Riviera Country Club, just a few miles north of Daytona Beach, surprised me. The Daytona Beach area has a number of golf courses that may be newer, and as a longtime resident of the area I do not recall Riviera having a reputation as a must-play golf destination. Well, this course was in fantastic shape, was very fun and relatively inexpensive ($38 after noon).
At Riviera, there are no tee times. Just show up and play. It's first come, first serve.
The facility was opened in 1953, and you can see its age just by looking at the pro shop and adjacent restaurant/bar. But so what? Fairways are in good shape, greens are fast but in good shape, and the sand traps are well-kept. I can't complain about the groundskeeping. The only drawback was a few instances where the cart path was dirt or gravel. But I didn't come here to drive a golf cart. I came to drive a golf ball.
From the back tees, Riviera's par 71 layout is 6,250 yards. The front nine features three par 3s, so one should expect to have a lower gross score in the first nine holes than the last nine holes. The course itself isn't the most challenging in the world. For the most part, Riviera features wide-open fairways that are outlined by a few palm trees. Bad tee shots don't always mean lost golf balls. There are a number of strategically-placed ponds though, so be careful.
Average-sized greens are often guarded by sand traps and pin placement can be tricky, often right on the edge of a slope or at the edge of the green itself. The greens played fast early, but I overcompensated on the back nine and began putting short of the hole.
Riviera features a number of holes worth mentioning here. The first hole, a par 4, 465-yarder, has a dogleg to the left, so a person with frequent long drives may drive straight ahead into the rough. Some might want to consider starting off with a long iron.
At 520 yards, the par 5 seventh hole is the longest on the course. There's nothing fancy about the hole since it's straight ahead. Be careful not to slice off the tee, or your ball will wind up in somebody's backyard.
Though Riviera is mostly a wide-open facility, the par 3, 158-yard eighth hole, is the most secluded. Trees line the short fairway, while a small pond awaits to the right, with plants that resemble banana trees growing behind them. It's pictured above.
What is considered as the most difficult hole is the 425-yard, par 4 11th. I'm not sure why. It really wasn't that hard. A few trees line the fairway to the left, while the danger on the right is a fairway bunker, which I managed to plow into.
Another attractive hole is the par 3, 142-yard 15th. Tee shots must be lofted beyond a pond decorated with a fountain. The difficulty here lies in bunkers, which guard the green from invaders.
Overall, this was one of the most enjoyable courses I've played simply because it didn't completely destroy my confidence, while at the same time it presented new challenges. It may not be the best golf course in the Daytona Beach area, but it ranks right up there with the most fun.
For more information, visit Riviera's Web site at http://www.rivcc.com/
At Riviera, there are no tee times. Just show up and play. It's first come, first serve.
The facility was opened in 1953, and you can see its age just by looking at the pro shop and adjacent restaurant/bar. But so what? Fairways are in good shape, greens are fast but in good shape, and the sand traps are well-kept. I can't complain about the groundskeeping. The only drawback was a few instances where the cart path was dirt or gravel. But I didn't come here to drive a golf cart. I came to drive a golf ball.
From the back tees, Riviera's par 71 layout is 6,250 yards. The front nine features three par 3s, so one should expect to have a lower gross score in the first nine holes than the last nine holes. The course itself isn't the most challenging in the world. For the most part, Riviera features wide-open fairways that are outlined by a few palm trees. Bad tee shots don't always mean lost golf balls. There are a number of strategically-placed ponds though, so be careful.
Average-sized greens are often guarded by sand traps and pin placement can be tricky, often right on the edge of a slope or at the edge of the green itself. The greens played fast early, but I overcompensated on the back nine and began putting short of the hole.
Riviera features a number of holes worth mentioning here. The first hole, a par 4, 465-yarder, has a dogleg to the left, so a person with frequent long drives may drive straight ahead into the rough. Some might want to consider starting off with a long iron.
At 520 yards, the par 5 seventh hole is the longest on the course. There's nothing fancy about the hole since it's straight ahead. Be careful not to slice off the tee, or your ball will wind up in somebody's backyard.
Though Riviera is mostly a wide-open facility, the par 3, 158-yard eighth hole, is the most secluded. Trees line the short fairway, while a small pond awaits to the right, with plants that resemble banana trees growing behind them. It's pictured above.
What is considered as the most difficult hole is the 425-yard, par 4 11th. I'm not sure why. It really wasn't that hard. A few trees line the fairway to the left, while the danger on the right is a fairway bunker, which I managed to plow into.
Another attractive hole is the par 3, 142-yard 15th. Tee shots must be lofted beyond a pond decorated with a fountain. The difficulty here lies in bunkers, which guard the green from invaders.
Overall, this was one of the most enjoyable courses I've played simply because it didn't completely destroy my confidence, while at the same time it presented new challenges. It may not be the best golf course in the Daytona Beach area, but it ranks right up there with the most fun.
For more information, visit Riviera's Web site at http://www.rivcc.com/
Fun: 9
Value: 8
Conditions: 6
Amenities: 4
Difficulty: 6
Overall: 6.6
Value: 8
Conditions: 6
Amenities: 4
Difficulty: 6
Overall: 6.6
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