With a mix of Hill Country feel and parkland challenges, this place is a must-play
AZLE, Texas – There’s an old axiom that, paraphrased, reminds us that knowing a secret and not telling it is the worst kind of dilemma. People who find something that’s good are tempted to keep that knowledge to themselves while battling the notion to shout and crow about it to their friends.
For the past 29 years, that’s been the yin and yang of Cross Timbers Golf Course, a 6,734-yard gem of golf excellence set in the town of Azle, about 45 minutes northwest of Fort Worth.
This is a place where golfers of all skill levels will experience a variety of challenges, from lofty downhill tee shots, undulating fairways, demanding and lengthy par 3s, strategic bunkering, and a variety of greenside collection areas.
Mix in lightning-fast putting surfaces, and it’s easy to see how a round at Cross Timbers will engage and enthrall golfers and want them to keep it a secret, a situation made even tougher by the course’s remarkably affordable green fees.
The par-72, 18-hole track is a shotmaker’s course, one that winds its way through the hilly, wooded land next to Ash Creek in the “Cross Timbers” area of north Texas. The design takes full advantage of this unique topography, with multiple elevation changes that produce a true Texas Hill Country feel.
Cross Timbers opened in 1995 and has grown into a favorite of locals and visitors from all over the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The course is owned and operated by the City of Azle and books about 34,000 rounds annually.
The course and the property on which it is routed has a storied past, and a lot of the city officials were not keen about building it at first. It has since become profitable, and the issues have all but died out – and that’s a boon to area golfers.
There have been some changes at Cross Timbers over the past two and a half decades, specifically a re-routing of holes to start the round and a change to Champion Bermuda greens from the original Bentgrass putting surfaces.
The original design had players starting on what is now the par 5 third hole and finishing on what is now No. 2. The tee shot on three, which is through a chute and over a small canyon, is much too demanding for an opening hole, and there would be a large stack up to start the round. They changed that about 15 years ago. The course’s greens were changed to Bermuda about 12 years ago.
From the tee at the opening hole, golfers can enjoy the scenic view of Eagle Mountain Lake and downtown Fort Worth in the distance. But your attention will quickly need to be refocused on the natural beauty and challenges of the course.
The first, as mentioned above, and 10th holes begin from extremely elevated tees, and hole Nos. 3 and 12 require forced carries to start, as does the beautiful par 3 ninth, which is the course’s signature hole and one of the prettiest you’ll find in north Texas.
The par 4 378-yard second hole is a favorite on the front, with distinctive framing from the tee box. It just looks like a good hole and would fit well on any course. You have ample room off the tee, you are hitting an approach uphill to a blind depth location, and it has an hour-glass shaped green.
The front nine at Cross Timbers is the more challenging side, with two par 5s that play at 562 or more, the 229-yard par 3 sixth and the monster par 4 fifth, which is carded at 468 yards and is the No. 1 handicap hole for the course.
Nos. 10, 11 and 12 are good holes with a lot of the same feel as the front nine, and the course becomes fairly flat and straight forward when you get to 13, 14 and 15.
The 16th is a long par 3 (at 220 yards) with good elevation change, No. 17 is a dogleg-left hole that you tee off back in a chute, and 18 is a short par 5 with the only water hazard on the course.
The first indication that there’s a course on the grounds is Cross Timbers’ expansive practice facility, which includes target greens well-placed throughout the range, and stations for bunker and short-game work.
The course also offers one of the most affordable range programs in the DFW Metroplex as well as a staff of PGA-certified golf professionals to assist players with any instruction needs. And Cross Timbers Golf Course offers a discounted green fee for seniors 60 and over and for veterans and military personnel.
Before or after the round, golfers grab a cozy table at the Roadrunner Grill, which serves a really good breakfast (burritos, fried egg sandwiches, etc.), a great burger, and hotdogs.
This place used to be a real jaunt from civilization, but – like everywhere else in the Metroplex – the people are beginning to really head in this direction. The course rests just off the Jacksboro Highway (Hwy. 199), which makes it easier to get to Cross Timbers, a course that area golfers should readily include on their list of regular rounds.
