RIP River Ridge Golf Course

RickK · November 20, 2017

River Ridge Golf Course, on the Brazos River just off Interstate 10 near Sealy TX, is calling it quits. They have flooded 3 times in the past 2 years and saw an announcement today that they are "closing immediately".

Nice 27 hole facility that really had some great golf holes. Always sad to see any golf course close their doors. They really had a great facility for hosting tournaments. The staff was always friendly and helpful and most times you played there the course was in great shape. Unfortunately Mother Nature was not kind to them in recent years.

pdaero · November 23, 2017

So sad. Parkland/Ridge was probably my favorite public course in the Houston area, and I never had the chance to play it from the tips. Really grieving this one.

Kookaburra1966 · November 27, 2017

My son plays a lot of his HS Varsity golf there, he confirmed to me today news he'd heard from his team-mates during the Thanksgiving break. So sad. Really enjoyed the few times I'd been out there.

A rarity these days, a course that wasn't built with a real estate development in mind.

TravelingGolfSticks · November 29, 2017

I'm really hoping someone will buy this. I'm sure FEMA has revised the flood plains and more than likely River Ridge will sit in it. That will make it nearly impossible to develop the current land into more of the subdivision that is out there. But, it will make it just as hard to sell it as well. Maybe the guy that got a heck of a deal in SFA will buy River Ridge too. Heard good things going on over at SFA.

TravelingGolfSticks · December 2, 2017

River ridge was always in the flood plain, they just never flooded the first 15 years.

Corgi · December 18, 2017

Sad to hear. I had a chance to play several years ago not too long after it opened and was impressed with the layout and condition. :-(

jtmagic · January 13, 2018

Sad to see. They were fun courses to play but had challenges with location (floods, location, etc.). I felt bad for members and employees when they had to close so abruptly.

pearsonified · February 16, 2018

Not sad to hear this at all!

They used a weird chemical on their grasses and ruined 2 pairs of my walking shoes.

The Parkland 9 has trees directly in flight lines on multiple holes and is incredibly annoying to play.

The River 9 has a couple of extraordinarily weak holes on parts of the property that seem rather "unrefined."

I never got to play the Ridge 9, as it was always under reconstruction from flooding!

Good riddance, though this does bring up a significant problem in the Katy area—there aren't enough good public-access golf courses!

With River Ridge's 27 now gone and the 36-hole Katy municipal complex a thing of the past, this area is BADLY in need of quality public options.

TravelingGolfSticks · February 16, 2018

Not sad to hear this at all!

They used a weird chemical on their grasses and ruined 2 pairs of my walking shoes.

The Parkland 9 has trees directly in flight lines on multiple holes and is incredibly annoying to play.

The River 9 has a couple of extraordinarily weak holes on parts of the property that seem rather "unrefined."

I never got to play the Ridge 9, as it was always under reconstruction from flooding!

Good riddance, though this does bring up a significant problem in the Katy area—there aren't enough good public-access golf courses!

With River Ridge's 27 now gone and the 36-hole Katy municipal complex a thing of the past, this area is BADLY in need of quality public options.

How did they ruin your shoes? Played out there several times and never had an issue other than those darn gnats.

Parkland has one hole that had an annoying tree. The others definitely were penal if you didn't hit the right shot or a miss hit. I enjoy Nicklaus designed courses which all have his signature tree in the fairway hole, although they are placed much better.

River did have a few week holes, but what course doesn't.

The course only flooded the past several years but not previously.

The one thing I will say is I really think there would have been the opportunity to make a really great 18 holes on that track of land. Squeezing in 27 diminished some of the holes.

I agree with you on a few yes but I have never said good riddance to a course, even if I didn't like it. Just fills up the other courses and then less options to play. I am not a big fan of Houston National, but inevitably go there with my buddies to play it once in a while. Couple of them like it so we go there.

Really curious about your shoes though!

pearsonified · February 24, 2018

Both times my shoes got ruined out there, I played early morning rounds in dewy conditions.

Whatever they had applied to the turf left a blue-green discoloration on the front half of my shoes. This bled through both my shoes and socks, and it left the front of my feet BLUE after the round.

The second time this happened, I decided I'd had enough of River Ridge.

tiderider · March 24, 2018

problem is when it floods in texas, it really, really floods ... there's no half-assed flooding in texas, which i guess is part of their "bigger, better in texas" mantra ... played the course a couple of times and really enjoyed it ... top notch greens ...

rockinar · April 3, 2018

Not sad to hear this at all!

They used a weird chemical on their grasses and ruined 2 pairs of my walking shoes.

The Parkland 9 has trees directly in flight lines on multiple holes and is incredibly annoying to play.

The River 9 has a couple of extraordinarily weak holes on parts of the property that seem rather "unrefined."

I never got to play the Ridge 9, as it was always under reconstruction from flooding!

Good riddance, though this does bring up a significant problem in the Katy area—there aren't enough good public-access golf courses!

With River Ridge's 27 now gone and the 36-hole Katy municipal complex a thing of the past, this area is BADLY in need of quality public options.

Awwwwwwww......maybe mommy and daddy will buy you new shoes for your birthday?

LeftyTPH · April 3, 2018

Played a few high school tournaments out there in the early to mid 2000's, sad to hear this

KBIII · April 25, 2019

It’s a damn shame what happened to this course. I was a member for almost 10 years and wish that maybe one day someone would resurrect this course. It’s a true shot makers course!

RickK · July 31, 2019

> @pearsonified said:

> Both times my shoes got ruined out there, I played early morning rounds in dewy conditions.

>

> Whatever they had applied to the turf left a blue-green discoloration on the front half of my shoes. This bled through both my shoes and socks, and it left the front of my feet BLUE after the round.

>

> The second time this happened, I decided I'd had enough of River Ridge.

Interesting about the shoe...

First question...were they waterproof? I play almost exclusively in DryJoy shoes and have never had an issue with anything bleeding thru them. And, as soon as I get home, I rise them off, clean them with a brush and store for next time....never had a problem. Used to play RR in all kinds of conditions...so very interesting about your shoes, your feet, etc.