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Rating Index Rating
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3.8
728 Reviews (728)
5 Stars
118
4 Stars
321
3 Stars
173
2 Stars
70
1 Stars
46
Conditions
3.7
Value
3.8
Layout
3.8
Friendliness
4.6
Pace
3.8
Amenities
3.8
80.0%
Recommend this course
585 out of 728 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
3.8
29 Reviews (29)
5 Stars
6
4 Stars
17
3 Stars
3
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
3
Conditions
3.9
Value
3.7
Layout
3.7
Pace
3.8
Amenities
4.0
StaffFriendliness
4.6
82.8%
Recommend this course
24 out of 29 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
3.7
45 Reviews (45)
5 Stars
11
4 Stars
22
3 Stars
6
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
5
Conditions
3.7
Value
3.7
Layout
3.8
Pace
4.0
Amenities
3.9
StaffFriendliness
4.6
80.0%
Recommend this course
36 out of 45 reviews
Read Reviews
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AI summaries based on real golfer reviews
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Course Highlights
The staff here consistently earns high praise for being welcoming and genuinely helpful to golfers of all skill levels. Tee boxes, fairways, and greens hold up well, and this classic course offers solid value for the experience.

About

Holes 18
Type Public/Municipal
Style Desert
Par 70
Length 6436 yards
Slope 124
Rating 69.4

Previously known as Trini Alvarez El Rio Municipal Golf Course

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El Rio Golf Club
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Course Details

Year Built 1934
Golf Season Year round
Architect William P. Bell Ken Kavanaugh (2004)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Pull-carts Yes
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Bunker Yes
Golf School/Academy Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex, Discover Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Walking Allowed Yes

Food & Beverage

Bar, Restaurant

Available Facilities

Clubhouse, Banquet Facilities
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Reviews

3.8
728 Reviews (728)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 15
Course Challenges Include:
Bunkers 30
Water Hazards 10
Undulating Greens 7
This course/club is great for:
Locals 31
Beginners 26
Seniors 26
This Course's Location is:
Convenient to the City 44
Near Local Attractions 6

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Good time

Excellent, enjoy the round of golf. Staff was great. Will go back .

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 7
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

Good improvement

About 1 year since last played course. Improvements are being made by the new management. Fairways have grass now in all areas. Greens are excellent. Sand traps need a lot of work as drainage is poor. I know that this is extensive and expensive but can be done with a good plan. This is a good city course with small greens that are guarded by traps in front. Keep up the good work OB Sports and show the city and the golfing community how a first class operation should be run.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great greens

I actually enjoyed discourse the greens were in great shape I have no complaints

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap Don't know
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

Open Fairways

Not too challenging for this Bogey Golfer, but definitely fun.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 25+
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

Greatly Improved

The new management is doing a good job rehabbing the course. Greatly improved over the city management. Staff very polite and professional. The fairways, tees and greens were all in good shape - some of the bunkers need more sand. If you played here in previous years and were disappointed give it another try. It is a work in progress but has great potential.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap Don't know
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Average weather
Used cart

El Rio Today

El Rio golf course has improved since last year. It is on the mend but requires major fairway work and sand trap update. The physical facilities are good but fatigued. Many of the trees need replacement as they are in their last stages.

New golf carts and employee attitudes were refreshing.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Good experience

Played here many times but since they have new management the staff is friendlier, they gave us some free cookies before our round and a nice man even cleaned our clubs when we finished.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 7
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Good weather
Used cart

Great round/ fast play

Second time this week both rounds were under four hours. Play after 1:00PM no waiting.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Played On
Reviews 14
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

Best for the Money

I had not played El Rio for 15 years. Golf Now had a special so I took it. I am so glad I did! This course has recently been re worked and is in the best shape I ever saw it!! I lived in Tucson 15 years ago for 20 years and have recently moved back. I will definitely play El Rio again. Congratulations to the Management and Staff of this course. What a treasure in the center of Tucson.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

NIce greens

Weather was great, which made the day nice. Thought it was overpriced with what I paid for green fees. I would play again but not for the price I paid.

Conditions Average
Value Fair
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Played On
Reviews 6
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Pleasantly Surprised

Have been driving by this place for a few years and never attempted to stop and play. Here for January and February every year usually play about 30 rounds on 20 different courses. I know there is a new management team in place here so I'm sure things will fall in line...Course is not what I expected...some really nice holes and I love the bunkering around the greens...Will probably return...

Conditions Fair
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 6
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Good weather
Used cart

Excellent Value

I booked this course through GolfNow for under $30.00 with cart. The course is very good for a below average player like myself, the holes are not too long and the trouble spots can be avoided. The greens were hard and fast.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 14
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Nice Layout

Avery nice course and has some difficult holes. I would recommend to anyone. The greens are well groomed and some are not easy to read.

Conditions Fair
Value Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Good weather
Used cart

the course needs some work

Greens need some work for improvement. fairway was ok. Slow pace play, behind a 5 some, which were held up by a couple of slow players, Course marshall asked if the 5 some should be split, but it wasn't them that held up the play, it was the couple ahead of them.

Conditions Average
Value Fair
Friendliness Good
Pace Fair
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 6
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Previously Played
Average weather
Used cart

Cheap but still not worth it.

Why the city continues to keep this course open is beyond me. The fairways are dead, dry grass that seems to have been dyed a putrid green. The tee boxes are in decent shape as are the green areas but the greens are like concrete and good luck with finding sand.
That said it was very busy so there ae lots of folks more forgiving thn I.

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Friendliness Average
Pace Fair
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Played On
Reviews 45
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Good weather
Used cart

good little muny

Does what it says on the tin...a good little muny. You get what you pay for.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Played On
Reviews 11
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Good weather
Used cart

El Rio

I played El Rio for the first time with three men from Green Valley. Overall, course was average for winter AZ conditions. Fairways are brown and not much to hit off. Tees and greens are green and pretty good. Nice old course with mature trees. Pace was good, finished in 3.5 hours, four players, two carts.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Play it for the history.

Course is getting better overall. Will play again. Score card need to be updated to provide more information about the course/greens. Course layout would be helpful.

Value Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 7
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Poor weather
Used cart

fun in the city

Course is in very good shape,they do work on the sand bunkers,staff is cool, had a good time..

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays Twice a year
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

markers

They need more markers on the coarse? Something you canseeinstead of wasting time looking for markers on ground?

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
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Golf Packages

Tubac Golf Resort Stay & Play Package

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TUCSON | Enjoy lodging accommodations at Tubac Golf Resort & Spa and golf at Tubac Golf Resort.
Tubac Golf Resort

Tubac Golf Resort Stay & Play Package

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TUCSON | Enjoy lodging accommodations at Tubac Golf Resort & Spa and golf at Tubac Golf Resort.

The Triple Down Stay & Play Package

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PHOENIX/SCOTTSDALE | Enjoy lodging accommodations at Gila River Resorts & Casino - Wild Horse Pass or Harrah's Ak-Chin Hotel & Casino and golf at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes and Whirlwind Golf Club - Cattail & Devil's Claw courses.

Whirlwind Golf Getaway Package

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CHANDLER | Enjoy lodging accommodations at Gila River Resorts & Casino - Wild Horse Pass and golf at Whirlwind Golf Club - Cattail & Devil's Claw courses.

Mesa Golf Around Package

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MESA | Enjoy lodging accommodations at Home2 Suites by Hilton - Mesa Longbow and golf at Las Sendas Golf Club, Longbow Golf Club & Ocotillo Golf Club.
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