Memorial Park is worth the trip on its own. A Top 100 public course for under $140, designed by Tom Doak with Brooks Koepka consulting, that plays to 7,432 yards and has hosted Tour winners including Carlos Ortiz, Jason Day, and Scottie Scheffler is not something most golf trips can offer at a municipal price point. Build the trip around Memorial Park, add Redstone for the Tour-track experience, and fill the third day with Tour 18 if the group wants something lighter.
Courses included
The trip experience
Memorial Park Golf Course is worth the trip to Houston on its own. Tom Doak's 2020 renovation of the historic memorial park municipal, with Brooks Koepka consulting on the redesign, turned a serviceable public course into something that earned Golf Digest's top 100 public courses designation in its first year open. At 7,432 yards with a slope of 137 and conditions maintained at Tour standards for the Houston Open, it is the most legitimate test per dollar available in Texas -- and at $130 to $180 depending on season and time of day, it runs well below what a comparable TPC property charges.
The renovation was a ground-up reconstruction. Doak rebuilt 15 of 18 holes from scratch, adding significant contouring, restored the native Bermuda grass conditions that define the best Texas public golf, and re-routed the back nine to play along Buffalo Bayou. The Houston Open uses the course as its annual venue, which means the conditioning benchmark for the entire year is Tour-level. Playing it in the week after the tournament ends, when the set-up is still calibrated to Tour standards but the field is gone, is one of the better timing strategies in public golf.
"Memorial Park Golf Course is Tom Doak's 2020 renovation of a historic Houston muni, now Golf Digest's top 100 public and the annual Houston Open venue -- at $130-180, it is the most legitimate test per dollar in Texas."
Golf Club of Houston in Humble (formerly Redstone) is the second anchor. The Tournament Course hosted the Shell Houston Open from 2003 to 2017 before the tournament moved to Memorial Park, and it plays as a former Tour venue should: long, demanding, and well-maintained enough to show what the layout is actually asking for. Semi-private with public access, it runs $150 to $250 depending on season and typically requires advance booking of two to three weeks.
"The Golf Club of Houston in Humble hosted the Shell Houston Open for 15 years -- the Tournament Course plays as a former Tour venue should, long and demanding, with semi-private conditioning at public-accessible rates."
Tour 18 Golf Club, also in Humble, adds an unusual third option: replica holes from 18 major championship venues -- Amen Corner from Augusta National, the Island Green from TPC Sawgrass, the Road Hole from St. Andrews. It is a specific experience rather than a traditional round, and the execution is better than the concept suggests. At $100 to $180, it works for groups who want a conversation piece round.
Fly into George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) -- 20 minutes from Humble and 30 minutes from Memorial Park. A rental car is required. Houston traffic is significant; plan tee times to avoid the I-10 and I-45 corridors during rush hours. Peak season runs October through April; summer is hot and humid but courses are less crowded before 8am. Book Memorial Park 14 to 30 days out for weekend mornings.
Side trips & bonus golf
Houston itself is a legitimately interesting city for a golf trip that extends beyond the courses. The Museum District clusters world-class institutions within walking distance of each other, with the Museum of Fine Arts and the Menil Collection both free to enter. The Houston Space Center at NASA's Johnson Space Center is 30 miles south in Clear Lake and worth a half-day if anyone in the group has a passing interest in the Apollo program.
The Galleria is five miles from Memorial Park and handles shopping, a hotel cluster, and a Tex-Mex to steakhouse restaurant strip that fills the evening without any planning. Uptown and Montrose are the neighborhoods with independent restaurants, bars, and cocktail culture that go beyond the hotel corridor.
For groups adding a day, Galveston is 50 miles south with a historic Victorian downtown, a wide beach, and Moody Gardens, which is primarily a curiosity but occasionally useful for groups with varied interests. The ferry across Galveston Bay to Bolivar Peninsula is a scenic 20-minute crossing.
If the golf agenda has room for a fourth course, the Golf Club of Houston's Member Course (separate from the Tournament Course) and Cypresswood Golf Club in Spring offer additional options that play at a high quality level without the Redstone semi-private coordination.
Is this trip right for your group?
- ✓Book this trip if Memorial Park being a legitimate Top 100 public course is the headline and you want a Tour venue at a municipal price.
- ✓Book this trip if your group drives from within Texas or can fly into IAH or Hobby without a connection.
- ✓Book this trip if March, April, October, or November are on the calendar and you want optimal Texas golf weather.
- ✓Book this trip if the Doak renovation aesthetic, minimal bunkers, bold green contours, and strategic water hazards, appeals to your group.
- ✓Book this trip if a post-round dinner in a serious Houston restaurant is part of the plan.
- ✓Book this trip if someone in the group follows the PGA Tour Houston Open and wants to see the course that hosts it.
- ✗Skip this trip if you are traveling June through August without a tolerance for 95-degree heat and thick Gulf humidity.
- ✗Skip this trip if the flat, inland terrain of Houston golf is unappealing compared to coastal or mountain alternatives.
- ✗Skip this trip if resident pricing at Memorial Park ($30-38) is unavailable to your group and $120-140 non-resident fees are out of range.
- ✗Skip this trip if you want a self-contained resort experience with lodging and golf on the same property.
When to go
- March and April deliver the best weather: mild temperatures in the 70s and low humidity.
- This overlaps with the PGA Tour Houston Open in late March, so check Tour dates before booking.
- October and November are equally good, with the added benefit of post-summer course recovery.
- Spring and fall are when tee sheets fill fastest at Memorial Park for non-residents.
- Course conditions are at their best during this window due to Doak's drainage investment.
- December, January, and February are playable with temperatures averaging the mid-50s to low 60s.
- Non-resident fees at Memorial Park are the same year-round, so winter savings come from lodging, not golf.
- Pace of play improves significantly in winter months.
- Cold fronts can drop temperatures into the 40s, but these typically pass in 24-48 hours.
- January and February are the quietest months to visit, with tee times available on short notice.
- June through August is tolerable only with early morning tee times before 8am.
- Humidity and heat create genuinely challenging conditions that slow pace of play and fatigue golfers faster than the scorecard suggests.
- Summer is when resident Houstonians dominate the tee sheet at the lower price.
- Lightning storms are common from May through September and can halt play for 30-60 minutes.
What a Houston Area trip costs
| Item | Peak | Shoulder | Off-Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tee fees (3 rounds) | $380-$610 | $280-$490 | $210-$380 |
| Lodging (3 nights) | $450-$1,000 | $350-$750 | $280-$600 |
| Food & drink | $250-$420 | $200-$340 | $160-$280 |
| Rental car (3 days) | $150-$260 | $120-$210 | $100-$170 |
| Total (est.) | $1,230–$2,290 | $950–$1,790 | $750–$1,430 |
| Item | Peak |
|---|---|
| Tee fees (3 rounds) | $380-$610 |
| Lodging (3 nights) | $450-$1,000 |
| Food & drink | $250-$420 |
| Rental car (3 days) | $150-$260 |
| Total (est.) | $1,230–$2,290 |
Per-person estimates for a 3-round, 3-night trip (Memorial Park, Golf Club of Houston, Tour 18). Excludes flights. George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) is 25 minutes from most courses. All-in: $1,250-2,300 peak (Oct-Apr), $950-1,800 shoulder.
How tee times and lodging actually work
- 1Memorial Park non-resident bookingNon-residents pay $120 on weekdays and $140 on weekends (Friday-Sunday and holidays) plus $20 for a cart. Book online at memorialparkgolf.com to confirm availability.
- 2Peak Houston Open weekThe PGA Tour Houston Open in March uses the course for tournament week. Memorial Park closes to public play during tournament setup and the event itself. Check the Tour schedule before booking a March trip.
- 3Redstone accessGolf Club of Houston (formerly Redstone) is now a private club. Guest access requires a member host or specific outings. Confirm access status before building the trip around it.
- 4Memorial Park tee timesThe course sees over 60,000 rounds per year. Weekend morning slots fill well in advance during spring and fall peak. Book two to three weeks out for prime weekend windows.
- 5Summer timingJune through August rounds at Memorial Park should target the 7am open or risk playing in 95-degree heat by the 12th hole.
Common mistakes
- !Assuming Redstone is fully publicGolf Club of Houston transitioned to a private model. Groups that built the trip around walk-up Redstone access find the door closed. Confirm guest access in advance.
- !Skipping the walking option at Memorial ParkCarts are available year-round but the course is designed for walkers. The terrain is flat and the routing is clean. Walking adds pace-of-play benefits and a different engagement with the Doak design.
- !Ignoring the resident vs. non-resident price gapAt Memorial Park, residents pay $30-38 while non-residents pay $120-140. Local Houston golfers who can sponsor a group round can reduce costs significantly.
- !Underestimating Houston summer heatThe combination of 90-degree heat and Gulf humidity in July and August hits differently than dry southern heat. A 7am tee time becomes essential rather than optional.
- !Missing Tour 18 because it sounds gimmickyThe replica holes format at Tour 18 is genuinely educational and more fun than it sounds for groups who follow major championship history. It rounds out a three-day Houston itinerary without competing with Memorial Park for seriousness.
What to pack
Sample itinerary
- Day 1Arrive + Tour 18IAH arrival. Afternoon Tour 18 in Humble.
- Day 2Memorial ParkMorning Memorial Park. Afternoon Museum District or Montrose restaurant corridor in Houston proper.
- Day 3Golf Club of HoustonMorning Golf Club of Houston. Afternoon Space Center Houston or Kemah Boardwalk.
- Day 4BlackHorse or Augusta Pines + DepartMorning BlackHorse North in Cypress or Augusta Pines near IAH. Afternoon departure.
Where to stay & eat
Know before you book.
Rankings and new trips, straight to you.