Located in Central Texas between Austin and San Antonio, San Marcos is where you’ll find the first golf course built in the Lone Star State in the last six years. Recently opened is the Gary Stephenson-designed Kissing Tree Golf Club.
Kissing Tree Golf Club (Photo via website)
The name is derived from Texas Gov. Sam Houston’s affection for the ladies, who were attending his gubernatorial speech delivered in front of a mighty oak tree in San Marcos in 1857. History aside, the course is sure to attract golfers far and wide. The par 72, 18-hole course is not long by any standards, measuring 6,522 yards from the tips. It is sure to become a popular track for those golfing in the Texas Hill Country.
“The course offers all levels of golfers a fun and exciting round of golf,” said Josh Clay, general manager of Kissing Tree Golf Club. The course features drivable par 4s with picturesque water hazards around the greens, along with a few par 5s where golfers will have plenty of chances to make birdies and eagles. The course serves as an extension of the natural landscape, blending gradually into the slopes and contours of the fairways.
The pragmatic approach in Stephenson’s design has already earned Kissing Tree Golf Club certification as a Signature Program facility with Audubon International. The Audubon Certification Program for Golf is an award-winning, environmental and conservation assistance program created to help golf courses protect the environment, including wildlife and habitat management, and adhere to comprehensive sustainable resource management principles.
In addition to the 18-hole golf course, Kissing Tree Golf Club also features a short game practice facility, an extensive practice range, and an 18-hole putting course. A state-of-the-art clubhouse and restaurant are expected to open in 2019.
Though Kissing Tree is the first Texas baby boomer-centric community designed specifically geared toward the 55 and older crowd, Kissing Tree Golf Club is open to the general public.
In spite of its tacky tongue-in-cheek humor on the company website, the venerable Pecan Park Riverside RV Resort offers a quality setting in San Marcos. Located about nine miles from Kissing Tree Golf Club, Pecan Park Riverside RV celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018. Pecan Park features 116 sites on 24 peaceful acres paralleling the San Marcos River.
Pecan Park Riverside RV offers shady sites.
The pet-friendly park offers large concrete patios and pull-throughs at most sites, full hook-ups including sewer, water, restrooms, and showers. Additional amenities include free Wi-Fi and free cable TV, laundry facilities, a camp store, available propane, a recreation room, indoor swimming pool, hot tub, and plenty of nearby trails.
Places to visit in San Marcos, Texas
Featuring an average annual temperature of 69 degrees, San Marcos also offers 275 days of annual sunshine. There are many activities and sites to visit while in town.
If you enjoy history, don’t miss the Lyndon Baines Johnson Museum of San Marcos, which is dedicated to the 36th President of the United States. Johnson spent his college years in San Marcos at Southwest Texas State Teachers College–now Texas State University–from 1927-1930. The museum hosts numerous events throughout the year, including an annual golf tournament in June.
A few popular attractions in this vibrant city of 65,000 include Dick’s Classic Garage. Part of the Central Texas Museum of Automotive History, Dick’s Classic Garage is a museum with more than 80 automobiles from 1901 through 1959. The museum preserves and displays historical vehicles and related memorabilia. San Marcos outlet malls are another popular attraction.
The San Marcos River also offers plenty of activities for the majority of the year. Visitors and locals alike take advantage of the many activities available on the tepid waters of the river and enjoy activities like rafting, stand-up paddleboarding, and canoeing, to name a few.
For a comprehensive overview of the San Marcos, Texas area, visit www.toursanmarcos.com.
Rick Stedman is an avid golfer, RVer, and writer who lives in Olympia, Washington. Rick writes a weekly golf blog, The 19th Hole, for RV Life. You can reach him at rstedman@gmail.com.
Rick Stedman is an avid golfer, RVer, and writer who lives in Olympia, Washington. Rick writes a golf column, “The RV Golfer,” which is published every month in rvlife.com. He can be reached at rstedman@gmail.com.
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