Which Course Is This In Texas?

EmperorPenguin · April 11, 2020

I am watching the 1984 Masters and I see Ben in the Butler Cabin giving his post-round interview with Hord Hardin. I see on his shirt a logo of a club whose logo is a knockoff of Augusta's logo. Instead of an outline of America we see an outline of Texas.

Which course is this? For those of you who played it, is it a nice course?

CMCSGolf · April 11, 2020

It looks like Onion Creek Golf Club (https://www.onioncreekclub.com/) founded by Jimmy Demeret in Austin. It's an OK course. Nothing to write home about, but a solid club.

Mikolar · April 12, 2020

At one point, Onion Creek was a really good golf course and club. A nearby creek flooded so many times (and perhaps a bit of poor management), repairing the damage really hurt the club. At one point, it was special.

CMCSGolf · April 13, 2020

How did the course deteriorate after the change? I never saw it before and would be curious. I've actually heard some people say the flood helped the course because it took out a ton of trees that were choking off some holes. But that is secondhand knowledge...

Mikolar · April 17, 2020

Holes on the original front side were damaged with greens and green side traps taking most of the abuse. Many of those were either moved or changed a bit. The trees that were lost were IMO, hurt the play of the holes. The course was not terrible long, so as for choking off some holes, the original 18 required you to hit some cuts and hooks which we liked a lot. Third hole, par four, only about 350 yards. But a street ran right along the left side, trees were large along the creek to the right and you had to hit a cut at a huge oak tree about 220 yards off the tee box. Good hole.

Go back and google the Legends of Golf from the late 70's. Onion Creek is where the senior tour started and the tournament had a five or six hole sudden death playoff which really was enjoyable. Since then, the clubhouse has not really been improved which is a shame because I always thought it was a nice community and a wonderful golf course.

The course is still open with another nine that was added in the 90's I think. It is ok. One of my favorite golf memories....my Dad played with a foursome every Wednesday -- rain or shine, a boiling sun or tornadoes and hail in the sky. They played one February and the pond along #9 had frozen to about 20 feet out from the bank. Dad's ball just barely rolled on the ice and while we all thought it was a really bad idea, he stepped on the ice and hit a baffler up towards the green. Everyone wore spikes back then so his shoes really didn't slide once he got settled. I don't remember whether he won the hole but that was a story told for years.

Onion Creek was that sort of place -- in a wonderfully good way.

EmperorPenguin · May 3, 2020

For those of you guys who were once members of that club, I just heard that Jack Gaudion used to work there starting in the bag room and worked his way up to head pro, and Omar Uresti grew up there. Ever come across those guys? I heard that Jack ended up owning a few golf courses in Wisconsin, so I wonder how he struck it rich.