GALVESTON, Texas – When people think of Galveston, the first thing that likely jumps into their minds is the island playground’s beaches and its quaint downtown area full of museums, art galleries, dining establishments, and historic mansions. Or they may even recognize the city as a port of call used to sail off on a cruise to the Caribbean.
The island becomes “the place to be” as “Houston’s playground” on weekends, especially between Memorial Day and Labor Day. About 350,000 visitors pour over the Galveston Bay Bridge and into the city each Friday, Saturday and Sunday, drawn by its sun and sand and plenty of things to do away from the water.
While Galveston’s appeal is rooted in its grassy dunes and off-white sand, calm warm water, the Seawall, the Strand Historic District, and the growing roster of top lodging options and restaurants, the island’s golf courses are attractions to consider as well. They have played a big part in the area’s resurgence as Galveston rebounded from the effects of Hurricanes Ike, and, to a lesser extent and more recently, Harvey.
The island’s two courses, the semiprivate Galveston Country Club on the west end and Moody Gardens Golf Course near the airport and mere blocks from the beach, throw up a stern gauntlet to visitors and residents, especially when the wind blows.
And just off the island in Texas City, the surprisingly good Bayou Golf Course is worth its weight in gold.
We asked Gean Leonard, a lifelong resident of Galveston County who served as sheriff here for two terms until retiring in 2008, for a list of places to head for fun in Galveston. He still lives in nearby League City, gets in four or five rounds of golf a week at the fun and challenging South Shore Harbour Golf Club and writes a weekly golf column for the Galveston Daily News.
Here’s are Leonard’s tips for both the golfer and the non-golfer.
My recommendation to visitors to Galveston County—whether first-time or a repeat—is to take the road less traveled, or perhaps the road which once was the road less traveled: State Highway 146. From the east, getting there is easy either by directly from I-10 or via the highway 99 toll road which bypasses Baytown. Highway 146 hugs the bay coastline into Seabrook, crossing the bridge into Kemah, Clear Lake and marinas housing thousands of boats lies to the west.
To the east, Galveston Bay calls out to mariners of all ilk. Check your party into one of many small hotels and spend a few hours at the Kemah Boardwalk; work up an appetite and choose from a dozen restaurants within a mile radius for a casual dinner with a gorgeous sunset included at no charge.
If you have an early tee time the next day, Skipper’s is just a long par 5 from the Boardwalk. It’s where the locals go for breakfast. If you want to sleep in and have an early lunch before golf, stop in at Stomp’s and choose from a variety of burgers – try the skinny onion rings and some sweet potato fries, but plan to share one order of each.
Visit the famous Strand area, where you can shop ’til it hurts, take a tour of the 1894 Grand Opera House or just cool down at the beach, the pool, or at nearby Schlitterbahn.
While many fine restaurants line Sewall Boulevard, my recommendation for a final evening meal would be a reservation at Rudy and Paco’s. Paco Vargas himself still selects the fresh fruit daily, and the atmosphere is pure, old Galveston. Plus, its where celebrities and dignitaries alike are known to have dinner. Tell Paco I sent you.
And then there’s the golf. The oldest course in Galveston, and perhaps the state, is Galveston Country Club, located west of the seawall. Established in 1898, the club moved to its modern-day location in 1946 when Ralph Plummer designed the 18-hole track.
The current course, renovated by Jacobsen/Hardy (Peter Jacobsen and Jim Hardy) and converted to wall-to-wall Paspalum turf in 2003, is a thrilling layout and plenty testy, even though the flattish par-72 layout extends just 6,512 yards from its back set of four tees. The members’ love of golf and their strong bonds of friendship imbued them with the desire and tenacity to rebuild and regroup time and again. It can be windy at Galveston CC, but that’s part of its appeal and personality.
Those golfers staying at the fabulous Hotel Galvez, Tremont House or Harbor House hotels are allowed to play the course and pay a guest fee instead of the more-expensive charge for outside visitors, making a night or two at one of these sumptuous Mitchell Historic Properties especially enticing.
Option 1A for golf is the Moody Gardens Golf Course, which continues to enjoy recognition as one of the best coastal tracks in the Texas and the United States. Also renovated by Jacobsen and Hardy, the 2005 redo kept the best historical features of the former layout while significantly improving certain holes and variety. Now, the fairways curl around inlets and lakes edged with wispy grasses, and there are even some modest elevation changes, rare for a site so close to sea level.
Stretching 6,816 yards from the back set of five tees – where it’s rated 72.6 with a 127 Slope – the par-72 Moody Gardens is designed to be player-friendly and a solid test, placing a premium on approach shots to some interesting pin locations.
Moody Gardens GC borders Sydnor Bayou and, as such, you’ll find native areas, shorebird habitat and water impeding play on 17 holes. The course takes advantage of its natural palate of water, brush and sand. Its colorful landscaping, bay views and more than 500 palm trees swaying in the gentle Gulf Coast breezes make for a scenic and peaceful round.
For those staying in Galveston and playing Moody Gardens GC, it would be silly to room anywhere else but the Moody Gardens Hotel and Conference Center on the other side of the Galveston airport. The facility is famed for its three landmark pyramids – one an aquarium, another indoor rainforest, and the third a museum and theater.
Another option on a trip to or from the island is Bayou Golf Course, situated just a short 14 miles outside of Galveston but still in the county on the outskirts of Texas City.
Nestled right at the inlet to the Gulf of Mexico, this course offers a tropical climate feel year-round Some of its best features just may be the blue skies and radiant palm trees that seem to light up and highlight each hole along the links.
Renovated in 2016 by Houston-based architect Mike Nuzzo, the layout of this challenging championship course offers plenty of opportunity to shoot a good score. For more than 35 years, this course has welcomed golfers of all skill types and has never been better; it still the best option for budget-conscious golfers or those looking to escape the intensity of other competitive courses.
