Austin Country Club

Austin Country Club is the oldest country club in Texas, established in 1899. The club has occupied three different locations over its long history. The current Pete Dye-designed course, the club's third home, opened in 1984 on a stunning property along the bluffs of Lake Austin and the Colorado River, near the iconic Pennybacker Bridge.

Pete Dye and his wife Alice Dye designed the course, which is most famously associated with Harvey Penick, the legendary golf instructor who taught at Austin Country Club for over 50 years. Penick's pupils included Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite, both of whom became major champions.

Austin Country Club hosted the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play from 2016 through 2023, bringing the world's top players to the layout annually. The match play format proved ideal for Dye's risk-reward design, consistently producing dramatic finishes. The course underwent a renovation in 2015 to prepare for PGA Tour competition.

Austin Country Club is a Pete Dye design perched on dramatic bluffs overlooking Lake Austin and the Texas Hill Country. The par-72 course plays to 7,171 yards from the tips with a rating of 75.2 and slope of 152. The opening holes play along the lake in a links-style setting before the course moves into the Hill Country with canyons, ravines, and significant elevation changes.

The Dye design features his trademark railroad ties, pot bunkers, and demanding green complexes. Conditioning is excellent year-round.

Austin Country Club rewards strategic thinking over raw power. Many holes present tempting shortcuts that Dye has defended with deep bunkers, water, and severe slopes. Playing to the correct position off the tee is essential, particularly on the lakeside holes where wind is a factor.

The greens are firm and contoured. Missing on the wrong side leaves difficult up-and-down situations. Hole 4 is a prime example where the risk-reward equation must be carefully calculated.