HORSESHOE BAY, Texas (July 29, 2020) — The combination of a Director of Agronomy with 46 years of experience, a Director of Golf who has been at his current job less than year after having learned at some of the finest courses in the U.S., and a General Manager who worked nearby when there was nothing but green grass and scenic views here, have lifted Escondido Golf and Lake Club to heights not reached by an Austin-area course in more than two decades.
The Tom Fazio championship course, the centerpiece of a luxury full-service residential development with a marina and Tuscan styled clubhouse, was recently ranked fifth in the statewide Dallas Morning News Texas Golf Course rankings.
It was the highest statewide ranking for any Austin-area course since Barton Creek opened in the Capital City in the 1990s.
“We’ve done it the old fashioned way,” said Director of Agronomy Rodney Lingle. “The golf course maintenance crew has really stepped up and worked hard. They are excited about reaching the top five. I look forward to what our team can achieve in the years to come.”
Before coming to Escondido, Director of Golf Penn Saad worked at some of the top private clubs in the U.S., most recently Roaring Fork Club in Colorado, along with a stint in New Zealand, but it didn’t take him long to find out what makes Escondido special to raters, members and guests.
“Escondido has a culture and environment that is not only unique and powerful. It also has a perfect blend that makes every person who drives through our gates feel at home whether they arrive by water, land or air. “
“There are lots of great golf courses, facilities and amenities around the world, and while Escondido has the best of those categories, it’s the membership and the staff at Escondido that really sets us apart,” he said.
Escondido, located near the shores of Lake LBJ, inside the city limits of Horseshoe Bay, opened in 2006 as a Tom Fazio designed par 71 course. With its extensive practice facilities and on-course comfort stations, plus a halfway house with its famous brisket tacos, which were ranked by Golf Digest as one of the Top 10 culinary golf course offerings in the nation, the course has long been recognized for its golfing excellence.
Escondido COO/General Manager J.J. Wagner worked in San Antonio in the 1990s, when the course was barely a dream and before a spade of dirt had ever been turned. He said the steady rise in the statewide rankings for the Club, especially in the crowded Austin-area golf arena, was gratifying.
“This is another great step to our goal of being number one in the state for our members and their guests. My wife Connie and I are happily returning to our roots in Texas, and creating positive experiences for all members.”
Lingle added, “Escondido has one of the nicer topographies in Texas, with the constant level lake, Zoysia grass fairways and roughs and the Champion bermuda grass greens at the course we are able to maintain consistently great conditions.”
“I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish without having to do any renovation or reworking of the course. We want to be better, all the time. I believe our greens at Escondido are as good as anywhere in the state.”
Escondido has been ranked in the top 10 in Texas every year since 2008 by the Dallas Morning News in the only statewide survey of 800 Lone Star Courses. But this was the highest ranking ever for the course and the second year in a row it’s been ranked the top course in the Texas Hill Country, Austin and San Antonio.
“It is an honor and a privilege to be a part of the team at a Top 5 golf course in Texas. We are eager to continue to learn and grow so that we can climb higher in the rankings in the years to come,” said Saad.
With the Talented Texas Threesome in charge at Escondido Golf and Lake Club, the best golf area in Texas and the highest rated course in the area, they will only keep getting better.
