A course once seen as the pride of Texas golf has been reduced to an unrecognisable and overgrown mess. The Pecan Valley Country Club in San Antonio in its prime was a formidable 7,010-yard challenge that brought the world’s top golfers to their knees.
Yet today it lies in ruins, resembling a jungle of tangled weeds and crumbling fairways rather than the immaculately manicured lawns one would expect of an elite golf course. Situated on the east side of San Antonio, the once picturesque 18-hole course first opened its doors in 1963. Designed by James Press Maxwell, Pecan Valley was built as the ultimate test of golfing ability. Its defining moment came just five years later when it hosted the 1968 PGA Championship.
Julius Boros etched his name into the history books in the sweltering Texas heat, claiming victory at the age of 48 to become the oldest major champion — a record that stood until Phil Mickelson’s triumph in 2021. Boros clinched his title by a single stroke, narrowly defeating Arnold Palmer, who missed a crucial par putt on the 18th hole.
The course at that time was filled with mature pecan trees and punishing hazards. It also staged the Texas Open and the 2001 US Amateur Public Links.
Yet, despite golf course architect Bob Cupp overseeing a major renovation in 1998, the club could not escape its ultimate fate. It officially shut its doors in January 2012, making it the first major venue in modern history to be abandoned.
It was left to be reclaimed by nature, and passers by today would be forgiven for failing to realise it once hosted a major championship.
That is because several of the buildings, including the clubhouse, now stand in a state of disrepair. The shrubs and hedges have grown wild, spilling onto the footpaths.
Some of the walkways are obstructed by fallen branches, with certain areas bearing more resemblance to a jungle than a golf course. Only the bridges remain fully intact, with streams trickling beneath them.
A section of what was once Pecan Valley has since been transformed into a middle school and a residential development. In recent years, an initiative known as The Valor Club has also sought to redevelop a 215-acre portion of the golf course to provide housing for army veterans and their families.
The project aims to combine affordable housing, a nine-hole adaptive golf course and a Paralympic training centre (Valordome) to establish a supportive and active community.