When the pro at the counter charged me $16 for a round of golf at Northcliffe -- and that included a small bucket of practice balls -- he asked me "How's that?" It's good, really good, that's how. It's the cheapest flat rate I've played for a round in I don't know how long. It's convenient, located hard by IH-35 about 15 minutes from my home in northeast San Antonio and on the way to Austin within sight of the start of the Texas Hill Country to the west.

But, with such a price, you can expect it's not Augusta when it comes to condition. I note it, but don't bemoan it. Ants are building homes on the fourth fairway; the drought, though mellowed enough recently to fill in the four-foot cracks from the summer, has left dips and depressions and ripples on many of the fairways. And the greens are a mixture of gnarly common bermuda and more fine-bladed bermuda that would be great if it could cover the entire surface. Overall, the greens roll fine and hold shots.

Given the green fee, it's back-stabbin' to spend much time being critical. Besides, the course is quite playable -- not an issue. But it's also not worth going through with a description of every hole. I look for design highlights that stand out no matter the condition.

There are enough to make you come back and feel mildly challenged. It's 131 on the slope rating, and I think that's high (it was once 125; that's more appropriate). It's a 71.0 course rating, and that's about right. There is some OB that has to be dealt with, and that's probably why it figures to a 131 on the slope. Plays 6,500 or so from the tips.

Some challenges at Northcliffe are subtle: The fifth hole is just 365 yards downhill, though usually into the wind, but do you hit driver and get past the humps that roll into the fairway or just stick with 2-iron off the tee and end up just short of those humps? A driver puts the water in play. Do you hit driver off the tee and cut the corner through the dogleg left, 410-yard No. 12 and risk trees and the bunker about 260 yards out, or do you aim for the meat of the fairway with a 3-metal and stay short of that bunker but have the longer uphill shot to a well-bunkered green? And, more simply, do you look at the 457-yard downhill 16th as a par 5 (as the scorecard does) or do you have a go at it like it's a tough par 4?

Other holes stand out: The uphill No. 4 at 434 yards is the toughest hole when the prevailing wind switches directions. There's a tree in the driving zone left and OB right. The 415-yard seventh is a nice driving hole with OB right and a hazard usually with no water but still with an ability to make you pay with the rocks down there. The par-3 14th has a big tree obstructing a straight-line view of the green, but the putting surface is 150 yards tops from the tee so that tree can be handled with ordinary loft. And the par 3 17th is 185 yards commonly into the wind to a green that has plenty of slope back to the water hazard.

So, the place scores well in the category of value. It's on my regular rotation and will be as long as it stays in reasonable shape -- and I continue to play Golf Like You're Poor.

Course is private and owned by Club Corp of America...strong membership and very well maintained. This is a Gary Player signature designed course. Presents a challenge for all levels...par 72 from up tees...par 70 from back tees. Greens are a combination of bent and poa...course is transitioning from bent to poa, so in the morning greens are smooth and roll nice...but as the day goes on they get bumpy. One of the best tee to green clubs in the Pittsburgh PA area...only complaint is the greens need more speed.

Autumn Ridge Golf Course--What to say? I LOVE this course. I used to have a season pass, but couldn't play the past 3-4 seasons due to a serious injury. But I will be getting the premium season pass next season and you will be able to find me there 3-5 times a week. The course is always immaculate, just simply gorgeous! A challenge even for the low-handicapper. Open to the public with very reasonable green fees, and this course is of better caliber than many private courses. Overall grade: A+++!!!

From the back tees Rivertowne plays to around 7300. One set up is a more manageable 6600. Arnold Palmer design that offers some room off the tee for errant shots, but sloping greens and high winds make scoring difficult. Back 9 a good 3-4 shots harder than the front. Outside of a resort course this is the best layout in Charleston.

This course winds its way through a mature pine forest. It has modest elevation changes, mostly on par-3s. Very enjoyable to play. I hav not been there for some time, but it had the advantage of staying open very late in the season. If there was no snow or frost on the ground, chances are they are open (closes on the 1st of January).

This is a hilly lakeside course that plays like a links course. Accurate driving and wedge play are the key to scoring here. Small and very firm greens, nice variation of hole shapes with quite a few risk/reward options. This course used to be in very bad condition but recent owners have really improved it. Shot makers course.

Pete Dye / Jack Nicklaus collaboration. Tight fairways, difficult par-3s, small greens. Position off the tee is the key to scoring possibilities here. Beautiful layout, very enjoyable, tough course but memorable. Choose tees based on shot accuracy, not distance.

If you're ever in the Texarkana area (on the border of Texas and Arkansas, as well as northwest Louisiana and southeast Oklahoma), this is the course to play, plain and simple! It is a relatively new course, opened after 2000 and designed by Jim Fazio. The facility is run by Hank Haney Golf, and it is a quite affordable track to play, especially considering the course's quality. The course has already played host to some Gateway Tour events.

Jim got very creative in the design of this course. East Texas is naturally hilly and full of TALL pine trees, and these are used for dramatic, aesthetic, and strategic effects throughout this course. Those who are not used to seeing trees of such magnitude may be taken aback at first...the large trees seem closer than they really are, so shots that you think are landing close to the treeline often fall well short of it. Each hole of this course is visually separated from other holes by said trees...you can only see the hole you're playing.

As for the course itself, it is a long and tough test. The course rating is over 75, and it plays to well over 7,000 yards from the tips. You will see blind shots, large elevation changes, risk-reward par 5s and tough par 3s. This is a course that rewards quality ballstriking, both off the tee and into the greens. The greens themselves are your average Bermuda greens, and can get quite grainy and confusing to putt on, but they are nicely kept and pretty fast. Water comes into play on a few of the holes, as the course is routed next to Bringle Lake. Two par 5s, 12 and 16, both feature this lake heavily on the 2nd shot.

There are several courses in Texarkana, but if you are in the area, give this one your first look.

This course is just plain fun. It's probably too far out of the way for out-of-towners visiting Dallas (it's about 60 miles north of downtown, in a little German town called Muenster), but if you're up for the drive, this course is fun to play. It is routed through stark, hilly farmland countryside, and from the highest point on the golf course (the tee at #11) you can see all the way into Oklahoma. Also, a wind farm has developed right alongside the golf course, and it's cool to see these giant yet silent machines up close.

The course is not overly long or challenging, but there are still plenty of golf shots to be made. Some of the holes here are treelined, some tightly so, while others are more open and allow room for the driver. The greens are generally in fine shape, especially considering they are bentgrass, which doesn't hold up as well in the Texas heat. The signature hole is #11, which has been voted as the best 11th hole in Texas. It's a 190-yard par 3 that features a downhill drop of staggering proportions to a green set into a rock outcropping covered in cedar trees, and guarded by a bunker at front left. You'll love it. As it is with that hole, the challenge of this course comes in the elevation changes, which are plentiful. Another fun hole is the short par 4 10th, which is a true risk-reward hole whose fairway runs along a ridge that is a good 30 feet above the 14th fairway. In short...if you're going to hit driver, you better keep it up on the 10th fairway!

In all, this is a fun course on the cheap. If you've got gas money to burn, go give it a try. Those who live in southern Oklahoma ought to consider this course as well!

This is a fun and well-designed resort-style course located just south of the Texas Motor Speedway, and just north of the Ft. Worth/Alliance airport. It's out in the country--I-35W is undeveloped--but there is a Marriott hotel on-site, making it a good place to stay if you are visiting Ft. Worth on business (it's about 20 minutes from downtown Ft. Worth and 20 minutes from D/FW Airport).

The course itself is a lot of fun and a good value, and there are special deals on GolfQ and Golfnow. It was originally designed by Greg Norman in the mid-90s, and revamped by Jay Morrish shortly after when Greg decided the course was too difficult for its purposes. The result is a fun, challenging but fair layout that is well-kept and offers quality conditions year-round. It begins and ends in the classic "resort course" style, with the 1st hole being a short par 4 to offer you an easy start, and the 18th a reachable 480-yard par 5 to end you on a good note. But in between there are plenty of challenging holes, some very much so. #9 in particular features a downhill tee shot that must stop short of a large creek, followed by an uphill mid-iron approach to a two-tiered green guarded by 3 large bunkers. #15, the signature hole, is a long downhill par three with a multi-level green sandwiched between two bunkers left and water all down the right side.

If you are in the Ft. Worth area, this is certainly worth the short trek up I-35. It doesn't belong on any "must play" lists, but it's a nice golf course for a good price.