Texaco Country Club, Houston, TX

Played this course earlier this week. Fees & Lunch were right at $20, so very affordable and fast play. The "Great Texas Drought of 2011" has absolutely shredded this course. Nothing green in most of the fairways, but the greens and tee boxes had some areas of green. What they can reach with the irrigation system is green, the rest is hard dirt.

I totally understand that the drought has ravaged the course. What I don't understand is why long-ago cut down trees line some fairways, why 70's-era rusted (and broken) equipment litters the course, and why the maintenance staff can't just clean things up a little? The drought is something new, the old trees and junk has been there for years upon years.

Bottom line: great value, friendly staff, but incredibly poorly maintained facilities.

This course dates back to the 1920s as the Texaco Country Club. Texaco sold the property to the City of Houston but it is still run by a private group.
This is one of my favorites because it is an easy course to walk, crowds are light on weekend afternoons, and the price is good. Small greens is the course's most challenging feature. The condition of the fairways and greens tends to vary throughout the year. There is enough variation on the holes to make for an interesting layout.
One of large trees on hole #15 is called Freddie Couples' tree. The story is that Freddie played here while he was attending the University of Houston and would blast his drive over the tree which is almost 300 yards from the tee.