Travis Club Austin, Austin’s newest 1,500-acre master-planned community west of Austin on Lake Travis, officially broke ground on its world-class Beau Welling-designed golf course at a ceremony hosted by the Lake Travis Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. The ceremony featured golf course designer Beau Welling, Travis Club executives, city leaders, chamber executives, dignitaries, and special guests. A reception immediately followed the groundbreaking ceremony at the property’s historic Covert House on the Travis Club grounds located on the banks of Lake Travis.
The course is designed by Welling, Founder and CEO of Beau Welling Design (BWD), a golf course design and land planning firm, known for its innovative and responsive solutions to clients around the world. The Travis Club is the latest among the impressive resume of recent projects from BWD that includes the new Fields Ranch West at Omni PGA Frisco and significant renovations at Atlanta Country Club and Ocean Forest Golf Club, among others. The championship course at the Travis Club is scheduled to debut in late 2025 along with the accompanying practice facility, comfort stations and initial social outlet, the Golf House. Based out of Greenville, South Carolina, the BWD team has assisted in the creation and development of over 120 award-winning golf courses around the world. Senior designer and vice president, Scott Benson, is assisting Welling on the par 72 layout that will offer a strategic, yet playable test of golf.
“Our team and I are excited to have broken ground at the Travis Club and to start working on bringing the design to life. Travis Club is going to be a truly special addition to the Texas golf scene and an anchor to the outstanding Travis Club community. Our goals with the design were to honor the stunning Hill Country landscape along Lake Travis and create a course that people would enjoy playing time and time again, regardless of their skill level,” said Welling.
Welling leads a team of experts who bring technical, creative, and innovative expertise to his firm’s work. The BWD team has worked on exceptional Texas golf courses that go beyond Fields Ranch West, such as Bluejack National, Escondido, and Dallas National. Welling refers to the Travis Club course as the one “I feel like I have been preparing for my whole career – the opportunity we have here to use amazing golf to help bring friends and families together to make amazing memories is extremely exciting.” With that kind of commitment, backed by a lifetime of achievements, Travis Club’s golf course solidifies both an exciting and innovative future for golf in the Texas Hill Country.
“From the first tee to the final putt, this 18-hole golf wonder will never cease to amaze, whether it’s green-ribboned fairways winding past oaks, low-cut green surrounds, or the abundance of panoramic vistas and technicolor sunsets. Welling and his team have walked the land countless times with a mind toward creating a golf experience that takes advantage of the drama the land presents and at the same time helps foster the human connections inherent to the game. This will be a place for spirited regular games, for tournaments, and for family outings that will create lifetime memories,” said Jimmy Terry, Vice President of Development for Travis Club.
Ben Lauber, Travis Club’s recently announced first Director of Agronomy said, “I am ecstatic about the opportunity to play a significant role in the Travis Club’s golf course development and growth. Travis Club sits on an extraordinary property that serves as the canvas for our team to create a masterpiece facility right in the heart of the Travis Club community.”
Along with its golf amenities, Travis Club is widely considered the most exciting club and lake life development in Texas to date and will feature 10,000 feet of Lake Travis frontage with access to over 65 miles of water, 30+ miles of private hiking and biking trails, a lakefront clubhouse with dining, along with a private marina, event lawn, pool, and racquet amenities.
Every aspect of the master plan for Travis Club has been carefully considered to preserve the site’s natural and scenic resources. With a thoughtfully crafted and minimalist design, the golf course and infrastructure are designed to have minimal impact on the land across Travis Club’s expansive 1,500 acres. Every detail has been meticulously considered, including a range of amenities that are conceived with both responsibility and sustainability in mind. Travis Club’s goal extends beyond establishing the premier private club in the Texas Hill Country. It aspires to set the standard for golf course design excellence throughout Texas.
Leisha Ehlert, CEO of Travis Club, added, “We are thrilled to introduce this new lake and golf community on Lake Travis. What sets this project apart is the unique natural beauty and recreational opportunities that Lake Travis offers. We have designed Travis Club intentionally by taking great care to preserve and complement the local environment and surroundings, with over 50% of the property dedicated to golf, open space, or conservation areas. We have integrated the stunning lakeside views and lush landscapes with the development of exceptional facilities, providing members and their families the ability to enjoy the serenity of lakeside living while having access to a world-class golf and recreation experience.”
Construction of the Phase I infrastructure, which includes 106 estate homesites, and golf course construction are underway. More than half of Phase 1 homesites have been reserved. Homesites range from 0.5 to 2.95 acres and are offered from $800K, with pre-development incentive pricing.
