The Hills Country Club Through the Years

The Lakeway community started back in the early 1960’s. The first lot and sales office opened in 1963 along with the Lakeway Inn (now known as the Lakeway Resort & Spa) and Lakeway Marina. It was a sleepy, quiet retirement community comprised of second homes (lake houses) that many Houston/DFW residents would visit on weekends. There was a two-lane road over the dam with limited stores and restaurants. In the local school district at the time, Lake Travis High School was a 3A school and is now a 6A plus school. There was one elementary school and there will soon be eight. The average age was 72 and is now 56. Today, people are moving here from all over the U.S., especially California and larger cities, but in the 1960’s, there were no apartments, senior living facilities, or hospitals. The Hills Country Club is now a thriving community. It has great schools, golf, The Sports Complex (formerly World of Tennis), EAC, one public golf course within 20 minutes, parks, hiking, lake dining, and the beautiful hill country. Whether you are retired or semi-retired, Members still love to move here for their children, grandchildren, and quality golf, fitness, tennis, and sense of community. There is no need to head into Austin when The Hills Country Club has it all.

1964

Air Park was completed.

1965

LIVE OAK opened its first 9 holes.

1967

LIVE OAK opened the second 9 holes and the pro shop was completed. Around this time, the real estate market really began to take off.

1972

Construction began on the WORLD OF TENNIS and 4 additional tennis courts were added across from Live Oak. These tennis courts, though technically owned by the Club, were in poor condition and are currently leased back to the City of Lakeway for complimentary use by Lakeway residents.

1973

WORLD OF TENNIS opened its doors and The Village of the Hills was incorporated (the gated community surrounding The Hills Signature Course and Hills Clubhouse).

1976

Main Lakeway entrance was established off Lakeway Blvd.

1977

YAUPON golf course opened.

1979

Jack Nicklaus agreed to build The Hills Signature course.

1981

The Hills Signature Course and Hills Pro Shop and clubhouse opened. THE HILLS COUNTRY CLUB (mandatory) Social Memberships were introduced as the clubhouse was completed. You had to live in The Hills to be a Golf Member, all memberships were non-refundable. These memberships included social, fitness, sport amenities and limited golf access for a fee. Social or Fitness Memberships connected to THE HILLS COUNTRY CLUB were not offered due to lack of amenities. The entry membership level to join THE HILLS COUNTRY CLUB for residents outside the gated community was the Tennis Membership (referred to as Sport).

2000

- No longer offered the 100% refundable Cobblestone Memberships for golf or sport. Childcare was introduced on a limited basis for an additional fee. First Membership Committee formed for Lakeway.

2001

The Dual Golf Membership was introduced (today called Signature Golf), which included all 4 courses. This was finally possible now that the LRA agreement was dissolved, which prevented HILLS COUNTRY CLUB and CLUBS OF LAKEWAY golf courses to be combined within one membership. When The Hills of Lakeway was purchased by Invited, Champions and Hills Golf Memberships became 1/3 transferable and have gone back and forth between initiation deposits versus initiation fees. Some of our golf memberships were 1/3 transferable when #1 on the resign list, and the remaining balance is then refunded to the Member 30 years from their join date; some memberships do not have this 30-year feature, they are only 1/3 transferable. Original memberships until 1995 were non-transferable. The Swim & Fit Membership was also introduced around this time, which offered limited fitness center and pool privileges at the WORLD OF TENNIS. This was also when the CLUBS OF LAKEWAY membership (aka: LAKEWAY GOLF CLUB) incorporated a few WORLD OF TENNIS amenities as well. Clubs of Lakeway members now had use of outdoor tennis courts, fitness facility and pool, but the group aerobic classes and indoor courts that were included in HILLS COUNRY CLUB golf and sport memberships were an additional fee to CLUBS OF LAKEWAY members. The only shared amenity between HILLS COUNTRY CLUB and CLUBS OF LAKEWAY at that time was the WORLD OF TENNIS, which confused members, employees, and the marketplace. Hills Signature Golf Membership started a waitlist. Awaited grand opening of new Flintrock Falls course.

2002

The FLINTROCK FALLS golf course opened, which is a co-design by Jack Nicklaus and his son. Nicklaus said his goal was “to create a fitting complement to the original Signature course that the members will find both challenging and enjoyable to play over and over again.” Flintrock Falls incorporated the same mandatory Social Membership as THE HILLS gated community had established, except Flintrock Builders were given a 90-day grace period before mandatory dues began. The grand opening of the new course opened up 500 new golf memberships alongside a crash in the Austin economy, which provoked short-term membership options to be introduced: 1-year membership for $2,000; 3-year membership for $5,500; and 5-year membership for $8,250 …. All to drive the dues line during this time. (IE: Callable) Golf.

2003

Kinko’s Classic

2004

Callable conversions to upgrade to Full Golf, highly successful take rate.

2005

Began offering all membership categories under one club name – THE HILLS OF LAKEWAY. All memberships had access to dining and social amenities at all five clubhouses, fitness, tennis, swimming, social and dining facilities.

2006

The Flintrock Falls clubhouse opened October 6th.

2007

Major renovation of The World of Tennis fitness, spa and childcare

2008

Took Lakeway Country Club private and added 137 net golf members, Greet and Gather Committee introduced.

2009

Triton Golf event @ The Hills, Pete Sampras Tennis event at World of Tennis

2010

Relationship with Rough Hollow Development, RC and CCCC Sponsor and Map project, conversions of balloon payments on IF’S, Serene Hills Elementary opened, Sweetwater Development opened

2011

Started waitlist for fitness, 30th Anniversary of The Hills, Life Memberships

2012

Hills reinvention waitlist for tennis, introduced Jr. Golf Membership, Lakeway Regional Hospital opened

2013

Tennis event with Jim Courier, Todd Martin and The Jensen’s

2014

Hills bunkers/ ladies’ locker room / resurface World of Tennis courts

2015

Serene Hills Parade of Homes

2016

35th anniversary of The Hills, new bunkers at Flintrock, rebuild of 7 tennis courts at World of Tennis

2017

Enclosure of Flintrock Pavilion, rebuild of 9 tennis courts at World of Tennis

2018

Live Oak fairways and wedding site at Flintrock

2019

Elevation Athletic Club grand reopening, facelift at Flintrock, World of Tennis pool updated

2020

Covid, Snovid, new roof at Lakeway Golf, updates at all 5 properties. TOGO perfected. New dining experience at The Den, The Chophouse and Smoked at The Oak. Only non-refundable membership offered.

2021

40th anniversary at The Hills Signature golf course. 2 new pools/ Aquatic Complex at World of Tennis, Signature golf course under construction, 3-hole practice course, Academy course moved, limited inventory on all membership offerings, high demand, and real estate market exploding, grand opening of NEW Aquatic Complex, Signature golf course and 3-hole practice facility, new Live Oak clubhouse, new scoreboard area and waitlist for Signature Golf. No longer offer Junior, Non-resident, or Corporate Golf Memberships.