Here is a list of some of the best golf courses in the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas. If your looking for a good place for a golf vacation, golf resort, or golf stay and play, then you need to consider heading to South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley and playing some of the best golf courses in the Rio Grande Valley.
And read more about golfing in the Rio Grande Valley below the Rio Grande & South Texas Resource Guide.
Best Rio Grande Valley & South Texas Public Golf Courses |
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Llano Grande Golf Course – Mercedes, TX Texas Outside Review – Rated 7.6 Stars A fairly traditional layout that looks and plays like a links style course with some wide open fairways and water on 11 holes. Llano Grande Golf Course is a layout that’s fair for all levels of play, has a few great holes, and good conditions plus a great opportunity to turn in a low scoring round. The par 3 island green was a real surprise. |
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Los Lagos – Edinburg, TX Texas Outside Review – Rated 8.9 Stars Wow, this is one fun roller coaster ride up and down the contoured fairways with dramatic mounding, plenty of water, and lots of bunkers. A links style course with good conditions and a good value. |
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Monte Cristo Golf & Country Club – Edinburg, TX Texas Outside Review – Rated 7.6 Stars If you’re looking for a course with very reasonable rates, 5 different tee boxes, and good conditions, than make a tee time at Monte Cristo Golf & Country Club. Some say that they have “the best greens in the Valley!” The back nine is fun thanks to 4 par 3s, 3 par 5s, and 2 par 4s. |
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Palmilla Beach – Port Aransas, TX Texas Outside Review – Rated 9.2 Stars If you are anywhere near Port Aransas you need to go out of your way to play this Arnold Palmer signature course. This links style course is stunning, with lush green fairways and greens, and near perfect conditions. |
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Northshore Country Club – Portland, TX Texas Outside Review – Rated 8.4 Stars A good layout, a links style track with big bunkers and 3 outstanding holes along the bay – you’ll think you’re playing in Hawaii (ok, less the blue water, beautiful hills, pineapples, and luau). |
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Palm View Golf Course – McAllen, TX Texas Outside Review – Rated 8.3 Stars One of the best municipal courses in Texas with surprising elevation changes, some very fun and challenging holes, great rates, and lots of variety – no two holes are the same. |
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Rancho Viejo Resort El Angel – Rancho Viejo, TX Texas Outside Review – Rated 7.8 Stars Rancho Viejo Resort has two 18 hole championship courses that won’t beat you up and El Angel is the shorter and easier of the two courses with forgiving fairways, big greens, and some great par 3’s. |
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Rancho Viejo Resort El Diablo – Rancho Viejo, TX Texas Outside Review – Rated 8 Stars El Diablo translates to the “Devil” but this is not that devilish of a track – in fact, you’ll find it is a pretty straightforward layout and gives you an opportunity to have an enjoyable round. |
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Brownsville Golf Center – Brownsville, TX Texas Outside Review – Rated 7.9 The course is a par 70 and a little short at 5091 to 6144 yards (3 tee boxes) but it’s fun, has water that can come into play on every hole, and the rates are unbelievably low! The conditions have significantly improved over the last 12 months and continuing to get better. |
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River Bend Resort Golf Club – Brownsville, TX Texas Outside Review – Rated 8.6 What a pleasant surprise – great rates, good conditions, some demanding and unique holes, and a blast to play with a little bit of everything including some holes that play along the Rio Grande River. |
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Shary Municipal Golf Club – Mission, TX Texas Outside Review of 1-9 – Rated 7.9 Stars Texas Outside Review of 10-18 – Rated 7.7 Stars Shary Municipal Golf Club is home to 27 holes and each of the nines is a little different from the others. 1-9 is the shortest and easiest with 5 par 4s, 3 par 3s, and 1 par 5. But this nine also has water on 4 holes and 15 bunkers. Holes 10-18 is the hardest of the nines but still offers a good opportunity to score. Holes 19 to 27 is the original nine and it’s very traditional. |
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South Padre Island Golf Club – Laguna Vista, TX Texas Outside Review – Rated 8.6 Stars The front nine is fantastic (and the back nine is good) with some great holes along Laguna Madre Bay with views of South Padre Island. Try their Stay & Play Packages with several different lodging choices. |
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El Nino Golf Course – Palmview, TX Texas Outside Review – Rated 6 A 1285 yard, 9 hole par 3 course located in Mission West RV Park in Palmview. Tight fairways, palm and other trees, and small greens mean you need to be accurate to score well. A course where you can practice your short game. Not the best conditions but it’s only $8 which includes a pull cart. |
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Tierra Santa – Weslaco, TX Texas Outside Review – Rated 8.5 Stars Tierra Santa is an outstanding links course with mounding, swales, lots of water, huge bunkers, and big greens. The condition of the greens are one of, if not the best in the Valley. |
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Tony Butler Golf Course – Harlingen, TX Texas Outside Review – Rated 7.5 Owned and operated by the City of Harlingen, Tony Butler has 27 holes at very reasonable rates. The course leverages that natural terrain to create some pretty good holes and conditions are improving thanks to a new head pro and superintendent. |
| Treasure Hills Golf Club – Harlingen, TX
Texas Outside Review – Rated 8.5 |
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Best Rio Grande Valley & South Texas Private Golf Courses |
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| Cimarron Country Club – Mission, TX
Texas Outside Reveiw – Rated 9.1 |
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Harlingen Country Club – Harlingen, TX Texas Outside Review – Rated 8.7 Stars Generally regarded as having the best conditions in the Rio Grande Valley (we agree), Harlingen Country Club is a fair and fun course to play with it’s wide tree lined fairways, water on 11 holes, 6 dog legs, 20 bunkers, and some big greens. |
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McAllen Country Club – McAllen, TX Texas Outside Review – Rated 8.5 Stars An older very traditional and straightforward and short Parkland style layout with tight tree lined fairways and some very small and challenging greens. Conditions from tee box to green are very good and the course is well maintained and landscaped – a relaxing round with an opportunity to score! |
Rio Grande Valley & South Texas Resource Guide
Rio Grande Valley & South Texas Resource Guide |
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| Playing Golf In The Rain | A unique experience playing golf in the rain in the Rio Grande Valley |
| The Winter Texan Connection | Some good information for Winter Texans |
| Rio Grande Valley & South Texas Golf Map | Quickly find a good golf course to play |
| Rancho Viejo Resort Stay & Play Review | Great stay and play options and 36 holes of golf plus a good restaurant |
| South Padre Island Golf Club Stay & Play Review | A fun and challenging course, a variety of lodging, and close to the Island |
| South Texas Golf Course Map | Find a golf course to play in South Texas |
| Rio Grande Valley RV Resorts | The Valley is filled with huge RV resorts – use this map to find some and read our reviews |
| Ten Fun Things To Do On South Padre Island | Ten fun things to see and do on South Padre Island |
| Fun Vacation on South Padre Island | Read about all the fun things we did during our 6 days on the Island |
Nothing worse that planning a golf vacation, spending all that money, and not getting to play thanks to some bad weather. That’s not the case in the Rio Grande Valley, in fact a National Golf Foundation poll concluded that the Rio Grande Valley has more playable days of golf per year than anywhere else in the United States – less than 25 days a year are lost! The summers are a tad warm but winter is a perfect time to spend time golfing in the Valley – moderate temperatures that average in the high 60’s and 70’s.
The weather is nice and an important factor for a golf vacation or golf stay and play, but the option to play a number of courses during your stay should be equally important. And you don’t want it to cost you an arm and a leg for each round. Again, the Rio Grande Valley meets the bill with a choice of playing over 20 courses and at very reasonable rates. If fact, we were shocked at the quality of the courses and rates ranging from $20 to $60 in January 2011 and much less if you walk, are a senior, play during the week, or find a coupon!
We visited South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley in late December 2010 to check out a few courses, some stay & plays, and what else there is to do in the area. We ask a number of head pros and directors of golf which were the best public courses to play and the recommendations were consistent. All of the pros we talked to recommended the following courses as some of the best golf courses in the Rio Grande Valley: Tierra Santa, South Padre Island, Rancho Viejo, Palm View, River Bend, Treasure Hills, and Los Lagos.
Author: Mike Sharp
I have a passion for travel and outdoor activities, and now I'm enjoying retired life. I will continue my traveling, golfing, boating, and enjoying life all across the great state of Texas.