This 7,077-yard layout was designed by Thomas Walker. Don't worry if you've never heard of him; if this place reaches its potential, you'll surely be seeing more of his name in the future.

Canyon Springs is set in a scenic oak forest covering a series of hills. The isolated routing makes you feel as if you're on top of a private mountain, as no two fairways run parallel. Some might expect a tricked-up course with wild elevation swings and long forced carries. Instead, the design blends in with its environment instead of taking advantage of it.

There were some heated discussions during construction on whether or not to leave some strategically placed trees, and in the end, the correct decisions were made. The result is a thinking person's layout where placement off the tee is critical and the huge greens can make for wildly different pin positions. It needs some time to mature, but is set to become one of the area's finest.

La Cantera has been the site of the PGA Tour's Texas Open since 1995. Located on the north side of town, this thrill-a-minute design by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish has made quite a bit of noise since its debut three years ago. It was a Golf Magazine "Top 10 You Can Play" pick for 1995 and continues to set its sights high, with a 500-room Westin hotel that recently opened this year.

The 7,001-yard layout is spread over three hilltops, serving up views of the surrounding terrain. Some holes seem like a game of "can-you-top-this," with dramatic elevation changes, carries over ravines, and risk-reward opportunities. But La Cantera pulls this off without being gimmicky because it's the roller-coaster property, not the design, that causes the drama.

Speaking of roller coasters, the seventh hole provides one of the most remarkable scenes in all of golf. The tee shot on this 316-yard par four drops 80 feet down to the fairway, set in the bottom of an old limestone quarry. However, your eyes seem glued to what sits to the left of the hole: The Fiesta Texas Amusement Park, complete with "The Rattler," a huge wooden roller coaster directly on the other side of a fence from the green. Every 40 seconds or so, your concentration is interrupted by the shrieks of yet another group of thrill seekers as they cascade down the coaster's initial drop.