Golf Hole by Hole

The Chattahoochee River, which borders the property, was essential to the culture of the early Native American Cherokee and Creek tribes as well as the settlers from Europe arriving in the 1800s. Outbuildings and stone ruins from this era still reside on the property to give testimony to those who once called this beautiful area home. For the last century, the property was commonly known as “Hutchins Farm” named after a prominent family who worked the land for many generations. When Crescent Resources acquired the pristine land, it offered the perfect setting for the Greg Norman golf course design. The rolling terrain with majestic pines, centuryold hardwoods, and natural wetlands were maintained in keeping with Crescent Resources and Norman’s environmentally friendly philosophy of minimizing disturbance.

With five sets of tees, The River Club will offer a wonderful playing experience for all skill levels. Each phase of the game will be tested and scores will be determined by how well the player takes advantage of the risk vs. reward opportunities. These opportunities will require swings of daring, and if successful, will take the teeth out of the course. Generous landing areas, wonderful shot-making opportunities, and picturesque par 3s are just a taste of what you will experience at The River Club.

Avoiding the bunkers on the tee shot leaves a short to mid-iron to this two-tiered green. Because the front half of the putting surface slopes dramatically toward the front right bunker, pin placement here often determines your score.

Yards

This picturesque par 3 is all carry over the water. The winds tend to swirl, so proper club selection is important. The large green makes even a slightly errant tee shot playable.

Yards

Par 3 Handicap 13

Long hitters will be tempted to drive this green, but the smart play is to leave yourself a 100-yard approach. The back half of the green slopes away from the fairway to a large collection area.

The hardwoods and pine trees to the right of the fairway separate this hole from the adjacent 8th fairway. This area is a perfect habitat for pileated woodpeckers (dryocopus pileatus), great horned owls (bubo virginianus), northern cardinals (cardinalis cardinalis), eastern chipmunks (tamias striatus), squirrels (sciurus spp.) and wild turkey (meleagris gallopavo).

Par 5 Handicap 1

A well-played tee shot through the trees will find its way to the right of the large fairway bunker. The next two shots are played over the small creek that crosses the fairway and fronts the green. A ridge separates the left and right sides of the putting surface.

Native hardwoods, pines and dogwood trees (cornus spp.) frame this long par 5. Five eastern bluebird (sialia sialis) boxes - of 25 on the courseare found on this hole alone. Bluebirds are beneficial because they feed on cutworms, grasshoppers and other flying insects, as well as the abundant fruits and berries.

This par 3 plays downhill. Hit enough club to take the water out of play. There is plenty of room over the green. Watch out for the sucker pin placement.

On this short dogleg right, long hitters can carry the bunker on the right, but out of bounds is in play to the right of the cart path. The safe play is to lay up just short of the bunkers. Missing this narrow green long or left will leave you with a very difficult pitch shot.

7Signature Hole

SignatureHole 7

5 Handicap 5

If you manage to avoid the water and fairway bunkers off the tee, you will have a chance to get home in two. Large bunkers guard the entrance to the green.

The 7-acre pond bordering this par 5 is home to many species of migratory waterfowl. Gadwall (anas strepera), mallards, wood ducks, Canada geese and bufflehead (bucephala albeola) fly in and out during the winter months to feed on herbaceous plants, aquatic insects and the occasional minnow.

Yards

This is one of the widest fairways off the tee, but long hitters can reach the water on the right. Only the most confident iron player will aim at a right pin placement.

This is the most demanding par 4 on the course. A successful tee shot between the bunkers leaves a long approach shot where water protects the right side of the green. Par is a great score.

Yards

Yards

Hit your tee shot in the landing area between the water left and the bunkers right. From there, you can take dead aim at the long, flat green.

The yardage seems to indicate a real birdie opportunity, but use your course management skills. Long hitters can reach in two, but the approach requires a perfect stroke of daring with water guarding the front and left side of this small green.

YARDS

YARDS

Par 3 Handicap 16

Hole location on this deep green will determine how this long par 3 will play. When the pin is back left, play safely to the middle of the putting surface.

A 13-acre wetland mitigation pond is the centerpiece of Holes 12, 13 and 14. Easily observable are species of vegetation from three different plant communities: forest, shrub-scrub and wetland...

Par 4 Handicap 14

It is imperative to find the fairway from the tee on this hole. From there you will have a mid to short-iron approach to a shallow green.

From the forest community of plants, the wetland features red maples (acer rubrum), willow oaks and bald cypress (taxodium distichum). From the shrub-scrub community, we have buttonbush (cephalanthus occidentalis), rosemallow (hibiscus moscheutos) and silky dogwood (cornus amomum). From the wetland community, blue flag iris, pickerelweed and arrowhead. All were planted along the littoral shelves.

A solid tee shot will take you to the pinched waist of the fairway. Beware not to hit it too far. A back pin placement will bring the water on the right into play. Hitting toward the middle of the green is the smart play.

The banks of the Chattahoochee River to the left and a large black walnut tree to the right frame this tee shot. Play your second shot to the right side of the fairway to avoid the pine grove on the left. A short-iron approach to an elevated green remains.

Par 4 Handicap 6

This hole is all about the approach shot, most likely a mid to long-iron to a green guarded in front by bunkers and to the left by water. The collection area to the right of the green will see lots of action.

Yards

Another mitigation pond guards the left side of this green. An additional acre of littoral shelves, established with blue flag iris, arrowhead and pickerelweed, was added during construction. During summer months, these plants produce beautiful purple flowers while providing valuable oxygen to the environment.