AUGUSTA PINES GOLF CLUB

The towering loblolly pines create cathedral-like corridors that demand precision over power, while the rolling East Texas terrain serves up elevation changes rare in Houston's coastal plain. Water lurks on nearly half the holes, but it's the strategic bunkering around multi-tiered bentgrass greens that separates weekend warriors from single-digit handicaps. This Jay Riviere design rewards course management and punishes ego, making it the kind of public track that humbles members-only snobs.