Max A. Mandel

There are a number of golf courses in Texas with fine views of San Antonio but only one with a fine view of San Antonio...Mexico. The Max A. Mandel Golf Course is a municipal facility north of Laredo, where players will be treated to scenic views of the Mexican municipality of San Antonio.

Some may be tempted to pull driver on the short par three No. 13, which plays just 138 yards from the back tees; a smash from the tee here could quite possibly reach the Mexican backdrop, although we don’t recommend it...for both your scorecard and for the sake of international relations.

The dividing line between the two countries is the Rio Grande, which provides beautiful views across much of the golf course. On the front nine, players will be able to look from the bluffs that Mandel plays across during holes Nos. 3, 4, 8 and 9 and see the river, quite rightly described as “grand.”

Don’t let the landscape hog all of the attention, however: Robert Trent Jones II didn’t rely strictly upon views to make this golf course worthwhile. Risk and reward weigh on both the long and short par fours here.