Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech - Virginia - USA

Full disclosure- my wife and I have been members of The River Course for a number of years, both before and after the Pete Dye redesign of 2004-2006. Having enjoyed playing the course over a long period of time, I felt like it deserved a review on my favorite review site, Top 100 Golf Courses.

The Pete Dye River Course lies along a beautiful stretch of the New River, outside of the town of Radford. Nearby is Blacksburg, home to Virginia Tech whose foundation owns the golf course. It is an out and back links-style course that is excellent for walking, though few do (except members) as a cart is included in the greens fee. Five sets of tees allow the course to play from a gentle 5100 yards to over 7600 yards- the longest tees wisely being reserved for tournament play. I would suggest the white tees as your maximum unless you are a very low handicapper or a serious golfing masochist!

Almost all of the greens are well protected by strategic contouring and bunkering. The green at the 6th whole is particularly difficult to hit as it is elevated and turns its side to the player, so there is only a narrow spot to hit and stop the ball before it roles down a long bank. None of the greens are unfair, but there are many difficult pin positions to choose from. The most difficult holes (in my opinion) are the longer par fours: 2, 4, 11, 15 and 18. High grass on the left and the river on the right make #18 particularly difficult. To make matters worse, the fairway slopes to the river, so a drive along the right side of the fairway can end up easily in the hazard.

The 192 yard 17th is a particularly difficult par 3, with a long waste bunker on the right and the river beyond that. Both #7 and #14 are beautiful, fairly short (from white tees) par 3s that have particularly nice views of the river. The river comes into play on eight different holes and there are three ponds that influence shots on an additional four holes. When the rough is high, hitting the fairway is very important if you want to score.

Having made the course sound like a monster, I should balance the review by saying that almost all holes have reasonable bailout areas and most fairways are reasonably generous. There are really no forced carries and so shorter hitters can enjoy the course immensely, as long as they exercise reasonable judgment. In fact, the course as a whole really rewards good shot making and good course management skills. Played from the right tees, it asks golfers to use most clubs in their bags and presents continuing challenges for the mind and for your shot making skills. I consider this a good thing, as it keeps the course continually interesting.

Course conditioning has improved every year since the re-design, though rain and heat can make things a challenge for the greens keeping staff. Condition and depth in sand traps are sometimes inconsistent, though this has been improving recently. Receptiveness and speed of the greens are also inconsistent. A course as good as this one should have fairly firm fairways and quick greens as much of the year as possible. The stretch of land along the New River makes playing The River Course a delight all seasons of the year. The relatively new clubhouse sits on a cliff overlooking the river and the golf course and the outside tables are a wonderful place to enjoy an after round drink or sandwich. The staff (including lots of volunteers) is helpful and welcoming. So don’t forget to pack the sticks if you are headed in this direction!