Cedar Creek Golf Course

Signature Setup

The first thing Cedar Creek does is hide its yardage. I played it on a March morning, 54°F at 7:50 a.m. with the cedars still dripping from an overnight shower, and the front of the card read benign — until the elevation changes started stacking up. This is a City of San Antonio public course on the Alamo City Golf Trail, opened in 1989, cut through the cedar-and-limestone terrain northwest of the city. It plays as a par 72, roughly 7,100 yards from the tips with a slope in the mid-130s. The marketing leans on the rolling Hill Country setting, but what actually defines a round here is the wind and the back-nine climb.

Hole-by-Hole Wind & Playing Lines

Hole 4 (par-4, 432y, #1 handicap): The toughest hole on the card and it points straight into the prevailing south wind that builds through the morning. Into a steady 10–12 mph breeze, 432 plays closer to 460. I stopped trying to bomb it — laying back to the 150 marker and taking one extra club into the firm, elevated green is the lower-stress line than chasing distance off the tee.

Hole 13 (par-3, 205y): A long one-shotter that sits exposed on a rise, so the wind never lets up here. On a south-southeast morning the crosswind pushes a high ball toward the right bunker; I aim at the left edge and let it ride back rather than fight the gust.

Hole 18 (par-5, 555y): The closer climbs uphill the whole way back to a green tucked among the cedars. Downwind it tempts you to go for it in two, but uphill into any breeze it's a genuine three-shotter — lay up to a full wedge number instead of leaving an awkward 60-yard pitch off the upslope.

Green & Fairway Characteristics

The fairways are Bermuda — fast and firm in the summer heat, with real roll, so a flighted tee shot can run out 20–30 yards on the downslopes. In winter the tees and some landing zones are overseeded with ryegrass, which slows things down and softens the bounce. The greens run a moderate 9–10 on the Stimp most days, not glassy but with enough Hill Country slope that an above-the-hole putt gets away from you fast. The front nine is the gentler half; the back climbs and falls through the cedars, and the uphill 4th, 13th, and 18th are where the slope rating earns its mid-130s.

Seasonal Weather Pattern

This is South Texas, so heat and wind are the two variables that matter. Summer (Jun–Sep) brings highs in the upper 90s°F with a humid south wind that strengthens through the afternoon — the firmest, fastest fairways of the year, but brutal scoring conditions after noon. Spring and fall are the sweet spot: morning lows near 55°F, lighter wind before 10 a.m., and receptive greens. Winter is mild but variable — a passing cold front can swing the temperature 30 degrees and flip the wind to a stiff north blow that completely rewrites the uphill closing holes. Hard rain is infrequent but tends to arrive in spring thunderstorms.

Local Play Tips

The local move is to be on the first tee at sunrise. Two things stack against the afternoon golfer here: the heat, and a south wind that reliably builds after about 2 p.m. and turns the uphill 4th and 18th into a slog. I learned to get the hard south-facing holes done early while the air is still calm and cool. As a city muni on the Trail, the green fees are reasonable and twilight rates in summer are a genuine bargain — and with the long Texas daylight, a late-evening nine once the worst heat breaks is the quiet local play.

Pre-Round Weather Workflow

Check the 7-day G-Score before you book, and for Cedar Creek the two signals that matter are afternoon temperature and the south wind timing. If the forecast shows a calm, cool morning window, target the earliest tee time you can get so the south-facing 4th and 18th are done before the breeze loads up. Use the windExposure read for the exposed 13th and the closing stretch — a strong south or post-frontal north wind reshapes all three. In summer, assume firm, running Bermuda and play for the bounce; in winter, expect the overseed to slow the ground and a cold front to redraw the wind on short notice.