Introduction
Ram Rock Golf Course at Horseshoe Bay Resort in Austin, Texas is known by some as “The Challenger”. During our visit, every staff member proudly told us that it was the toughest of their four courses. While the Plugged In Golf team found no reason to disagree with their assessment, Ram Rock is a lot more than a tough golf course: it’s one of the best, most enjoyable Robert Trent Jones designs that we’ve played.
Practice Facilities
Ram Rock Golf Course shares a site and practice facilities with another RTJ design, Apple Rock [review HERE]. The practice facilities are extensive, easily large enough to occupy the dozens of golfers that play the two courses.
Steps from the clubhouse and the starter’s hut is the expansive driving range. It features two enormous tiers of grass hitting areas and a strip of artificial turf for warming up when the grass is unplayable. This all looks down on numerous target greens. I typically prefer a flatter driving range to accurately gauge my distances, but, given the extreme elevation changes on these courses, a downhill range makes sense here. At the other end of the range, you can see the Golf Academy at Horseshoe Bay.
If you need to warm up your short game, that’s covered, too. There are two putting greens – one on either side of the clubhouse – and both are large enough for at least half a dozen golfers. Additionally, there’s a short game area with two target greens and a bunker. This area also features the elevation changes you’ll see on the course, which is very helpful.
Customer Service & Amenities
The most critical amenity at Ram Rock Golf Course is the excellent on-cart GPS system. Given the amount of elevation and doglegs, you need to be able to “see” around the corners and know your distances if you’re going to score well. These systems also have excellent green maps so you can putt like a local.
In the pro shop, you’ll find a heaping selection of soft goods bearing the Horseshoe Bay Resort logo. On the course, a beverage cart will keep you hydrated, but save your appetite for a post-round stop at Cap Rock Cabana. Situated in a massive rock outcropping with elevated views of a pool and the courses, this is a beautiful spot to sit and recap your round with a drink and a sandwich.
The staff at Horseshoe Bay Resort is warm and helpful, living up to the reputation of southern hospitality. Every starter we encountered gave us an enthusiastic scouting report on the course ahead. Staff throughout the resort were happy to answer our questions and accommodate any request.
Horseshoe Bay Resort has a host of non-golf amenities, and I will cover them in detail in a travel feature, coming soon.
Beauty & Scenery
Ram Rock Golf Course is a gorgeous piece of the Texas Hill Country, showing off a mix of elevation changes, water, and plant life. Between the natural elements and the intrigue of the Robert Trent Jones design, your eye will constantly occupied. Just make sure to balance your appreciation of the natural beauty with careful assessment of the hazards on the course.
Tee Shots
Opening up the scorecard, I was surprised to see that the toughest course at Horseshoe Bay Resort tops out at “only” 6,884 yards. After a closer look and a trip around the course, I understood why that number isn’t bigger. First, the course plays to par 71. More importantly, the elevation on the course adds tremendous yardage. Yes, there are several downhill tee shots, but, on balance, the elevation at Ram Rock Golf Course adds significant yardage.
On the other end of the spectrum, the “Tee It Forward” tees are 3,873 yards. Just like Apple Rock, Ram Rock Golf Course has five physical sets of tees and nine total playing lengths thanks to four sets of combo tees. This is a great feature that adds a ton of replay value without any additional cost or infrastructure.
Driving it well at Ram Rock is more about hitting your line than hitting it far. Excluding the par 3s, there is only one straight hole on the course. Eleven holes dogleg left; two turn right. On every tee box, you need to evaluate how to navigate the hazards, how much of the corner you want to take off, what club to hit…and then you need to execute the shot.
One thing that balances this challenge is that most of the fairways at Ram Rock Golf Course are slightly wider than average and none are frighteningly slim. Also, while there are some sides of the fairway that are penal, those spots are obvious. There are more areas – particularly in the finishing stretch – where you can easily find wayward drives and attempt a recovery shot.
Find more birdies at Slick Rock Golf Course HERE
Approach Shots
Like its neighbor, Apple Rock, Ram Rock Golf Course forces golfers to deal with a seemingly-unending stream of uneven lies. The fairways all tilt and swell, forcing you to play shots from above or below your feet, leaning up or downhill.
Ram Rock kicks the difficulty up in two significant ways. First, the elevation into the greens is much more severe. There are numerous approach shots where you won’t be able to see the putting surface. The GPS on the cart will give you a good idea of the green’s shape and size, so you’re not playing totally blind.
The other major challenge is the army of bunkers. Compared to Apple Rock, Ram Rock’s bunkers are bigger, deeper, and more numerous. Some greens are almost entirely ringed in sand. If the sight of sand traps makes you nervous, these approach shots will have your hands shaking.
Balancing these challenging elements is the lack of rough and the ability to run the ball onto the green. Missing the fairway at Ram Rock Golf Course carries virtually no penalty: the rough is not thick or tall. A running approach is not viable on every hole, but where it is, the mouth of the green is generous. Just make sure to give the ball enough speed to handle the elevation.
Greens & Surrounds
The aforementioned bunkers provide the majority of the protection for Ram Rock Golf Course’s greens. Many are quite deep, forcing you to play a skillful splash to escape. To the immense credit of Horseshoe Bay Resort’s staff, they keep all of these traps in wonderful condition. The sand is deep, uniform, and fluffy. Though the shots look intimidating, skilled bunker players will have no problem hitting the shots that are required.
Outside of the bunkers, the surrounds are fairly tame. There is no significant rough, so you can putt most shots, if you choose. The only difficult situations are dealing with steep elevation or playing over one of the sand traps.
Getting to the green is challenging, but the test does not end there. Ram Rock’s greens are speedy and require careful study. These greens are all tilted with shoulders and tiers rather than bumps and undulations. This means there are precious few flat putts, making it harder to get a handle on the speed. Straight putts are equally rare. Study the green maps on your cart’s GPS to avoid being fooled.
Overall Design
By the numbers, Ram Rock Golf Course has some very consistent themes. There are many more doglegs left than right, lots of greens that tilt back to front, and numerous approach shots to elevated targets. However, the feeling of this course defies the numbers. After playing two rounds back to back, everyone in our group remarked on the tremendous feeling of variety they got from Ram Rock.
This is a testament to the quality of Robert Trent Jones’s design and the land on which Ram Rock Golf Course sits. No two holes look the same or play the same. It’s also a course that allows you to play your game. You don’t have to hit a draw into every dogleg left or bomb an aerial approach to each elevated green. The highest compliment I can give a golf course is wanting to play it again, and that’s definitely true here.
Favorite Holes
#4 – Par 3 – 186 Yards
One of the prettiest holes at Ram Rock Golf Course, this par 3 is surrounded by water. The green is sandwiched by bunkers long and short, making middle pin positions as challenging as those on the edges.
#7 – Par 5 – 531 Yards
This par 5 plays downhill all the way. If you cut the corner with your drive, you can get into “go for it” range, but the skinny, L-shaped green is protected by water. Lay up shots need to stay on the right side of the fairway to avoid being blocked out by the overhanging trees on the left.
#10 – Par 4 – 336 Yards
The shortest par 4 at Ram Rock Golf Course takes driver out of your hands (unless you’re playing way too far back). Hit a medium length shot onto the “island” fairway, then have a go at this sharply elevated green. You may not be able to see the putting surface, so check your cart’s GPS to understand how the ball may react on the green.
Conclusion
Ram Rock Golf Course is a lot more than the toughest track at Horseshoe Bay Resort – it’s a compelling design with immense replay value. While it will certainly challenge all aspects of your game, it’s not a course that will savage mid or high handicap players. No golf trip to Horseshoe Bay Resort can be considered complete without at least one trip around Ram Rock Golf Course.
Visit Horseshoe Bay Resort HERE
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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One Comment
Love those courses at Horseshoe Bay, very challenging in their own ways. Plus, it’s within striking distance of Opies, for those looking to put themselves in a Texas BBQ “meat coma” …