A few years ago, Stuart Place Country Club was a secret.

Then it improved to a “best-kept secret.”

Now, the little course that could is at the top of the list when it comes to the Winter Texans and the golf experience at Stuart Place.

In the annual Winter Texans Favorite Golf Course, Stuart Place once again dominated, winning six of the seven categories. Tony Butler captured the other category – favorite driving range.

This quaint 9-hole par-three course may be small in size, but it wears an Underdog cape when it comes to golf in South Texas. It has become a legend for its growing popularity, being tougher than most people think, and its just plain Texas friendliness.

The categories Stuart Place won were Favorite Hole (No. 9), Favorite Amenity (the clubhouse), Favorite Putting Green, Favorite Pro Shop, Favorite Menu Item (hot dog) and Favorite 19th hole (even though it’s a 9-hole course).

Golfers and residents alike praise everything about the course, especially the people and the general ambiance of the place, comparing it often to the TV show Cheers.

The golf course, though just 9 holes, is peaceful yet intense; not too difficult but sly and can lull golfers into a sense of overconfidence.

Tony Butler would be proud.

The driving range at Tony Butler is new – just like the course, which was closed for a year for renovations.

The driving range is 300 yards in length, has 22 new mats, completely new balls and has that “fresh-car scent.”

“Ever since we re-opened, we’ve just been slammed,” said the course’s Jeff Hart.

The Tony Butler Golf Course of today isn’t the same as yesteryear. In fact, it’s not the same as earlier this year. Now that the city is done with its multi-million-dollar revamp project – you may not even recognize it. Holes 1 through 18 went through the makeover of makeovers as the city looked to increase its position as a destination city, not just a landing strip at the airport to just go on to McAllen or South Padre Island.

But the course’s impact on Rio Grande Valley golf remains as great, if not greater than any other golf course in terms of Rio Grande Valley Golf.
Tee boxes, fairways, bunkers, greens, lakes – it’s about as different as could be – and management promised “it will be harder. And completely different.” The city also made heavy improvements to drainage.

The Harlingen public golf course bears the name of the man, Tony Butler, who helped bring some of the sport’s greatest athletes to the Rio Grande Valley for professional tournaments during the Great Depression.