Avery Ranch Brings the Goods and the Golf

Allen McDougall standing bag pendant Runner Up at 2009 TexasOn land chockfull of history, this highly ranked course is more than just a pretty face

By Steve Habel
Special to The Golfers Guide

Even though Avery Ranch Golf Club is just seven years old, the course has received a certain level of notoriety beyond its years. Various publications have lauded Avery Ranch for its suburb course conditions, its clubhouse, its dining area, its overall design and even for its cart girls.

And all the kudos are well earned. Avery Ranch is a 7,121-yard championship daily fee course set on 226 acres and offering five tee placements that will challenge the low-hand-icapper while creating an enjoyable golfing experience for all levels of players.

The course’s architect, Andy Raugust – who worked with Jack Nicklaus for several years including the design of the spectacular Cabo Del Sol in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico – has blended panoramic vistas and gentle rolling hills with oak-lined fairways and a 60-acre lake.

Located just 20 minutes northwest of downtown Austin, this land has been trod by various Native American tribes as well as infamous bank robbers. It’s easy to see what attracted so many to the site as the land and scenery of Avery Ranch provide some captivating views of the Texas Hill Country. There was only one real stepping hurdle in designing the course: the site is fraught with limestone.

“We had to blast the rock and remove some trees to balance everything out,” Raugust said. “But the trees were spaced out pretty well throughout the course, and we really didn’t have to do much alteration to the land.”

The 377-yard par-4 opening hole features an inlet of Brushy Creek, rolling hills and plenty of trees. Off the tee you must clear the creek below and stay in between the trees, which line both sides of the fairway, and almost every other fairway on the course.

On No. 5, a downhill dogleg-left par-5 of 597 yards and the longest hole on the course, position is the key to success. Raugust incorporated a waterfall into the design of the hole near the green, which adds to the splendor and makes it one of several signature hole candidates.

The par-4 seventh is as scenic as it is challenging. It’s relatively short (397 yards) with a hard dogleg-left that features a carry off the tee box as well as one to the green, the latter of which is one of the more spectacular shots on the course. The approach features a view of the two-tiered green that includes several bunkers in front and to the right, native cacti behind and a large manmade rock wall in front.

The 13th requires precision but also rewards great shotmaking and is one of the course’s best holes because of its impressive setup. This 161-yard, par-3 is guarded by water the entire length of the hole on the right, includes a canopy of towering oaks around the back and features a 20-foot dropoff to the right of the green.

Nos. 14 (at 517 yards) and 15 (at 577 yards) are back-to-back par-5s that offer a great chance to score. That’s important – as Avery Ranch’s final three holes will make or break your round.

The 332-yard 16th might be reached with the perfect tee shot, but players must beware of the deep bunker short of the green and another all along the left side of the putting surface. No. 17 is a salty, all-carry-over-water, 186 yard par-3 with a pitched shallow green that sits between two deep sand bunkers. Then the 477-yard uphill, then downhill 477-yard par-4 18th requires two great shots to reach the putting surface in regulation and to leave the course with a little smile on your face.