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, this is the last part in our three-part series looking at some of the amazing signature holes across the Rio Grande Valley
Tierra Santa Golf Club, Weslaco
Courses have their signature holes and golfers have their signature holes – sometimes the two don’t match. That usually has something to do with what score you’re penciling in. The No. 14 par-5 at Tierra Santa can leave you breathless, literally. No matter how you do on this hole, it’s one you’re going to remember.
As the signature hole of the gorgeous and well-maintained course, it stretches from the tips for 610 yards. Lucky for you there are several sets of tips to go from. Still, you want to hit your drive a good 260, which leaves your second shot into the slight dogleg right another full swing away.
There’s a lake on the right side and bunkers surrounding the green. It’s one of several holes that this course will make you use a handful of the clubs in your bag. Of course, hitting from different tees just brings different challenges, but that’s what makes this hole so special.
Treasure Hills Golf Club, Harlingen
Treasure Hills is just a different challenge. The par-72, 18-hole course not only has one of the most unique layouts in the Valley it has had booming growth periods in recent years.
Playing at 6,960 from the tips, Treasure Hills is one of the last designs of Robert Trent Jones’ amazing career. Jones was a British American golf course architect who designed – or re-designed – more than 500 golf courses in 45 U.S. states and 35 countries, according to his website. In reference to this, Jones took pride in saying, "The sun never sets on a Robert Trent Jones golf course."
That statement couldn’t fit Treasure Hills any better. For years, rumors flew that the course was going to be shut down, not being able to find any buyers.
There are terrain elevation changes, plenty of doglegs, water hazards, 35 bunkers and usually a breeze. It's a fair golf course that rewards a little course management. There are doglegs, elevated greens and a couple of tight spots, though most of the fairways are fairly wide. The back nine might be a little tougher with water on five of the holes. Each hole is extremely unique and brings plenty of challenges. This is a course where you need to think. Hope you’re ok with that.
Stuart Place Golf Course, Harlingen
Stuart Place, the one-time unknown course – is similar in its meteoric rise to Buster Douglas – remember him? The guy who knocked out the then-invincible Mike Tyson – again showed what paying attention to the details can mean by dominating the votes.
This quaint 9-hole par-three course may be small in size, but it wears an Underdog cape when it comes to golf in South Texas. It has become a legend for its growing popularity, tougher than most people think layout and just plain Texas friendliness.
It’s small but its holes are well designed, and it will make you wonder why you took it for granted before you pulled in. It’ll bite.
Harlingen Country Club
Harlingen Country Club first opened its doors in 1949 and its member-owned hacienda style clubhouse and course, which was designed in 1965 by Dave Bennett and Leon Howard, just fits like a glove. It is the epitome of country club living and the course has a personality that is eloquently South Texas.
The course has faced major blows, moving to its current location in 1970 on property that previously was Harlingen Airport. Hurricane Dolly then delivered a “crushing blow” to the clubhouse, but the membership used it as an opportunity to create more and better, opening their new clubhouse in October 2010.
There’s comfort and peace on, off and in the facilities, which include the 18-hole course, driving range, putting and chipping greens. The large, majestic trees and layout have class and history written into them.
The course ranges from 6,541 yards from the black tips to 5,035 from the ladies. The white markers snug in between at 5,625 yards.
Tony Butler Golf Course, Harlingen
This course is a jewel of golf history and a glowing gem for golfers of all levels and experience since its recent renovations and upgrades.
The municipal course doesn’t, however, just rest on its laurels. It’s now resting (not really) on all of the work it has done to improve the highly popular course. All 27 holes are once again open for play. You may not recognize it as what you once knew.
Butler, a PGA champion from Ganado, Texas brought some of the greatest golfers to the Valley for tournaments during the Great Depression. He was known for his use of the 4-wood, which he would sometimes play entire rounds using only that club. We just don’t recommend you try that unless you’re in the mood for a super challenge and want to be a part of the mystic lore of the course.
It’s a place where golfers will always be able to reminisce about the past while making new memories. It has a unique design and is truly a gem – historically and playing wise, among not just mid-valley courses, but among all of the courses in South Texas.
Recently, only five of 120 golfers who played in a tournament there hit the green on one of their signature holes (officials have not gone out to rate the holes since re-opening but they will be soon), the No. 6, par-3 gem that plays just 210 from the tips.
No. 16 might be the most challenging and talked about holes. It’s a par-4 that’s unofficially known as the gamble hole. The green has a hop (tiny hill or mound) in the middle and if you land on the left side of the green, the putt is reminiscent of a putt putt hole, so accuracy is a must. The hole is also surrounded by three sand traps about 20 yards from the green so accuracy and knowing your distances is critical.
Raymondville Municipal Golf Course
Raymondville Municipal Golf Course is a nice and flat 9-hole course.
But don’t misunderstand. It’s not a par-3 course. “It has par-4s and 5s.”
The clubhouse was recently renovated and the course plays about 3,000 yards from the whites, then around 3,200 from the blues and it has just a couple of lakes.
Two of those lakes come into play on the No. 9 par-3 that plays 157 yards. They don’t come into play, however, if you get your ball over them. Still, lakes are known as ball eaters so choose your club wisely.
The club has been discussing upgrades including a sprinkler system and redoing the greens but has no definite dates on when either might begin construction.
