Golf Courses in Amarillo, TX: The Complete Guide

Amarillo is one of the best-kept secrets in Texas golf, and the reason is simple: the City of Amarillo owns two full 36-hole complexes and runs them well. That is 72 holes of municipal golf in a city of 200,000 — a ratio almost no metro in the state can match. Add three private clubs, a genuinely excellent city-owned course in Canyon, and a par-3 layout for quick rounds, and the Panhandle delivers far more golf than its size suggests.

Every golf course in and around Amarillo

Ross Rogers Golf Complex

Municipal · 36 holes · City of Amarillo · playgolfamarillo.com

Ross Rogers is the historic heart of Amarillo golf and the answer to "where should I play" for most visitors and newcomers.

The original 18 holes were built with Work Progress Administration funding during the Depression, opening in 1940 and named for Ross D. Rogers, who served as Amarillo's mayor from 1932 to 1941 and championed the project. The complex expanded to 27 holes in 1959 and reached its full 36-hole footprint in 1978.

Both courses have since been completely rebuilt, which is why a Depression-era muni plays like a modern facility.

WildHorse Course

Formerly the East Course, WildHorse underwent a full renovation in 2011-2012 led by John Colligan and Trey Kemp. It plays roughly 6,926 yards at par 72.

The result is the most decorated course in the city. WildHorse has been named Amarillo's best golf course by the Amarillo Globe-News and the People's Survey every single year since it reopened. If you play one round in Amarillo, play this one.

Mustang Course

Formerly the West Course, Mustang was fully redesigned and reopened in 2004 by Weibring-Wolfard Golf Design. It plays to par 72 and is the longer of the two at roughly 7,227 yards from the tips.

Mustang started life as a nine-hole layout and was expanded to 18 in 1981 before the redesign. It features flat, fast greens and generously wide fairways — forgiving off the tee, demanding on approach. Three small lakes are scattered through the routing. The par-3 6th requires a tee shot over water to an elevated green, and the 12th asks you to cut the corner of a lake to shorten the hole.

What else is here

Ross Rogers offers full practice facilities and hosts the city's major amateur calendar, including the Michelob Ultra Men's City Championship, the KVII Tall Tower Open, the Street Toyota Senior Classic, the Coors Tournament of Champions, and the Budweiser Partnership. It also handles civic, charity, and corporate tournaments, and you can establish or renew a GHIN handicap on site.

Comanche Trail Golf Complex

4200 South Grand, Amarillo · Municipal · 36 holes · City of Amarillo

The city's second 36-hole complex sits on the south side and is the newer of the two. Together with Ross Rogers it gives Amarillo 72 holes of municipal golf open to anyone who books a tee time.

Tomahawk Course

The original course at Comanche Trail, designed by Charles Howard of Austin and opened in July 1990. It plays roughly 7,180 yards at par 72 — the kind of length that makes it a genuine test from the back tees.

Tomahawk's defining feature is a drainage ditch that runs through most of the front nine, coming into play repeatedly and rewarding players who plan their way around it rather than attacking every hole.

Arrowhead Course

Designed by Cupp Design of Atlanta and opened in May 1999, Arrowhead is the newest municipal course in Amarillo. Cupp's work is known for strategic routing and well-defined green complexes, and Arrowhead reflects that — it plays as the more modern of the two Comanche Trail layouts.

Both courses have clubhouses and mobile beverage service, and league play is active here, including the long-running Pantex league.

Palo Duro Creek Golf Course

Hunsley Hills, Canyon · Public, City of Canyon · 10 minutes from Amarillo · (806) 655-1106

If Amarillo golfers have one consensus "you have to play it" recommendation outside the city limits, this is it — and the review data backs them up. Palo Duro Creek carries roughly a 4.5 out of 5 average across more than 80 GolfPass reviews, the strongest reviewed course in the area by a wide margin.

The course was designed by Colorado architect Henry Hughes. The front nine was built in 1959 with holes on both sides of Palo Duro Creek; the back nine came a few years later and weaves through the residences of the Hunsley Hills neighborhood.

Water from Palo Duro Creek comes into play on 14 of the 18 holes, which is the defining characteristic and the reason players describe it as a fun course that will also eat golf balls. The bentgrass and poa greens are unusual for the region and a significant part of why the course reviews so well.

The facility runs a full clubhouse with a pro shop, driving range, practice green, and cart fleet, plus a grill that locals rate as some of the best food in Canyon. Recurring events include a Thursday night scramble, Women's Night on Tuesdays, and Friday Night Couples. Both daily green fees and yearly permits are available, and the value is consistently cited as the best in the region.

Amarillo Country Club

Private · 18 holes · Par 71 · ~6,937 yards

Amarillo Country Club is the city's traditional private club and carries the strongest reputation among local golfers for conditioning and prestige. It plays to par 71 at roughly 6,937 yards, and the rare review it attracts publicly is glowing.

As with most established private clubs, membership is not publicly priced and access is through the membership office. If a country club membership is part of your relocation decision, contact the club directly for current initiation and dues — published third-party figures for private clubs are almost always stale.

Tascosa Golf Club

Northwest Amarillo · Private · 36 holes

Tascosa Golf Club sits in northwestern Amarillo and is the area's premier residential golf community — meaning the club and the surrounding neighborhood were developed together, and a meaningful share of members live on or near the courses.

Tascosa Course

The original layout, playing to par 72 at roughly 6,538 yards. Shorter than the municipal championship courses, which puts the emphasis on positioning and approach play rather than distance.

La Paloma Course

The second 18, playing to par 71 at roughly 6,805 yards. Slightly longer than the Tascosa Course and the sterner of the two.

For buyers, the relevant point is that Tascosa is the closest thing Amarillo has to a golf-course-home community in the sense that markets like Dallas-Fort Worth use the term. If living on a fairway is a priority, this is where to look first.

Preston West Golf Course

Public · 18 holes · Par 54 · ~2,024 yards

Preston West is an 18-hole par-3 course, and it fills a role the championship layouts cannot. A full round takes a fraction of the time, the walk is easy, and the price point is the lowest in the city.

Three groups get the most out of it: beginners learning the game without the intimidation of a 7,000-yard course, juniors building fundamentals, and experienced players who want to work on iron play and short game in a real playing environment rather than on a range mat. Every hole is a par 3, which means eighteen approach shots and eighteen up-and-down opportunities in under two hours.

Lake Tanglewood, Canyon Country Club, and River Falls

Lake Tanglewood Golf Club

A private course serving the gated Lake Tanglewood community southeast of Amarillo in the canyon. It plays to par 66 at roughly 5,012 yards — an executive-length layout rather than a championship course. Access is tied to the community, which is the highest-priced residential market in the Amarillo area.

Canyon Country Club

A semi-private 18-hole club in Canyon. Semi-private means limited public access alongside a membership base — worth a call to confirm current guest policy before you plan a round.

River Falls

The gated River Falls acreage community southeast of Amarillo includes a nine-hole par-3 course and driving range as part of its property owners' amenity package, alongside a 500+ acre private wildlife refuge, an equestrian center, and a private airstrip. It is not open to the public — access comes with property ownership — but it is worth knowing about if you are shopping acreage and golf matters to you.

Which course is actually best?

The honest verdict

Two courses stand above the rest for different reasons. WildHorse has the local hardware — voted Amarillo's best every year since its 2012 reopening — and it is the course to play if you want the city's signature round. Palo Duro Creek has the visitor reviews, the most interesting routing, the bentgrass greens, and the best value in the region, and it is only ten minutes further down I-27.

Play both. A golf weekend in Amarillo built around WildHorse, Palo Duro Creek, and one of the Comanche Trail courses is genuinely strong for the money, and green fees across all of them run well below what comparable courses cost in a major Texas metro.

Playing golf in the Texas Panhandle

Local conditions affect scoring here more than almost anywhere in the state, and visitors who do not adjust will be frustrated.

Wind

Amarillo is among the windiest cities in the United States, and it is a daily condition rather than an occasional one. Plan for it. Club selection changes hole to hole depending on direction, low ball flight is a genuine advantage, and spring rounds in particular can play two to four clubs different than the yardage suggests. Locals will tell you the wind is the real course architect.

Elevation

At roughly 3,600 feet, the ball carries meaningfully further than at sea level — often cited in the range of 5% to 7%. Combined with wind, this means your normal yardages are not your Amarillo yardages in either direction. Play a few holes before trusting your numbers.

Season

Golf is playable much of the year. Fall is the consensus best season locally — mild, clear, and calmer than spring. Summer is hot but far more comfortable than in central or east Texas because humidity is low and evenings cool off. Winter brings genuine cold and occasional closures for snow and ice. Spring brings the strongest winds of the year.

Booking and rates

The two City of Amarillo complexes book through the municipal golf system, which also handles GHIN handicap registration and the city's tournament calendar. Palo Duro Creek books directly or through standard tee-time services. Yearly permits at the municipal courses and at Palo Duro Creek are the best value if you play regularly — confirm current rates directly, as they change seasonally.

Golf course real estate in Amarillo

Amarillo's golf-adjacent housing market works differently than in a large metro, and it is worth understanding before you search.

• Tascosa Golf Club in northwest Amarillo is the area's established residential golf community, developed alongside its two courses. This is the primary answer for buyers who specifically want a fairway lot.
• Hunsley Hills in Canyon surrounds the back nine at Palo Duro Creek, putting golf course frontage in a Canyon ISD neighborhood — a combination that is rare and that holds value well.
• Lake Tanglewood combines its private course with lakefront canyon setting at the top of the local price range.
• River Falls bundles a nine-hole par-3 course into an acreage community with a wildlife refuge and airstrip — unusual enough that there is no comparable property nearby.
• Near the municipal complexes, homes around Ross Rogers and Comanche Trail do not carry the same premium, because public course frontage prices differently than private club frontage. For golfers who care about proximity rather than prestige, that is an efficiency worth exploiting.

What to check on any golf course lot

• Which hole, and which side. A lot on the right side of a landing zone takes errant shots all season. Walk the hole; do not rely on the aerial photo.
• Netting and window exposure. Ask the seller about strike history and check whether glass has been replaced.
• Maintenance schedules. Mowing and blowers start early.
• What the club or city can change. Public courses can be rerouted or redeveloped; private clubs can renovate. Confirm what, if anything, is protected.
• Whether membership is included. At private clubs it generally is not — buying a home on a course does not confer playing privileges. That is purchased separately from the club.

Frequently asked questions

How many golf courses are in Amarillo, TX?

Amarillo has four 18-hole municipal courses across two city-owned complexes — WildHorse and Mustang at Ross Rogers, and Tomahawk and Arrowhead at Comanche Trail — plus a public par-3 course at Preston West and three private clubs. Counting nearby Canyon, the region has more than ten courses within a short drive.

What is the best golf course in Amarillo?

The WildHorse Course at Ross Rogers Golf Complex has been named Amarillo's best golf course by the Amarillo Globe-News and the People's Survey every year since its 2011-2012 renovation by John Colligan and Trey Kemp. Palo Duro Creek in Canyon carries the strongest visitor reviews in the region.

What public golf courses are in Amarillo?

Ross Rogers Golf Complex (WildHorse and Mustang courses) and Comanche Trail Golf Complex (Tomahawk and Arrowhead courses) are both owned by the City of Amarillo and open to the public. Preston West is a public par-3 course. Palo Duro Creek in Canyon is owned by the City of Canyon and open to the public.

What private golf clubs are in Amarillo?

Amarillo Country Club, Tascosa Golf Club — which has two courses, Tascosa and La Paloma — and Lake Tanglewood Golf Club. Canyon Country Club in Canyon is semi-private.

How much does it cost to golf in Amarillo?

Green fees at the municipal courses and at Palo Duro Creek run well below comparable courses in major Texas metros, and both offer yearly permits that deliver strong value for regular players. Rates change seasonally — confirm current pricing directly with the course.

Is Palo Duro Creek Golf Course public?

Yes. Palo Duro Creek is an 18-hole regulation course owned by the City of Canyon, located in the Hunsley Hills addition, offering daily green fees and yearly permits. Some directories incorrectly list it as private.

Does the wind affect golf in Amarillo?

Significantly. Amarillo is among the windiest cities in the country, and wind is a daily factor rather than an occasional one. Combined with roughly 3,600 feet of elevation, which adds carry distance, normal yardages do not apply. Spring is the windiest season; fall is the calmest and the local favorite.

Can you live on a golf course in Amarillo?

Yes. Tascosa Golf Club in northwest Amarillo is the area's established residential golf community. Hunsley Hills in Canyon surrounds the back nine at Palo Duro Creek, and Lake Tanglewood combines a private course with a gated lakefront setting. Note that buying a home on a private club's course does not include membership — that is purchased separately.

Yardages, ratings, and course details reflect published third-party sources and may vary by tee and by season. Green fees, permit pricing, and guest policies change — confirm directly with each course before planning a round.