(The 170/123 yard fifteenth is a dicey short par three with water short, right, and long. The left looks inviting but it slopes hard to the water. The waterfall is a bit overdone.)
Golf architect lineage is a focal point many architecture afficianados point to when discussing a course. If you look at Jay Morrish’s career, he worked with RTJ sr, George Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, and Tom Weiskopf. After building several top courses with Weiskopf, he decided to breakaway and start his own practice, start his own lineage. I don’t know much about Bechtol or Russell, but it ll be interesting to see how their work coincides with Morrish’s style. 
(The 189/163 yard seventh plays along the edge of the water. The front right is open for players to bailout, and the bunker saves balls from going into the drink. A back left pin will require a well struck shot.)
Star Ranch’s popularity is contributed to two things. The first is its conditioning, and the second is it’s playability. Wide fairways encourage players to give it a rip on every tee, while greens have openings for conservative or aggressive approach shots. One doesn’t need their “A” game to shoot a good score here. On the other hand, if you’re firing on all cylinders, this course will give you a lot of looks at birdie. [This was my best round of the year so far as I hit 14 greens en route to a 73]
(The 189/163 yard seventh plays along the edge of the water. The front right is open for players to bailout, and the bunker saves balls from going into the drink. A back left pin will require a well struck shot.)
Star Ranch’s popularity is contributed to two things. The first is its conditioning, and the second is it’s playability. Wide fairways encourage players to give it a rip on every tee, while greens have openings for conservative or aggressive approach shots. One doesn’t need their “A” game to shoot a good score here. On the other hand, if you’re firing on all cylinders, this course will give you a lot of looks at birdie. [This was my best round of the year so far as I hit 14 greens en route to a 73]
(This view from right of the green on the 474/412 yard eighth shows where the bailout is on this long par par four. Anything left of the green is in the hazard.)
(The view of the clubhouse from nine fairway.)
Austin is growing exponentially fast, and Star Ranch is the bedrock of a very thriving housing community. In my mind, this is the main reason why the course is in such great shape. It’s also the reason why Morrish designed such a forgiving layout. The folks who live here are going to want a beautiful course that’s fun to play. And from the tips, it has enough bite to host local or regional tournaments. It was hands down the most recommended course including the GM from Mill Creek who raved about it.
(The 453/422 yard tenth plays downhill to a green that is fairly open in the front. A ridge crosses the first third of the putting surface, and it demands a precise shot to be on the proper side.)
(The short par four fourteenth is only 376/323 yards, but a ten foot deep chasm fronts the shallow green. Players can err long where it’s still possible to lag putt from the chipping area. With a wedge in hand, expectations can be high, but the conditions will dictate just how aggressive you want to be.)
Housing community courses have always been something I’ve looked down on. Regardless how good or how much fun they are, the sacrifice is intimacy and ambiance. At Star Ranch, there’s at least a half dozen times where the player whose losing his swing can drive the ball into people’s houses. For myself, I dock courses for that. Still, Star Ranch is a solid 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play).
(The 427/394 yard sixteenth has a cacti outcropping down the left. Players who find themselves behind it will need to get the ball up quickly. If you look hard at the picture, you’ll notice golf ball size holes in some of them. I’m a bit amused by the plight of an unlucky gent who might find himself in such a predicament.)
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