Straits & Irish Courses

A throwback to the raw freshness of Ireland sculpted into the Wisconsin coastline, Whistling Straits offers two courses which have hosted the PGA Championship, U.S. Senior Open and the Palmer Cup. Experience these two must-play courses - both ranked among the best in the United States.

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Ecological Experiment Underway at Cottonwood Creek Course in Texas

An ecological experiment is aiming to re-establish prairie vegetation at the Cottonwood Creek Golf Course in Waco, Texas.

Representatives from the US Golf Association and the city of Waco are working alongside Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and ecologists from Baylor University to establish 30 stands of prairie vegetation of rough.

Jim Moore of the US Golf Association oversaw the fitting of GPS devices to hundreds of golfers at Cottonwood Creek to determine which areas of the course were covered by foot infrequently enough to be converted to prairie vegetation. The results found large areas of land that in the main were not ventured onto by golfers.

The prairie sections will require minimal maintenance, only requiring mowing once a year and no watering, and will be planted with sideoats grama, Indiangrass, firewheel, bluebonnets, coreopsis and little bluestem, which should attract the local wildlife.

It is hoped that the techniques established at Cottonwood Creek can be replicated at other similar sites.

“We want to lead the way,” golf course superintendent JD Franz told the Waco Tribune. “We want to show that we’re trying as much as we can to conserve water. People might come out and say, ‘I like this kind of native landscape.’ ”

Other work at Cottonwood Creek will see the installation of a new irrigation system on the course’s tee boxes. This will reduce the area of irrigated hybrid bermudagrass, saving around eight million gallons of water annually, equating to a tenth of Cottonwood’s total water use.

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Cordillera Ranch

Cordillera Ranch, the private community outside San Antonio near historic Boerne - announces its Jack Nicklaus Signature Course ranks in the top 50 "Best Residential Courses" in the U.S. by Golfweek.

Placed 46th among 100 courses in the 2014 edition, the property's sole course stands in elite company alongside some of the most exclusive layouts in the world.

The residential rankings originate from Golfweek's annual compilation of America's Best Courses, published since 1997. More than 350 raters throughout the country evaluate courses on the basis of 10 criteria, providing a final score calculated through a statistically rigorous process. The news was released in the publication's annual "Ultimate Guide" to subscribers this week.

"To be counted as one the nation's best private courses is humbling," says Charlie Hill, Vice President of Development of Cordillera Ranch. "Our members and staff take great pride in quality conditioning and the course's overall playability, and it's edifying to have those key factors recognized."

Opened in 2006, the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Cordillera Ranch is set on pristine land in Texas Hill Country, meandering through valleys and oak-covered terrain. Many holes offer views of the Guadalupe River Valley and feature tough bunker placements, cascading waterfalls, limestone canyons and risk-reward shots.

Nearly 400 full golf members enjoy unlimited access to the course in the year-round. Many find its Zeon Zoysia fairway turf - the same to be used on the 2016 Olympic Games course - to be among the most player-friendly strains in the country.

The 8,700-acre private community was also recognized in the guide for its attractiveness to families, based on its breadth of home/lot options and wealth of on-site outdoor activities.

In addition to golf, the Clubs of Cordillera Ranch highlight six other lifestyle amenities on property including Tennis & Swim, Spa & Athletic, Social, Equestrian, Rod & Gun and River. Membership options exist for both residents and non-residents.

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