Review Date
July 25, 2008

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Reviewed by: 1outta9, Shoots in the 90s

Summary:
Late last night I read the scathing Spring 2008 reviews of this course and thought to myself, "Oh, Sh**!", but it was too late to back out since I'd taken the day off and agreed to meet my brother there.
I'm glad I went.
Don't expect amenities. The pro shop is housed in a tennis club/B-52 hangar. Their inventory is 3 shirts and 1 sock. There is no range or practice green.
The cart girl sells (cold) beer out of a 5-gallon bucket and word is that state- record bass have been taken out of the potholes in the cart paths.
Go for the golf.
It's a great layout in obviously improving condition. The tee boxes and fairways are in great shape. The rough is fair. If you spray into the swamp grass, well, bring extra balls. Most of the bunkers have been rebuilt and there are 3 or 4 greens that still need work. Tons of equipment flying around showing me that they want to make a go of it.
Interesting holes, challenging shots.
Based on the April reviews, they're pumping some money into what could be a real nice course.
Good bang for the buck.

Customer Service:
Great staff. "Yeah, we were down, but tell us how you feel after you play."

Similar Courses Played:
Wyncote, Penn National, Glen Mills

Review Date
May 22, 2008

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Visitors rate this review
4.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: mporreca01, Shoots in the 80s

Summary:
(I have played Riverwinds frequently since it was built 7 years ago...about 4 times this year since February) Riverwinds is a course that changed ownership over the winter and the old owners did not take care of the course during their last 8 months of ownership. This is why the course got so run down. The initial conditions of the spring were horrible. The old owners took all there equipment, tools, etc.(including sand out of the traps) when they left over the winter. It took a while to get new equipment thus it explains the harsh reviews in April and May. The course definately deserves the reviews for how the course looked and played during this bad transitional period. Now let me tell you what a difference a few good weeks of care (and new equipment) does to get back on the right track. The tee boxes are fine, the fairways look great, the greens are recovering very nicely from being grooved(syringed??not sure if this is the right term) and only show a few bad spots on them. About 75% of the rough has been cut back and a couple more dry days and the rest will also be done. The sand has been delivered and sits behind the maintanence shed. Once the equipment comes in to do the work the traps will also be done. The cart paths have been improved a bit but do need some more correcting which the employees say will happen. The layout is incredible and will never disappoint. Overall big improvements have been made and the course is coming along nicely at this point. Needed improvements stand at Bunkers, cart paths, and continued care for greens, rough, and fairways.

Customer Service:
Very nice employees as usual

Similar Courses Played:
Town and Country

Review Date
May 6, 2008

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 1 of 5

Reviewed by: w2ge, Shoots in the 90s

Summary:
Shame... absolute great layout, PITIFUL conditions... Bunkers haven't been maintained in years in my estimation. No sand, hard pack dark mud pits instead. Rough over 12 inches... must have lost 10 balls that day. Cannot ride on the cart paths.. they've been strafe bombed, whopped out! Greens are syringed, grooved... Really a shame, cannot really put on them, we played them like temporaries. (2 put and move on). P.S. Course is TICK infested, pulled seven ticks off after the day. I swear after my day their I don't feel like playing golf again.....

Customer Service:
Guy took our money and cart guy just told us which one to take. Was a starter and then NEVER saw another person all day from the course.

Similar Courses Played:
Laurel Creek, few courses in Myrtle Beach due to it's Link nature.

Review Date
May 4, 2008

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 1 of 5

Reviewed by: JBSgolfer, Shoots in the 80s

Summary:
Do not play here! Pitiful conditions. The fact that the company who owns this course allows it to remain open and charges customers is disgusting. The rough is 12 inches in many places. Cart paths are completely destroyed, bunkers are completely destroyed with weeds growing in them.

Customer Service:
Pitiful. I can't believe they have the audacity to take people's money, agree that the course should be closed and then offer no assistance in rectifying the injustice.

Similar Courses Played:
Nothing compares. No golfer except should ever play this course again.

Review Date
April 28, 2008

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 1 of 5

Reviewed by: shaunymo, Shoots in the 90s

Summary:
I would have rather had my wallet stolen this past sunday then to have gone to riverwinds.....This happend to be my first time out this season, so i was very excited when someone had recommended a course i haven't played. We pulled up and was greeted by a gentlemen who took our bags. we paid, then took the nice brisk ride to the first green. As we arrived we were greeted by the starter; who asked if either of us played the course...This was the only proffesional aspect of the day!! From this point on was a complete and utter shame of a course. It was as if the course was completely abandoned. The rakes were obviously left out from last season for they were bent and rusted and good thing to because there was absolutly nothing to rake... The greens looked as if they had been vandelized.. seriously..no joke..as we pushed on with the hopes of it getting better it did not. We eventually saw someone who worked there(cartgirl- attractive)so we procceded to get a beer and a hotdog. The only thing this poor girl had to sell was peanuts,crakers, and water.I think she was trying to sell her lunch her mother gave here before she had to go to work at this miserable course. By this time we look at each other and try to decide either go back or press on. Since we were on the 12th hole, nowhere near the clubhouse and we weren't sure if our kidneys were going to hold up; it was shorter to keep pressing on then going back through this mine testing facility. As our attempted golf outing is coming to a close we see off in the distance for the first time today a ranger. Who has no answers for us only that its a shame what happened to this course. Wait.. there ranger said it was a shame..
So he proceeds to explain that the course was sold and the new owners were planning to build on this property. There plans were unsuccesful so it was as though the maintence had ceased since LAST YEAR. We told the ranger? that we were going to need to speak to someone when we arrived back to the pro shop. When we got there there was no manager to speak to. we were giving the name of a gentlemen with whom we are to speak.
Now they need to take the starter, the greeter and save that money for someone who can get this shape in order.STOP THIS SCAM!! I called this morning but the Manager took the day off.Im not looking for jack except not to have another human being taken advantage of as I did..

Customer Service:
Not helpful but will tell you about the outcome.

Similar Courses Played:
Never played a course like this.Aweful