Introduction
Among the four courses at Horseshoe Bay Resort in Texas, Summit Rock Golf Course is unique. Not only is it the one course designed by Jack Nicklaus – the other three were designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr – it’s also a private course. We had the opportunity to check it out on our recent visit, and I’d encourage you to get friendly with a member so that you can, too.
Practice Facilities
The practice facilities at Summit Rock Golf Course surround the first tee. As you drive up from the pro shop, you’ll see the putting green on your left and the short game area on your right. Keep going past the first tee and you’ll find the driving range. The range is huge – easily big enough to accommodate a couple dozen golfers – but my favorite part is the short game area. There’s room to practice a thirty yard pitch and enough movement in the green to set up a variety of situations.
Customer Service & Amenities
The staff throughout Horseshoe Bay Resort is excellent, but at Summit Rock Golf Course things get kicked up a notch. I can offer a (now amusing) anecdote as evidence. While taking the pictures for this review, I got my drone stuck in a tree. I called the clubhouse and someone was out on the hole with us in minutes. After assessing the situation, they returned to the clubhouse to get some rope, came back to our group, and we successfully recovered the drone. If that’s not going above (literally) and beyond, I don’t know what is. On a more normal note, there is no beverage cart: you simply call the clubhouse and they’ll bring refreshments directly to you.
You probably won’t need to make that call because of the building shown above. This is one of the two comfort stations on the course, and they are packed to the gills with every snack and drink you could want – Uncrustables, gummy bears, Chex mix, chips, trail mix, and more.
During our visit, the clubhouse at Summit Rock Golf Course was still under construction. The course was being run out of a smaller building that also served as the cart barn. Honestly, I found the cozy pro shop to be charming, but I’m sure the new, modern clubhouse will be a palace.
For a full feature on Horseshoe Bay Resort, click HERE.
Beauty & Scenery
Summit Rock Golf Course is aptly named, with most of its holes played at substantial elevation. This sets up long views of the surrounding Texas Hill Country.
While the elevation changes are a theme throughout all of the courses at Horseshoe Bay Resort, Summit Rock has a different aesthetic. This course has elements of desert golf with cactus, wispy grasses, and tree lines that are more sparse than at the other courses. Overall, I think it’s the most visually striking of the four courses at Horseshoe Bay Resort.
Tee Shots
Everything about playing Summit Rock Golf Course is dramatically different than the other courses at Horseshoe Bay Resort, and that starts on the tee. Jack Nicklaus gives golfers fairways that are average to wide with varying amount of light rough on either side. However, if you go outside of those boundaries, your ball is lost. The tall grass and tree lines are all red staked. I refer to this style as “wide to dead”: there is definitely ample width, but there is no leniency outside of the intended landing areas.
The width of these fairways creates a challenge in that golfers are forced to define their own target. On courses like Ram Rock [review HERE], the hole offers clear guidance on where to play. With these massive corridors of short grass, it’s easy to walk up to the tee thinking you can hit it anywhere and then hit a shot OB.
Beyond the width, the defining characteristic of Summit Rock’s tee shots is the tilt of the fairways. Many holes slope dramatically from right to left or left to right. Since these fairways do run out, taking the slopes into account is critical. You can easily land a draw in the middle of a right-to-left sloping fairway and have it end up out of bounds. On the positive side, you can use these tilts to add a lot of distance to your drives.
Summit Rock Golf Course plays anywhere from 7,246 yards to 4,967 yards. There are four physical sets of tees and three combo sets for a total of seven playing lengths. We felt that the elevation changes roughly cancelled out, so you can pick whatever number you normally play. If you choose an appropriate distance, you’ll find that many of the fairway bunkers are purely aesthetic.
Approach Shots
Those aforementioned fairway tilts are one of the biggest challenges you’ll face when attempting your approach shots at Summit Rock Golf Course. Throughout the round, you’ll face everything from a lie with the ball slightly above or below your feet to a shot that feels more like hitting a baseball off a tee. Find a way to practice these unusual shots before your round or you’ll be writing down some unusual numbers.
The greens at Summit Rock Golf Course are the largest at Horseshoe Bay Resort, ranging from average to quite large. Their primary defense, like at Apple Rock [review HERE], is an array of strategically placed bunkers. The bunkers here tend to be fairly large and deep, often placing golfers below the level of the green. If you can’t play a high, soft sand shot, do everything you can to avoid these traps.
While the bunkers can make the approach shots at Summit Rock look intimidating, Jack Nicklaus provides golfers with a safe play on almost every approach. The hole above, for example, lets golfers miss left with very little penalty. There are even instances – like on the par 3 6th hole – where missing the green in the right spot is the best play thanks to the friendly surrounds. If you carefully plan your way around the course, your round can be largely stress-free.
Greens & Surrounds
If you keep your ball on grass, there is not a huge penalty for missing the green at Summit Rock Golf Course. Like the other HSB courses, the rough is very short. You can putt through it in most cases. There are not many humps or hollows in the surrounds, so you just need to avoid the areas that are dramatically below the level of the green.
The Bermuda grass putting surfaces are tough to master. They’re quick, and the movements are subtle. A long putt can move in multiple directions, and we saw numerous putts look good until the very end. To make many long putts at Summit Rock Golf Course, you need to study the green carefully and roll the ball with precision.
Overall Design
It would be easy to walk off of Summit Rock Golf Course and think, “That course is really tough.” There were definitely holes that made me feel that way. However, the more I reflect on the round, the more I realize that it’s a course that gives the player a lot of opportunities. More than a “tough” course, I would label it a “thinking golfer’s” course.
Another way to describe Summit Rock would be “easy par, tough birdie” (or “easy bogey, tough par” depending on your ability). The course gives you a lot of places to miss, you just need to recognize them and take advantage. If you think you can force your way around the course, you’ll take a beating without your A game. However, a strategic player with average skills can have a relatively relaxing time.
Favorite Holes
#7 – Par 4 – 323 Yards
This looks like a risk/reward short par 4, but there’s actually no choice off the tee. Between the bunkers and the way the fairway drops then rises, there is no reason to do anything other than challenge the green with your drive. Precise (or lucky) players can try to feed their drive between the trees onto the putting surface. There’s ample room to play to the left, but you need to get past the trees to have a clean look at the green.
#11 – Par 5 – 498 Yards
Playing substantially downhill and only 431 yards from the tournament tees, this seems like a definite eagle opportunity. However, the tilt of the fairway makes it so that only the longest hitters get much extra roll on their tee shot. If the pin is on the left side of the green, an eagle might be in play, but attacking a right side pin invites real trouble.
#13 – Par 4 – 347 Yards
This is the mirror image of #7 – a shorter hole that takes driver out of your hands. Hit a mid iron down the hill into the moderately sized fairway. If you don’t focus on this shot, you can easily lose a ball in the waste areas short and right. Your second shot plays to a wide, thin green that sits at an awkward angle. This seemingly easy par is anything but.
Conclusion
Summit Rock Golf Course provides a great contrast with Apple Rock, Ram Rock, and Slick Rock [review HERE]. It has a unique look and a playing style that sets it apart from the Robert Trent Jones designs. This course is home to some of the most memorable and challenging holes on the property. Teeing it up here is an opportunity you do not want to pass up.
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