The River Club--Suwanee, Georgia
-15th best course in Georgia (Golf Digest)
-89th best residential course (Golfweek)
Frankly, I think I like this course more than most people do. I think it is the best neighborhood course I have ever
played. It is nestled in a private community in the northern suburbs of Atlanta. The homes are $1mm plus homes
with a cabin/rustic feel to them.
The course itself is very well maintained and a challenge, but it is very fair and playable. If you miss your spots
(long on your approach to the green or something like that) you will be punished, but not unduly so. You might
roll off the green and down a 30 ft. hill, but you will not be O.B. or in a creek. You will most likely be in a waste
area with a shot to chip back onto the green. Challenging, but playable.
Two of the holes stand out to me at The River Club, #2 and #16. Two holes couldn't be more diametrically
opposed. The first time you play the course, you will encounter a momentary stunning sensation when you pass
through the woods separating hole #1 from hole #2. Seeing the #2 hole for the first time is a sight you will not
soon forget...the beauty is intense.
Hole #16 on the other hand is almost ugly, but the strategy behind the hole and the significance of the challenge
is what is memorable. You must hit your driver straight. If you fade it you are in a waste bunker or out of bounds.
If you hook it, you are in a deep sandy bunker that requires a lay up. Assuming you don't crank a drive 350
yards, you will be in the center of a fairway. If you hit it longer than that you will be in a marsh water hazard. If
you make it into the appropriate landing area, you will then have to hit your approach to an elevated green that is
to the right side of the fairway and surrounded by bunkers. The left side of the green slopes off fast and downhill
right into the water hazard. The hole will be challenging to the better players who will relish in the challenge, but
less than average players will curse it and not want to play it again. You can see pictures of these holes and
gather a lot more information concerning this course on their website.
The course is a Greg Norman course and it is laden with heavy bunkering. I play the black tees which are rated
73.2/136 and have yardage of 6,718.