Riverside Golf Course - Austin

Review & Rating of Riverside Golf Course In Austin

Riverside Golf Course was built in the 40's and was one of the first courses in Austin and it was home to golf legends Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite.  Like most older courses, Riverside is very traditional and straightforward and short by todays standards.  The terrain is gently rolling and the course meanders through some stately oaks, pecans, and maples some of which are up to 400 years old!

In 2015, Austin Community College took over the operations and maintenance of Riverside Golf Course.  Prior to the takeover, the course conditions were pretty bad and the new team has done an excellent job in improving the course conditions.  See the head pro's comments below.

Riverside Golf Course has three sets of tee boxes with yardages of 6349 (6229 if you play the first hole as a par three instead of a par 4), 5744, and 4877 yards.  From the majority of the tee boxes you can usually see the flag and what you're up against, but beware there are some bunkers you can't see.  During your round you'll need to avoid the 45 bunkers, manage the 6 doglegs and some minor elevation changes, and carry a couple of gullies – some of which have water.   The small greens, most of which are raised and all but one of which are guarded by 1 to 3 bunkers, put a premium on your approach shots.

The Riverside Golf course fairways are ample (bring out the big dog and let it rip!) and if you miss them, you'll have a recovery shot back to the fairway from under the trees.  There are no homes or back yards to worry about but watch out for some sloping fairways (#7 in particular) which can take your ball under the towering trees.  The fairways are thin and firm meaning lots of extra roll to manage.  The back nine fairways seemed to be in much better condition than the front nine.

The Riverside greens are relatively flat with minor to no slope or undulation.  They are smaller than normal and a variety of shapes.  All but one are guarded by one to three bunkers, some of which are hidden.  The greens were soft, held the ball well, and ran true and a good speed of around 9 or so. 

The bunkers are all shapes and sizes with firm thin sand, most of which was replaced when Austin Community College took over maintenance.  The majority of the bunkers are guarding the greens but on the back nine watch out for nine fairway bunkers.  The good news is the lips are not that tall and you may get lucky and roll out.

The front nine is very straightforward and gives you an opportunity to turn in a good score.  This nine has one par 5, 3 par 3s (if you play #1 as a par 3), and 5 par 4s.  Some of the holes we liked included:

• #1 plays as a 335-yard par four or a 205-yard par 3 from the tips with an uphill shot to the green
• #2 is a short, but tricky, 313-yard par 4 with an elevated tee shot, a tree that can block your shot to the green, and a dog left over a creek leading to the green
• #8 is a fun 431-yard par 4 with a sharp dogleg right leading to a raised green with a big left side bunker

The back nine of Riverside Golf Course seemed to have a little more character, was a tad harder, a little more interesting, and in better condition.  The back is a par 37 with two par 3's, three easy par 5s, and a couple driveable par 4's.  This  nine has a great par 5 – #13  has a wide open fairway, a dogleg left around a dry pond at 70 yards in front of a raised green (with lots of undulation and slope) surrounded by swales and mounds.  #18 is a good finishing hole with a slight dogleg right, lots of deer snickering at your shot, and a green with a false front and big left and right side bunkers.

Bottom line – great service, reasonable rates, improving conditions, and an opportunity for all skill levels to have a fun and enjoyable round.