Ratliff Ranch at Ratliff Ranch Golf Links

Ratliff Ranch Golf Links sits in the Permian Basin oil country of West Texas, where Jeff Brauer designed a links-style course that works with the region's flat, windswept terrain. Opened in the mid-1990s as a daily-fee facility, the course brings a prairie links aesthetic to Odessa, a city better known for petroleum than golf. Brauer, a Texas-based architect who has worked extensively across the state, shaped the routing to emphasize ground game options and wind play rather than relying on elevation change or water features.

The layout stretches across open ranchland with native grasses and minimal tree cover, allowing the persistent West Texas wind to function as a primary defense. Wide fairways encourage players to find the turf, but approach shots demand precision into greens that feature subtle contours and surrounding collection areas. The design philosophy favors strategic choices over forced carries, with players able to bump and run shots in the links tradition when conditions permit.

Ratliff Ranch serves the Odessa-Midland area as an accessible public course, offering a contrast to the tree-lined parkland layouts more common in other parts of Texas. The setting reflects the high desert character of the region—big skies, sparse vegetation, and a sense of exposure that rewards creativity and shot-making adaptability. For golfers traveling through West Texas or based in the Permian Basin, the course provides a straightforward test shaped by wind, firm conditions, and the architect's commitment to ground-oriented golf.