Roy Bechtol and Jim Fazio to design new 12-hole course in Texas

Architects Roy Bechtol and Jim Fazio are collaborating on a new par-three 12-hole course in Austin, Texas.

The new, members-only Austin Beach Club is in the final stages of planning, with construction expected to begin in September 2024 once approval is granted.

The 63-acre site, which has historically been family-owned ranches and farmland, sits on the banks of the Colorado River just 15 minutes’ drive from Austin and two miles from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

“The property is so magical,” said Lauren Carson, club founder. “We have downtown views, and there’s just this feeling you get when you go out there. Whether you want to golf or just decompress, Austin Beach Club will be about getting into nature and connecting with other people.”

“The land here is fabulous, and we let the terrain and what Mother Nature has given us dictate how the holes will be routed and how it will be played,” said Bechtol. “Mature live oaks are spotted around the layout and there will be plenty of native grasses on the edges to frame the holes and the property as a whole.”

The course will have holes ranging in length from 78 to 120 yards, two tees on each hole, around 3,000 square foot of bunkers and a four-acre lake at the centre of the layout. The clubhouse will be built near the sixth hole, opening up the possibility of golfers playing a six-hole loop. Also, plans include lighting the course for evening play.

“We envision a course that is friendly and unintimidating but also good enough to be challenging and memorable,” said Fazio. “At Austin Beach Club the golf will be a huge part of an experience in which the members and their guest can socially interact in a way that’s fun; it will have the ‘Austin’ vibe.”

“Millennials want to play golf in a way that takes less time and is more fun,” said Bechtol. “This is a much quicker way to enjoy golf and opens up the experience to more people who we know will fall in love with the game. What we're trying to create at the Austin Beach Club is to play real golf, get outdoors, get away from computers and other everyday stresses.”