The Rawls Course at Texas Tech University sits 3,200 feet above sea level and several feet below everything else in Lubbock It was designed by Tom Doak who did what many have done in oil rich Texas He dug a hole in search of something special To compensate for a featureless landscape Doak excavated a 268 acre cotton field and used the dirt to build a 15 foot high backdrop around the course He then sculpted wide rolling fairways mounds and sidehill lies seldom seen in the Texas prairies Doak s 182 yard 10th hole was inspired by the 11th at St Andrews Other holes echo Royal County Down and Royal Melbourne The 476 yard 8th hole which Doak says is among his toughest becomes an unofficial par 5 when the wind is in your face The 7,207 yard course is named for Tech alumnus Jerry S Rawls who donated 8.6 million for the project Built below ground level this track is too special to stay under your radar excerpt from the article Top Ten You Can Play GOLF MAGAZINE February 2004