There are golf courses, and then there are golf courses with a story. Four States Golf Course, tucked into the heart of Texarkana, belongs firmly in the second category — and once you’ve played a round here, you’ll understand exactly why locals keep coming back week after week, season after season.
Situated just off Loop 245 on the Texas side of town, Four States is one of those places that feels genuinely lived-in and welcoming the moment you pull into the parking lot. This isn’t a stuffy, members-only club where newcomers feel out of place. It’s a public course with a personality — the kind of spot where the starter knows your name by your second visit and the pro shop smells like leather grips and possibility.
The course itself is a well-maintained 18-hole layout that winds through mature pines and hardwoods, offering the kind of natural scenery that reminds you why East Texas is something special. The fairways are generous enough to welcome the recreational golfer but feature enough subtle breaks, elevation changes, and strategically placed hazards to keep the single-digit handicapper honest. Water comes into play on several holes, and the bentgrass greens — kept in excellent shape — reward accurate approach shots while punishing anything too bold.
What really sets Four States apart, though, is the atmosphere. On any given Saturday morning, you’ll find retired teachers sharing a cart with young professionals, teenagers grinding through a round with their dads, and visiting business travelers squeezing in nine holes before a meeting. The course has that rare ability to feel like a community gathering place as much as a sporting venue. Pull up a stool at the halfway house, grab a cold drink and a hot dog, and you’ll hear more good-natured trash talk and genuine laughter than you’d expect from eighteen holes of a sport known for its hushed reverence.
The practice facilities deserve a mention too. The driving range gives you plenty of space to work through your bag, and the short game area — with a dedicated chipping green and practice bunker — is exactly what you need to get dialed in before you head to the first tee.
Green fees are genuinely reasonable, making it an easy decision to play a weekday round on impulse or book a weekend tee time for a group. Rental clubs are available if you’re traveling light, and the staff in the pro shop is the sort of helpful, knowledgeable crew that will point you toward the best holes and warn you about the tricky dogleg on number twelve with a knowing smile.
Whether you’re a Texarkana local looking to finally play your home course or a traveler passing through on I-30 who has an afternoon to spare, Four States Golf Course is worth every minute you give it. Swing by, lace up your spikes, and let the pines and fairways of Texarkana do the rest.
