BAY OAKS COUNTRY CLUB

The towering live oaks that frame these Houston fairways create natural corridors through surprisingly rolling terrain, a rarity in the typically pancake-flat Gulf Coast region. Dick Wilson's 1960s design maximizes elevation changes that barely register on a surveyor's map yet create compelling angles and strategic choices throughout the round. The back nine's water features come into play on five holes, but it's the subtle green complexes—crowned and quick when conditions firm up—that separate weekend warriors from single-digit handicaps.