Golf and Good Times: George Strait’s Tapatio Springs Resort

The first sense to be awakened when you arrive at Tapatio Springs is that of smell. Stepping out of the car at the brand new clubhouse building to check-in, it’s the fragrance of golf course and the heady aroma of Texas Hill Country live oak. Once through the doors into the clubhouse, it’s the resort’s signature fragrance, which captures those woods and adds a hint of lime, evocative of a tangy margarita.

Sight takes over from here as guests take in their surroundings. A brand new clubhouse furnished in a distinctive, masculine Hill Country style with plenty of antler chandeliers, rustic-but-comfy furnishings and relentless waves of natural light through the picture windows overlooking the 9th hole green.

Tapatio Springs is a resort development (that counts country singer George Strait as an ownership partner) in Boerne, TX, about a half hour’s drive from San Antonio. While it’s part of a larger community, the club is clearly a focal point. Long a membership club focused on golf, the surrounding lodgings grew as a natural progression of the club’s hospitality. Several two-story buildings house resort accommodations, surrounding some of the club’s original buildings that have been repurposed as the spa and resort pools.

The main draw, however, is the 18 hole Resort Course, which was first designed and built by Bill Johnston in 1981 and last refurbished by Tripp Davis in 2015. The course is public, so one needn’t be a member to play, although during our round it seemed clear the majority of other golfers were playing the course with the intimate familiarity of significant frequency.

The course itself is challenging, with a number of memorable water and terrain hazards to challenge even veteran players, and several holes with “hidden” pins. Overall both novice players and seasoned golf pros will find plenty to entertain on both the front and back nine. It’s also an affordable course, with non-member green fees for 18 holes from $75 in the summer.

When it’s time to refuel, La Cascada Table & Bar offers a variety of experiences for resort guests. Those just in from a round of golf can relax in the bar or on the patio with a selection of clubhouse and Central Texas favorites like Shrimp & Grits or a classic Clubhouse Sandwich. For dinner, there’s a dining room with plush leather booths, roll-up doors to take advantage of mild evenings and Hill Country cuisines like Wood-Fired Quail or Baby Back Ribs.

Guest rooms have exterior corridors and comfortable furnishings in an approachable country style without any hint of ostentation. All rooms have balconies or patios from which to take in countryside views. King suites are designed to entertain, with convivial seating areas and wet bars.

In fact, the entire resort seems designed for languid socializing. Fire pits with Adirondack-style chairs dot the property, and there are two resort pools, one with a water slide and expansive pool bar. Guests interested in wellness can peruse the treatment list at Puresol Spa and book treatments such as body scrubs or massages or take in the benefits of the salt cave (the minerals in the air are said to promote wellness). A massage is certainly welcome to the shoulders after a morning spent on the links.

When not relaxing at the resort, the scenic views of the surrounding environs and the charming antique shops and boutiques of downtown Boerne await. The resort is even close enough to San Antonio for guests to venture into town to taste the delights of the Alamo City.

The Takeaway

Solidly moderate in price and amenities with heartfelt hospitality and finely executed services, Tapatio Springs is a resort getaway to remember in one of Texas’s most scenic regions.

The Math

Winter weekday room rates start at $85 per night plus tax.

Instagrammable Moment

Get out on the golf course, and there’ll be no shortage of them.

Loyalty

No loyalty program here, but country club memberships are available for purchase.

Good to Know

Guest rooms and suites are pet-friendly; cats and dogs are permitted.

Guest accommodations are “drive-up” with plenty of free parking. There’s a drive-thru porte-cochere for brief check-in/check-out visits to the clubhouse.

Pools are heated and are open year-round; some amenities like waterslides and pool bars may have seasonal closures.

Accommodations were furnished by Tapatio Springs in preparation for this story.