hole, we present our 2006 Best of Public Rankings. Austin Best Overall Wolfdancer Golf Club The new kid on the block, who also doubles as the neighborhood bully, can add another moniker to its short, yet illustrious life – the Best Overall. Wolfdancer Golf Club in Lost Pines wowed us from the moment we loaded the clubs on the cart. It has it all – a cozy clubhouse, impeccable service, a fantastic and challenging design, pristine course conditions, a feeling of seclusion and awe on the course, the list goes on and on. And while the price tag is a bit steep for a round of golf, most will conclude that it’s definitely worth it. Top-5 1. Avery Ranch Golf Club 2. Falconhead Golf Club 3. Teravista Golf Club 4. ColoVista Country Club T5. Forest Creek Golf Club T5. The Golf Club at Star Ranch Course conditions were somewhat of an issue at Avery Ranch this year, yet they were still in better shape than a majority of Austin courses. Falconhead and Teravista remain stalwarts in this category, offering exceptional daily fee golf (which was an abnormality just a few years ago). ColoVista really paid attention to course conditions this year, which helped its ranking significantly. Forest Creek sneaks into the Top-5 thanks to a continued plan of offering top-notch service and conditions that go along with a fun design. The same holds true for the Golf Club at Star Ranch. Best Golf Experience 1. Wolfdancer Golf Club 2. Avery Ranch Golf Club 3. Teravista Golf Club 4. Falconhead Golf Club 5. ColoVista Country Club From the moment you pull up to the first tee and the marshal greets you with a smile and bag tag, you know you’re in for quite a treat at Wolfdancer. The course might not be as visibly striking as some others around town, but it sure will challenge your game on every shot, no matter which tees you play. Avery Ranch continues to shine with its Andy Raugast masterpiece that emphasizes shot-shaping and accuracy. At Teravista, accuracy is especially key because of the scenic wildflowers just beyond the fairways. At Falconhead, you are introduced to two unique design characteristics – trough bunkers and a cantilever green. These don’t make the course hokey – rather they enhance the design. ColoVista offers two distinct nines – a links-style front side and a tree-lined, traditional back nine – that also incorporate some outstanding elevation changes. Best Municipal Golf Course 1. Roy Kizer Golf Course 2. Delaware Springs Golf Course 3. Jimmy Clay Golf Course 4. Lions Municipal Golf Course 5. Crystal Falls Golf Course Be sure to bring plenty of pearls to Roy Kizer, as water lurks everywhere on this wide-open layout. Delaware Springs is an underrated layout that’s located in Burnet; plenty of elevation changes and challenges throughout. Jimmy Clay could be the top dog in next year’s rankings, as a long-awaited greens renovation project will occur in January, 2007. Lions Municipal has been attracting the masses for quite some time, including those now on the professional tours – Tom Kite, Ben Crenshaw, Wes Short Jr., etc. Crystal Falls is the newcomer to this list, as conditions have steadily improved at this fun and exciting layout. Best Par 3s 1. No. 15 – ColoVista Country Club 2. No. 12 – Wolfdancer Golf Club 3. No. 17 – Falconhead Golf Club 4. No. 6 – Wolfdancer Golf Club 5. No. 13 – Avery Ranch Golf Club Long live the 15th hole at ColoVista. Why it doesn’t get recognized as one of the best in the state by other polls is shocking. Where else do you have a 100-foot drop from tee to green, with a breathtaking view of the Colorado River Basin? Not to mention it’s a daunting task judging the correct distance. Wolfdancer has two par 3s that make this list – the picturesque 12th that’s another jawdropper from tee to green, and the scenic sixth, which has a waterfall trickling down the left side of the green. Falconhead’s 17th green defies gravity with its cantilever green. And the 13th at Avery Ranch is situated on a rock wall with danger right. Best Par 4s 1. No. 11 – Falconhead Golf Club 2. No. 18 – Avery Ranch Golf Club 3. No. 14 – The Golf Club at Star Ranch 4. No. 14 – ColoVista Country Club 5. No. 11 – Wolfdancer Golf Club What makes these holes so great? How each provides the dramatics for your round. The 11th at Falconhead is the perfect example of a beauty and a beast all wrapped up in 484 yards. The 18th at Avery Ranch is a wonderful closer to a wonderful layout. The 14th at Star Ranch features a rock wall your approach must carry to the putting surface. The 14th at ColoVista provides sensational movement throughout, as the green is perched high above the fairway. The 11th at Wolfdancer is a sensational risk-and-reward par-4 that gives you many options off the tee. Best Par 5s 1. No. 5 – Avery Ranch Golf Club 2. No. 13 – ShadowGlen Golf Club 3. No. 8 – Teravista Golf Club 4. No. 5 – Falconhead Golf Club 5. No. 4 – The Golf Club at Star Ranch The top four remain the same, with the newcomer being the robust fourth hole at the Golf Club at Star Ranch. The par 5s might be weakest group of holes in the Austin area. We’re still waiting for that one par-5 that will wow our socks off. Right now, the fifth hole at Avery Ranch – a three-shotter that demands two shots splitting trees and an approach over water – is the best. Best Practice Facilities 1. Wolfdancer Golf Club 2. Teravista Golf Club 3. Jimmy Clay/Roy Kizer Golf Courses 4. Avery Ranch Golf Club 5. Delaware Springs Golf Course What separates Wolfdancer’s practice area from the rest? Try the soft music in the background while you’re chunking that pitching wedge shot or watching that drive once again slice right. Just left of the putting surface is the practice putting green and short game area to hone your skills. Not ranked The Golf Club at Circle C For much of the year, the Golf Club at Circle C was at best a 17-hole course, as a new irrigation system was installed throughout. And the 11th green was moved in order to make way for Escarpment Boulevard expansion. Renovations were just completed at Circle C, so instead of rushing out when some of the battle scars were still evident on the course, we decided to wait a year for the wounds to heal. San Antonio Best Overall Canyon Springs Golf Club With so much outstanding golf around the San Antonio area, it’s difficult to choose just one club as the best overall. Some might have a better layout or a better clubhouse, but put in all together in one package and Canyon Springs Golf Club gets the nod. Everything about Canyon Springs will dazzle you – the service, the challenging layout, the conditions, the rustic clubhouse, the cart girls, etc. On top of that, it’s in a great location (just off State Highway 281 near Loop 1604) and costs less than $85 for prime weekend play for locals. Top-5 1. The Resort Course at La Cantera 2. The Palmer Course at La Cantera 3. Hyatt Hill Country Resort 4. The Bandit Golf Club 5. The Quarry Golf Club The Resort Course at La Cantera will never have problems filling up the tee sheet, so long as it is the site of the PGA Tour’s Valero Texas Open and has the luxurious Westin La Cantera Resort on site. The Palmer Course at La Cantera may be the most difficult course in the Alamo City, but it’s definitely one of the prettiest. Hyatt Hill Country won’t wow you with its beauty, but it will amaze you with its playability and shot value. Situated in New Braunfels, The Bandit is an underrated Keith Foster design that would easily be a top-2 course anywhere else. Foster also designed The Quarry, a must-play for non-locals and the golden ticket for getting out of work early for locals. Best Golf Experience 1. Canyon Springs Golf Club 2. The Resort Course at La Cantera 3. The Palmer Course at La Cantera 4. Hyatt Hill Country Resort 5. The Bandit Golf Club When it comes to layout and conditions, Canyon Springs trumps all San Antonio layouts. Thomas Walker might not be a household name in the course architecture sector, but he put his signature on the Alamo golf scene with this knockout. And with Evergreen Alliance’s knack for keeping its courses in pristine condition, area golfers are in golf euphoria here. Both courses at La Cantera also offer sensational views and stellar golf to go along with wonderful conditions. At Hyatt Hill Country, it seems nary a blade of grass is out of place. When it comes to all-around golf, The Bandit always gets high marks. Best Municipal Golf Course 1. Olympia Hills Golf and Conference Center 2. Cedar Creek Golf Course 3. Brackenridge Golf Course 4. Scott Schreiner Municipal Golf Course 5. Olmos Basin Golf CourseThe newest city-owned courses hold down the top two slots in this category. Olympia Hills opened in 2000 and has made a quite a recovery from conditions issues during its infancy. Now it’s quite a bargain at just under $45 for a weekend tee time. Cedar Creek also is a great deal, as it’s on the other side of the hill from its ritzier neighbor, La Cantera. The oldest of all the San Antonio munis, Brackenridge could face some management changes (a private firm operating it for the city) in the near future. And, the course could close as soon as this upcoming spring for a major renovation project. Scott Schreiner has really improved over the past couple of years, and many can attest to that via the Hill Country Classic in Kerrville. Olmos Basin rounds out the list, as location and playability of the course are its top draws. Best Par 3s 1. No. 4 – The Palmer Course at La Cantera 2. No. 16 – The Quarry Golf Club 3. No. 13 – The Bandit Golf Club 4. No. 7 – Olympia Hills Golf and Conference Center 5. No. 8 – Hyatt Hill Country Resort (Oaks) This list represents the weakest group of holes in San Antonio, but they are still worthy. The 188-yard fourth on the Palmer Course at La Cantera is picturesque because of the water trickling in front of the green and under the Winnie Palmer Bridge on the right. The 16th at The Quarry demands pinpoint accuracy, which is fine except the hole measures 242 yards. The 13th at The Bandit is all carry over water and usually plays into the wind. The seventh at Olympia Hills is impressive because of the stunning view off the tee. Even more impressive? Reaching the green on this 239-yarder. Expect a dangerous lie if you fall short of the green on the eighth on the Oaks nine at Hyatt Hill Country – prickly cacti await there. Best Par 4s 1. No. 12 – The Resort Course at La Cantera 2. No. 17 – The Quarry Golf Club 3. No. 18 – The Palmer Course at La Cantera 4. No. 18 – Canyon Springs Golf Club 5. No. 10 – The Palmer Course at La Cantera The best group of holes in the Hill Country. The top four remain the same from a year ago, while the newbie – No. 10 at the Palmer Course – appeared on this list back in the 2003 rankings. The 10th hole bends to the right around a gaping canyon that looks like it falls down all the way to the Earth’s core. A gorgeous white rock wall lines the right side of the hole, while another large wall forms the left perimeter. Sometimes that wall can be used as a backboard, especially on the approach. Best Par 5s 1. No. 18 – The Bandit Golf Club 2. No. 1 – The Resort Course at La Cantera 3. No. 6 – Olympia Hills Golf and Conference Center 4. No. 13 – Pecan Valley Golf Club 5. No. 15 – Canyon Springs Golf Club The finishing hole at The Bandit could be worth the greens fee by itself. This hole gives numerous options from the fairway, and is very pleasing to the eye. It just might be the best hole in the Alamo City. The opener on the Resort Course at La Cantera drops downhill right off the bat, as the hole plays in between two hills. The sixth at Olympia Hills is a splendid three-shotter that bends to the right with a creek going down the left side and crossing in front of the putting surface. Trees are a major obstacle on the 13th at Pecan Valley, a stellar hole that bends left. And the 15th at Canyon Springs is a three-shot wonder that features great views of the hilly landscape. Best Practice Facilities 1. The Resort Course at La Cantera 2. The Palmer Course at La Cantera 3. Hyatt Hill Country Resort 4. The Republic Golf Club 5. The Golf Club of Texas Those honing their games at La Cantera should have no excuse for a rising handicap. Not only do these golf courses have outstanding driving ranges and short game areas, the Academy at La Cantera is directly across from the Resort Course’s driving range. There you will find indoor bays to hit from and all the latest in video instruction.