Played today 9-11-14 as a single. The good: Played on the Roger Dunn birdie card, so only payed $20 w/ cart. The starter got me right out. The greens were great, smooth and ran really good with a f... Continue »

Played today 9-11-14 as a single. The good: Played on the Roger Dunn birdie card, so only payed $20 w/ cart. The starter got me right out. The greens were great, smooth and ran really good with a few unfixed divots. The bad: almost everything else. Every tee fairway seemed to have a waste bunker/river bed right next to it. Almost every tee box was elevated, which was kind of fun, until you get in the fairway and have no idea where the greens are! Luckily, I played with a guy who plays there often and he pointed me in the right directions. Don't think I'll be back here again.

our 4some played here Tues 8/19 for the 1st time, none of us had ever played here before.

1st impression - Funky layout with many quirky holes. Many had 2 shots at elevated greens, 1-2 clubs more f... Continue »

our 4some played here Tues 8/19 for the 1st time, none of us had ever played here before.

1st impression - Funky layout with many quirky holes. Many had 2 shots at elevated greens, 1-2 clubs more for me, reminded me of Champions club.
Conditions - course is in decent shape
POP - really good, just over 4 hrs
Player's Assistants came by a couple of times, but were very friendly and informative. One thing we noticed was that there were a lot of 2somes out there. Saw several ahead of Men's club, one behind us (very friendly regulars), and two other 2somes behind them.

Started out with a decent Bacon/egg brfst sandwich for just over $5, cook was very friendly. Tee time was 7:35 and got out right on time. Men's club went out ahead of us, and 1st couple of holes were on the slow side, but the pace picked up and had to wait on only a few holes.

Tee boxes were uneven and some divots but was able to find a spot. Fairways are in decent shape, a few thin spots, some had long waste bunkers that seem to be the actual river bed when water flows. The waste bunkers were mostly ground up rocks with some sand and dirt.

The couple of greenside bunkers I found myself in had decent sand, the 1st cut rough was mowed short and was very playable. The greens were in nice condition, but many had unfixed ball marks, Men's club leftovers, lol. They ran med/fast and true, had one missed birdie putt from an unseen ball mark, but manged to score 1 birdy from within 20 ft, and 1 from a putt off the fringe.

POP as I mentioned was just over 4 hrs, 19th hole had some cold beer pitchers, and some so-so nachos (not worth ordering although they were very low priced). I would give it a score of 5 overall. Some highs/Some lows.

Played River View this past Saturday, got on a little after 2:30, finished right around 6:00 pm and I was walking! Tee Boxes- There were a few in good shape, most were a little unlevel, The majority ... Continue »

Played River View this past Saturday, got on a little after 2:30, finished right around 6:00 pm and I was walking! Tee Boxes- There were a few in good shape, most were a little unlevel, The majority of the par 3 tee boxes were in pretty rough shape either having severe divot damage or being thin on grass. Fairways- This was the pleasant surprise, normally the fairways that run through the riverbed are thin and firm, this was not the case at all. The kikuyu was a little thicker this time and combined with some softer conditions, made the lie very nice. I wish they would get some actual sand for divot repair as many fairway divots were filled with the riverbed sediment, which is more like crushed gravel than sand, thankfully I never had to play from that kind of lie and there weren't that many divots to contend with anyway. The fairways above the riverbed were in good shape as usual. Rough- Short and in good shape, only time it comes into play is on the holes above the riverbed or if you are on the actual riverbed slope. Not much of a punishment from a level lie, can be tricky if hitting downhill or uphill. Bunkers- Basically filled with riverbed sediment (see my description above). Its the only thing I feel that holds this course back from really having value, which is because of what the after effects do to the greens (see below). You can still get the club through nicely, though it will play a little heavier if you are used to playing from real sand. Greens- In general, the greens are the nicest feature of the course, they are pretty well kept, roll well, have decent speed, and hold your shots. My only problem is this, whenever there is a pin placement near a greenside bunker, you have to contend with the riverbed sediment. It sits all over that section of the green due to the after effects of bunker play. You can't clear it off because it will sit down just enough to resist any sweeping while also sitting up just enough to give you the finger and knock your birdie putt off line. It's aggravating, because you can see how nice the greens roll without the sediment. I always enjoy playing here. It's one of the few cheap golf options in Orange County and it definitely serves its purpose well. The practice options are good with the driving range and wonderful putting area. It would be great if they had an area to practice chipping, but the space is not there. Will be back.

As a past golf course owner / operator / golf snob, I actually joined Riverview Men's Club and participate in their monthly tournaments. It is an amazing operation. Most likely the best greens in Amer... Continue »

As a past golf course owner / operator / golf snob, I actually joined Riverview Men's Club and participate in their monthly tournaments. It is an amazing operation. Most likely the best greens in America for the price to play, golf carts with GPS, a very interesting layout, regular friendly people who work there, a caring owner and very fun men's club. The course is a little rough at times - some fairways are completely lush, some a little thin, the course is tight in many areas and then again roomy. They do a heck of a business flow and speed of play can be anywhere from 3 hours to 4.5 hours. It is a mecca at times with beginners (which is awesome) because our game needs growth. When I tell friends that I play there, they laugh and then when I take them out they all appreciate the greens and the fun. Never let our pride be our guide, courses like a Riverview are little gems that built America's love of our game.

I played River View on 3/15 teeing off at 0930 (tee time was 0907 but the shop let us know immediately and were very friendly) POP was right at 5 hours. Just a side note I believe this course backs ... Continue »

I played River View on 3/15 teeing off at 0930 (tee time was 0907 but the shop let us know immediately and were very friendly) POP was right at 5 hours. Just a side note I believe this course backs up because there are 2 par threes immediately following the short par 4 1st hole, this combined with too many golfers not playing "ready golf" is a recipe for some lengthy waits on the first few tee boxes. Once we hit the turn things were evened out quite well and we didn't have any more delays on the tees. There is quite an interesting layout here that calls for well placed shots. The tee boxes were heavily divoted in some areas, but that is to expect with the amount of play the course was experiencing. The biggest issue I had here was how uneven the tee boxes were, it was almost impossible to find a level area with any grass on about half of the boxes. The fairways were in decent shape, lush in most areas with very few bare spots and not quite as many untended divots as I expected to see with the amount of golfers on the course. There is quite a bit of slope on most fairways and it is very important to take this into account during your pre shot routine. The rough is thin in some areas and lush in others, but most of the time if you miss your fairway you are in the next one (typical parkland style) although this can be to your advantage on a few holes. Watch out for the riverbed sand, it is thick and very wet. If you shoot into it you really can only grab a wedge and hope to dig it out. This is the same for the bunkers (which is my only other complaint here) they seem to be filled straight from the river bed and are full of pebbles. The greens were the highlight of this course. Rolling true from start to finish, and maintaining speed throughout the day even as it got warmer. They were soft but not mushy. A good wedge shot was received well and usually checked up nicely. Not too many pock marks or untended divots here, seems the course management has made this a priority as they kindly reminded me as I checked in to fill in the fairways and fix my marks on the green. The staff here was very courteous and helpful, and the facilities are clean. The clubhouse bathroom here is very nice, I was absolutely blown away with how clean and decorated it is, very nice to see good facilities at a smaller club. There are not many bathrooms on the course so take advantage at the turn. Overall a great day on a fun course. I would definitely come here again.

Played River View Golf Course yesterday. If you know what the course is about and are prepared for it, you can always have a good time there. I can always say that you will get what pay for. I play tw... Continue »

Played River View Golf Course yesterday. If you know what the course is about and are prepared for it, you can always have a good time there. I can always say that you will get what pay for. I play twilight and I usually walk there so I always feel like I get my money's worth.

Tee Boxes- Some were unlevel, others were rather beat up, and there were a few that were in good shape.

Fairways- Will depend on which part of the course you are playing, the upper level was in good shape, everything in the river bed was dried out, there is still green grass in many areas, but also many bare areas as well. The closer you get to the center of the river bed, the more dried out and bare the area is as that area tends to get it's water from the santa ana river, since we are in a severe drought, there is no water, so everything is either dried out or dead and bare.

Bunkers- Pretty much the only thing I have always disliked about this course. It looks like they just scoop the stuff out of the river bed and throw it in there. I get that, when you charge lower rates, you are more likely to not be able to spend much on things like fine bunker sand. It might be wise to reconsider that here though, as around the greens, you'll often find so much debris from what comes out of the bunkers that your putting is severely effected even if you try to clear a path.

Greens- When they aren't showered with river bed sand (that just sits on top) they roll quite nicely. They are definitely the biggest highlight of the course. Speed is usually medium, some days they will roll the greens and they can play somewhat fast.

Overall as long you know what to expect, you can definitely have a good time out here. It is a bit of a funky layout, but I do enjoy it quite a bit.

Played River View for the first time today(2/9/14). Used the great coupon that they have here on greenskeeper, $25/person for twosomes including range balls. The guy in the pro shop was extremely fri... Continue »

Played River View for the first time today(2/9/14). Used the great coupon that they have here on greenskeeper, $25/person for twosomes including range balls. The guy in the pro shop was extremely friendly and helpful. Teed off on time at about 10:50 and my wife and I were paired up with a couple regulars who knew the course pretty well so that made it easier. The course itself was pretty much what I expected. I would compared the conditions to that of a decent muni course. It had some challenging holes that played along side the river. The fairways had enough grass, especially for it being winter and the greens rolled true but just a little slow. Some of the greens and tee boxes were a little close to each other and we almost got taken out a couple times while waiting to tee off. Other than that, it was a fun round of chasing the little white ball. Pace of play was great, considering it was a weekend, we finished in just about 4 hours.

River View is a fun and unique course play. I played here on a Saturday Morning at 9:30. Took us about 5 1/2 hrs to finish the round. Fairways are good and tee boxes are good. Bunkers are fine as well... Continue »

River View is a fun and unique course play. I played here on a Saturday Morning at 9:30. Took us about 5 1/2 hrs to finish the round. Fairways are good and tee boxes are good. Bunkers are fine as well. However, the greens were in great condition. Overall its a great place to play when you can't find a tee-time early Saturday morning. Furthermore, its a great value and they don't charge much at all. If you book through GolfNow, you can get a rate of about $31 w/ cart on a weekend! They also have a very nice practice green.

The reason I say this is a unique course is because the difficulty of course will depend on the weather. When its raining, this course is super tough (and I MEAN TOUGH). However, when there's a drought (like now), its super easy to shoot low scores here.

Overall, its a nice course to play once in a while.

GKer's that know me - understand I am a golf snob, at least I am honest about it. I play Riverview for several reasons: it brings me back to my roots, I grew up on a public course with small fast gre... Continue »

GKer's that know me - understand I am a golf snob, at least I am honest about it. I play Riverview for several reasons: it brings me back to my roots, I grew up on a public course with small fast greens and tight fairways, that type of course taught me every shot I needed to hit. It is a uniquely designed golf course, only 6100 yards and yesterday I had 7 birdies, hit every club in my bag and did not break par. I love places that are family owned and family operated. I love courses that make you feel like family no matter how long its been since you played there. Heck - I even joined their men's club yesterday. They play every Saturday at 7am, they have at least one event a month, a small buy in every Saturday with about 30 guys who love golf.
I used my Golf Card and received my $4 discount as well, you can buy it on this site for a $20 discount.