BASTROP RIVER CLUB

The Lost Pines region of Central Texas provides an unlikely canvas for championship golf, where towering loblolly pines frame fairways that weave through dramatic elevation changes rare for the Lone Star State. Designer Rick Robbins carved holes through ravines and over creeks that demand both precision and imagination, particularly the par-3 17th that plays across a stone-lined chasm to a green perched 40 feet below the tee. At just $65 on weekdays, this hidden gem delivers big-city course conditions without the pretense, making it essential Texas golf that locals guard like state secrets.