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Hancock Public Golf Course
Category: Active Life Golf Golf [Edit]
811 E 41st StAustin, TX 78751
Neighborhood: Hyde Park
(512) 453-0276
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
16 reviews for Hancock Public Golf Course
16 reviews in English
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Review from Tori M.
3/2/2011
This is a tough one. I suppose 3 stars will suffice. A-OK, right?
The course itself is in pretty rough condition. Desperately needs water, elbow grease, and love. Of course, I understand that for $9, I can't exactly expect the ball to be fluffed up on the grass, either.
Everyone at the course seems pretty nice and down to earth. Nobody is particularly snobby, like you will find at more expensive courses. If fact, everyone seems to have this comical understanding with one another that pretty much says, "Hey, it's okay that your ball somehow landed on my fairway, which is a totally different hole than the one you are playing; we're at Hancock, it's no big deal."
Staff isn't particularly friendly. Some are friendlier than others. Some are downright rude. Again, though, for $9 what do you expect?
Wish they had a drink cart though... Oh well, one can always dream!
I'll continue to play Hancock when I want to get a little golf in here and there, or get some exercise in (it's a great course to walk). Maybe I'll see some of my fellow Yelpers out there sometime? Look for me - I'll be the girl wading knee deep in the water trying to rescue my brand-name golf balls! -
Review from Chris T.
Austin, TX
7/10/2011
I've golfed here twice, once during the winter, and once during the summer. Both times, I've really disliked it. I was hoping for at least a decent 9 hole course, but it is really in bad shape. Then again, the cost to play is only like 8 or 9 dollars.
That being said, there is almost no maintenance done here and the place looks like it is falling apart. Austin could get much more for the land here, and I'm sure they soon will sell this course when they realize how much they could get for putting and apartment or housing here.
Sad to see Muni golf going by the wayside, but unless you are going to maintain like kizer/clay/mowilly, there is no reason to keep the course around.
If you like hitting off concrete, this course is for you. Also, good luck sticking a tee into the concrete to tee off!!! -
Review from Kristina H.
Austin, TX
2/2/2011
I'm sure your golfing is fine, whatever. However, the people playing on your course are downright assholes.
We were having a photo shoot here at a bridge on Sunday, absolutely not in the way of anyone playing golf. At all. And we had permission from the lady at the front desk to shoot in this location, too.
THEN, out of NOWHERE some middle aged ugly lady and her husband who were there with their son decided to be total dicks and start shooting balls trying to hit us while yelling and cussing at us - in front of their son. Poor little boy. We should have video taped it and created a website "hownottoparent DOT COM"! So sad.
Anyway, I know not all golfers that golf here are like that, but it doesn't make me ever want to return to this particular golf course anytime soon, that's for sure. -
Review from Joe D.
Austin, TX
8/3/2011
It's supposed to be the oldest course in Austin, and I believe it.
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Review from Bing C.
Austin, TX
2/13/2008
Cheap green fees. You get what you pay for. If you're a bad golfer, this is the course for you...(judging by all the bad golfers i saw.)
*Sidenote*...if you were driving down Red River and felt a golfball-sized 'thump' on the side of your car.....Soooorrry. -
Review from Cody R.
Austin, TX
1/28/2008
Hancock golf course cured my craving for golf this past weekend.... but it wasn't the best round of gold I've ever had.
The course is only 9 holes, which can be perfect for a quick game.
They only take cash! Be aware of this before showing up.
The greens and fairways are extremely fast..... which makes it a little difficult to get a good game going.
The grounds are kept well.... but since it's so old its much different then your normal 18 hole golf course. The only sand trap is on the 8Th hole, the paths are a little rough, etc.
I wouldn't say this is a good place for beginners. -
Review from Cear A.
Cincinnati, OH
4/9/2007
I can't decide what to give this course... So here is my thought process:
As far as courses go, it's a standard 3-star. Not in the best shape--they don't really water their grass (which makes for a bumpy game), and overall a wide mix of players. But, it's creative enough and there's water buckets around each bend. Fine by me.
I give it 5-stars for its fit to my game. It's not too easy, but at the same time doesn't make me want to throw my clubs into the wooded area and run out into the Red River traffic.
I give it 1-star for the fellow players. The past couple of times I've gone out I've run into some real jerks. Although I'm not very good, I like to keep a steady pace to my game. I usually get stuck behind a REALLY slow group of four who have never ever been to a driving range, or in front of a really frat-boy-ish group of three who try to show off by hitting me while I'm teeing off for the next hole.
So, my score rounds out to a three, which happens to be how many strokes above par I usually score each hole... -
Review from Kevin N.
7/20/2008 1 photo
So the joke goes that if I ever were to design my own golf course, it'd be designed in a giant concentric circle to the right, because of my slice. If you flew over it in one of those tiny prop planes, it'd no doubt look like a giant honeybun from the sky, complete with various trees (if honeybuns came with trees) and the pathetic refuge of whatever is left over when a pond dries up or a sandtrap goes back and springs weeds like it hasn't shaven in a while.
Alas, Hancock isn't particularly fancy (a few holes will make that abundantly clear) and yes, there are plenty of golfers who subscribe to the theory a friend of mine once espoused, namely, that if you were going to pay a greens fee, you should get your money's worth and try to use as much of the course as possible. All of that said, here's why they get four stars from me: it's affordable, totally easy to get on, and best of all, it's nine holes. Total.
You can get up (like a few of us did on July 4th), be on the course by nine am and be at lunch by 12:30. The course is forgiving enough that someone like me actually pars legitimately once in a while, and by and large the fairways are wide and even, which didn't keep me from cranking one into the street. I'm reasonably certain that ball's still in line for a slurpee at a convenience store in the neighborhood. Regardless, one of the reasons that golf's such a compelling pastime is that people build great memories over the time we spend together, hacking around, losing balls in the trees and being generally surprised when the damn things go where we want them to go.
Which I suppose is reason enough for a return trip. Fore, indeed. -
Review from Superfly P.
Austin, TX
3/5/2011 11 Check-ins Here
A very good course to play if you want to practice your game. I go early morning and no one to slow you up. Most people think of this course as low budget but you actually have to play descent golf here. I like this course from the greens to the tee boxes.
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Review from Sarah M.
Austin, TX
10/26/2006
I generally try to stay away from golf, but was recently convinced to play 9 holes at Hancock Public Golf Course, just up the road from my house. Surprisingly, the course is great for beginners. The most popular demographics at Hancock seem to be groups of young men, husband-and-wife teams, or older gentleman looking to play a relaxing, no-pressure game. Beware professionals: you may want to head to one of the more....shall we say... "posh" country clubs in the area.
The course is old (the oldest in Texas, in fact), but it's also inexpensive, ranging from $7 to $16, depending on your age and the time of day and week. The nine-hole course is quiet, there's ice cold water at every other hole, and the layout is challenging, but not impossible. I enjoyed the mix of sun and shade and felt no pressure to rush from those behind or ahead of me. The disadvantages are few - they only take cash and I'm told from friends that the man who runs the place may not let you play if you are sharing clubs.
Future visits? Most likely. -
Review from D. C.
Austin, TX
2/25/2008
Hancock is a cheap solution for non-golfers who want to hang out with their golfing friends.
It may not be the seasoned golfer's 4 star place, but if you think you're ready to graduate from Butler Pitch and Putt and the thought of 18 holes and five hours on a golf course isn't that appealing, Hancock is your place. -
Review from John D.
Round Rock, TX
12/6/2006
This is an OLD golf course. It was founded in 1899 and if the "old guy in the clubhouse" is to be believed, Hancock was the original Austin Country Club course and is where golfing greats Tom Watson and ben Crenshaw learned to play the game under the tutelage of the late, great Harvey Pinnick.
In a number of ways Hancock is a GREAT place to play golf. I give it 4 stars as to not attract any golf die-hards as Hancock is great for beginners and intermediate players just looking for a stress-free way to pass the time.
The positives:
- Extremely easy to walk as their are only two spots where you have to go up any incline at all (3rd hole dogleg and 5th hole fairway). The rest is either flat or slightly downhill.
- Extremely cost effective. It's $7.50 for 9 holes without a cart.
- Extremely quick - an hour and a half for 9 holes is simple during the week.
- A very nice closing hole (9) and plenty of challenging, yet fair, spots along the way.
The negatives:
- No driving range, and it starts with a deceptively difficult par 3.
- The grass isn't always in country club condition
- On weekends and in the summer, there are often a large number of beginners and young people playing who don't always know and observe the rules.
Hancock is a great little golf course if your aim is to enjoy yourself and play some golf. If your aim is as ambitious as winning the U.S. Open or as formal as looking for some like-minded serious golfers with which to play 18, this probably isn't your place.
As a note (since I'm always compelled to add my own anecdotes), back when I was younger and playing golf 5 times a week, I spent an entire morning in the Hancock "clubhouse" with all the other golfers who'd come off the course to listen to ESPN report on Payne Stewart's plane flying without anyone at the controls. -
Review from Nicole G.
Los Angeles, CA
6/24/2009
My golfin' buddy and I were itching to get out on the course one Saturday morning for a leisurely round and some cocktails. We agreed on Hancock for convenience and price; unfortunately we left less than impressed with our experience.
They had recently raised the prices for 9 holes and cart rental, so it ended up costing what we could have paid for 18 holes at a much nicer course. They do not maintain the grounds well at all, and the staff was none too friendly. The course marshall got his panties in a bunch because we were sharing clubs; stating that it's policy to require each golfer to have their own set of clubs. Pretty sure he was just being an ass trying to get a few more bucks out of us in club rentals.
Overall, this is a very uninteresting and overpriced course with unfriendly management. We were very pleased when we discovered Harvey Penick golf course on the eastside! We've since said so long to the cock. -
Review from Patrick J.
Round Rock, TX
3/24/2010 1 Check-in Here
For a cheap muni course this is pretty good. I dont know if I'll be coming back, though. It all depends on what other cheap courses I can find in Austin.
Two problems that kept it from having four stars: most holes don't have fairways (just short rough) and the greens are a joke. They must have intentionally searched for the worst possible places to place the greens because the holes are all on slopes and it's just luck if you manage to play the break correctly. I'm a good putter, but you wouldn't have known it today.
Overall, fun and memorable, however. The holes, especially 2 and 3, are fun and memorable. Plus, it's the oldest course in Texas! -
Review from Jefe R.
San Francisco, CA
6/1/2008
Wow, what a great Saturday morning. Here's what happened when I decided on a whim to show up by myself at Hancock Golf Course.
Hancock is the oldest golf course in the state, built in 1899. It is considerably shorter than most modern courses. It is also tailor made for doofus retard golfers like myself, who rarely hit long off the tee, and have a whopping left to right slice. The 9 hole course has only one par 5, and a short one at that, and something like 6 right dog legs. 6! It sorta feels like playing in circles.
But seriously, I showed up unannounced and alone at 11 on a Saturday, and walked right on, no waiting, and played 9 holes all by my lonesome. It was fantastic! It only cost me $11.50, and the old guy running the place gave me my change from $12 as a .50 cent piece. When I said,"Sweet, Fiddy Cent, yo" and he gave me this great 80 year old blank stare, I knew I was gonna have a good day. I got a great walk in, plenty of exercise and sun, I hit 3 pars in 9 holes WITHOUT CHEATING which was a personal best, I didn't lose a single ball, my new hybrid rescue iron is the second best thing I've stroked all week, I resurrected my old driver which helped tremendously, My new straw golf Fedora was perfectly old school, my new golf bag didn't make my back hurt to bad, and the squirrels are so used to golfers I got within 4 inches of one, and when I said to it, "'Sup? No discrimination here, Squirrel," he looked back and gave me this great blank stare. Then he said, "Yo, dawg, OutKast is the Sheezy! Now hit that 8 iron right up close, homie. Peace out, I gots to go find my shorty and tell her to Gimme that Nut."
All of that really happened except for the hip-hop squirrel part.
Addendum: Played here on Sunday Morning as well, walked on with two old duffers at 7:45 am, off by 10:15. Those old farts bitched about EVERYTHING, but basically, I figured out that it's us young punks building ugly blocks of concrete everywhere that are ruining the good things in life, like golf. I could not agree more, what assholes we all are. -
Review from D L.
Washington, DC
3/31/2010
This would definitely be last on my list for courses in Austin. 12 bucks on the weekday, but the guy at the "clubhouse" was a little rude, the greens are like shag carpets, and the fairways/tee boxes are worse. If you're a complete beginner this is fine but anyone else won't gain much from this place.
