Wolfdancer: Hyatt's Masterful Course

By J.Frank Hernandez

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wolfdancer Golf Club is the 7,205-yard, par 72 championship golf course that accompanies the new Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort in Lost Pines, Texas. Crafted from 150 acres only 30 minutes east of downtown Austin, Wolfdancer exemplifies its designer Arthur Hill’s commitment to build “a course that is natural, that relates to the land and doesn’t require a tremendous amount of earth moving, always keeping in mind the game’s strategy and each site’s natural elements that provide beauty to the course.”

For more than five centuries prior to the late 1800s, the land belonged to the Tonkawa Indians of Central Texas. The Tonkawa believed they were descended from a mythical wolf, which was the basis for their existence as hunter-gatherers and not farmers. One of their greatest rituals was the “Wolf Dance” which commemorated their belief in their original creation. Turning north off of State Highway 71 onto the resort entry road, one is immediately immersed in this grand land of the Tonkawas. A short, three-mile drive on a beautiful winding road takes guests through the McKinney Roughs Nature Park and provides the first glimpses of the diverse terrain that is home to Wolfdancer Golf Club.

While it takes only a few minutes to arrive at the course, the serenity of the journey transports guests back centuries and prepares them for an incredible experience with nature. The resort provides the finest in guest accommodations: more than 60,000 square feet of meeting and function facilities, 38 meeting rooms, two boardrooms, two ballrooms, 230,000 square feet of outdoor function space, the 4,500-square-foot LBJ Pavilion, the 3,500-square-foot Chief Pavilion, the 18,000-square-foot Spa Django, more than 60,000 square feet of shaded outdoor space along the Colorado River, a 1,000-foot flowing river pool and 492 guestrooms.

The experience of Wolfdancer Golf Club begins immediately upon arrival. Guests are welcomed by a course representative and introduced to their forecaddie. Groups of two or more are required to have a forecaddie, which proves to be a great benefit once the round commences.

Eric Claxton, the club’s Director of Golf, believes the inclusion of the forecaddie program is an important part of providing guests with the most satisfying experience possible.
“That was one of the best decisions we’ve made,” Claxton said. “We try to provide our guests with the Hyatt touch.”

Inside the 21,000-square-foot clubhouse, guests are welcomed into a warm and well-stocked pro shop. Only a few steps away is Major Neighbor’s Bar and Grill, named after Major Robert Simpson Neighbors who worked with the Tonkawas back in the 1850s. Whether stopping in for an early morning breakfast or a 19th hole libation, Major Neighbor’s is a great place to enjoy some time overlooking the course and Spa Django.
We quickly made our way to the multi-tiered practice facility, accompanied by Shad Knighton, our forecaddie for the day (and easily the most important person that we would come in contact with during our round). Knighton’s knowledge of the course from start to finish was as broad and detailed as one could imagine. Knowing that all of the forecaddies possess such depth of information assures players that they will never be unprepared as they approach a shot.

Wolfdancer is essentially three distinct golf courses in one: The first four holes are open, Texas prairie and links-style; holes 5-12 are cut into a heavily wooded ridgeline with multiple elevation changes; and holes 13-18 exist in a river valley that is complimented with native pecan trees. It is a testament to Arthur Hill’s talent that he was able to design a course that encompasses so many natural personality changes while maintaining the cohesion that eludes many courses.

The best example of the Texas prairie links experience is the third, a 603-yard, par 5 challenge from the championship tees. Even at 581 yards from the back tees and 556 yards from the men’s tees, this hole truly plays as a three-shot hole. Pause and enjoy the broad, horizon-filling views of Central Texas.

The essence of the third is to place the ball between the bunkers that line the fairway at the proper landing positions for the tee shot and second shot. As with any links-style hole, a misplayed shot that misses the fairway will have a chance at recovery due to the absence of trees, but scoring will be difficult. Moving into the second portion of the course (holes 5-12), the personality change is evident from the increased amount of native trees and elevation changes. Whether ancient oaks or cedar elms, the trees begin to build a forested feel without being so numerous that one feels trapped. The majority of the trees on this portion of the course that come into play are strategically placed, either naturally occurring or by selective clearing during the construction process.

The seventh, a 319-yard par-four that requires a precise shot from the tee. Two large oak trees sit within the right side of the fairway, only 221 yards from the tee. With the narrow fairway running out at 264 yards, the hole calls for a long iron that can be controlled to avoid the trees yet remain on the short grass. Players are encouraged to aim toward the two oaks, yet leave themselves a shot at the green; a challenge indeed.
The 12th hole is a 135-yard par-three. The tee sits on the highest point of course – virtually on a perch, really – and offers one of the grandest views of the Central Texas prairies as they extend beyond the 405 acres of the resort. Par here will provide many a good story at Major Neighbor’s after the round.

Coming off the 12th green, players make the steep descent into the third portion of the course: the river valley that is dotted yet not overwhelmed with large, beautiful pecan trees. Each of these final six holes offers players a new experience. Misplayed shots are not overly penalized, although recovery back to any portion of the fairway is the ideal play. With the undulating greens and their extremely subtle breaks, it is vital for the approach shot to be played from the fairway.

The 17th requires an accurate long iron, as the green sits 201 yards from the tee. The true danger comes on the right side of the green, which falls steeply down to the Colorado River. A shot missed just off the right side does not greatly risk reaching the river, but the up-and-down effort will begin with a blind pitch shot back to a challenging green. Being anywhere on the green is vital to success on this difficult hole.
The finishing hole provides a wonderful walk along the Colorado River to an elevated green on which to finish out and shake hands.

The 18th is a 517-yard, par-five that offers an important choice from the tee. Longer players can reach the green in two. The second shot is driven by pin placement, due to the fact that there is a fairway split by a ridge that is dotted with bunkers. The safer play is left of the ridge, but leaves a semi-blind approach shot. Playing to the right of the ridge will leave a short, unimpeded pitch, but is more challenging due to the ridge. Understanding the pin placement for the day may lead players to choose a particular side of the ridge.
The greens at Wolfdancer are perfectly manicured and tantalizingly difficult to read with perfection. While some greens have substantial undulations, they are fair. Players should listen to the forecaddie. Many putts will miss the hole by only a fraction of an inch – a fraction that some solid advice can eliminate.

And that is the essence of Wolfdancer, it is extremely challenging, but extremely fair. As Claxton states, “It’s not your typical ‘resort friendly’ course.”
A second 18-hole course is planned along with a time-share development nearby. The future development will not alter the natural feel of the course nor the intimate nature of the resort. Homes will not be built on the course.

“The Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort was built as a resort with an option for additional development,” Claxton said. “Not as a development built with a golf course attached.”
Since opening in June 2006, the course has seen brisk business. Wolfdancer hosts approximately 120 tournaments per year, with about 70 percent of the group business coming from outside the state of Texas and even a portion from outside the United States. While the majority of the golf business currently comes from resort guests, Wolfdancer is a daily fee course open to all. Claxton expects that local play will continue to increase as more players have an opportunity to experience the course.

Claxton’s plan is to maintain a balanced mix of corporate business and local players while developing Wolfdancer into a golf destination as much as a resort destination.
The old saying is that you can’t buy history, only time can create it. In the case of the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Wolfdancer Golf Club, it is clear that a deep respect for history is the cornerstone for building a future that history will speak of in glowing terms.

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