Most golf courses, but not all, have signature holes, a hole where challenging meets aesthetic beauty. Most of these lean more toward scenery and difficulty, but they can certainly have a mixture of both.

Today, we begin a three-part series looking at some of the amazing signature holes across the Rio Grande Valley.

Champion Lakes, McAllen

Before you even get to the golf course at Champion Lakes, there’s a hard-to-hide signature stop.

“The driving range here is amazing,” Golf Director Carlos Espinosa said. “You won’t find many driving ranges of this size and quality that are open to the public in the United States. I honestly, don’t know if there are any.”

The range is 130 yards in length by 52 yards in width. It’s open from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. seven days a week.

“It’s a monster,” Espinosa said. “It almost looks like a football field.”

There are some times when the range will carry as many people as the course. You could actually spend an entire day at the range, or on the putting/chipping green and in the clubhouse for a signature Champion Lakes hamburger and fries, or anything else on their menu, and never get to the golf course (or have moments of golf rage).

If you do take a trip to play 18, 340-yard par-4 No. 10 is a gem that will challenge golfers from the tee, more from the approach and finally on the putt, if you’re lucky enough to get on the green in two.

It’s a hole that, no matter what your score is, will scorch itself into your memory.

“The way the wind blows, the way the green slopes, and with the lake in front of the green – a small green, it makes it very difficult,” Espinosa said. “It’s very hidden.”

The key to the hole is to get a good tee shot that lands between 120-130 yards from the green. However, it’s not the tee shot that’s difficult – comparatively speaking – it’s the next one.”

“That’s where the challenge begins,” Espinosa said. “The wind can be up and down there. Then if you come up short on the green – you can go five or six yards past the water, but the way the green is sloped, it will trickle back and could end up in the water, just like at Augusta.”

Alamo Country Club

Once considered the ultimate hidden gem throughout the entire Rio Grande Valley, Alamo Country Club is a place everyone needs to play, whether in a tournament, as a resident or on the golf course.

The holes are challenging, more so than one would think. The traps and other “dangers” have been carefully put in places where clearly the designers were thinking about the golfers (and envisioning the looks of anger and frustration). There are some scenic holes – the more scenic, the more difficult, and you might walk in not knowing anybody and leave as a family member. That might be the greatest gem of all the gems at ACC, the people.

Whether you are arriving or leaving, chances are you will see dozens of people milling about ACC’s beautiful pool and outdoor patio. They’ll be eating food, having some adult beverages and chatting up a storm. At first, you may not consider that a precious gem, but it won’t take long to realize that there are countless numbers of friendships and family-like bonds that have been formed under the roof of the patio or in the depths of the pool. It makes ACC a true gem.

Los Lagos Golf Club, Edinburg

If wind could be a signature hole, then give Los Lagos 18 of them.

Can “wind” be a gem? Los Lagos is a true gem in the Valley. Its design and strategically placed moguls, sand traps and oceans of water, just add to what can be a really frustrating, or super exciting, round of golf.

The 530-yard par-5 No. 8, however, stands out as a signature hole. Of course, it’s well protected like a fort with water on the right, rolling hills on the left and water on the back side of the green (and let’s not forget the wind). What makes this hole great is that you may have played 17 holes of terrible golf, but here’s your moment to shine.

The course is wonderfully challenging and “delightfully” windy (again, trying to turn the wind into a gem). Los Lagos has beautiful rolling hills, like those in the countryside in Verona, Italy, leaning fairways and holes that will give you plenty of options on how you want to reach the green.

It’s overall beauty – those moguls are fun – and almost impossible – to avoid. They stand there in front of you, hiding your view from the hole and daring you to just hit it over them – you can hear them snickering.

Don’t let its beauty lull you into a false sense of security, this course is one of the most enjoyable courses in the Rio Grande Valley. You hit a great shot here – truly a precious gem, maybe one of the great, you will remember it.

Tierra del Sol, Pharr

Almost a decade ago, Tierra del Sol put close to a million dollars of work into their golf course. Since then, many of the holes can be considered signature holes, with shiny new greens, new cart paths and several renovated tee boxes.

Of course, their breakfast tacos shine brighter than just about anything and we’re good with that. (Hey! A person must eat!)

But there’s also something neat about coming up No. 18 with the majestic colonial-looking clubhouse on top of a minor hill that puts a great finishing touch on the day. It’s a straight, long and narrow hole with trees on both sides lining the fairway. The hole is set up to give you a breath of fresh air but make one mistake on the way to it and you’re strangling yourself.

That’s a whole lot to think about on an opening hole – but it’s worth every minute of it.

Shary Municipal Golf Course, Mission

First impressions can go a long way. No course in the Valley proves this theory better than Shary Municipal Golf Course and its No. 1 hole.

The course itself – the first 18 of the 27 holes – plays just over 5,900 yards and it welcomes you with a tough 475-yard late dogleg right par-5.

To beat this hole, you need to land your drive about 300 yards dead straight, or a smidgen to the right. This will lose your approach shot out of harm’s way from a big welcoming sand trap on the front right or the humongous ball-eating tree. This hole is a brain stimulator.

You won’t recognize these greens now. The staff at Shary is a true gem. They have worked for years on constant upgrades and, when it seemed that this public course wasn’t going to have any more relevance to its community, it sprang to life, a resurrection and rebirth. Instead of giving up, they just gave.

Monte Cristo Golf and Country Club

Take a drive up Highway 281 and golfers can find a little gem off the beaten path with Monte Cristo Golf and Country Club. It can be a home away from home - foliage and scenic views lulls you into a sense of being on a front porch with a delicious pitcher of homemade lemonade… ahhh, relaxing.

Because it sits away from the hustle and bustle, Monte Cristo is also a course where wildlife such as deer, rabbits, rare birds and butterflies can be seen running around also enjoying the course and its vegetation, water and trees. It pulls you away from the intensity of golf – which can be both a good and bad thing.

The course’s signature hole is a gorgeous par-3 island hole that plays just 128 yards from the white tees. The landing area isn’t exceptionally large, but it is big enough from that distance to not have to have a perfect tee shot. The biggest concern – like at all the courses in South Texas – is how much wind you will be facing – of course along with the fact that the hole is surrounded by water – thus the term “island” hole.

Nestled away at 2919 N. Kenyon Road in Edinburg, the course is a 5,373-yard 18-hole course that can be the perfect challenge for golfers of any sort. Being a little removed from the hustle and bustle is always a great experience.