Views of the Neighborhood – Grand Re-Opening of the Hills Golf Course

~ John W. Howell

Today we are going to a big event in Lakeway. The Hills County Club golf course was designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in 1981. The course has undergone a major renovation led by the Jack Nicklaus team and is now ready for play. The ribbon-cutting ceremony and the official opening are what we are going to visit. Our brunch is being catered by Le Politique of Austin. Our entertainment is Linda Ronstadt.

Menu

CROQUE MONSIEUR Griddled ham & comté cheese sandwich, sauce mornay, dijon+ add a fried egg

STEAK FRITES 10oz grilled Texas ribeye, red wine herb butter, fries, sauce béarnaise (

SEARED SNAPPER PROVENÇAL Seared tomatoes, niçoise olives, and onions, parsley lemon foam

CHICKEN PAILLARD Breaded chicken, capers, brown butter, lemon, farm lettuce

TROUT ALMONDINE Seared trout, rice pilaf, lemon brown butter, toasted almonds

ROYALE WITH CHEESE Grass-fed beef, caramelized onions, swiss & gruyère cheese, Russian dressing, pickles, fries

OMELETTE Free-range local eggs, Boursin pepper cheese, butter lettuce

PARISIAN GNOCCHI Seared mushrooms, brandy-infused cream sauce

MOULES FRITES Bouchot mussels, white wine broth, crème fraîche, thyme, sourdough

Picture of an old time school bus

Hop on the bus, and let’s go.

The sky is threatening rain.

The registration desk.

Play Yellow is a children’s charity established by Jack Nicklaus to benefit Dell’s Children’s Medical Center in Austin and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Florida. The Hills Country Club has taken on Play Yellow as its charity.

The ribbon-cutting scissors.

Speeches by the Club President and a video featuring Jack Nicklaus.

Tom Kite, (left) a former US Open winner, will hit the ceremonial first ball off the first tee.

Cutting the ribbon on the first tee. A group of the club officer and Tom Kite.

Tom’s shot. You can see the ball just off the clubhead beginning its rise to the fairway.

Also on the agenda was a putting contest that offered a $25,000 first prize to the winner and $25,000 to Play Yellow for sinking a 150-yard putt. Unfortunately, none of the four finalists made it. The second prize was for closest to the pin.

A photo was taken with a waterfall backdrop back when the course was new. All Masters Tournament winners – Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, Charles Cootie, and Ben Crenshaw.

The waterfall today.

I hope you enjoyed our outing now. Sit back and enjoy the brunch and music. I hope you have a wonderful week.

91 thoughts on “Views of the Neighborhood – Grand Re-Opening of the Hills Golf Course”

  2. Dear John,
    thanks for taking us to your golf course. We are impressed that Jack Nicklaus seems to be a member of your club. Did he design this golf course?
    Wishing you a great coming week
    The Fab Four of Cley
    🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  3. As someone who was once an avid golfer before writing took over my free time, I loved this post, John. What a great photo of Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, Charles Cootie, and Ben Crenshaw. The course looks beautiful. Thanks for the tour! Enjoy your Sunday.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Nice coverage of the event, John. Good action shot off the tee. I remember watching those four at various times. My dad was a big golfer and fan of the sport. We were fans of Arnold Palmer, but there was no denying Jack’s prowess. I had the steak frites but those omelettes looked good.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Impressive course, and a very nice reopening. I think it’s good that they’re supporting a children’s charity. Great timing on Tom’s shot! Thanks for steak and the tour, John, with some Linda Ronstadt to wrap it up. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  6. I’ve always thought that golfers see the most beautiful stretches of land. The professional courses are all gorgeous — just like The Hills. Imagine spending every day in such beauty. What a gift! Thank you for sharing, John. Your brunch looks amazing. 😊

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The nice thing about my brunches is they are zero calories, zero fat, zero anything. Of course, they rely on memory since they have zero taste. The Hills is a beautiful property. Thanks, Gwen. I hope you have a peaceful Sunday.

      Liked by 1 person

  8. That Parisian Gnocchi sounds heavenly. The golf course looks fab and a great charity. Thanks for Linda, love love her. Like, Liz, I haven´t heard this song for a long time. Have a great week ahead, John.

    Liked by 2 people

  11. My husband is a golf fanatic and as a result, I know a lot of the famous golfers. That picture is priceless. For brunch, definitely the mussels! Did you know that croque monsieur with an egg is croque madame?

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Now THIS is my idea of a fun outing on Sunday, John! Domer is very into golf — plays every chance he gets. I used to play with him (until I hurt my back). That first hole had me salivating for my clubs!

    Liked by 1 person

  15. I love golf courses more than I love golf. But I must say, you are the narrator for me when it comes to the game. And those ribbon-cutting scissors, I need me a pair of those.

    Liked by 1 person

  16. It looked like an interesting and beautiful visit today John but are you saying this was a trip in your mind only since you meet up with Zero of the calorific content of the menu? At least you can listen to Linda Ronstadt at any time.
    Have a Great New Week
    Hugs

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Nice looking course. Tom Kite was an excellent golfer. Are you a golfer, John? I never got good enough to take it up seriously. I sliced the driver, hooked the irons, and 10% of the time, I’d hit one pure. Expensive hobby!

    Liked by 1 person

  22. What a great shot – where we see the ball 😉
    Some golf courses are so beautiful. The two I worked at, I never even got a chance to see completely. How nuts is that? I was promised a tour which never came to be… and yeah, I could have played for free, ‘cept I don’t dig on playing…

    Liked by 1 person

  26. Great tour and menu, John. I won 1st place in a golf tournament when I was 13 years old. Fun times, and the courses are always so beautiful. But tennis appealed to me more as I got older. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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