All you might have heard about Comanche Trace is true – and then some. Just a few miles south of Main Street in Kerrville and nestled among meadows, hills and woodlands are the three nine-hole golf courses at Comanche Trace, encompassing a splendid layout within a 1,300-acre residential community that is gracefully integrated into a rural landscape that enhances both the golf and everyday living.
The course features 18 holes designed by the partnership of Tom Kite, Roy Bechtol and Randy Russell and another nine fashioned by the father-son architect duo of Jay and Carter Morrish.
Golf serves as the primary recreational amenity for the community but through years there have been loads of improvements and amenities added — especially since the community and its courses were acquired by Legacy Golf Properties in 2022.
The original 18 holes at Comanche Trace opened in 2000 and were recently ranked as the No. 1 Golf Community in Texas. Golf Digest named it as one of the top 20 golf courses in the state in 2005-08 and Travel+Leisure Golf listed Comanche Trace as one of America’s Top 100 Golf Communities in 2006-08.
Stone-embedded streams flow through Comanche Trace, providing natural hazards while adding an audible and visible flair. The course is designed to coexist with local wildlife and blend seamlessly into the surrounding Hill Country. Though meadow-like and rambling at times, Comanche Trace features a deceptively complex design, adding a strategic component that has improved as it has matured over the past 26 years.
Natural drought-resistant native grasses designed and selected especially for the native environment were used in non-playing areas on the edges of the courses. In the springtime, many colors are on display as Black-eyed Susans, Indian Paintbrushes and Bluebonnets help paint the landscape.
The tees, fairways and roughs insure a sharp contrast to the native grasses and wildflowers. The putting surfaces are some of the best in the Lone Star State.
Taking advantage of the contours, slopes and ancient Live Oak trees, the much ballyhooed original layout is a strategic track that presents the player a goal to be reached and problems to be avoided. Playing to a par of 72 at 7,103 from its back set of seven tees, the original course – differentiated as The Valley (holes 1-9) and The Hills (holes 10-18) – are sublime and varied and a joy to try to tame.
But because this is Texas, the wind introduces an important variable. Comanche Trace’s initial 18 holes are pointed in differing directions to make players weigh their options
The course features variable green sizes and shapes; while one putting surface is large and contoured, others are relatively small and flat. On the 362-yard fifth on The Valley, hitting the green is easy, but its huge green can result in a three (or even four) putt. Three-putting may not be as problematic on a smaller green like that found on the fourth, a 523-yard par-5, as this hole has a flat surface and is easier to navigate.
Because of the overall quality of the track, it’s hard to single out holes on Comanche Trace’s original layout. Among our favorites were the 390-yard par-4 first on The Valley, which drops some 80 feet from tee to landing area, and the 448-yard par-4 ninth on The Valley with its “string-of-pearls” bunkers on the right of the landing area and an elevated green where it is virtually impossible to hit your ball past the pin.
Then there’s the 437-yard, par-4 No. 2 at The Hills nine, where you must hit your tee shot through a space guarded by two large oaks and avoid a gaping (and near-inescapable) bunker on the front-right of the green; the 461-yard par-4 fifth at The Hills with a split fairway and green that is totally void of bunkers, allowing for a run-up shot if required; and the 525-yard, uphill par-5 ninth at The Hills, which calls for you to work the ball right and then left to the elevated green.
In July 2008 Comanche Trace opened the Morrishes’ new nine holes, called The Creeks, which plays 3,821 yards from the tips. With Comanche Trace’s clubhouse looking down from one of the largest hills in the region, The Creeks nine forms a unique “V” shape that extends from the back end of The Hills and makes its way back toward the clubhouse for the final five holes.
Included on the newest nine is one of the most talked about golf holes in the state – the 636-yard par-5 fourth hole, one of the longest golf holes in Texas. This hole asks for accuracy as well as length because it is segmented into three distinctive areas by a creek that flows in an “S” shape throughout, creating an island landing area.
Also of note on The Creeks are the 438-yard par-4 second hole, with water down the entire left side, and the 447-yard par-4 No. 9, where you will play a 3-wood or rescue club to the bottom of a three-tired fairway that ends at a huge drop-off filled with rock and native grasses. Your approach on No. 9 is to a bunker-squeezed green some 60 feet below your feet.
Among the series of improvements and additions made to the community since Legacy Golf Properties took charge are a 5,000-square-foot fitness center, a Hill Country Taphouse at the course’s 15-acre practice facility, a quartet of pickleball courts, and an enhanced slate of club events tailored to the lifestyle of its members.
“Comanche Trace is more than just 27 holes of world-class golf — it’s a lifestyle set in one of the most scenic settings in Texas,” said Steven Held, Legacy Golf Properties’ president & CEO. ”“At Comanche Trace, we recognize that our members aren’t just choosing a community — they’re investing in their legacy. It’s our commitment to ensure every element here continues to deliver for generations. Once people experience life here, they never want to leave — and that’s what makes it so special.”
When Comanche Trace debuted more than a quarter-century ago, it was named one of the “FiveBest New Residential Communities” in the country. Twenty-five years on — and with the stewardship of Legacy Golf Properties — that heritage has only grown stronger.
Comanche Trace will appeal and challenge enthusiasts of every age and ability. I’ve played several much-hyped courses in the Texas Hill Country and this one more than measures up.
