Rousing weekend includes member events with World Golf Hall of Famer Tom Kite and golf course architect Roy Bechtol, who partnered to design the club’s first 18 holes in 2000
KERRVILLE, Texas — While much has changed in the past three years at Comanche Trace, the peerless golf course and lifestyle community set about an hour northwest of San Antonio in the much-desired Texas Hill Country, has stood the test of time.
More than 300 members and invited guests gathered here April 25-27 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the 1,300-acre community and its dynamite 27 holes of golf and sublime list of top-shelf amenities.
All those facets have combined to make and keep Comanche Trace among the polished jewels of the region, garnering the neighborhood a bushelful of kudos, including recognition among “America’s Top 100 Golf Communities” and one of the “50 Best Master-Planned Communities in the U.S.”
Headlining the late-April anniversary event was a golf scramble in which World Golf Hall of Famer Tom Kite played with members and golf course architect and former senior long drive champion Roy Bechtol hit tee shots on the fourth hole with each group.
Kite and Bechtol partnered with Randy Russell to fashion Comanche Trace’s much ballyhooed original 18 holes in 2000; another nine holes were added by the father-son team of Jay and Carter Morrish in 2008.
Legacy Golf Properties acquired Comanche Trace in 2022 and has since enhanced the community’s appeal through a series of improvements and additions. Among those are a 5,000-square-foot fitness center, a Hill Country Taphouse at the course’s 15-acre practice facility, a quartet of pickleball courts, and an enhanced slate of club events tailored to the lifestyle of its members.
“Comanche Trace is more than just 27 holes of world-class golf — it’s a lifestyle set in one of the most scenic settings in Texas,” said Steven Held, Legacy Golf Properties’ president & CEO. ”Our members and I are extremely thankful for what Tom and Roy created 25 years ago, and we were honored that they joined us last weekend, allowing us to thank them for creating what has been recognized as one of the best residential golf communities in the country.”
Kite remarked that his return to Comanche Trace and the celebration rekindled his love for the community and the course.
“It was great to go back to Comanche Trace for the celebration,” Kite said. “The golf course has matured quite nicely, and it’s a pleasure to see that so many people are still enjoying the design that we put out on the ground 25 years ago.”
Bechtol has been a more frequent returner to Comanche Trace through the years and still holds dear the experiences from the designing and construction of the course.
“It was one of the most magical journeys that Kite-Bechtol-Russell ever experienced as far as having fun while we were creating,” said the Austin-based Bechtol, who has designed more than 90 golf courses in his expansive career. “It was a seamless transition from a raw piece of dirt to a Hill Country jewel. The golf course really has three personalities — it was a blend of three land types, I guess you might say three landscapes: prairie, creek and Hill Country.
Bechtol said the building of the original holes at Comanche Trace was part of a journey that the designers cherished.
“We all had a really good time on the two-hour drive from Austin to Kerrville — we’d look forward to it,” he explained. “On the drive back, we talked about the day we had and what we learned and what we wanted to tweak. So, it was a great personal journey for us to get to know each other and be excited about what we were creating.”
When Comanche Trace debuted a quarter-century ago, it was named one of the “Five Best New Residential Communities” in the country. Twenty-five years on — and with the stewardship of Legacy Golf Properties — that heritage has only grown stronger.
“At Comanche Trace, we recognize that our members aren’t just choosing a community—they’re investing in their legacy,” Held said. “It’s our commitment to ensure every element here continues to deliver for generations. Once people experience life here, they never want to leave — and that’s what makes it so special.”
With three new homesite phases, as well as several spec houses under construction and a 2025 Tour of Homes scheduled for this fall, isn’t it time to explore and discover Comanche Trace?
Steven Held
Legacy Golf Properties
2801 Comanche Trace Drive
Kerrville, Texas 78028
830-895-8505
sheld@legacygolfproperties.com
