Harlingen Country Club

Review of Harlingen Country Club Golf Course

Harlingen Country Club was established in 1946 and the golf course, designed by Leon Howard, opened in 1969.  Over the years the Harlingen Country Club Golf Course has gained a solid reputation as having the best conditions in the Rio Grande Valley – based on the courses we’ve played in the Valley, we would agree.  The course is well maintained and manicured, the conditions from the tee box to the cup are excellent, and the landscaping enhances the golfing experience.

The course is fairly straight forward and traditional with flat tree lined fairways, water on 11 holes, 20 greenside bunkers, and several dog legs (a couple of which offer great risk reward opportunities), both left and right.  On the front nine of Harlingen Country Club most of the holes are side by side but the separation between the fairways thanks to the trees, wide roughs, or water means that you don’t get that crowded feeling and you really need to spray the ball to land in the adjacent fairway.  The back nine meanders through a nice community of homes without as many side by side holes. 

In addition to very good conditions, Harlingen Country Club has some great holes.  A few that we really liked included:

• #4 is a great 181 par three with two bodies of water to carry to a raised green with a big bunker on the right side
• #6 is a short “go for the green” par 4 at 336 yards but it dog legs left, has water on the left side, and a very challenging oval green with bowl shaped slope which may make par a little tough
• #13 is a 382 yard par 4 that has a lot to contend with – a dog leg right, trees, a ditch, and a raised green
• On #16, a 400 yard par 4, you need to watch out for water that cuts into and almost all the way across the fairway about 120 yards from the green

The fairways at Harlingen Country Club range from ample to a little tight and all are flat and tree lined and a lot of them are lined by some nice homes that could come into play.  If you miss the fairway, the rough is also wide and playable and from under the trees it’s easy to get back to the fairway.  When we played both the rough and fairway were in excellent condition and a joy to hit from.

The greens are about average size and most are oval with some slope and contour, particularity around the perimeter of the green.  They were in excellent condition, ran true and fast at around 11, and held the ball well.  Most are slightly raised.

Like the rest of the course, the bunkers at Harlingen Country Club were perfect – well manicured with soft fluffy and thick sand.  Most are average size and all 20 are guarding the greens – no fairway bunkers.  The lips are manageable but don’t expect to roll out.

Bottom line – traditional and straightforward with excellent conditions and provides a relaxing and enjoyable round with an opportunity to turn in a good score.