Waterlefe Golf & River Club: #16
View of the 16th green at Waterlefe Golf & River Club
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Rating Index Rating
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4.7
2358 Reviews (2358)
5 Stars
1548
4 Stars
685
3 Stars
85
2 Stars
22
1 Stars
18
Conditions
4.6
Value
4.4
Layout
4.8
Friendliness
4.8
Pace
4.5
Amenities
4.4
98.0%
Recommend this course
2266 out of 2358 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.8
61 Reviews (61)
5 Stars
50
4 Stars
9
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.7
Value
4.3
Layout
4.8
Pace
4.5
Amenities
4.5
StaffFriendliness
4.8
98.4%
Recommend this course
60 out of 61 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.7
113 Reviews (113)
5 Stars
89
4 Stars
21
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
1
Conditions
4.7
Value
4.4
Layout
4.8
Pace
4.5
Amenities
4.5
StaffFriendliness
4.8
98.2%
Recommend this course
111 out of 113 reviews
Read Reviews
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AI summaries based on real golfer reviews
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Course Highlights
Waterlefe's stunning subtropical layout features water hazards on nearly every hole, consistently earning top marks for both design and well-maintained conditions. Friendly staff, smooth pace of play, and outstanding value make this a must-play course in the Tampa-Sarasota region.

About

Holes 18
Type Public
Par 72
Length 6892 yards
Slope 146
Rating 73.9

Inspired by the backdrop of the Manatee River, Ted McAnlis has created the ultimate golf experience with the perfect combination of beauty and challenge. Waterlefe Golf & River Club is built along a particularly beautiful section of the Manatee River, complete with wide expanses of pristine marshes and pleasant coves. Don't be surprised if on the 15th tee you spot a family of manatees poking noses up for a breath of air. The golf course was designed with a great deal of time, effort and expense going toward protecting and resorting the natural environment that gives the course it unique character. The gently sloped greens with the newest Tifteagle Bermuda offer the ultimate in putting. From a lazy start on the par-5 first hole to the big finish on the 18th hole island green, golfers love Waterlefe Golf & River Club!

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Waterlefe Golf and River Club
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Course Details

Year Built 2000
Greens Bermuda Grass
Golf Season Year round
Architect Ted McAnlis (2000)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
GPS Yes
Pull-carts No
Caddies No
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Bunker No
Golf School/Academy Yes
Golf Simulator No
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area No
Putting Green Yes
Practice Hole No

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted Major credit cards are accepted.
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Dress code Proper golf attire required

Food & Beverage

Bar, Grill, Beverage Carts

Available Facilities

Clubhouse, Meeting Facilities, Banquet Facilities, Spa

Available Activities

Swimming, Billiards

Available Sports

Fitness, Tennis

Accolades

The Best Way To Book Is With GolfPass+ Annual
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$120 in monthly tee time promo codes
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12 rounds of waived fees
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Tee Time Protection

Reviews

4.7
2358 Reviews (2358)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 56
Brunch 17
19th Hole Specials 15
Course Challenges Include:
Water Hazards 159
Forced Carries 106
Bunkers 94
This course/club is great for:
Advanced Golfers 126
Wildlife/ Scenic Views 113
Locals 48
This Course's Location is:
Worth the Drive 106
Convenient to the City 51
In the 'Burbs 43

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Reviewer Photos

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

The greens were dead in preparation for course changes. As a result they were pretty ugly but super fast (think US Open fast) and rolled true and smooth. I loved the course and the challenge of the greens. Can’t wait to play it again!

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/17/2023

Wow! We are so happy you enjoyed your round, u458516922! We look forward to seeing you again soon at Waterlefe Golf & River Club.

Played On
Reviews 24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/17/2023

Hello and thank you for your 5-star rating! We're delighted you enjoyed your round. Please book another round with us soon, and thanks for choosing Waterlefe Golf & River Club!

Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/17/2023

We're glad you enjoyed your 5-star experience with us. Please comment or reach out to our team in the golf shop to let us know more about your round at Waterlefe Golf & River Club!

Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Great course…but

The greens are being replaced, and as such had a chemical applied which “killed” them, all browned out, not visual appealing, while the greens were fast and true, lots of foot marks and ball marks

Hope the new greens run true and fast

Otherwise a great day at a great course, probably the best/ toughest 5 finishing holes in the area

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/13/2023

Hello, kwalus. Thank you for visiting us at Waterlefe Golf & River Club. We appreciate your 4-star rating and review. We hope you join us for another round soon.

Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/13/2023

Hello and thank you for your 5-star rating! We're delighted you enjoyed your round. Please book another round with us soon, and thanks for choosing Waterlefe Golf & River Club!

Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Conditions

Greens were being killed intentionally, all brown, to close course in April to redo them and open course in summer. Not great to play on. Course was a 4 star if not for the greens.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/17/2023

Hello rsarkozy, thank you for taking the time to review us, and for the 3 stars. We're sorry to hear the course may not have been in the best shape on the day of your round. We appreciate your feedback as we work to make any necessary improvements. Thank you for choosing to golf with us, and we look forward to seeing you again soon at Waterlefe Golf & River Club.

Played On
Reviews 54
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Dead greens

When I arrived prepaid I was informed that they are in the process of renovating the golf facilities. So all the grass on all the greens are dead. Made the course less than satisfactory to play. The pace on the greens was like putting in glass. Note the light brown in the attached photo

Conditions Fair
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/13/2023

Hi, u690440783. We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us. We understand your frustration with the construction projects underway. Please bear with us as we work diligently to make improvements. We hope you'll give us another try in the future.

Played On
Reviews 98
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Top 500 Contributor
Previously Played

About to be rebuilt

This course is in great shape except for the greens, which have been sprayed and are now dead brown. The greens are playable and running at about 13, so very fast. This place is and has always been special, can't wait til next winter when the rebuild that will start soon is finished!

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/13/2023

Hi, planehorder. We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us. Thank you for the 4 stars! We aim for a 5-star experience, so we always welcome feedback for improvement. Thank you for playing Waterlefe Golf & River Club.

Played On
Reviews 8
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Beautiful golf course

We played at Waterlefe a few yeaars ago and we enjoyed coming back.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/13/2023

Your feedback is important to us, Lison23. Thank you for sharing your 5-star experience. We look forward to seeing you again at the course soon! Thanks for choosing Waterlefe Golf & River Club.

Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Brown “greens”

Great course, very challenging from the blue tees but we caught it at a time when the were purposefully killing the greens as part of a renovation project. They still rolled true but we’re unreasonably fast which led to several in our group three putting several times after hitting nice shots into the greens. When they are at “full strength” it is a very nice course.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/13/2023

Thank you so much for the great review. We are glad you had an incredible time, and we hope to see you again soon! Thanks for choosing Waterlefe Golf & River Club.

Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Poor
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/13/2023

Hi, Kutrovacz. We would love to hear more about your 4-star experience on our course. Please tell us what we can do to earn that last star, and thanks for golfing at Waterlefe Golf & River Club!

Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
4.0
Verified Purchaser

Greens Being Replaced

Greens are being replaced and they were ridiculously fast. This information should be posted ezpecially with such high priced green fees.

Conditions Poor
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/13/2023

Thanks so much for the great review, u314163727566. We look forward to welcoming you back to our course soon. Thanks for choosing Waterlefe Golf & River Club.

Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap Don't know
Skill Intermediate
Plays Twice a year
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Changes Coming

Was informed the greens were discolored the day before the round and was offered a credit. Played with a couple of members who said the course is scheduled to be renovated as of April 1st. The greens were discolored, but were true, fast and fun. Hope they don't lose that.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/13/2023

Thank you for your review, Cougargold. We will pass along your positive experience and feedback to our team at Waterlefe Golf & River Club. We look forward to seeing you again soon.

Played On
Reviews 7
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Fair
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/13/2023

We would love to hear more about your positive experience on our course. Please contact us to share your favorite part of your experience and what we can do to earn that last star! Thanks for golfing at Waterlefe Golf & River Club!

Played On
Reviews 46
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

I went there with my son and it was absolutely beautiful, the fairways and greens were amazing as was the staff. I definitely recommend playing here. 5 STARS!!!

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/13/2023

u000006819031, thank you for your kind words! We hope to see you again at the course very soon for another 5-star experience. Thanks for choosing Waterlefe Golf & River Club.

Played On
Reviews 76
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/13/2023

We're glad you enjoyed your 5-star experience with us. Please comment or reach out to our team in the golf shop to let us know more about your round at Waterlefe Golf & River Club!

Played On
Reviews 31
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/06/2023

Hello and thank you for your 5-star rating! We're delighted you enjoyed your round. Please book another round with us soon, and thanks for choosing Waterlefe Golf & River Club!

Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Nice day

Pace of play was fantastic, teed off at 12:36 finished at 4:40. Really nice track w very good conditions. Our foursome thoroughly enjoyed the day !

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/06/2023

Thank you so much for the great review. We are glad you had an incredible time, and we hope to see you again soon! Thanks for choosing Waterlefe Golf & River Club.

Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/06/2023

Hi, RG3053B65C5F1DCC0624. We would love to hear more about your positive experience on our course. Please contact us to share with us your favorite part of your experience. Thanks for golfing at Waterlefe Golf & River Club!

Played On
Reviews 1
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Very nice course. Great shape, greens rolled very nicely. We waited on almost every hole but still finished in 4 hours. Will definitely be back again.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/06/2023

Wow! We are so happy you enjoyed your round, u713718475! We look forward to seeing you again soon at Waterlefe Golf & River Club.

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