The Shell Houston Open, a storied event on the PGA Tour, is a tournament with a traveling history, but two courses stand out as its most famous homes. While it's now officially known as the Cadence Bank Houston Open, many fans still remember its long and iconic run at the Golf Club of Houston. Today, the tournament has a new home at the beautifully redesigned municipal course, Memorial Park Golf Course. This article will walk you through the history of the tournament's venues, what makes each course special, and how you, as a player, can apply professional strategy to these demanding layouts.
Since 2020, the Houston Open has been contested at Memorial Park Golf Course, a truly unique venue on the PGA Tour schedule. What makes it so different? It's a municipal course, open to the public. It’s incredibly rare for a regular tour stop to be held on a course that anyone can book a tee time and play, creating a special connection between the pros and local amateur golfers.
But don't mistake its public access for a lack of challenge. In 2019, the course underwent a massive renovation led by the famed golf architect Tom Doak, with tour pro and Houston resident Brooks Koepka serving as a player consultant. The goal was to create a layout that could challenge the world's best while remaining playable and exciting for the average golfer.
As a coach, when I look at Memorial park, I see a course that isn't about brute force, but about surgical precision and strategic thinking. It’s a second-shot golf course. Doak created a "stadium golf" feel with few trees but very complex routing and an abundance of risk-reward opportunities.
Here are the key characteristics andどう to tackle them:
For most of its modern history, the tournament was synonymous with the Golf Club of Houston (formerly Redstone Golf Club). From 2003 to 2019, the event called this place home, and for a specific, strategic reason: it was set up to be a perfect warmup for The Masters.
Played the week before players headed to Augusta National, the Houston Open organizers meticulously prepared the course to mimic the conditions found at the iconic major championship. Everything from the mowing patterns on the fairways and around the greens to the speed of the putting surfaces (often running at 13 or more on the Stimpmeter) was designed to give players an authentic Augusta prep.
Designed by Rees Jones and David Toms, the Tournament Course at the Golf Club of Houston is a classic American parkland-style design characterized by expansive water hazards, bold bunkering, and those slick, sloping greens.
Here’s what made it so tough and what you can learn from it:
Before moving to the Golf Club of Houston, the Shell Houston Open spent a long time, from 1985 to 2002, at The Woodlands Country Club (Tournament Course). Designed by Robert von Hagge and Bruce Devlin, this course presented a more traditional Texas test of golf. It was an iconic stop on Tour for years, known for its tree-lined fairways and smaller, well-protected greens.
It was a pure ball-striker's paradise. Unlike the wide-open spaces of Memorial Park or a bomber's-friendly setup like the GCOH could sometimes be, The Woodlands demanded that you shape shots off the tee and hit your yardages with your irons precisely. It rewarded tactical players and was a different, but equally compelling, examination of a player's all-around game. Major champions like Payne Stewart, Vijay Singh, and Curtis Strange all claimed victory here, underscoring the quality of skills required to win.
The name game can be a bit confusing. Shell ended its title sponsorship after the 2017 tournament, concluding a 26-year run. The event continued with different sponsors before Cadence Bank took over as the title sponsor in 2022.
So, while your golf buddies might still refer to it as the "Shell Houston Open" out of habit, its official name today is the Cadence Bank Houston Open.
The name may have changed, and the venue has evolved, but the history remains. This tournament has consistently provided a top-tier test on championship-caliber golf courses, producing dramatic finishes and worthy champions year after year.
From the Augusta-like test at the Golf Club of Houston to the strategic, public-access challenge of Memorial Park, the tournament we often think of as the Shell Houston Open has a rich and varied history. Understanding the nuances of these different courses shows that success in golf isn’t just about making great swings, it’s about making smart decisions.
Making smart decisions and crafting the right strategy is precisely what differentiates a good round from a bad one. Instead of guessing, having expert guidance can give you tremendous confidence on the course. With Caddie AI, we bring that pro-level course management right into your pocket. Standing over a tricky shot, you can snap a photo of your lie and surroundings to get instant, data-driven advice on how to play it. It’s like having a tour caddie helping you navigate the trouble spots and turn those potential big numbers into simple pars.
Thinking about hosting a golf tournament fundraiser is the first swing, executing it successfully is what gets the ball in the hole. This guide will walk you through the entire process, step-by-step, from laying the initial groundwork months in advance to watching your happy golfers tee off. We’ll cover everything from securing sponsors and setting your budget to planning the on-course fun that makes an event unforgettable.
A golf handicap does more than just give you bragging rights (or a reason to demand strokes from your friends) - it’s the game’s great equalizer and the single best way to track your improvement. This guide breaks down what a handicap is, how the supportive math behind a handicap index a is, and exactly how you can get one for yourself. We’ll look at everything from Course Rating to Adjusted Gross Score, helping you feel confident both on the course and in the clubhouse.
The compression of a Pinnacle Rush golf ball is one of its most defining features, engineered specifically to help a huge swath of golfers get more distance and enjoyment from their game. We'll break down exactly what its low compression means, who it's for, and how you can use that knowledge to shoot lower scores.
Figuring out which spikes go into your new (or old) pair of Puma golf shoes can feel like a puzzle, but it’s much simpler than you think. The key isn't the brand of the shoe, but the type of receptacle system they use. This guide will walk you through exactly how to identify your Puma's spike system, choose the perfect replacements for your game, and change them out like a pro.
The Golf Genius app is one of the best tools for managing and participating in competitive golf events, but figuring it out for the first time can feel like reading a new set of greens. This guide cuts through the confusion and shows you exactly how to use the app as a player. We’ll cover everything from logging into your tournament and entering scores to checking the live leaderboard so you can enjoy the competition without any tech headaches.
Walking onto the first tee with sweaty palms, worried you’ll be a good partner to paly wtih...or even asked back again ...We’ve all been there - trust me! The real trick of feeling confortable... is about how you handle you’re ready to plsy. THIS guide explains the simple rules of the rode to show you hnow t play golf while staying calm relaxed and focused... an having much morse fun while you,',re aat it? You'll also play with confidence a dn make fiendsa while you're at i
Just ask a question or share a photo and Caddie gives personalized guidance for every shot - anytime, anywhere.
