River’s Edge Golf Course Review

August 14, 2024

***The Lavender appears to grow wild*** ***in Bend!***

We have been traveling the Pacific Northwest for a few weeks now, and for the last 16 days, we have been in Bend, Oregon. What an amazing town. So many outdoor activities – from river floating to mountain bike riding, and plenty of hiking trails – it just doesn’t seem to end.

***Bicycle riding the Deschutes River Trail***

And of course, there is GOLF!!

According to Golf Digest, Oregon is quite the golfing destination. Lucky for us – we were able to get in two rounds during our stay in Bend. Our last round was with one of our travel companions, Rik. He has been telling us how disappointed he was that he didn’t bring his clubs on this trip since he enjoyed playing golf. So Marc offered to share his clubs with him, if he wanted to join us. And you know what? He took Marc up on the offer.

We began our search for a course to play and found River’s Edge Golf Course in Bend. We had heard about River’s Edge from several golfers who were staying in our RV park. They had played the course and recommended it.

We figured why not – and made a tee time.

Our check-in went smoothly. The Pro Shop attendant, Chad, was very helpful in sharing some of the key points regarding the course with us before we headed out. He told us we would be starting our round on the 10th hole due to a tournament.

As we approached the number 10 tee box, we were greeted by Dave, our starter for the day. He filled us in on all the finer details of the course. For instance:

Many of the tees were elevated.
He highlighted the course’s signature hole, the par-4 6th, and told us it has an approach shot to an elevated green fronted by a pond and 25-foot waterfall.
He told us many of the fairways are uphill.
He mentioned to beware of the thick rough which will add to the challenge of our play.

He then paired us with a single player – Zach. Bonus for us, Zach had played the course before and was more than willing to share his course knowledge with us.

As we started our round, we immediately noticed the spectacular scenery that abounds this par-72 course from the majestic Deschutes River to stunning views of Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson – along with a ton of elevation changes.

Some of the fairways played drastically down, and a few played slightly up. There were even a couple with a side hill.

I quickly realized the challenge wasn’t in hitting the ball a long way, it was placing it for my next shot.

In fact….hole #16 dropped so drastically with a left-to-right slope that all three of us hit it to the left and dropped a full two clubs!

But – we all agreed the elevation changes on the course, made the course more of a challenge, not a downfall.

I thought the layout of River’s Edge Golf Course was interesting and varied with a few dog legs, and often trouble on one side. There were plenty of risk-reward choices hitting over trees to cut corners – which of course Marc thoroughly enjoyed! Although, he did comment that it would be more helpful to play the course a few times as there were some blind shots so having more information on those holes would help his course management.

***Some of the tee boxes needed tending***

Overall I found the design of the track quite diverse, with good, consistent greens. It honestly appeared to be an unbiased challenge for my golf skills. I do agree with Marc – a little more local knowledge would have helped my score.

Based on our golf scorecard, River’s Edge Golf Course is a Par course

If you’re looking for gorgeous views and a challenging course Bend Oregon’s River’s Edge is a must play. And fingers crossed you are paired with someone who has played the course before.

Fairways and Greens – We are 18 Holes and Counting

Written By: Kathy Festa

COURSE REVIEW SCORE CARD

Course: River’s Edge Golf Course

Type: Public/Resort

Date Played: 07 August 2024


HOLE	PAR	SCORE	COMMENTS
1 – Tee Time Availability	4	4	There were no problems obtaining a tee time.
2 – Cost of Green Fees	4	4	Comparable with other courses in the area.
3 – Condition of Tee Boxes	4	5	The tee boxes were ok, but the par 3s unfortunately were a bit chewed up.
4 – Condition of Fairways	5	5	Blue Grass fairways were more narrow on the front 9, with trees along the rough. The back 9 is more wide open, longer holes which rewards the long driver *(a.k.a. Marc).*
5 – Condition of Greens	4	4	Bent Grass greens were fast and smooth with difficult breaks to read. The greens had good cover and rolled fairly well.
6 – Length of Course	5	5	From the tips – 6,562 yards; from the forward tees – 5,127 yards.
7 – Hazards	4	5	The bunkers needed some work, many consisted of half dirt with a little sand mixed in.
8 – Starter/Marshal	3	2	*The starter – Dave – was very informative.*
9 – High Handicap Friendly	3	3	Four sets of tees make this course fun for golfers of all skill levels.
OUT	36	37
10 – Practice Area	5	5	Driving range, putting green, and pitching area.
11 – Locker Rooms	3	3	Spacious and clean.
12 – Pro Shop	4	4	Everything you would need for a round of golf.
13 – Location	4	4	Just minutes from downtown Bend.
14 – Rental Equipment	4	4	Clubs available for rental. Golf carts had GPS.
15 – Food Cart	4	5	There was no food cart on the day we played.
16 – Restaurant/Club House	4	4	There is a bar and grill – we did not purchase anything.
17 – Parking	3	3	Plenty of parking.
18 – Customer Service	5	4	*Chad and all the staff were very hospitable and friendly.*
IN	36	36
TOTAL	72	73	PLAYER: Kathy Festa ATTESTED BY: Marc Festa