Island Pointe Golf Club

I don't ever write reviews, but felt it necessary today. I rarely book via GolfNow, and upon looking saw a review "So Sad", and looked a little more and saw a few others that I questioned if these folks were playing the same golf course.

I live in Sevier County, work at a municipal golf course and NEED all readers to know this is still the best golf course in Eastern Tennessee. Sure, like most courses it can get behind in mowing, but it is in solid shape from tee to green. I personally like the fact the natural areas are being reintroduce which makes me really think about club selection. Perhaps, this is what folks are talking about when they refer to "mowing the rough". Because the rough was mowed and certainly looked to be maintained when I have played. Maybe if you are always in the rough you need to rethink your golf game strategy. If you are going to a golf course because you like shopping in the proshop, then this probably isn't a golf course for you. River Islands keeps the basics in the shop and I am okay with it. If you want a golfer's golf course, then PLAY it and you will not be disappointed. I don't care who owns this course, I know I couldn't afford to own a golf course and can't imagine the expense. Heck, I work at a muni course that my tax money helps fund and they are more than half a million in the hole! So, who cares about ownership, speculation, or any of that crap. PLAY GOLF and write meaningful reviews.

I just want the course to stay around as long as it can and will support it for the gem it still is. Glad I got back out there on Sunday, and will be back this weekend too.

I played this course Friday and Sunday and I'm gonna tell you some of the reviews are not fair. It's my opinion that the bad reviews are fake and posted by trolls. First off, the greens are in great shape and they are fassssst! The fairways are zoysia and they are cut nice and short. That means you get a lot of roll and then the zoysia basically tees the ball up for your next shot. The bunkers are under repair and being greatly improved. The staff is very friendly and will answer any questions you may have. The bottom line is don't let a review by an internet troll keep you from playing a wonderful course. Don't miss out on the nice scenery and great layout of this course.

This was a fantastic course 4 years ago when I played. It is obviously in serious financial difficulty. No merchandise in pro shop. Greens ok and fairways so, so but little maintenance elsewhere. Halfway shack closed but did have a cart girl. Word is that owner has sold a good part of the land.

Friendly pro shop guy. I heard, as of now, it's going to convert to a 9 hole course at some time in the future. I hope not, because that will eliminate me from playing there. Greens - A+; Fairways, A-; Tees - B-; Rough - D+. As with every course, owner needs to make a reasonable profit to stay open. Sad that it apparently can't stay 18 holes. Doesn't have to have sand traps to be a good course, which would cut maintenance costs. Maybe someone can rescue River Islands from converting to a 9 hole course. I'd pay $30-$35 a round with the rough cut.

We we got to the course, we had an 11:37 tee time. There was a tournament earlier. We had to wait an hour to start. It was a shotgun start. Had we known it was going to be a wait, we would have played elsewhere. The people in front of us were very slow and no Marshall to enforce pace of play. All in all, a frustrating day.

This could be , and probably used to be an amazing course. You can tell it has been let go. I loved the layout and the views but it’s just not well kept. The fairways and greens are being maintained but the rough and surrounding areas have not been touched. We lost tons of balls that were not that bad a shot. You could loose a small dog in some of that rough. It’s sad because the course could be one of the most interesting and scenic around. Spend some money. Get it in shape. Then call me and I will spend more money playing. Right not, it’s a $25 course not a $50.

It was a great course for the money. Fairways were in great shape and the greens were good for the most part. Only a couple of greens had bad spots on them. Sand traps were not in good shape but overall course was great! I’ll definitely play it again.

Fantastic layout. Very unique design. Many holes play next to the French broad river, several play across it. Make sure and play the back tee box on #16- it's really cool across the river. I read some negative previous reviews about the condition on the course, however I really liked it. It's not a Disney resort course, so some of the cart paths are rough or bumpy but just about every course has stuff like that. Some greens have weird spots in them, but they are very playable. It's a super cool layout that I highly recommend. You will not find a cooler layout for the price

Our group played this course about 6 weeks ago and just recently the other day. We are amazed at the green recovery and how they healed in so short a time. Greens were consistent and smooth. There has been a lot of work going on since we were there last also. It looks like they are replacing sand in bunkers with that white sand. I

The roughs were mowed way lower than before as well. The natural areas and hole layout make you think about the next shot while hitting your first. Very fair as long as you play within your limits. (Which I suck at) This course will be back to what it once was in no time. The maintenance workers that were out and around us were congenial and pleasant. The value of this course is best deal in this area.

We play all over and this by far is a true golf course layout above all others. We went ahead and booked again next week.

Played this course on 2 different occasions and the first time a groundskeepers mowed over 2 of our balls at the same time. When we told him he acted like we were lying. Today we played again. Workers in the fairways doing work, mowing, laying sod etc. wouldn’t get out of our way and the one mowing was literally right in front of the tee box and unwilling to moved. Fairways had clumps if grass everywhere. Course conditions were awful. We didn’t even finish our round it was so bad. Probably won’t go back.

A once great course is now slowly eroding prior to being split in half.....a nine hole course and the other 9 converted to homes/development. This course has good bones but a lack of care is leading to overgrowth and an overall shoddy appearance. Some of the greens are in great shape and others have serious issues with bare patches. Very pretty views of the water/river continue to show the potential this property has. For the price it is not a bad place to work on your game and enjoy the serene setting. For those like me who have played River Islands over the years it is worth another look before it is gone.

Played the course about a year ago and based on the course condition almost did not book again. I am so glad I did. Course wasn’t perfect but overall it was in much, much better shape than last year. Fairways were thick and nice. Greens were a little spotty but decent. Value was amazing. Booked through Gold Now and paid $22.and some change. Much improved course. I will play it again.

Only problem was three of the greens had bare patches

Maybe I'm naive when it comes to specific grass. Usually I don't care and just play. However the bounce and the way the Zoysia played was a huge difference.

I have seen some mediocre reviews about this course, and do not know why at all. Every hole was unique and provided its own challenges. The greens had fungal patches but did not really hinder play. They were on the fast side, but really rolled true. The course layout was something that utilized the natural beauty that really stood out.

We played at 11:24am on a Saturday. It was not busy at all, which yielded a perfect pace. No one in front of our twosome, and a couple of singles we let play through.

This course is a little off the beaten path, but if you're in vacation mode I highly recommend one of the best courses I've ever played. The cost to play is amazing as well.

We saw great reviews prior to booking a round here. We were expecting an amazing course but that wasn’t the case. I will say they had experienced heavy rain in the two days before we played so, in their defense, it’s probably better once they’re able to cut more grass. But our experience was that there was no grass that you would want to hit out of unless it was a fairway. First cut was unplayable in some areas. All bunkers had grown up grass around them and none had been raked, so we didn’t even play out of them. The restrooms after the turn were awful and hadn’t been maintained. If you want a cheaper round and aren’t too concerned about quality, you may consider this course. But if you’re on vacation, like we were, and really want a great experience, then look elsewhere.

Played River Island with my son on vacation from Ohio. Extremely humid and hot but really enjoyed the challenge of this course. Loved the signature hole #3 over the river. Fairways were freshly mowed and bunkers were recently dragged. Greens were spotty but playable. Some very challenging pin placements the day we played. Well worth the drive to play this course. Was frustrated the rate to play was less than the rate we paid through Golf Now.

The greens were cut but had bad spots on every one. Fairways were nicely mowed but the rough was waist high. If you miss the fairway, don’t bother looking for your ball. Snake city.

A must play... super challenging! Greens a bit bumpy but on the way to being better!