Riviera Golf Club

This is a great course for the beginner and intermediate golfer. It played for us about 3 1/2 hours without any waiting on the tee box. My wife enjoyed the course so we will be going back next week.

I have played the course many times over many years. I prefer par 72 courses but this course has always been a good alternative. It's expensive compared to Minnesota courses, but a pretty good value at its regular green fees for Naples. But this round, my first since last spring, found the course in unbelievably bad condition. I think the greens may have been the slowest I have ever played, and in bad condition. I didn't inquire about what was wrong, but something is, and I hope they get it straightened out soon, because I have always enjoyed the course in the past. My comment above that I would recommend this course to a friend assumes its poor condition will be corrected.

Nice relaxed golf course experience. Quiet outing. Broad fairways. Greens were not in good shape.

My wife and I enjoyed our day at this golf course.

I have lived in the near by area of Riviera Golf Estates for almost a year now and have played Riviera Golf Club many times. In the past ten months the course conditions have worsened and the attitude of the pro shop personnel, except for Ms. Pat, has not gotten any better. As many times as I played this course, both in and out of season, the GM has no idea who I am when I enter the front door, yet I know the welcome I will receive as his attitude has become a trade mark for the course.

The course conditions, as referred to by many of the previous reviewers, are no where they should be for a lay out with this potential. I must say the owners appear to be making strides toward improving the course as they have 'over seeded ' the front nine and are about to begin work on the back nine. They recently replaced their cart fleet with all new carts but who will use them if there is no grass upon the greens? You may also be interested to know Riviera Golf Club is ending their association with Golf Now effective 1 November this year. In addition, I too will be ending my regular trips to play this course, as rates increase and conditions fail my dollars will be spent where I can obtain a fair value. As the season approaches and golf rates in the Naples, and southwest Florida area rise only the brave at heart and hopeful will continue to visit Riviera Golf Club through the winter months. It is my hope , no it is my DREAM, the owners will return this course to the 'days of glory' it once held many years ago.

we play this course about 4 times a year every year for the last 7 , in September they were aerating the course which is normal for that time of year in south Florida they didn't tell us that when we called for a tee time, we were there in October, called for a tee time and they "forgot" to mention that the front 9 were closed and you could only play the back nine twice which was sort of okay until we saw the condition of the Greens which were horrible...........so no mention of front 9 closure, no mention the greens were in rough shape, for $24, not worth it ....we thought something was up when we arrived there at 12:30 and there were no cars in the parking lot, have attached picture of the first green and ALL the greens were in this shape or worse, what a ripoff, wont be going back, its a nice track you can play in under 3 hours

.Very unfriendly at the clubhouse and went downhill from there. Greens are terrible. Holes and sand spots all over them. Ninth "hole" is cut in the middle of the fairway with no green. Tee boxes in terrible shape with patches of new sod piled on several of them. Told the clubhouse guy we wouldn`t be back and he replied good. No wonder the course was empty.

Being my first time playing here and only spending $20 I didn't expect much. With that being said I was not bummed when I found there was not a clubhouse with food and drinks or a driving range. When I got to the first hole and was putting through a bumpy aerated mess and mud pits I was a bit displeased. At least 10 greens had big mud pits in the middle of them and even one green wasn't even operational and they put the flag off of it in the middle of the fairway in a mud pit! I was the first person on the course in the morning at 7 AM and three of the flags were not even stood up right to play the hole properly. There were not water jugs at each hole yet because the operator had not filled them. If your course is not ready to play by 7 AM then don't sell a tee time.

Awful place. Course in dreadful condition and as for the guy in the shop - unpleasant, couldn't even be bothered to reply to my "Good Morning" and just gave me a receipt to sign for the cart.

There are literally scores of courses in and around Naples and this has to be the worst. The "greens" were covered in re-turfed patches and sand. The fairways and tees were scruffy and poorly presented. We paid $14 per person thru Golf Now, and believe me, that was about $14 too much. I wouldn't go there again if I was offered free golf.

Avoid.

Probably the worst course I ever played. Most of the greens had bare spots all over them. Tees were like cow pasture. Wouldn't play again even if free. To top it off the man in the pro shop was the most rudest employee that I ever experienced. If he wasn;t the owner of the course he should not be behind the desk waiting on customers.

This is a private course in an over-55 community. The person running the show is probably the most non-congenial and non-friendly dude I have ever met on a golf course. He is rude, has no concern for others, and made our experience absolutely horrible. I hope someone from the community, or on the board, or at least another member, will read this and re-consider his employment there.

We stayed and played simply because it was a nice day and we had already paid. The course was in absolute horrible condition. Every green was nothing but a wasteland, some were temporary patches of tightly-mowed grass in front of a mound that used to serve as a green.

Given other experiences and the many other choices available in the area, please do not waste even a second considering playing here. Ever. You will not enjoy the crude structures or horrible course conditions. You will definitely not enjoy the lack of personality from the miserable course manager.

If you want to play a small, nice, executive-type course, choose Lakewood or some other local course.

This is an executive course that is good for seniors and beginners. During the summer there is very little traffic and it can be played in 3 hours by a senior. Even in the hottest weather, one can play it without being completely exhausted (but you must drink enough liquids).

I last reviewed Riviera Golf Club on 18 January of this year. Since that time I have played the course once or twice a week. I have continued to read the reviews of other players through the months and, for the most part, I agree with many of their observations. The greens are in dire need of proper attention. To say the greens are in poor shape is an accurate statement. I am sure however, they are worth saving and with the proper people in place, such as turf grass graduates from the NC State University school of turf grass management, these could be some of the best greens in the local area (emphasis on could).

As I mentioned in my previous post, this course reminds me of courses I have played in North & South Carolina, specifically Pinehurst Number 3. Number 3 at Pinehurst is the 'member's' course and is the shortest course (only two sets of tees) built by Donald Ross on the Pinehurst property. Number three, like Riviera, has raised tees and greens with false fronts that require good to excellent approach shots. The greens are very undulating and well bunkered, as are those at Riviera. The main difference is the upkeep which is where Riviera is sorely lacking. The fairways at Riviera are Bermuda, a very popular grass in the Carolinas, which has become over run with broad leaf grasses that, with the correct grass management program, could easily be overtaken by the Bermuda if conditions were brought up to par. All the tee boxes at Riviera are in great need of, at the minimum, leveling of elevation, not a flat space to be found from which to tee up and play a ball.

There are a few courses in the local area comparable in length and layout to Riviera. The cost to play any of these courses is varied but within a five to seven dollar tollerance price range. The problem is, the visiting guest golfer will only play Riviera once, under the conditions the course is presently kept as proclaimed by the other reviewers on this course. I have spoken with a number golfers in the area and the consensus is, if and when Riviera is taken over by a group or a management company that is able to place focus on bringing the course up to the standards required for repetitive play then Riviera Golf Club will be the lone stand out for public play in the south Naples area. We who reside here are looking forward to that fine day.

some greens were just awful

Staff - starter - you should not be working there. So unfriendly. We got there 30 mins early. Asked if we go just go ahead as course was empty. Said no since 1:30 pm is when cheap rates start like 20 per person etc and he could not let us on. I told him I paid 40 per person online (he should of know this). What the ? - I should get my money back for the state of this course. Wow

some holes were ok , playable etc. but greens on at least 5 holes were just awful.

I would not recommend

Excellent choice for seniors and novices.Course provides a good mix of lengths and challenges. Staff was excellent. Unfortunately the course condition is only marginally better then an average farmyard. I do not have much experience with public courses but do not believe they are all this poorly maintained. Spend some money and this could be a treasure.

Could be a great little course. Layout is nice.back 9 is better. They need to spend some $ and get the course in better shape. And keep up with reg. landscaping.

We made a late decision to play a shorter course this afternoon - I wish I had read the reviews before doing so. The state of the course, and particularly the front nine, was poor. The tees were not level, tees, fairways and greens had bare patches and were generally unkempt. In terms of value for money - it is daylight robbery to charge $55 to play a very short course in such poor condition - we have had much better value on all the full length 18 hole courses we have played in the area.

We will not be back..

Greens in very good shape.

Paid $55 to play a very short course with terrible greens. Too many par 3 which would have been ok if it was in good condition. Very disappointed. I wouldn't pay more than than $20. Poor poor condition!

Terrible greens and fairways

Very poorly maintained
Greens rough with bare spots. Several greens where flag was leaning so that the edge of cup was all chewed up
Too bad. This was never pristine but has sunk too a new low.
$55, you must be kidding. Never again