A Tale of Two Courses

It was the best of times, it was challenging at times. It was a course of straight fairways, it was a course going left or right. It was two different tracks in one location. Read on for a tale of two courses at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. I had a great experience on each. I prefer one course, but it seems my opinion is not universally shared.

Two Flavors - A Matter of Taste
La Loma course differs from Salado del Rio. We’ll discover the history further down, just know you’ll get different experiences on each. The first tee on Loma is a straight shot down a wide fairway with easy recovery off the sides. Salado greets you with a 90-degree left fairway starting alongside the driving range fence. Golfers with more skill than I can cut the corner. My skill set is not there yet, so I chose the traditional routing on this hole.

La Loma presents you with mostly straight fairways. On Salado, you’ll often play left or right doglegs. Both challenge you with assorted water carries that bring your course management skills to the forefront. 

La Loma offers up the opportunity to visit the pro shop at the turn, Salado does not. The parklike back nine of Salado is not near the clubhouse. Bring enough snacks and balls to carry you through because going back is not practical.

Hit It and Hope
Us high handicappers are sometimes faced with a “hit it and hope” hole. Number four on Salado taunted me. You’re teeing from an elevated green into a canyon (unless you choose the red tees below). It's pretty cool looking down on trees from a tee box.

The tree-lined fairway way below veers slightly left after it crosses a creek. My normal miss off the tee is a slice right. So I stare into the canyon and ponder my aim point. My ball takes a glorious flight and ends up just off the green…of hole five, which doubles back alongside the fairway I’d tried to hit.

It was the drive of hope, it was the punch shot of despair. We made it out of there and managed to finish out with only a double.

Dueling Finales
Picture this, it’s not that hot, you’re not hallucinating, you haven’t been drinking too much, and yet as you line up your approach shot on 18, you see two greens and two flags. No, you’re not seeing things. The greens for the two courses sit side by side. So make sure you know what you’re aiming for, and that your aim is true.

History Runs Deep

Fort Sam Houston is an historic Army post. Golfing history runs deep here. The original A.W.Tillinghast 18-hole design opened in 1929. It is the only military course to have held PGA Tour events, notably the Texas Open. In 1960, Arnold Palmer won the Texas Open here, then went on to win the Masters.

In mid- 1976, the playing area was expanded. The Kevin Tucker Design Group created the two courses, with portions of the original track going to each. 

Support Facilities
The support facilities here are fantastic. The practice green is huge, with slopes to match what you might see on either course. The driving range has covered bays and is lighted in the evening. The pro shop is well stocked. The clubhouse is huge with large meeting areas. The wrap-around terrace is a great place to watch the putting green and driving range while enjoying a snack from the grill. The overall vibe is very chill.

Facility Facts

• The Fort Sam Houston golf course was designed by A.W.Tillinghast 

• La Loma:  Length - 6819 yards, Slope – 128, Rating - 72.8

• Salado del Rio:  Length - 6725 yards, Slope – 128, Rating - 732.6

• Walker friendly, but Salado will give you a bit of a workout.

• Four sets of tees to choose from so you can enjoy your round.

• Golf instruction available.

• Starting in 2024, a bunker renovation project is underway on La Loma. 

Parting Thoughts

I'm glad I got to play both these courses. Each has something special to offer. One local I spoke with, who is a much better golfer than me, prefers La Loma. For me, the quiet park-like setting of the back nine of Salado del Rio will always hold a special place (and several balls donated to the environments there). If you get the chance, play both and decide for yourself. Experience the best of times with no worst of times in sight.

Things to Know About JBSA Golf Courses

At Joint Base San Antonio, you can play on all four courses at the three installations. All are within a one-hour drive of each other. Each course offers something unique at a great value. If you’re visiting San Antonio and have the time, experience all four of these cool venues.

All Joint Base San Antonio golf courses are online with The Greens @ JBSA golf app. This free app has many features including GPS for yardage, an electronic scorecard, information regarding the course, prices, contact information and much more. download it today on the Google Play Store or IOS app store 

Non-DoD card holders can get a pass that is good at all three installations. Call one of the courses for more information.