Walden on Lake Conroe

The Walden on Lake Conroe Golf Club makes the most of its opportunity to flaunt the title lake. GOLF.com named the No. 11 par five as one of its Top 500 holes in the world, and indeed it’s a spectacle to be either ogled or cursed (if you lose more than one ball...or the match). The double-dogleg begins as a wooded fairway, common along much of the course before cutting left, where Lake Conroe comes into view. The next two shots (this is a true three-shot par five) must include tight iron play and prayers, as the lake creates a thin strip for the hole’s final 250 yards as it hooks around the lake.

Follow that immediately with a daunting par three that carries 160 yards to an isolated green poking out into the water body. By the time you reach No. 13, you may be more than happy to take your frustration out by hammering a ball across 200 yards of lake carry to reach the fairway. The Walden is an adventurous and challenging round.