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David A. Dodson Sometimes eighteen holes just aren't enough; in which case it's not uncommon to ask your buddies if they want to play another nine. The question is, which nine do you replay, the front or the back? After weighing the pros and cons, the fact remains that you've already just played them both. Wouldn't it be nice if there were nine extra holes that you could run through that would provide new experiences when you just don't feel like going home after eighteen? If so, you should schedule your next game at River Ridge Golf Club in Sealy Texas, home of twenty-seven of finest holes in the Lone Star State.
With three separate nine-hole courses spread out
over three hundred eighty acres, you can tailor an eighteen
hole round to suit your mood. Do you like the challenge of hitting
around water, but also appreciate the latitude granted by a
more open course? Then play the River and Ridge courses. There's
not a bad hole out there, so you can't go wrong with any combination.
The freedom to pick and choose your front and back nine truly
enhances your enjoyment of the experience. Of course, the only
way to get the full effect of what this amazing course has to
offer is to play all twenty-seven. Each hole has four different
tee positions, making the course enjoyable for absolutely any
skill level. Set among groves of Cottonwoods, Ash, Sycamores,
Oaks and good old Texas Pecans, you'd be hard pressed to find
a better looking or more meticulously maintained public or private
course in the state. Every hole from the tee box to the green
is a portrait of what Texas golf should be.
The River Course Hole number one on the River course (Risk -N- Hope) is a great opening hole. This fairly straight par five offers a chance to get in your big swinging early; just keep your second shot out of the sand and the lake and you should step off the green in a pretty good mood. Lake Victoria is your constant companion throughout hole number two (Oasis), a fairly challenging par four if you have trouble hitting over water. If you have a good drive in you, hole number three (Heart Break Ridge) is where you want to use it, for if you don't clear the slope or you find the sand, then you've got lots of homework to do on this daunting par five. Even a good tee shot can't guarantee safety from the Brazos River on shots two, three, four or more.
Don't get greedy on hole number four (Brazos
Bound), a relatively short par three with a very tight green.
If it hops over the back, it's gone; not that cutting it short
into any of the three bunkers guarding the deck will be much
better. A good, straight tee shot is your friend when you
punch through the narrow break in the trees on hole number
five (Chute). After that, the rest of this par four is a breeze.
Of all the fine holes at River Ridge, number six (Het Girdle)
is one you'll definitely be telling the guys at work about.
The elevated green on this par three is one of nightmares.
German for "Upside down frying pan," a poor drive
or approach on this hole will put you out of the frying pan
and into the fire.
Another tight tee shot awaits you off the box
on hole seven (Rogue). Don't get cocky if you manage a good
drive, there are plenty of ways that your approach can go wrong
between three greenside bunkers and the woods off the back.
You won't want to be too conservative on hole number eight (Judge).
Try to stick it as close to the pin as possible; a long put
to birdie or save par isn't likely on this undulating green.
The finishing hole on the River course (Lurch's Corner) has
plenty to keep you busy. With water off the tee and on both
sides of the fairway, and bunkers guarding the green, this par
four has ample opportunity to ruin a good day.
The opening hole on the Parkland course (Devil's
Eyes) is one of the prettiest around. With water off the tee
and flanking the right and Pecan trees lining both sides of
the fairway, this moderate par five has plenty of scenery
to chew on while you navigate the bunkers. Another good-looking
hole, number two (Cottonwood) is actually quite friendly if
you tend to err to the right. Several bunkers await you to
the left if you throw out a hook on this fairly open par four.
Don't let the greenside bunkers on hole three (Pecan) intimidate
you. Par is still quite do-able from either one on this modest
par three.
If you love a truly challenging par four, then
River Ridge proudly presents Parkland's hole number four (Riverbender).
It's got everything: hills, trees, water, narrow passes plus
a sunken green; a par virtually guarantees scorn from your
playing partners. If you get it to the bend in the fairway
on hole number five (Bootleg), then you're closer to the green
then you may believe. A clean approach to the elevated green
will reward you well on this short par four. Hitting the green
on hole number six (Trouble) is another exercise in accuracy.
The greenside bunkers guarding this elevated dance floor are
no strangers to four letter words.
Any drive that doesn't end up in one of the left fairway bunkers is as good as any other on hole number seven (Robin Hood). The problem comes in a long second shot that has to miss two greenside bunkers and plenty of trees to find a tiny green on this often frustrating par four. Big hitters will love hole number eight (Hammer) with its long, narrow fairway that plays into the wind. It's a long journey to the well-guarded green on this exhausting par five. Parkland's finishing hole (The Wall) requires that you bring out your inner hero on you second shot. Can you clear the creek and the wall to find the green in two, or do you lay-up and risk a bogey on this beautiful par four?
The Ridge Course The opening hole on the Ridge course (Mad Dog)
begs you to attack with the lumber. A nice, wide fairway awaits
you over the creek if you manage a fade, a pull or hook however
promises a watery grave. Your journey to the pin offers little
to slow you down before the two greenside bunkers on this uphill
par five. Don't let your tee shot get tired on the way to the
green on hole number two (Wee Bogle). The creek guarding it
is full of balls that weren't up to the trip on this tricky
par three. Hole number three (Brute) gives you another chance
to swing the big stick with all you've got. This relatively
open par four plays into the wind and has a nasty, sandy surprise
to the right of the green.
Straight shooters should have no trouble with hole number four (Sycamore). If manage to avoid the bunker to the left, then you should have no problems until you get to the horribly unforgiving green. Hole number five (Death Valley) will definitely test your Christian vocabulary. With wasteland to the right, trees to the left, and a series of ridges running up the middle of the fairway, there is virtually no land a drive on this short but merciless par four. If you can shoot over the left bunker on hole six (Slingshot) you should find yourself in a good position. Even if your approach shat falls short, it will roll forever on the downhill trip to the green.
A strong drive on hole number seven (The Gap)
will serve you very well if you can keep it short of the bunkers
of death on the right side of the fairway. Even a trip through
the woods could lead to par on this gorgeous par four. A light
touch and nerves of steel are required on hole eight (Blister).
Stick it or you'll be fishing it out on this absolutely cruel
short par three. The finishing hole on the Ridge course (The
Beast) is your last chance to prove that you have a surgical
drive. With a creek off of the tee, a lake on the right and
a bunker and trees lining a pencil thin fairway, only the straightest
shots will pass. Get all the carry you can out of your second
shot, because you'll get no roll over the two-tiered fairway
as you get close to the green on this demanding par four.
As always, no golf course is merely the sum of its holes. Along with exceptional golf, River Ridge offers a host of amenities and the most courteous staff we've ever had the pleasure of dealing with. Everyone from the starter to the head pro to the ladies in the snack kitchen was as friendly and helpful as humanly possible. Speaking of the food, the barbecue served in the snack bar was better than golf course food has any right to be. Even if you never swing a club, the trip out there to get the brisket alone would be well worth it. The hilltop clubhouse is beautiful to see and houses an impressively stocked pro shop with a large variety of clothing and gear at competitive prices. But the social heart of River Ridge seems to be the open-air dining pavilion. Located at the start and turn of all three courses, it's a great place to catch some shade, order something to drink and watch a little TV while you eat and go over the highlights of the round. While here be sure to ask the ladies about the tree house and rope swing hidden out in the course. A round of golf at River Ridge will cost you
anywhere from sixty to one hundred and twenty dollars depending
on the day, season and number of holes. Tee times are gladly
taken seven days in advance. Tournaments are also welcome.
Tee times can be arranged on line at www.RiverRidgeGolfClub.com
or by calling 1-800-553-7517. If you live in the Houston area,
make the trip down I-10 to Sealy. Play it once and you'll
become a regular.
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