BRMusic

I was the first tee time of the day, and the twosome i was scheduled to golf with didn't show. The starter explained this to me and gave me some tips on the course based on a quick conversation we had about my golf handicap index, and playing style. Per the starter's advice, I played from the tips, and enjoyed this course and its many challenges. Playing from the tips makes the par 3s very long, and a couple of the par 5s are almost unreachable in 2 strokes unless you can hit your driver over 320yds. The course isn't cheap, but I consider it worth it, to keep the golf course in premium shape. It was a cart path only day which added about an hour of walking time to my round when my ball was on the opposite side of the course from the cart path. I still finished in 3.5 hours. Without the cart path restriction, I could've finished between 2 and 2.5 hours. Great course! I saw some negative reviews on this page, but I personally didn't experience anything negative. I was greeted upon arrival, taken care of at the starter, and talked to by their staff as i was putting my clubs away. I paid a discounted rate, and it was worth every penny.

I took advantage of an early morning hot deal, and booked myself as a single. I arrived 15 minutes before my tee time, and was offered the opportunity to start early. It was 7:30am, so the conditions were wet as expected. Unfortunately, there was a lot of ground under repair, and plenty of mud in the fairways (and around the greens) from golf carts and maintenance vehicles. Although I was able to complete my round in under 3 hours as a single and never waited more than 3 minutes to tee off, I have a hard time thinking I will come back and play here again. I prefer a par 70+ course with a combination of par 3,4 and 5s. As i was finishing my round, the course seemed much busier, and i noticed a few 4-5 person groups backed up or waiting to start their round. I would not play here on the weekends. If you need to work on your iron play with a few par 4s sprinkled in, then give this course a shot.

I went out as a single, and caught up to the group in front of me, which was a foursome. I did not mind waiting. Ended up having another single catch up to me and play with me on the front 9. I was warned by him that the back 9 can get "backed up", and it did. I played in the afternoon, and barely finished before sunset. The course has its share of challenges, beautiful views, etc. Make sure to grab a drink or snack before you start the front/back 9, as I didn't see anyone driving a cart. Overall, I would play here again, and will try to make an early tee time. Also, stay out of the sand traps if you can... not the best conditions, and very "rocky".

I was paired with a threesome, and the four of us had a good time, and the pace of play was enjoyable. Tee time was 12:08pm on a Wednesday. I think we waited to tee off twice. We had a threesome behind us that caught us 2-3 times. I played here once before at a charity scramble tournament, so this was my first time playing here and keeping my own score. The greens were recently punched, but other than that, the course was in good shape, and the temporary green on hole 1 could've been a little tougher to find. Staff was helpful, and if you need to use the range plan an extra 15 minutes for traveling in the cart to the range. I recommend this course.

This course was beautiful, greens were fast. The starter gave us friendly advice on green speed, elevation tips, which way the greens broke (not always downhill!!!). I would recommend this place to anyone looking for somewhere away from the freeways and busy local courses. Anyone who can play bogey golf or better will really enjoy this course.

I grew up playing golf all over Long Beach, and Big Rec unfortunately has the slowest play of all the courses in the area. If pace of play is a top priority for you, then definitely tee off as early as you can in the morning. The greens were recently punched, so a few of the more shaded greens were still really soft. Also, I don't understand how so many people choose to let somebody else fix their divots! There were a plethora of large divots that needed some love on over half of the greens. A quick message to all of the lazy golfers out there: SHOW SOME RESPECT, AND CLEAN UP YOUR DIVOTS!!
Other than the slow pace of play, and an obvious disrespect for course maintenance, I'd recommend this course for anyone looking for a place to play some golf and enjoy a nice ocean breeze. For serious and/or semi-pro (handicap-obsessed) golfers, you might want to look elsewhere.

River View GC is a challenge for all skill levels. The fairways look wide, but are mostly narrow with very little room for error off the tee... And when there's water, you'd better leave your slice/fade at home, as most fairways run towards the water. The wind can create more of a challenge as it blows right through the riverbed. Most greens are fairly easy to read, but be aware of the elevation changes around you, including the riverbed. It would be nice to see more golfers make an effort to fix their divots on the greens (and fairways), as this is not just the job of the Golf Course. Our tee time was Saturday 9:30am, and things got off to a slow start with a short par 4, and two par 3's to start the round. The back 9 played about an hour less than the front 9.

Overall, we had a fun day of golf, friendly staff, huge 18-hole putting green, and driving range. If you are over 21, and plan on drinking, beware: no hard alcohol, just beer/wine.