River Ridge Golf Club ☆ Follow

Landscape architect Chuck Smith designed one of the jewels of his career in River Ridge by carving 18 holes into the unique landscape created by the ravines and rolling hills of the nearby meandering Neuse River. The 18-hole River Ridge course features 6,740 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72, with a course rating of 73.1 and a slope rating of 139 on Bermuda grass, and opened in 1997.

The course sprawls across 100 acres in the heart of the Triangle, it's an easy 15-minute drive from downtown Raleigh. Mature trees frame most of the holes and there are a few lakes that come into play, with rolling terrain providing plenty of ups and downs throughout the golf course. The course's signature hole is the par-4 fifth, a 375-yard hole that can be conquered with smart play. Accuracy will be generously rewarded but it's not overly punishing for the high handicapper.