I have said it before and will say it again..there is no better place to build a business relationship than on the golf course. What makes building that relationship easier is to play golf at a quality oriented golf facility. The Marriott Horseshoe Bay Resort in Horseshoe Bay, Tx, is one of those quality minded golf resorts.
If you have not been to the Hill Country of Texas you are missing some breathtaking scenery. The Hill Country of Texas is located in the center of the state starting around Austin and San Antonio and going west. Not only has the Golfing world found the hill country a great location for spectacular golf, the Wine industry has moved in to now producing some very good wines.
The Horseshoe Bay Golf Resort sits on the banks of Lake LBJ..one of the only constant water level lakes in the state. Lots of fishing, boating and jet skiing offered. Fortunately, the Hill Country is the Home of the best barbeque..or BBQ as it is commonly seen written in Texas.
The Marriott offers both Hotel accommodations or Condo Villa’s. Depending on the level of business to be conducted they have it covered for the overnight stays. They also have some very, very affordable golf packages that include unlimited golf and the world famous Marriott Breakfast Buffet. This makes the Business Golf accessible to every level of business person.
As far as a place to go to play golf and talk business..well, not too many places are going to provide what the Hill Country of Texas offers. However, getting to the facility does take some doing since the nearest public airport is in Austin, TX which is over an hour and a half away. There is a private airport that can handle private jets if that works for you. Driving to Horseshoe from Dallas is a little daunting with all the construction on I35 and the narrow rural state highways offered as alternate routes.
Overall, it is recommended you play a few days spent at the resort to get the most out of the adventure and investment.
Golf Galore
Let’s start with the golf. The Horseshoe Bay Resort Golf Club is, simply put,…Hill Country Golf at it’s best.
“There are a number of reasons why Golf Magazine named Horseshoe Bay Resort one of America’s Best Golf Resorts. Maybe it’s the three championship courses designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. or the anticipation of our member’s only Jack Nicklaus signature links.”
There are now four courses at Horseshoe Bay Resort. Each course has four sets of tees.
- Apple Rock, the longest of the three, (From Tips-6999 yds, par 72 with a 75.4/136 Rating/Slope), challenges the big hitters to hit the fairways.
- Ram Rock course (From Tips-6926 yds, Par 71 with a 75.6/137 Rating/Slope) forces the golfer to keep focus away from the spectacular views from top of hills to getting on the slick Bentgrass greens..which are rare in Texas.
- Slick Rock, a little flatter of a course stretches out from the tips to 6850 yds, Par 72 with a 72.8/131 Rating/Slope.
- Summit Rock, this is the New Member’s Only Course at Horseshoe Bay. It is the ONLY Jack Nicklaus Signature Course to open in the US this year. Since it is private and only for members no information on the course could be provided..but you can assume it must Rock!! (Pun intended)
Naturally, the assortment of tees on each course tames the beast to the length of play that suits each player. All of the courses play very well and provides all skill levels a fun opportunity to enjoy the game.
Meeting Settings
I found a number of places for the business part of business golf. Since the crust of the purpose of business golf is not to hard sale someone the focus on comfort is needed. Naturally, the Marriott always seems to offer up a high level of comfort. (Look for my review on the Marriott Horseshoe Bay Resort soon.) At the Marriott there were all kinds of places outside and inside to casually sit and talk in semi-private settings.
Naturally, private meeting rooms were available as well as a large conference facility to accommodate the largest of any business golf outings.
It is unfortunate the Cap Rock Clubhouse burned to the ground last year. It offered the best settings for sitting and enjoying the views from the top of the Cap Rock while sipping on a cold beverage. However, the cabana facilities did survive the fire and were available to serve as a great place to sit in semi-private setting. (I’ll have to tell you about their great margaritas later.)
The Whitewater putting course has to be the most unique of all places I have every seen to continue the business relationship building in a very low key casual setting. However, putting on the 18 hole bent grass miniature putting course can get rather competitive. The Whitewater Putting course sits right outside the Marriott resort. The set up is outstanding for a twosome or a tournament. The outdoor bar provides lavations for the players while they putt their way thru a very well landscaped exotic bird park…yes..wild birds are everywhere.
The Party Barge and the Horseshoe Bay Yacht provide the special private get away voyage on the lake. The boats handle from two to 80 people in a floating party atmosphere. Or, a business discussion cruise.
Tourist Attractions
As is the case in most rounds of business golf that include overnight stays, everyone wants to take the opportunity to turn the business trip into a pleasure trip including the family. What to do with the family is easy to manage at the Marriott Horseshoe Bay Resort. As mentioned, the Wine Industry has stepped up to offer the guests of Marriott all day Wine Tours during the wine season.
Did I mention the Waverunner Jet Skies? Enough said..there is fun to be had on the lake year around.
Yes, there is tennis and bike trails..all kinds of activities to keep the family of all ages interested and entertained. There is even a Kids Night Out.
Mr Business Golf’s Rating:
I am going to score the Horseshoe Bay Resort with an Eagle on the business golf and a overall Birdie for the convenience factor. The resort is secluded which makes for an outstanding getaway from the grind. It also has all of the creature comforts of home once you get there, but it is the getting there that causes the overall rating for the Horseshoe Bay to fall to being just a birdie. Still, I don’t give out below par scores often so I can say I would recommend if you are planning a business golf outing the Horseshoe Bay Resort should be on your A List..it is on mine.
