Austin, Texas, will sauce up your golf life

Though the PGA Tour doesn't get any closer than Dallas and Houston -- both whistle stops several hours away by car -- there some are very compelling reasons to head deeper into the heart of Texas, to its capital city of Austin.

Barton Creek - Fazio Foothills No. 16

Aside from the fact that Austin is the "live music capital of the world" -- the city's downtown area besting New Orleans' French Quarter for cleanliness and musical diversity by a long shot -- there's the barbecue. I've tried barbecue lots of places -- from Kansas City to Atlanta, from North Carolina to Memphis -- and in my book you can't beat the kind you find in Austin. Like the city itself, it's both dry and saucy.

The golf in Austin is damn good, too. But that's just icing on the cake -- or sauce on the brisket if you will. My suggestion: Check into Barton Creek Resort & Spa. Here, you're close to all three of Austin's lures: golf, music and barbecue, on top of which its location is in the heart of Texas' famed Hill Country, the oasis of the Lone Star State.

The resort itself offers four superior courses that sweep across the 4,000-acre property -- including Fazio Foothills, the top-rated resort course in Texas -- as well as the Chuck Cook Golf Academy, a very popular spa and sports club, lots of family-friendly activities (such as the new Fort Barton -- opening Memorial Day -- and a miniature golf course) and several tempting dining outlets featuring Texas cuisine.

Guests have to head off property, however, to the nearby County Line on the Hill to find the best selection of that finger-licking barbecue for which the area is so well-known. Once there, no one leaves wanting more. County Line offers several all-you-can-eat options that deliver platter after platter of beef and pork ribs, brisket, sausage, chicken and other delectably grilled meats onto which diners can slather rich, red sauces, mild to extra spicy. Other barbecue joints to try in and around Austin include Stubb's and the world-famous Salt Lick.

Barton Creek guestroom

A word to the wise: Too much barbecue at night can adversely affect your golf game the next day, and you'll want to have all your wits about you when you tackle the gems at Barton Creek.

Three of the courses -- Fazio Foothills, Fazio Canyons and Crenshaw Cliffside -- amble through the forested, rolling terrain that surrounds the hotel. The fourth -- Palmer Lakeside -- is located 25 miles from the resort overlooking Lake Travis.

All are worthy opponents, but the Fazio Foothills is perhaps the most dramatic. First opened in 1986 (and renovated in 2004), this layout plays more than 7,100 yards, requiring long, straight drives and carefully executed approach shots. The putting surfaces are smallish and often devilishly scalloped. Aprons dip away from edges, so you'll often find yourself chipping back up to the greens.

More interesting, though, are the natural limestone caves, waterfalls and elevation changes that one encounters, all coming directly into play. Fronting the 16th green, for example, is a beguiling waterfall that spills deep into the ground; shots that come up short on this hole are lost forever. And in the fairway of No. 18 is a sand bunker that leads into a gaping cave that is fondly referred to as the "Bat Cave," it's so deep and foreboding. Hitting into this spooky area of the golf course will cost you your calm as well as a stroke.

Bordering Fazio Foothills is Crenshaw Cliffside, another test of your "A" game. Designed by Ben Crenshaw -- a native son of Austin and Texas Longhorn at heart -- and partner Bill Coore, the Cliffside Course utilizes the ravines and contours of the Hill Country expertly. Rolling fairways give deceptively uneven lies, and large, undulating putting surfaces are as difficult to read as James Joyce's Ulysses. Scoring on this layout takes the precision and touch of ... well, Ben Crenshaw.

It might be a good idea to spend a few hours at the Chuck Cook Golf Academy before you play any of Barton Creek's courses; but I guarantee you'll think it's a good idea after. The Academy offers schools of all types, from ladies only to low-handicap, from family to individual, and the instruction, often led by Cook himself, is excellent.

Owned by KSL Resorts (La Costa, Rancho Las Palmas, The Homestead), Barton Creek Resort has recently embarked upon an extensive, property-wide enhancement project that has renovated guestrooms and the lobby bar, and added a new coffee market and retail gift shop to the lobby. Additional renovations will be completed by November.

All 150 guestrooms in the Tower wing have been refreshed as well, with a contemporary décor that is sophisticated, yet warm and welcoming. For families, Barton Creek Summer Camps provide 10 weeks of supervised daily activities for kids Monday through Friday, between June 9 and August 15.

"It is exciting to be able to offer the new guestrooms and other amenities to our guests," said Paul McCormick, vice president and managing partner of Barton Creek Resort. "It only adds to the appeal of Barton Creek that our guests have come to love."

Next time you're in the mood for the three "Bs" -- live bands, tasty barbecue and rewarding birdies -- and that happens to me at least seven times a week, make a beeline for Austin and Barton Creek, deep in the heart of Texas.