Historic Houston Golf Courses

[md2hog]

I am curious to know if there are any other old golf courses that were "around" the loop that have vanished.

[brerrabbit]

Golfcrest CC. It was located south of the 610 loop between Broad and Telephone. The streets in that area still have the golf inspired names like Golfcrest, and Fairway. By the way those names were taken to Pearland with the course. Barnett Stadium which is a HISD complex is located on the old site. Its also the location of an HISD Bus Barn. Golfcrest moved from that location to Pearland around 1971. Up until not long ago they still used the old club house for the transportation offices for HISD at the bus facility. Others that are closed but not repurposed yet would be Clear Lake Golf club in Clear Lake. It went public when Bay Oaks opened and has since closed for good. Another is Friendswood Golf Club which started life as Sun Meadows CC in Friendswood off of FM 528. Its closed and has been for several years. In other discussions on this board Gus Wortham which is still open was once Houston Country Club until it moved to its new location off Woodway. It was one of the first in Houston. I think Golfcrest was like the third and it was opened in 1926. It was the home of the New Rich in Houston that were not able to get into Houston CC. I hear that till this day getting into HCC is difficult unless the family has been arounf Houston for several generations. Thats all I can think of off the top of my head but I am sure there are more. I can tell you where a lot of driving ranges were that have closed but thats a different story.

[houwest]

The Old Treeline GC, off 249 North of town, I think, just succumbed to the bulldozer and is going to be a tract house development. Inwood Forest off Antoine was supposed to close this past spring. If it's still open, I suspect its days are numbered. One of the oldest (I think) courses still open that hardly anyone has ever played on is the Texaco Golf Club on the east side. It's been public for some time and was still open a few months ago. For a long time, the cheapest golf in town was at the old Channelview Golf Course off Sheldon Road. It had originally been a "company" golf course for, if memory serves, Hughes Tool Co. It closed around 5 years ago, maybe longer. I had a lengthy project going out that way 12 or 15 years ago and I joined for $30 a month

[brerrabbit]

The old Texaco Golf Course is an interesting story. Texaco has actually donated the site along with some additional land to the Houston Parks Board but because retirees were promised membership for life after retirement they are still using it as a golf course till those retirees permantly retire. There was a big fight right after the donation to maintain their memberships. But since it makes virtually no revenue the condition of the course is going downhill fast.

[GlenBrookValley]

Back in the early 1960's there was a golf course on Bellfort across from Hartman Jr. High. I was wondering if anyone remembered it. I think it was a Country Club. At some point in time a large ship was moved in and remained there for a number of years.

[brerrabbit]

As I mentioned in my earlier post I can tell you where a lot of driving ranges were, and the location you mentioned was where one was. I don't think it was a golf course but I am certain there was a driving range as it was where my Father took me a lot of Saturday and Sunday afternoons to pound balls. It was in the late 60's when we went there.

[gnu]

As I mentioned in my earlier post I can tell you where a lot of driving ranges were, and the location you mentioned was where one was. I don't think it was a golf course but I am certain there was a driving range as it was where my Father took me a lot of Saturday and Sunday afternoons to pound balls. It was in the late 60's when we went there.

The driving range was in a field where the current Kroger is located.

The golf course (Sims Bayou Country Club) was across from Hartman JH, as Glenbrook mentioned. I think it preexisted Bellfort.

[brerrabbit]

I honestly did not know there was ever a golf course there. The driving range however was there. There is to this day a narrow street that comes off of Belfort right across from Hartman. I think it has since been made into a one way street because it was so narrow. The driving range we went to was bordered on the west by that street, so I am sure that a driving range was there at one point. There may have been another one where the Krogers no stands but I don't remember it.

[gnu]

I honestly did not know there was ever a golf course there. The driving range however was there. There is to this day a narrow street that comes off of Belfort right across from Hartman. I think it has since been made into a one way street because it was so narrow. The driving range we went to was bordered on the west by that street, so I am sure that a driving range was there at one point. There may have been another one where the Krogers no stands but I don't remember it.

Hmmm...maybe they turned some of the old course into a driving range after the Country Club closed?

BTW..somewhat related..i think that tract of land between Bellfort and Sims Bayou is still owned by the Allen Ranch or rather an Allen family member or its heirs.

[brerrabbit]

Was owned by the heirs. Several months ago the Houston Parks Board bought around thirty acres right there. They had to get the owners of the horse stalls at the front of the property and a Mexican fellow that had goats on the back of the property to move out. At some point there will be a park built at that location that will eventually tie into hike/bike paths built along Sims Bayou like the project they are currently undertaking along Brays Bayou.

[gnu]

Was owned by the heirs. Several months ago the Houston Parks Board bought around thirty acres right there. They had to get the owners of the horse stalls at the front of the property and a Mexican fellow that had goats on the back of the property to move out. At some point there will be a park built at that location that will eventually tie into hike/bike paths built along Sims Bayou like the project they are currently undertaking along Brays Bayou.

Wow. Did not hear about that. Sounds like good news. Now if they would actually get the hike/bike paths in there.

Did they buy the old VFW hall too?

[brerrabbit]

I would imagine that it came with the property. If they got thirty acres it would seem it would be most of the area from where the bayou crosses under Belfort all the way west to where the first businesses and houses start across from Hartman. I am not sure if they had a formal annoucement you would have heard. I get these things because my good friend works for the park board and negotiates the deals. I have to be careful with what information I give out here because I hear about some things still in negotiations.

[lokithebubba]

First Houston Country Club course was on Dallas, then San Felipe Road. It latrer moved to the site where Gus Wortham is now.

There was a par 3 course at Stella Link and Main, and another at Witte and Old Katy.

The par 3 course between Stella Link and Main, Willowbend was the southern boundary, was called South Main Golf Club. When I moved to Houston in '68 it was not a par three course but had 4's and 5's also. (I lived two houses off Stella Link on hole 2). It went as far north as the old apartments on O'Meara on the north. There is a bar called Sammy's Fifth Hole at Stella Link and Bellfort where the fifth hole ended.

About half of it was sold for commercial property in the '80s. That was when it became a par-3 course.

Some of the greens are still visible as mounds on the indeveloped land near Willowbend.

[Fringe]

The par 3 course between Stella Link and Main, Willowbend was the southern boundary, was called South Main Golf Club. When I moved to Houston in '68 it was not a par three course but had 4's and 5's also. (I lived two houses off Stella Link on hole 2). It went as far north as the old apartments on O'Meara on the north. There is a bar called Sammy's Fifth Hole at Stella Link and Bellfort where the fifth hole ended.

About half of it was sold for commercial property in the '80s. That was when it became a par-3 course.

Some of the greens are still visible as mounds on the indeveloped land near Willowbend.

When

[lokithebubba]

When I was a kid I used to go out there with my Dad in the 50's and 60's. I 'm pretty sure it was a full 18 hole course back then, later scaled back to a regular 9.

If I remember correctly. The way you got eighteen holes at South Main was to play to each of the nine greens from two different tees each.

[Fringe]

If I remember correctly. The way you got eighteen holes at South Main was to play to each of the nine greens from two different tees each.

That's possible. It was a very long time ago. I do remember the course being pretty good size before they began selling off some of it and scaling it down.

[plumber2]

I posted earlier in a differnt thread about Sheperd Park Plaza. This is the location of the old Heights Golf Course. Golf Dr. is still a current street in Garden Oaks.

My Key Map still notes "Sims Bayou Country Club" at Bellfort and Telephone Rd. I think the VFW Hall may be one of old club buildings?

[jc281]

or nearby? only know of memorial park and need to start practicing....

cheaper the better!!! (anyone know the rates of m.park btw?)

[musicman]

wortham and hermann have em as well.

[Mr. Chenevert]

Hermann has a driving range? Where at? I had no idea and I walk that park pretty regularly.

[sevfiv]

http://www.hermannparkgc.com/golf/proto/he...urse/course.htm

[musicman]

Hermann has a driving range? Where at? I had no idea and I walk that park pretty regularly.

i believe it's near the club house on almeda and macgregor

[Mr. Chenevert]

Thanks guys. Yup, I see it on google now.

$5 for a small bucket.. thats the same price I pay out near Champions.

[20thStDad]

There's a really cheap one with real grass not too far outside the loop, near 43rd and TC Jester. Forgot the name, but I found it on Google. I don't like hitting off of the mats as much.

[Heights2Bastrop]

There used to be one at Tidwell at Antoine, but I think that closed. Don't remember one at 43rd and Jester.

[NenaE]

Golfcrest CC. It was located south of the 610 loop between Broad and Telephone. The streets in that area still have the golf inspired names like Golfcrest, and Fairway. By the way those names were taken to Pearland with the course. Barnett Stadium which is a HISD complex is located on the old site. Its also the location of an HISD Bus Barn. Golfcrest moved from that location to Pearland around 1971. Up until not long ago they still used the old club house for the transportation offices for HISD at the bus facility. Others that are closed but not repurposed yet would be Clear Lake Golf club in Clear Lake. It went public when Bay Oaks opened and has since closed for good. Another is Friendswood Golf Club which started life as Sun Meadows CC in Friendswood off of FM 528. Its closed and has been for several years. In other discussions on this board Gus Wortham which is still open was once Houston Country Club until it moved to its new location off Woodway. It was one of the first in Houston. I think Golfcrest was like the third and it was opened in 1926. It was the home of the New Rich in Houston that were not able to get into Houston CC. I hear that till this day getting into HCC is difficult unless the family has been arounf Houston for several generations. Thats all I can think of off the top of my head but I am sure there are more. I can tell you where a lot of driving ranges were that have closed but thats a different story.

http://www.golfcrestcountryclub.com/Golfcrest-Country-Club-History_4.html

You can still see remnants of the old golf course location, the land and the ponds to the south of the property...see GoogleEarth.

Looks like the swimming pool became a bus barn. Happy to know that the Spanish style bldg. is still on the old golf course property.

[matty1979]

My Father in law who actually was the Mayor of Tomball during the mid 70's to early 80's has told me stories about Treeline.

His favorite is that he was a caddy in Jr High and these big wig oil guys played 18 holes in the freezing cold. They actually drove their station wagon on the course and played.

Well my Father in Law would lie face down in the back of the wagon pulling their bags. Apparently these oil guys would take a bottle of Whiskey with them and take a pull of the bottle with every shot they took.

Sounds funny I know but back in the 50's these guys could do whatever they wanted. He told me they always tipped well and could never play golf worth a damn but he sure had fun!

[matty1979]

What about pics from the old Sharpstown CC?? Anybody want to comment?

[Dagnabbit]

The Red Barn golf course was on the Southwest Freeway just south of Bissonnet. I'm nearly certain it was a 9-hole with par threes only (I never played there).

It became a Metro Park and Ride lot. The golf course closure and paving must have been in the 1980s.

In the 1990s there was a golf course on the west corner of the Southwest Freeway and Highway 6 in Sugar Land/First Colony. It was specifically designated as an interim land use, and was urbanized when the market was right for office buildings. I don't remember the name.

Houston Hills golf course was just east of the intersection of the Southwest Freeway and BW 8. Some of all of it was built on the former landfill for the city of Bellaire. It was a very inexpensive course to play, and you received what you paid for. Actually, about 12 of the holes were decent quality. It was a good starter golf course.

The golf course at Southwest Freeway and Highway 6 in Sugar Land/First Colony was in fact called First Colony Golf Course,I still have a couple of their tee markers.The day before they closed they had a tournament for the senior mens group with some unique rules given that they were shutting down the next day.Normally golf carts would be required to remain on the carts within 50 yards of the greens,but at that tournament the rule was changed to "no carts closer then 20 feet from the holes".The old guys were parking their carts on the on the outer edge of the greens and the fringe.

Area golfers continued to play the course for free for a month or so after it closed to work on their drives and iron play,putting was out of the question.

There's now a CVS drug store where the 11th green used to be.

[Fringe]

repost

Edited March 7, 2011 by Fringe

[Fringe]

What about pics from the old Sharpstown CC?? Anybody want to comment?

Just played there a week ago. Still one of the best public courses in Houston for the money. When my family moved to Houston in 50's it was an exclusive private country club. There was a neighbor that would take my dad there on occasion during the 60's. Not sure exactly when the City bought it and turned it into a public course.

The golf course at Southwest Freeway and Highway 6 in Sugar Land/First Colony was in fact called First Colony Golf Course,I still have a couple of their tee markers.The day before they closed they had a tournament for the senior mens group with some unique rules given that they were shutting down the next day.Normally golf carts would be required to remain on the carts within 50 yards of the greens,but at that tournament the rule was changed to "no carts closer then 20 feet from the holes".The old guys were parking their carts on the on the outer edge of the greens and the fringe.

Area golfers continued to play the course for free for a month or so after it closed to work on their drives and iron play,putting was out of the question.

There's now a CVS drug store where the 11th green used to be.

I think I only played there once before it closed. It was a nice course. The one I miss the most though is Old Orchard.

[august948]

We've had two par 3 courses close down on the west side of town in the last 10 years. The first to go was Texas Par 3 at the corner of Highway 6 and Alief-Clodine. My two oldest took golf lessons there and we played the whole course a couple of times. The other was Hackberry Golf Club, on Dairy Ashford just north of Beechnut. Never played there, but I believe it was a lighted course. It was bought by the city and is now a park. There were also a number of driving ranges that were waiting for better land use. Most have shut down but one is still going off Richmond between West Houston Medical Center and Phoenicia.

[Fringe]

We've had two par 3 courses close down on the west side of town in the last 10 years. The first to go was Texas Par 3 at the corner of Highway 6 and Alief-Clodine. My two oldest took golf lessons there and we played the whole course a couple of times. The other was Hackberry Golf Club, on Dairy Ashford just north of Beechnut. Never played there, but I believe it was a lighted course. It was bought by the city and is now a park. There were also a number of driving ranges that were waiting for better land use. Most have shut down but one is still going off Richmond between West Houston Medical Center and Phoenicia.

I remeber both of those. The Texas Par 3 was great when it was just a 9 hole course but they later crammed in another 9 holes and ruined it.

Hackberry was great. I really miss that course. It was always immaculate. They talked about putting lights on it but I don't think they ever did unless it was right before they closed. Don't know why it ever closed. Always seemed pretty busy.

Are there any par 3 nine hole courses left? They were fun for sharpening your game and when you had limited time to play.

[samagon]

We've had two par 3 courses close down on the west side of town in the last 10 years. The first to go was Texas Par 3 at the corner of Highway 6 and Alief-Clodine. My two oldest took golf lessons there and we played the whole course a couple of times. The other was Hackberry Golf Club, on Dairy Ashford just north of Beechnut. Never played there, but I believe it was a lighted course. It was bought by the city and is now a park. There were also a number of driving ranges that were waiting for better land use. Most have shut down but one is still going off Richmond between West Houston Medical Center and Phoenicia.

had played both of those par 3s and hackberry was a pretty fun course.

There's a course (I think still there) off 45 north on canino. Melrose Golf Club.

It was a full 18 hole par3 course. lighted, and very short. great for working the wedges, hard to tell where the field ends and the greens begin, if you don't land the greens. Anyway, not an old golf course, but certainly something everyone should experience in their life (assuming they enjoy golf).

Sugar Hill, very short run (I think it was open maybe 3 years?), nice course, but I think they charged too much for the area. Bissonnet and Kirkwood. it was also built on a landfill.

[Fringe]

Sugar Hill, very short run (I think it was open maybe 3 years?), nice course, but I think they charged too much for the area. Bissonnet and Kirkwood. it was also built on a landfill.

I forgot about that one. It was interesting because of the hills. Surprised it closed. I mean what else are you going to do with a former landfill?

[matty1979]

Does anybody know anything about the old couse that was on the corner of Gessner and Hammerly?

Spring Woods HS is there now but dont think the school was built until about 1965

[Dagnabbit]

I remeber both of those. The Texas Par 3 was great when it was just a 9 hole course but they later crammed in another 9 holes and ruined it.

Hackberry was great. I really miss that course. It was always immaculate. They talked about putting lights on it but I don't think they ever did unless it was right before they closed. Don't know why it ever closed. Always seemed pretty busy.

Are there any par 3 nine hole courses left? They were fun for sharpening your game and when you had limited time to play.

Theres still Mulligan's Golf Par-3 on Jones Rd just past 1960.

[NenaE]

Does anybody know anything about the old couse that was on the corner of Gessner and Hammerly?

Spring Woods HS is there now but dont think the school was built until about 1965

http://www.texasfreeway.com/houston/historic/road_maps/images/1961_houston_enco_highres.jpg

This map shows the Spring Branch Country Club between I-10 and Clay road. Maybe that's the golf course you speak of.

Historic aerials shows a possible course (manicured land) in the 1957 map, and the school in the 1964 map in that location.

[KAggie97]

On 12/11/2007 at 8:33 PM, MaxConcrete said:

The Red Barn golf course was on the Southwest Freeway just south of Bissonnet. I'm nearly certain it was a 9-hole with par threes only (I never played there).

It became a Metro Park and Ride lot. The golf course closure and paving must have been in the 1980s.

In the 1990s there was a golf course on the west corner of the Southwest Freeway and Highway 6 in Sugar Land/First Colony. It was specifically designated as an interim land use, and was urbanized when the market was right for office buildings. I don't remember the name.

Houston Hills golf course was just east of the intersection of the Southwest Freeway and BW 8. Some of all of it was built on the former landfill for the city of Bellaire. It was a very inexpensive course to play, and you received what you paid for. Actually, about 12 of the holes were decent quality. It was a good starter golf course.

The golf course at Highway 6 and 59 was First Colony Golf Course. I worked there from February '94 to August '94 before I went off to college. It remains my favorite job ever.

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

The First Colony golf course was one of the few courses with real bent grass greens. My brother and I got about 2/3 of the way through it the one time we played there, we had to stop because of rain.

[Ross]

12 hours ago, Tumbleweed_Tx said:

The First Colony golf course was one of the few courses with real bent grass greens. My brother and I got about 2/3 of the way through it the one time we played there, we had to stop because of rain.

I think Lochinvar has bent grass greens, but I'll never get to play there. The first time I played back in Houston on Bermuda greens after playing on bent grass for a couple of years in California, I manage to miss putts by 10 feet, as there was no break at all here. It was hilarious to watch. Unfortunately, bent grass just doesn't do well here.

Edited September 16, 2021 by Ross
added never before "get to play there"

[Colleen Corneau]

On 12/13/2007 at 11:15 AM, Fringe said:

My Uncle, Jack Hinrichs, owned that golf club.

 

 

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

I used to skip out of work for a few hours and play Houston Hills. The 9th Hole had water on three sides of it, the side that didn't have water was the back side. The first time i played there, we waited for the greenskeeper to finish moving the tee hole before swinging on a par 3... My tee shot slowly rolled over where the freshly moved hole used to be.
It was built on the Bellaire and West U garbage dump, so some of the hazards included the tire sticking out of the ground near the third hole's dog leg.
I never played it after it expanded to an 18 hole course.

[mblaise]

On 3/13/2011 at 10:07 PM, NenaE said:

http://www.texasfreeway.com/houston/historic/road_maps/images/1961_houston_enco_highres.jpg

This map shows the Spring Branch Country Club between I-10 and Clay road. Maybe that's the golf course you speak of.

Historic aerials shows a possible course (manicured land) in the 1957 map, and the school in the 1964 map in that location.

was a 9 hole course on Witte Road that it?

 

World Houston golf course near BW8 and greens rd

Bear Creek golf course abandoned

[Ross]

28 minutes ago, mblaise said:

was a 9 hole course on Witte Road that it?

 

World Houston golf course near BW8 and greens rd

Bear Creek golf course abandoned

The course on Witte was pretty much on the corner of Witte and Old Katy. The course on the map is up near Gessner and Hammerly. On the 1953 Google Earth aerials, there is a golf course on the SW corner of Gessner and Hammerly. There was another course, Pine something, at Gessner and Clay, built between 1989 and 1995. It's essentially gone now with houses being built there.

The par 3 course at Witte and Old Katy is now a Citibank processing center. A friend call Citi after the building opened to ask if they had any jobs. The Citi rep asked him how he knew about the location to which my friend replied "there is a big ass Citibank sign on the building, is it lying about what's there?".

[JJxvi]

I don't/didn't know about Shepherd Park Plaza potentially being a golf course at any point (mentioned a long time ago on this thread), but I'm pretty sure there was a country club with an 18 hole golf course in Garden Oaks.  Garden Oaks is essentially a copy of River Oaks and similar to the way River Oaks Blvd is a short blvd running between the country club and a school, Garden Oaks Blvd was the same way.  Today Garden Oaks Blvd east of Shepherd curves around northward to Crosstimbers through a business/industrial park, but previously it ended at a large clubhouse structure just beyond Shepherd with an 18 hole golf course behind it covering all of what eventually became the business park.  The course can be seen on the 1950s Google Earth imagery.

[Ross]

11 minutes ago, JJxvi said:

I don't/didn't know about Shepherd Park Plaza potentially being a golf course at any point (mentioned a long time ago on this thread), but I'm pretty sure there was a country club with an 18 hole golf course in Garden Oaks.  Garden Oaks is essentially a copy of River Oaks and similar to the way River Oaks Blvd is a short blvd running between the country club and a school, Garden Oaks Blvd was the same way.  Today Garden Oaks Blvd east of Shepherd curves around northward to Crosstimbers through a business/industrial park, but previously it ended at a large clubhouse structure just beyond Shepherd with an 18 hole golf course behind it covering all of what eventually became the business park.  The course can be seen on the 1950s Google Earth imagery.

That was Pine Forest Country Club, which is now at Barker Cypress and Clay. A former colleague grew up in Garden Oaks a couple of blocks West of Shepherd, and as a teen would go over to Pine Forest behind Sears and chip and putt with friends until they saw a course marshal, at which point they ran off. The course moved because the land area in Garden Oaks wasn't really large enough, and the fairways were pretty narrow.