#1 Ranked in San Antonio/Austin/Hill Country Area
By Charlie Hill
The Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course at Cordillera Ranch was ranked as the No. 5 golf course in Texas in The Dallas Morning News annual ranking of Texas courses. Each year the newspaper publishes its renowned “Texas Golf” section, which ranks the top 100 courses in the state. The ranking gives Cordillera Ranch the top spot in the state among private residential golf course communities and also the No.1 ranked golf course in the San Antonio / Austin / Hill Country area.
In addition to the overall course ranking, the 16th hole at Cordillera Ranch was again voted as one of the “Most Beautiful Holes in Texas” and “Best Holes in Texas” by the panel for the fourth year in a row.
“People in the golf community look forward to The Dallas Morning News ‘Texas Golf’ publication each and every year,” said Marc DeWall, Head Golf Professional at The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch. “It is certainly one of the most comprehensive and thorough golf course rankings designated by a group of respected panelists from across the state. It is a huge honor to secure the No. 5 ranking when looking at the many great courses in our state.”
The 2012 accolades continue Cordillera Ranch’s consistent recognition as one of the state’s premier golf courses. Cordillera Ranch was also named “The Best New Course in Texas” in the 2008 “Texas Golf” section and By Charlie Hill debuted at No. 4 in 2009 and has remained in the top six every year. This year marks the 24th year that The Dallas Morning News has published “Texas Golf,” where nearly 100 panelists from across the state submit votes to determine the “Texas Golf” rankings.
“I have played a lot of golf courses around Texas, and the course at Cordillera Ranch is as good as any I’ve seen” said Drew Gillen, one of this year’s panelists and an amateur golfer from Tyler. “It’s the kind of course that is incredibly challenging but still fair. What makes it so unique is that each hole is so memorable. The natural beauty of the course makes it something special.”
Course designer Jack Nicklaus was asked what makes the Cordillera Ranch golf course so special and unique and replied, “First of all, it’s a good piece of property — no, a great piece of property.” Nicklaus also said,. “Because of the quality of the existing property, we had to move very little dirt to create good golf. The terrain had a lot of natural elements that were just terrific. There were great trees and wonderful little streams that ran through the property. And then there were some dramatic rock outcroppings that allowed us to create a lot of diversity and interesting and fun golf shots.”
It’s not just the raters that are impressed – an industry-bucking membership growth trend during the downturn is evidence that the market is in love with the Nicklaus Signature course at Cordillera Ranch as well. “In 2011 we had 51 new members join and have had net membership growth every year since and we’re proud of that accomplishment and look forward to continuing the trend and continuing to deliver unsurpassed value for our members,” said Charlie Hill, Vice President of Development and Marketing for Cordillera Ranch.
In 2009 the clubhouse facilities were completed (including the forty thousand square foot clubhouse, spa and fitness facility which opened in 2009) and with the addition of the Di Lusso Villas in 2011, the community has broadened its array of activities and the homebuilding activity in Cordillera Ranch has increased as a result. There are currently approximately 30 homes under construction in the community and another 20 in design review with the ARC.
For more info on The Dallas Morning News 2012 Texas Golf Edition go to dallasnews.com/sports/golf
