AT&T Canyons Course at TPC San Antonio

TPC San Antonio opened for play in 2010 and is home to two awesome courses – AT&T Oaks and AT&T Canyons.  Both courses are fantastic and each has it's own personality and unique characteristics.  The AT&T Canyons Course, designed by Pete Dye, is more player friendly and generous off the tee box and it includes several elevation changes, plenty of bunkers, challenging greens, scenic panoramic vistas, and native areas that are very penalizing. 

The Greg Norman designed the AT &T Oaks Course which is 6 to 10 strokes harder and 300 yards longer from the tips and it is characterized by very steep and deep penalizing bunkers, complex greens, and much narrower tree lined fairways.  Read our review of the AT&T Oaks Course to learn more about this outstanding track. 

Both courses:

• were elegantly carved out of tree covered and rocky San Antonio Hill Country terrain
• were built with the environment in mind and included closed loop irrigation systems that recycle their own rain water
• provide a memorable golf experience with plenty of hazards, risk reward opportunities, and tests for polished players
• have sweeping vistas of the Hill Country or seclusion among thick tree lined fairways and exposed rock – a priceless escape from reality
• have plush rolling fairways and smallish greens that are well protected by deep devilish bunkers
• will challenge your putting skills thanks to plenty of slope, undulation, and subtle breaks
• are in a pristine natural hill country setting boarded by a nature preserve with no homes anywhere near the course
• offer near perfect conditions, excellent facilities, and service that is unmatched.  

The At&T Canyons Course is a hill country style course with wider and more generous fairways and bunkers that are not as deep and steep faced, which is not typical for a Pete Dye created course. But plenty of danger still exists to make for a challenging and exciting round – you'll find dramatic elevation changes, forced carries over Grand Canyon like ravines, and lots of pesky need-to-avoid fairway bunkers.

Club selection is key to scoring well on this 18 because of a lot of downhill shots, gargantuan ravines, 115 bunkers, and rolling fairways that were elegantly carved out of the tree covered and rocky Hill Country terrain just north of San Antonio.  While the AT&T Oaks course is tree lined, the AT&T Canyons is more wide open and offers panoramic views of the the Hill Country and a 750 acre nature preserve resting adjacent to the course. It's refreshing to play with no homes within sight – it just you and nature.  In fact, the course's motto is "True to Nature, True to Golf!"

Some of the memorable holes include:

• #6 is a 565 yard dog leg right roller coaster ride with a blind shot and 6 fairway bunkers leading to an uphill well guarded green
• #8 is the highest point on the course and it feels like being on the top of Texas with 360 degree panoramic views of the wildlife sanctuary, the JW Marriott Resort, and the surrounding Hill Country
• #10 is a 400 yard par four offering a great view and a dog leg right with a risk reward opportunity to the downhill green
• #12 is a 532 yard climb uphill to a well guarded green
• #17 has  big carry over a ravine from an dramatic elevated tee box then back up hill to an elevated green
• #18 is a fantastic finishing hole with 15 bunkers,

The fairways are resort friendly and forgiving off the tee box and are in nearly perfect condition.  Most of the fairways are rolling and contoured.  The first cut is playable but miss it and you're lost in the native areas.

The 115 bunkers and complex greens help define the AT&T Oaks Course and make it very challenging.  The bunkers are all shapes and sizes with soft deep sand.  Some are steep and deep and most are strategically placed – I left the course with plenty of their sand in my hair, ears, and shoes.

The greens are still maturing and don't hold well yet and a bump and run strategy works well.  Once on the greens, which seem smaller than normal, you'll need to quickly figure out how to manage the speed (10 to 11), the slope, and undulation if you want to one or two putt.  The fringe around the greens is large and smooth and in most cases puttable. 

The TPC San Antonio AT&T Oaks Course is a fantastic track and a must play.  It's a tad pricey but you only live once and you won't be disappointed about spending the money.  You'll also need to stay at the JW Marriott Resort and Spa if you want to play this course.  The Marriott is also a first class resort – read our review of the JW Marriott Stay & Play to learn more.