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Butler Park Pitch & Putt
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
6 reviews for Butler Park Pitch & Putt
While condominiums and apartments go up at a dizzying pace, Butler Pitch & Putt remains a delightfully undeveloped piece of property near the heart of downtown Austin. It's an anomaly, really, that such a place has survived intact for a half century or more considering all of the growth that has made Austin change so drastically in just 10 years time.
So what makes Butler cool, you ask? I like to think of the place as a microcosm of Austin life. It's laidback, easy going, unassuming and a little quirky. For example:
If you're wearing more than an old T-shirt and jeans (or shorts), you're probably too dressed up.
Get your name written on the wall in the clubhouse if you score a hole in one!
You only need two clubs to play (a pitching wedge and putter--hence the name) and you can rent them from the clubhouse for a nominal fee.
It's good for both beginning and experienced golfers.
Real life hazards--like fallen pecans and leaves, the train that runs within throwing distance from the course, Riverside Drive, the occasional wandering vagrant.
It's the kind of charm that you simply can't buy. Also, it feels pretty good to be playing golf on some of the most expensive real estate in the city. Enjoy it while it lasts!
I have never golfed (except for mini-golf as a kid). I am also very uncoordinated and terribly awkward when trying to do sports that involve props (balls, clubs, rackets, etc.) This is why I run.
Anyway, I made a deal with the bf that I would go golf with him if he went running too. So he took me to the Butler Park Pitch and Putt, which just happens to be across the street from Town Lake. Perfect!
Ok so I didn't know anything about golf. Nothing. I learned what "Fore" means that day. Well this place was perfect for me. Totally laid back. I mean people were drinking beer and dogs were running around and one group brought a friend named Mary-Jane (although I'm not sure if any of this is allowed). And "golf etiquette" was totally unheardof. I get a little frustrated sometimes and lose my temper for stupid reasons. And this place was so great that no one cared when I started yelling "FUCK! FUCKGOLFBALLS! FUCK!" and beating the ground with the club. In fact, I think several people were joining in my frustration. How considerate!
Anyway, don't come here if you are a golf snob. And drive down Lee Barton Dr. with caution. Seriously, I saw a couple cars get hit by golf balls. But do come here if you just want to have fun and pretend to do something athletic.
If you have a 9 iron up your Calaway arse or fancy yourself the albino Tiger, this SO isn't for you. But this is for you if:
1. You can laugh at yourself and want to have fun.
2. You want a fun date activity.
3. You are Allison P. and intend to have a faith healing for one-legged grackles. (note to Allison, they're waiting for you on the 2nd green)
If you aren't much of a golfer or feel suffocated at the idea of following golf course etiquette (wearing collared shirts or refraining from loudly boasting about your only righteous shot with your 9 iron raised to the sky), this is the place to spend a few hours on a warm day in Austin.
Everyone is friendly and relaxed, and the crowd is diverse in age and class. You will hear "FORE!!!" more often than you will be able to count; just duck and laugh, and rest assured that it will be you screaming it the next time. No one here comes for serious golf or with serious skill. So bring some water or a six-pack, forget the score card, and enjoy yourself.
I did take away one star for time spent moving leaves off the green and stepping over the mud patches, but, if they kept the grounds, they would charge more. The views make up for it, too. Maybe I should reconsider my four stars.
You have to love a place that allows beer on the course. Actually, I have no real idea whether beer was actually allowed, but do know that I never felt awkward carrying around a plastic bag full of Budweiser, Miller Light and Tecate. This was awesome.
Not to mention the weather. I realize that Butler Park was not responsible for the weather and I should instead be thanking Mother N, but a beautiful afternoon at this place is really just about all you can ask and hope for.
Let's be clear: I suck at goif. There was an anomoly of a hole-in-one in my golf history, but that hardly makes me the next Tiger Woods. Or Immelman, for that matter.
But I digress. Butler is wonderful in only the best way possible. In the worn-in, plenty-of-character, lovers'-initials-on-the-table sort of way.
Bring beer. It'll look better.
Butler Park Pitch and Putt has to do with golf, and golf rules. That's one star.
It's inexpensive to play at Butler Park Pitch and Putt. That gets it the second star.
Third star and beyond...? Not so much.
Butler Park pitch and putt is a 9 hole course made of extremely easy par 3's. Usually, par 3 courses are a fantastic use of money. You can practice the most essential part of golf (the short game) in a short amount of time and without having to walk too far and carry a full bag of clubs. What's not to like?
At Butler, there is plenty not to like. The grass on the tee boxes is usually as thin as the hair on Arnold Palmer's head and the greens are...well...not quality putting surfaces. As a result, Butler is a good place to come hang out with friends and have some fun and not a great place to play golf.
Recommendation: if you want to hang out and have some fun with a putter in your hand, go across the street to Peter Pan golf.
