The Golf Club at Star Ranch

Star Ranch opened in 2001 on the former Timmerman Ranch in Hutto, Texas — a working cattle property on 1,000 acres northeast of Austin. The course was designed by a four-architect collaboration: Jay Morrish and his son Carter Morrish of Jay Morrish & Associates, together with Roy Bechtol and Randy Russell of the Austin-based Bechtol & Russell Golf Design firm. This multi-firm approach was unusual and reflects the ambition of the project, which served as the anchor for a master-planned residential community.

Star Ranch became the first Austin-area course to market itself as an "All-Inclusive" daily-fee layout — including range balls with the green fee, a value proposition that has defined its reputation. In 2007 a new 55,000-square-foot practice facility debuted, featuring multiple teeing areas, six tiered target greens, and a full short game area — one of the largest public-access practice complexes in central Texas.

Star Ranch divides naturally into two personalities. The front nine plays in links style — wide-open, gently rolling fairways with minimal tree cover, where wind becomes the primary defense. The back nine tightens considerably: more tree-lined corridors, more pronounced elevation changes, and more strategic demands.

Sixty-six white sand bunkers are strategically positioned at fairway landing zones and around greens. The architects placed them to reward players who think through their angles rather than just aim for the flag. Playing to the correct side of the fairway is more important than raw distance.

Range balls are included with the green fee — a rarity among Austin-area daily-fee courses — and the 55,000-square-foot practice facility is one of the best in the region.

Wind is the defining variable at Star Ranch. The open front nine can play dramatically differently depending on direction — factor wind before every tee shot and club selection.

Angles off the tee matter more than pure distance. The 66 bunkers reward players who identify the correct side of the fairway before reaching for driver.

Hole 15 (the waterfall par 3): commit fully to your club selection and aim for the center of the green. Indecision leads to the water. Take one more club if uncertain.

The back nine holes 11–13 play with noticeable elevation change — the par-4 13th plays entirely uphill and feels significantly longer than its yardage. Add a club.

Arrive early and use the practice facility — precise distance control on the Bermuda greens rewards warm-up time.