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2.4
29 Reviews (29)
5 Stars
15
4 Stars
3
3 Stars
1
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
9
Conditions
3.7
Value
2.9
Layout
3.1
Friendliness
2.5
Pace
3.0
Amenities
2.8
39.8%
Recommend this course
19 out of 29 reviews
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Average Rating
Avg Rating
1.0
1 Reviews (1)
5 Stars
0
4 Stars
0
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
1
Conditions
4.0
Value
1.0
Layout
1.0
Pace
1.0
Amenities
1.0
StaffFriendliness
2.0
0%
Recommend this course
1 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
2.3
8 Reviews (8)
5 Stars
1
4 Stars
1
3 Stars
1
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
4
Conditions
3.8
Value
2.6
Layout
2.9
Pace
2.6
Amenities
2.5
StaffFriendliness
2.1
37.5%
Recommend this course
3 out of 8 reviews
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About

Holes 18
Type Public/Municipal
Style Links
Par 72
Length 7067 yards
Slope 133
Rating 73.2

Riverdale Golf Courses offers two 18-hole, municipal golf courses. The Dunes course at the facility is slightly larger than its sister course, offering 7,067 yards of golf from its longest tees with a par of 72. Opened in 1985, the aptly named Dunes Course plays through many undulating mounds. Perry Dye designed the Scottish-links-type layout, equipping it with challenging elements to make the game interesting. Water hazards come into play on several holes and the terrain is quite hilly. Tall native grasses that make up the rough of the golf course also present challenges for golfers.

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Riverdale Dunes Golf Course
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Course Details

Year Built 1985
Golf Season Year round
Architect Perry Dye (1985) Pete Dye (1985)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes - $12 - $18
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

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

Policies

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

Food & Beverage

Restaurant

Accolades

Reviews

2.4
29 Reviews (29)
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Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a month
1.0
First Time Playing

An awful experience

My wife and I came out to play with a couple of friends. This is the first course we’ve been to since moving here. My wife does not play whatsoever but is interested in learning and wanted to start by coming out to watch us play.

They do not offer any kind of spectator pricing so she had to pay the full player price.

As we got to the second hole, we had to wait for the group in front of us so I had my wife hit using my clubs. No more than 2 swings later, we were yelled at by the Marshall that sharing clubs is not allowed and that we needed to keep up the pace of play.

We never saw the Marshall again. This was a problem because from that point on, we had to wait at every single hole for the group in front of us to finish before even teeing up. This caused issues because it held up all of the groups behind us to the point where they began to yell and curse at us about being too slow.

The entire time, we felt pressured to the point where the rest of our group couldn’t even finish due to the claim that our carts would shut off before we would even finish our round.

Once we finished, we spoke to the pro shop employee about our experience hoping for more explanation but all we got was an excuse that “it’s tough keeping up with everyone when you’re the most popular course in Colorado”. The employee also mentioned that two people managed to sneak onto the course that were previously banned and started a fight that ended in both the police and firefighters showing up at the course so this also attributed to their struggles.

Ultimately, we were pretty disappointed in our experience and the pro shop employee couldn’t have cared less. They offered a rain check and said that this was already doing more than they are normally allowed to do.

Whether you have a popular course or not, customer satisfaction should be top priority and that clearly is not present here. Evidenced by both our experiences and the reviews you find online.

If I were you, I’d look elsewhere for a course. Some alternatives in the same area are Todd Creek, for example.

Conditions Good
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Fair
Pace Poor
Amenities Poor
Default User Avatar
Commented on 11/15/2023

My son and I and my cousin were the ones that were assaulted on the golf course. Is there anyway I can get in communication with you concerning the case I was assaulted with the broken nose, teeth and lip I believe we were the ones in front of you, because we were also push behind, and they turned our carts off.

Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
First Time Playing

The course speaks for itself. Great conditions, fun and challenging layout and some nice views. On the other hand, the staff is very pushy and unfriendly when doing so. We were approached 4 times on the front 9 by an employee about pace of play and again on the #10 tee box. All of this while playing at a perfectly normal pace, keeping pace with the group in front of us and being an entire hole and a half in front of the group behind us. Very unfortunate that the staff had to put a damper on a fun round at a quality course.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Poor
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 10/24/2023

Staff is terrible. Played 18 in 4:14 and received beeping pace messages to the cart in every fairway. Inquired about pace of play after the round and was told, "uhh...4:15 I think". Ruined the round & won't be back. Unfortunate, because I was told this is a top Denver course.

Default User Avatar
Commented on 07/19/2023

I was with him. I’d like to say I’d be back for the course but unfortunately there is enough quality golf in Colorado that this type of experience will keep me away. It’s unfortunate but makes my decision easier going forward!

Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
1.0
Previously Played

Staff so bad

Staff in pro shop, at golf cart shack and Marshalls treat you so bad that make you think if you did them any wrong. Marshall harassing us for nothing, complaining we were behind even if we held nobody and finished in our time frame. I don’t recommend this course to nobody

Conditions Good
Value Fair
Layout Fair
Friendliness Poor
Pace Average
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 244
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Missouri Advisor
Top 25 Contributor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Tremendous Conditions & Price

This is the first time I’ve played the Riverdale Dunes course. I’ll list what my likes, dislikes, some unusual features and general comments of the course:

LIKES:
It was one of best conditioned public golf courses I’ve ever played. I played Murphy Creek several years ago in Aurora, which had the same excellent conditioning. The greens were perfect. The tees were large and flat.

All the holes are lined with 2-3 foot tall fescue on the borders of the holes. There is plenty of rough before the fescue, so you are not losing your ball every time you spray a shot. This tall fescue gives you the feeling you are the only ones on the course. Blocks out the other holes and golfers.

The starter was very enthusiastic and telling you who was up to the number one tee, just like a boxing ring announcer. I learned from another employee, this starter has ALS. What energy for an employee with this dreadful disease.

That had a 2-beverage cart system. You were seeing them all the time.

The cost was $72 for the weekend. I’m not an expert on Denver area golf prices but I think this is a bargain considering the condition of this course. I played Colorado National on Friday and it was $99 and it was not even close to the conditioning of this course.

I thought hole 15 was the best. With a view of the snow-capped mountains in the background. The only thing that took away from this view was the water tower.

DISLIKES:
When driving to the course, you know you are in an agricultural community. Once you arrive, you see what looks like the grandstands of the county fair. The smell of manure from the nearby farms is there when you get out of your car.

The course does not have the best backdrops. Very disappointing that only one hole has the snow-capped mountains as a backdrop.

Their 18 hole is a very weak finishing hole. Nothing special. You want your 18th hole to be memorable and this one is not.

UNUSUAL:
The tee markers are not color coded. They are geometric shapes. Diamonds, squares, circles & triangles.

No windshields on the carts.

On all the par 3’s, you will see bricks in a circle near the tees. I learned in the off-season, they place mats on these bricks to save their tees. Great idea.

GENERAL:
This place is a hopping place. The pub & restaurant were extremely busy. The course was full due to the conditioning and price of the course.

I thought Hole 5 was a tough hole. The second shot can be blind to the green. Holes 7 & 8 have water to the left. The green on hole 7, looks like an elephant was buried under it. Hole 8 is their signature hole you see on the Web. However, it actually looks better in the picture, than in-person. Love the feel of hole 10 and hole 11 has more humps and bumps you have ever seen on a hole. Hole 16 – you really need local knowledge to play this hole. It appears you want to cut the dogleg but that is not a good idea.

Get out and play Riverdale Dunes. The price and conditioning is worth the drive to Brighton, CO.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
2.0
First Time Playing

DO NOT PLAY

The course is awesome. The staff on the other hand can aren’t worth the experience. We were rushed although my 4 some finished within 4 hours. If you want to play with the Marshall breathing down you neck and ride go for it. I won’t be going back as the course staff are rude

Conditions Excellent
Value Poor
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Poor
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Previously Played
Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Poor
Pace Poor
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
1.0
Previously Played

Unfriendly Mashall and staff at Pro Shop

Poor manner staffs at Pro Shop his name is Chris Sisneros. Mashall was rude yelling at us to pair with some people without any respect. It's county course that we are residential and pay high tax. The staffs earning from our rax but yelling and cursing at us!!.. Wrong!! Nothing good is cheap!!!... there are many affordable courses with nicer and professional staffs. Base from my experiences I gave them 0 stars out of over 50 courses I used to golf in the wolrd.! They need to retrain their staffs!

Conditions Fair
Value Average
Layout Fair
Friendliness Poor
Pace Poor
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played

Easily best course and deal in the Denver area

How is this course rated so low? Consistently in the best condition of any Denver area course, and at 44$ to walk it’s a steal. Not sure who spammed this page with bad reviews, but this is a great course, in great shape, run by great people.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 75
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 500 Contributor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked

Never Disappoints

I've been coming out to Riverdale for years. Never had any issues with the staff, they are always friendly and professional. I'm very surprised to read recent reviews noting negative interactions with the superintendent...In dozens of rounds I have never met the superintendent. If players were doing something to catch her attention on the course, I'm sure it was pretty bad. You might want to keep your cart out of the roped areas and avoid getting yelled at. What i do know about the superintendent and her staff is they are the best crew around. The courses are in incredible shape as usual this summer, and the Dunes recently finished a major irrigation project with no remnants of the digging they had to do to complete the job.

In regards to COVID related last minute cancellations. I understand that would be super frustrating if you had to pay for a round that you simply could not appear for. Thankfully i have not had to deal with that situation. It would make sense if the golf shop had some leniency as we all still deal with the pandemic and its effects on our lives.

If you are looking for a round on a beautifully maintained course with a lot of variety at a one of the best values in the area then you will never go wrong with a day at Riverdale.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Previously Played

Never again!

Charged me for one of my players not attending due to Covid. Called them first thing in the morning and formed them but they still charged me even though the course was wide open. Incredibly rude staff at every turn. Starter called our group 15 mins early and when asked he told me “that’s how tee times work” then threw the cart key at me. Never had a experience like this at a golf course and I’ve been playing a long time. Don’t waste your time or money on this goat track. Would have given zero stars if possible.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Poor
Pace Poor
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 17
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Previously Played
Wet weather
Used cart

Terrible Experience

We reserved a tee time for a group of 4, however, on the day we were scheduled to play it was raining and very windy so one of us decided he didn't want to play in those conditions which to me was reasonable given the weather.

When we were paying at the clubhouse I informed them that our 4th wasn't going to be playing because of the rain and wind and they insisted that we pay his green fees because they have a 24-hour cancellation policy.

If it was sunny or even decent outside I could understand their policy enforcement, however, it was freaking raining and windy. The weather got worse and we ended up only playing 4 holes due to lightning.

I find their enforcement of this policy in these conditions to be unscrupulous and won't be playing there again.

Conditions Good
Value Poor
Layout Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
1.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked

Extra charge for a positive COVID test

We had 1 of our 4some test positive for Covid that morning. We let the clubhouse know but were still charged a $67 no show fee because we didn't cancel that spot with a 24 hour notice.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Poor
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 35
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0

Good lay poorly managed

Good layout very poorly managed.

Course superintendent yells and screams at people for inadvertently driving in areas, saying she owns the place and has worked there for 35 years. Time for a change. Super unprofessional rude nasty service.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Poor
Pace Poor
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 15
Handicap 25+
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 75
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 500 Contributor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked

Best In The Area

A round at the Dunes is always a great experience. For your money, Riverdale offers the best public facilities in the metro area and 36 holes of great golf and a friendly staff.

If you want to score well on the Dunes you will need to hit the ball straight! Venture just slightly off of the mowed grass and you will have a tough time finding your ball. Even if you can track it down you may not have a playable lie.

The course is not terribly long and there are several holes where you will want to hit driver, but a long iron may be the right play. The Dunes offers a great variety of holes that should have you grabbing for every club in your bag throughout the round. The par 5 11th is one of the toughest 3 shot holes around, just keep it up the left side and you may be ok. Hole 15 is a standout and picturesque hole with water running down the entire left side and Dye signature railroad ties around the green.

The conditions at Riverdale are consistently the best in the area. You can expect lush fairways and smooth rolling fast greens. Even in the late season this course is still in great condition! I always enjoy my time out at Riverdale and I know so many golfers in the area feel the same way. Make a whole day out of it and play both the Knolls and the Dunes, you will love all 36.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Previously Played

Save your money play somewhere else

Had an unexpected death in my family on a Friday, and they made the group pay for the two spots that didn’t get used, unbelievable, would have even been ok with rain checks, nope. Save your money and golf at Buffalo run, thorncreek, todd creek are all within 10 miles and much better management then this garbage management.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Poor
Pace Poor
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Walked

A very fun day

Played with a friend and thoroughly enjoyed the round and our time together. Course was in great shape and we finished in four hours!!!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap Don't know
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
Incentivized Review
5.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Beautiful Course

This course has everything you could want from great views to rolling hills on the fairways to challenging greens. There are a few water holes that are amazing and is a great course for placement golf. For the price you can't go wrong at all!!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Awesome

I travel and play a lot of golf and the condition of this course is top notch. Greens roll true and fairways immaculate. Play was a little slow but can live with that with course conditions. Would play again.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
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