Much-improved Riverhill course in Kerrville will be one of Hill Country's finest courses
When Jeff Hunter talked with the ownership group behind Kerrville’s Riverhill Country Club about potentially helping with a full club revamp, the former director of golf at the renowned Colonial Country Club was honest and forthright.
“I basically looked at them and said I’m going to need your wallets,” Hunter said. “We need to do this right.”
The project isn’t finished, but both membership and ownership agree that the historic property is on the path to reclaiming its spot as one of the premier Hill Country golf clubs.
Aside from adding pickleball (almost a necessity at clubs these days), a new fitness facility and upgrading the pool area, the crown jewel of the club refresh came on the course, originally designed by Byron Nelson, who worked in concert with the legendary Joe Finger. Although Nelson didn’t have a ton of design credentials on his résumé, the few that he did were noted as some of the state’s best, including Preston Trails near Dallas.
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So when Hunter, who got to know the staff at Riverhill during a stint at nearby Comanche Trace, got a solid commitment from John Junker and the rest of the ownership group, he jumped at the chance to become the club’s general manager.
“First and foremost, it’s a great golf course,” Hunter said. “That’s where things start. When you have a course that’s as much fun to play as this one is, you can fill in other pieces around it.”
And with a significant investment, the group has done just that. The bunkers needed a complete overhaul and some were even removed for playability. New tee boxes were built and a few of the holes were slightly altered, although the group didn’t want anything to take away from the original Nelson-Finger design.
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The result is a rollicking romp, both playable for those visiting but challenging enough for the daily membership games.
“I think everyone is really happy,” said Hunter, a former TCU golfer who still has little trouble getting through a round. “And the fun is there’s only more coming in the future.”
Chamblee leads Texas HOF anchor ceremony
Alli Jarrett’s first function as the executive director of the Texas Golf Hall of Fame was a big one: the unveiling of an anchor site at the North Texas PGA home, which sits adjacent to the new PGA of America facility in Frisco.
So important, in fact, was the event that Golf Channel analyst and former Texas star Brandel Chamblee was among the many on hand to christen the site in late October. Chamblee led a discussion that also included Lee Trevino, Bruce Devlin and David Graham.
“Only the nation of England has more players in the World Golf Hall of Fame than Texas. It literally makes the hair stand up on my neck to be here and see the greats of the game on this new anchor site,” Chamblee said. “I can only think of Australia and Texas as the two places who have given more to the game with players, teachers and events. It’s a magical night of living golf history.”
As for Jarrett, a Houston resident who has been on the hall’s board for years, she was thrilled with the evening, which included appearances from Charles Coody and his grandsons, former UT stars Pierceson and Parker.
“It was really cool to hear their stories,” she told Golfweek. “It was like they were in a locker room just swapping incredible tales. Brandel did a great job and it was just the perfect showcase."
Birdies and bogeys
∙ Doug Ghim jumped six spots to No. 117 and can sleep better about his chances to be fully exempt for next season with a T-15 finish at the World Wide Technology Championship last week in Los Cabos, Mexico. But while one Texas Ex jumped up, another fell back. The top 125 earn cards for 2024 and a missed cut at the WWT Championship knocked Cody Gribble from No. 150 to No. 153. If he remains outside the top 150, he still will retain limited status via the past champion category.
∙ A special at a number of Austin-area municipal golf courses will give all active duty and retired service members the chance to play for $25 with a cart. The special offer is for this Friday at Jimmy Clay, Roy Kizer, Morris Williams and Lions.
∙ Texas State’s men’s golf team ended the fall on a high note, setting a program record for 54 holes in finishing fourth at the Kapolei Invitational in Hawaii. Sakke Siltala was the highest finisher for the Bobcats, as he tied for fifth. “Fantastic week for the guys,” said Texas State men’s golf head coach Shane Howell. “We played the way we are capable of playing as a team. It was fun to watch these guys compete and play great golf against a highly ranked field of teams this week. This will provide momentum going into the spring season.”
Tim Schmitt is the managing editor for Golfweek, golf coordinator for the USA Today Network and lives in Round Rock.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Kerrville's Riverhill Country Club to be a top Hill Country's course
