Rankings: 

27th    

The Takeaway:  The step-sister to the revered Cypress Creek course, Jackrabbit is a tamer track that is less taxing on your game. Being routed through a neighborhood on flat ground isn’t terribly exciting, but conditions are excellent.  Grade B-

Quick Facts

Designer:  George Fazio in 1964

Cost:  Private

Phone Number:  281-444-6262

Course Website:  Official Website - Visit Champions Golf Club (Jackrabbit)'s official website by clicking on the link provided.

Directions:  Get here! - 13722 Champions Dr, Houston, Texas  77069 – UNITED STATES

Photos:  See additional photos of Champions Golf Club (Jackrabbit)

What to Expect:  Champions Golf Club is perhaps Houston’s most storied club given its roots to Jackie Burke and Jimmy Demaret and the low handicaps they required from the membership. But the focus of Champions has always been the famed Cypress Creek course which previously hosted the U.S. Open and Ryder Cup. Jackrabbit, which opened five years after the original, is mostly a neighborhood course which is routed tightly through homes on flat ground and never gives players a sense of getting away from the hustle and bustle of life. The greens are smaller than at Cypress Creek but are easier to recover from when missing them. In fact, that is the purpose behind Jackrabbit altogether; a reprieve from the demands of its sister course. But that doesn’t mean the Rabbit is a pushover, in fact, it was utilized along with Cypress Creek when the Women’s U.S. Open played there in 2020. While the architecture and setting aren’t very compelling, Champions does a great job of keeping the Bermuda turf in excellent playing condition and delivering a straightforward course where everything is in front of you. As a second course for a membership, Jackrabbit is a nice addition, but as a destination it doesn’t offer enough to go out of your way to play.

By the Numbers

Individual Hole Analysis

Signature Hole:  16th Hole – 180 Yard Par 3 – Water comes into play on virtually every hole on the back nine and is the prominent feature on the 16th. A mid length par three, the tee shot needs to fly all the way onto the putting surface or players need to bail right in order to avoid the hazard. The peninsula green is unforgiving so it should be approached with respect, but if the pin is on the right third of the green you can take dead aim at the flag.

16th Hole at Champions Golf Club (Jackrabbit) (180 Yard Par 3)

Best Par 3:  11th Hole – 197 Yards – Water flanks the entire right side of the par three 11th hole and features a bunker between the middle of the green and the hazard. The back right of the putting surface is perilously close to the water and is a sucker pin for any player that isn't in the zone while flags on the left third should be approached aggressively. Everything slopes right, so if you are hitting a fade you may want to aim a bit further left than usual.

11th Hole at Champions Golf Club (Jackrabbit) (197 Yard Par 3)

Best Par 4:  18th Hole – 473 Yards – The closing hole on the Jackrabbit course is also one of its sternest test. The large fairway bunker on the right will have players aiming down the left side which also gives the most open look to the green, but the green is also at its most shallow angle from that side. Bunkers sit on each side of the green but it is the water on the right side that will hurt your scorecard the most.

18th Hole at Champions Golf Club (Jackrabbit) (473 Yard Par 4)

18th Hole at Champions Golf Club (Jackrabbit) (473 Yard Par 4)

Best Par 5:  9th Hole – 590 Yards – With o.b. left and a fairway bunker on the right, you'll have to stripe your driver to give yourself a good chance to finish the front nine with a birdie. The swell in the fairway just beyond 100 yards from the green can leave an unlevel lie to contend with, but it is the green that is the most interesting feature on this hole. The putting surface is 2.5 times wider than it is deep with front left pins being green light positions while flags tucked behind the bunker on the right should be approached with caution.

9th Hole at Champions Golf Club (Jackrabbit) (590 Yard Par 5)

9th Hole at Champions Golf Club (Jackrabbit) (590 Yard Par 5)

Birdie Time:  12th Hole – 328 Yard Par 4 – The appetizing 12th is a fantastic design and one you can't help but test your merit on. A straight drive that covers 300 yards will get you near the front edge of the green, but if you aren't hitting the ball straight then driver may not be the play since water is on the left side and sand on the right. If you trust your wedge game more than your driver, a tee shot that stays 90 yards short of the center of the green will stay short of the water and give yourself the highest degree of success to go flag hunting on your approach shot.

12th Hole at Champions Golf Club (Jackrabbit) (328 Yard Par 4)

Bogey Beware:  8th Hole – 459 Yard Par 4 – While the 18th probably takes the cake as the hardest hole on the course, the 8th represents the toughest test on the front nine as its longest par four. The tee is positioned in the southwest corner of the golf course and has o.b. running along each side of the fairway. No fairway bunkers are needed given how tight the fairway is, but a large bunker flanks the right side of the green. With a slightly raised putting surface and a non-scoring club in your hand on the approach, this green is tough to hit in regulation.

8th Hole at Champions Golf Club (Jackrabbit) (459 Yard Par 4)

8th Hole at Champions Golf Club (Jackrabbit) (459 Yard Par 4)