Golf Course: Located about 15 miles west of downtown San Antonio, Hyatt Hill Country Golf Club boasts three nine-hole courses designed by Arthur Hills and Associates. The original 18 holes, the Lakes and Oaks Courses, opened for play in 1993. The Creeks Course was added in 2005. Encompassing more than 200 acres, the three nines blend together seamlessly, yet each offers distinct settings from links-style undulating grasslands to a parkland backdrop with tree-shaded plateaus and tranquil lakes and ponds. The Texas League Play Playoffs were played on the Lakes and Oaks courses, with the Lakes being the front nine and the Oaks being the back nine.
Championship Match: Sunday’s championship match pitted top seed DeCordova Bend CC and 10th seed Barton Creek CC. DeCordova Bend CC continued the trend of jumping out early, sweeping all four possible points in the front nine matches. DeCordova Bend CC swept overall matches, the match for all 18 holes, collecting another four points. Barton Creek CC was able to tie the final scratch match of the back nine matches to post 0.5 points to DeCordova Bend CC’s 3.5 points.
Semifinal Matches: Saturday’s semifinals saw Cinderella’s clock strike midnight as the No. 1 seed DeCordova Bend CC dominated 13th seed Golf Club of Houston with a 10 to 2 victory to advance to the finals for a second straight year. The second semifinal match of Saturday was another one that came down to the wire, with 10th seed Barton Creek CC advancing after another sudden death playoff against 6th seed River Crest CC 7 to 6.
Quarterfinal Matches: Top seed DeCordova Bend CC continued their march through the playoffs with a dominant 10 to 2 win over the 8th seed Bentwood CC. Underdogs Golf Club of Houston, the 13th seed, punched their tickets to the semifinals against DeCordova Bend CC following their victory over the 5th seed Lakewood CC 7 to 5. Barton Creek CC, like Golf Club of Houston, produced another upset, this time of the 2nd overall seed San Angelo CC 7 to 5. Barton Creek CC would soon face Fort Worth’s River Crest CC, the 6th seed, following their victory over the 14th seed Eagle Pointe GC 7 to 6. This was the third match in the first two days that went to a sudden death playoff after being tied at 6 to 6 and Eagle Pointe GC’s second straight day in a playoff.
Round of 16 Matches: Thursday’s first matches between the top seed DeCordova Bend CC establishing early that they would be a tough out by taking down the last wildcard team to get in as 16th seed Brownwood CC 9 to 3. The second match of the day, between 8th seed Bentwood CC and 9th seed Cypress Lakes GC was the first of multiple sudden death playoffs with Bentwood CC prevailing 7 to 6. The first upset of the playoffs came at the hands of the 13th seed Golf Club of Houston taking down the 4th seed Sugar Tree CC 6.5 to 5.5. The 5 versus 12 matchup between Lakewood CC and Westwood GC ended with Lakewood CC posting 7.5 points to Westwood GC’s 4.5 points. The 2nd overall seed, San Angelo CC, advanced to the Round of 8 with their victory over Nutcracker GC 7.5 to 4.5. Barton Creek CC, the 10th seed, produced the second upset of the day with a resounding 9 to 3 victory over the 7th seed Gleneagles CC. 14th seed Eagle Pointe GC produced the biggest upset of the first day with their 7 to 6 victory over the 3rd seed Odessa CC (Links) in the second playoff of the day. River Crest CC, the 6th seed, closed out the day with a win over the 11th seed Hackberry Creek CC 8.5 to 3.5.
TGA League Play: Texas League Play is open to all TGA members clubs that meet the club eligibility requirements. Participating clubs establish a four-club conference and compete over an eight-week regular season. The regular season consists of six interconference matches including three home and three away matches. Eight players represent each club on match day and play four-ball matches. Points are awarded in a Nassau style scoring with each of the four matches being worth three points.
What’s Next: The Texas Golf Association will head to Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas for the playing of the 115th Texas Amateur Championship. The 115th Texas Amateur will be the first major of the year on the men’s competition schedule.
More Info: The Texas Golf Association extends its sincere appreciation to the staff, members of Hyatt Hill Country Golf Club, for their integral part in making the Texas League Play Playoffs a memorable and successful event. For more information on the Texas League Play, click here.