We arrived in Sioux Falls earlier in the week for our family visit. I worked most of the week, including Thursday, but had time for an after-work nine. I called a couple of the nine-hole courses in the area to see if I could play but they all had some sort of league in the afternoon. However, River Ridge Golf Course said they were open at 7 PM and to come on out.
River Ridge is a half hour from Sioux Falls and on my drive I wondered if it would be worth it. Well, it was! Full disclaimer – it will probably help if you enjoy a short course and don’t mind driving. As you know I don’t mind either. I paid the $16 walking rate and got started at this fun course.
River Ridge is a regulation length nine-hole course. I played the blue tees which measure 3,291 yards and have the usual collection of two par-3’s, two par-5’s and five par-4’s. While it isn’t a long course generally speaking, there are some lengthy golf holes. For example, the 4th is a 601 yard par-5 that is slightly uphill. The 6th is a 449 yard par-4 and the 8th is a 199 yard par-3.
One of the things I enjoyed most about River Ridge was being to hit the driver and have something other than a short iron into the green. Sometimes a short course turns into a drive and a pitch shot. Nothing wrong with that but I do like a full swing with more than just a wedge. Something else I liked about my time here was the walk, which is an element that is missing from modern courses. Tees are close to the greens and in this part of the country the terrain is mostly flat.
As you’ll see in the pictures, the holes at River Ridge are lined by trees and that is where most of the difficulty is found. If you miss the fairway then you should be able to find the ball, but might have to get creative to get it back in play. There are also a couple hazards like the one on the 7th, the signature hole. The 7th is a shorter par-4 (329 yards) with a pond short of the green. The best tee shot is probably short of the water, but the fairway does snake around the water up to the green.
The course was in great shape. The fairways were cut short and had plenty of cushion. The tees were lush and had good coverage. The greens were full and a medium pace. There aren’t many bunkers, but the one I was in had adequate sand.
I was impressed with River Ridge and think it highlights all the good things that Midwest/Northern Plains golf has to offer. I wouldn’t say there is anything too flashy about the course, but it doesn’t do anything wrong. If I lived in Sioux Falls I’m sure I’d make the drive out here to play periodically.
Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):