I booked a mid-morning round over at Delaware Springs (11am) on Sunday and left the earlier part of the morning open. My original plan was to check out Pedernales Golf Course which was on my way to Delaware Springs Golf Course. My fascination with Pedernales is that it is owned by Willie Nelson!

However, I overheard some people at Butler Park talking about how Pedernales struggles with irrigation, so I figured I’d save a round there for maybe next spring when things will be greener.

That left me with enough time for a sunrise round somewhere close to Delaware Springs. So, insert Hidden Falls Golf Course, which is about 20 minutes south of Delaware Springs! It took me about an hour from where I stayed in Austin to get out to this part of “town”.

I snagged the second tee time of the day (7:37am) and got there early, hoping to be the first out. That worked and I was able to set my own pace! I played the front nine in an hour and then had to get creative on the back.

Unfortunately, I caught up with a couple groups on the 12th hole, who started on the back. I skipped over to the 14th and played the 14th through the 18th before finishing the two missing holes. It ended up being a two hour round, plus my drive time back to the clubhouse! It worked perfectly as I ended up over at Delaware Springs with plenty of time for breakfast.

Hidden Falls is a municipal course located in an older gated community. Originally I believe the course was called Meadowlakes Country Club and was private at some point in time. I’m not sure when it became city owned but it is nice to see it serving the area’s golfers now.

And, for a muni I was impressed with the conditions, especially in the middle of the Texas summer! Everything was well cared for and the course’s green color was very much intact.

Conditions weren’t pristine, but they didn’t affect my score. Everything was functional and there was very little hardpan. The fairways were full and left a bit long. The tees were cut short and looked solid. The greens had life and rolled fine (medium pace) for $30.

While the layout at Hidden Falls won’t grab your attention it is far from awful. It seemed to have a bit of a Florida vibe to it. The whole course is lined by homes, but I enjoyed the front nine because it plays through a bunch of pecan trees which frame the holes. No doubt the pecan trees add some charm to the place. I also preferred the front nine because it was easier to play. Shocking, I’m sure!

The back nine is more open with lots of water in play. My crooked drives on the back resulted in some big numbers on the scorecard. After nine holes of no pressure to hit it straight the 10th woke me up rudely! So you’ll want to try to get that driver working on the front nine. Overall though, I think you’ll find Hidden Falls to be a player-friendly course. Even from the blue tees it plays 72.2/123/6732.

Overall I thought that Hidden Falls is a solid muni – nothing flashy but it is priced right and allows you to have some par or birdie holes. The most interesting feature is that there aren’t any bunkers on the course! If you are in town and not looking to break the bank then I’d suggest a round at Hidden Falls.

Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):