The Battleground at Deer Park

General Manager of The Battleground at Deer Park, Louis Gantz, is fully aware of the challenges his golf course faces in an overbuilt market and a tepid consumer climate.

Houston has an amazing assortment of championship golf courses, but perhaps more than can be fully supported with the economy as it is. Gantz knows that golfers have plenty of courses to choose from and will more than likely be playing less this year, so he is adamant about offering those who visit his course the best possible value on their dollar.

“We’re not trying to undersell our product,” said Gantz. “Being that people are playing fewer rounds, it’s a difficult proposition to find that niche in the market. So when people do choose to play our facility, we want to offer them a phenomenal product and service for the price.” 

Visitors to the Battleground at Deer Park first and foremost can expect an impeccably conditioned golf course. The Tom Knickerbocker-designed layout eatures some of the most outstanding greens in Texas, always in great shape and rolling smooth.

“A smooth putting surface is 90 percent of the game,” said Gantz, who also serves as the head golf professional at The Battleground.

Recent improvements have enhanced The Battleground’s playability. Size has been added to the par-3 tee boxes and all of the bunkers have been re-done.

The slight renovations have only added to the excellent conditioning that makes this course a must-play. The Battleground, which opened in 1996, plays slightly less than 7,000 yards from the championship tees, with all sorts of challenging and beautiful scenery awaiting golfers of all levels. Water is revalent throughout the course, coming into play on 14 of the 18 holes. And while the majority of the course tends to be relatively flat, most of the greens are a bit elevated, meaning you’re not just playing into an even surface.

Those slightly elevated greens tend to be large, inviting, undulating and always groomed to perfection. While the Tiff-Dwarf Bermuda greens are big and welcoming, the fairways are narrow, requiring players to exhibit accuracy off the tee.

The signature hole is No. 17, a 175-yard par-3 that requires a 150-yard carry over water to a fairly large putting surface featuring a rock waterfall at the ace of the green.

When it opened, the Battleground received high praise from area golfers and no small number of professionals as well. As the layout continues to mature, it is consistently listed among the best in the Houston area and this region of Texas.

Walking is allowed on the course, which is only a 20 minute drive from downtown Houston. While great golf has always been available at the Battleground at Deer Park, alcoholic beverages have not. But the golf course recently acquired a liquor license allowing mixed beverages and liquor to be served at special events, functions and weddings, as well as giving the Battleground the ability to offer beer and wine on a daily basis in the facility’s restaurant and throughout the golf course.

But don’t enjoy that beverage cart too much, because within the corridors of the Battleground an excellent lesson in Texas history is available.

The Battleground at Deer Park is adjacent to the site of the famous Battle of San Jacinto, the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution where General Sam Houston and the Texas Army defeated the Mexican Army, giving birth to the Republic of Texas. Today, the city of Deer Park is officially known as the “Birthplace of Texas.”

When the city chose to build the golf course, significant efforts were made to honor the fight for Texas’ independence. The course is fittingly named “The Battleground,” the course’s logo is a cannon and every single tee box is named after a Republic notable or a Republic situation, such as Yellowstone and Santa Anna.

The uniqueness of the Battleground, beyond its offering of historical significance in the community that is billed as “The Birthplace of Texas,” rests with its versatility. All golfers, no matter their skill level, want a finely manicured golf course, tip-top greens in all seasons, a first-class clubhouse, a spacious and well-maintained practice facility, well-maintained golf carts – and reasonable rates. And that is what all golfers can expect to find at The Battleground.