The Wilderness

Texas has more than 740 golf courses spread across a state large enough to contain every type of terrain in golf. You can play through Chihuahuan Desert canyons near Big Bend, Hill Country limestone draws west of Austin, links-style flats on the Gulf Coast, and modern championship layouts in the booming Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Green fees range from under $20 at municipal courses to well over $200 at the state’s premier resort destinations. This guide focuses on the best public-access courses in the state - places where you can book a tee time without a private membership. Several appear on national rankings from Golf Digest, GolfPass, and Golfweek. West Texas and the Big Bend Region The most remote top-ranked course in Texas is also the one that consistently tops every list. Black Jack’s Crossing at Lajitas Golf Resort sits in far west Texas at the edge of Big Bend National Park. The Lanny Wadkins design plays 7,400 yards at par 72 through the Chihuahuan Desert, with holes carved along the Rio Grande and through volcanic rock canyons. GolfPass named it the No. 1 public course in Texas in its 2026 Golfers’ Choice rankings. The isolation is part of the draw...