El Rio Golf Course

- Holes: 18
- Par: 70
- Length: 6436 yards
- Slope: 124
- Rating: 69.4
- Layout
- 1400 W Speedway Blvd, Tucson, Arizona 85745, Pima County
- Tucson
- Arizona
- 85745
- USA
- (520) 791-4229
- (520) 791-4229
- tucsoncitygolf.com/el-rio
Rentals/Services
Practice/Instruction
Policies
Tees | Layout | Full Scorecard
Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
---|---|---|---|---|
Blue | 70 | 6436 yards | 69.4 | 124 |
White | 70 | 6011 yards | 67.4 | 119 |
Combo | 70 | 5718 yards | 66.1 | 112 |
Combo (W) | 70 | 5718 yards | 72.4 | 122 |
Red (W) | 70 | 5373 yards | 70.2 | 115 |
Silver | 70 | 4686 yards | 74.6 | 127 |
Previously known as Trini Alvarez El Rio Municipal Golf Course
Rating Snapshot
What Golfers Are Saying
Reviews
"Fun course"

"Fun course"
Reviewed on 04/20/2018
First time playing this course. Took my almost 70 year old dad. He had a great time but said it’s about 4 holes too long for him, lol. He also has COPD so take that into consideration. It took us about 4-41/2 hours to complete the course, but we took a lot of breaks. Friendly staff all the way around. We booked on GolfNow and got a pretty fair price. I would recommend to anyone.
Pace of Play: Excellent
Course Layout: Average
Course Conditions: Average
Staff Friendliness: Excellent
Value for the Money: Average
Off-Course Amenities: Good
I recommend this course
"El Rio is garbage"

"El Rio is garbage"
Reviewed on 04/14/2018
Don't play here unless you like your water hazards to be raw sewage.
Cart needed to be bump started around hole 15.
The beverage cart doesn't take plastic (but the young lady seemed nice enough).
Driving range is light years from the clubhouse & you have to get your bucket from the clubhouse then schlep them all the way back to the range to use them.
Pace of Play: Fair
Course Layout: Fair
Course Conditions: Fair
Staff Friendliness: Average
Value for the Money: Average
Off-Course Amenities: Poor
I don't recommend this course
"Course was a good value"

"Course was a good value"
Reviewed on 03/04/2018
Really enjoyed this course. Was only challenging when you find the trees. Do not play hero golf or you will pay !
Pace of Play: Excellent
Course Layout: Average
Course Conditions: Average
Staff Friendliness: Average
Value for the Money: Good
Off-Course Amenities: Good
I recommend this course
"February play"

"February play"
Reviewed on 02/26/2018
Fairways were weak, but greens and around the greens were good for the time of year.
Pace of Play: Average
Course Layout: Good
Course Conditions: Fair
Staff Friendliness: Good
Value for the Money: Average
Off-Course Amenities: Average
I recommend this course
"Older city course."

"Older city course."
Reviewed on 02/20/2018
I played after Tucson had several days of rain, so the course was not in the best of condition. This course needs improvement and could be a better venue if money was put in to improve it. Not the longest course, but can play tough with small greens surrounded by many traps. Worth playing if the price is right.
Pace of Play: Good
Course Layout: Average
Course Conditions: Fair
Staff Friendliness: Good
Value for the Money: Average
Off-Course Amenities: Poor
Course Difficulty: Moderate
I recommend this course
"O.B. Sports seems to 'get it'."

"O.B. Sports seems to 'get it'."
Reviewed on 10/02/2017
Second day ,after opening for overseeding, course was in great shape. ( Still somewhat shaggy, especially the tee boxes, but expected. )
Old style course ( par 70 ), pretty flat, with lots of mature trees. ( they really don't come into play...or shouldn't.)
We were first off ( 6:16 ), and managed a 3 hour round. Pretty good for a foursome.
I play this course , maybe, once a year...but it's still fun, especially now that O.B.Sports keeps it in stellar shape.
Pace of Play: Excellent
Course Layout: Average
Course Conditions: Good
Staff Friendliness: Excellent
Value for the Money: Good
Off-Course Amenities: Average
I recommend this course
"A golf day with my daughter."

"A golf day with my daughter."
Reviewed on 08/15/2016
My daughter and I always look for an opportunity to spend a father-daughter good quality time together.The activity may vary from walking the dogs to traveling together.
This weekend we decided to go for a round of golf together. She is fifteen, then I assumed that she would not be very excited about it, but we decided to go anyways, and I could see how she was getting interested in the game and actually started enjoying it.
The weather was perfect, hot, but a soft breeze was making it kind of tolerable.
We got to El Rio golf course 30 minutes before our tee time. The staff was so kind take us through the check in process in no time. We played 18 holes at our on pace, nobody to push us around or to wait for a long period of time. The greens were in a very decent shape and the girl withe refreshments was always very opportune.
Thanks to the staff for keeping the facilities in very good shape.
Pace of Play: Excellent
Course Layout: Good
Course Conditions: Good
Staff Friendliness: Excellent
Value for the Money: Excellent
Off-Course Amenities: Good
I recommend this course
"This course is friendly"

"This course is friendly"
Reviewed on 07/29/2016
Historical course that is always fun to play. There was over seeding that came into play both on the green and fringe .
Pace of Play: Excellent
Course Layout: Good
Course Conditions: Average
Staff Friendliness: Excellent
Value for the Money: Good
Off-Course Amenities: Good
I recommend this course
"Fun"

"Fun"
Reviewed on 07/25/2016
Fun little corse. Fun working around the trees. Enjoyed myself the whole time. Sand traps needed a little work.
Pace of Play: Excellent
Course Layout: Good
Course Conditions: Average
Staff Friendliness: Average
Value for the Money: Good
Off-Course Amenities: Good
I recommend this course
"Good course for a beginner..."

"Good course for a beginner..."
Reviewed on 07/19/2016
Course was okay, the value was right on... Bunkers were poor... Greens were okay, very slow but rolled true. Snack bar was closed after 1:p.m.
Pace of Play: Good
Course Layout: Good
Staff Friendliness: Good
Value for the Money: Average
Off-Course Amenities: Average
I recommend this course
"el rio has promise"

"el rio has promise"
Reviewed on 06/10/2016
overall good experience but tee box are having problems as there is basically no grass on them and sand traps were like clay bricks ! putt out of them only option.
Pace of Play: Good
Course Layout: Good
Course Conditions: Average
Staff Friendliness: Excellent
Value for the Money: Good
Off-Course Amenities: Average
Course Difficulty: Fairly Easy
I recommend this course
"El Rio"

"El Rio"
Reviewed on 05/23/2016
Great round, will be playing here all summer.
Pace of Play: Excellent
Course Layout: Excellent
Course Conditions: Excellent
Staff Friendliness: Excellent
Value for the Money: Excellent
Off-Course Amenities: Excellent
I recommend this course
"Course in good shape, personnel not friendly"

"Course in good shape, personnel not friendly"
Reviewed on 04/23/2016
Good valve, course in good shape but personnel not friendly.
Pace of Play: Good
Course Layout: Good
Course Conditions: Average
Staff Friendliness: Fair
Value for the Money: Good
Off-Course Amenities: Fair
I don't recommend this course
"Nice enough....."

"Nice enough....."
Reviewed on 04/18/2016
Nice layout; the varying lengths of holes, the many bunkers protecting the SMALL greens, doglegs and the close proximity of greens to tee boxes keep the game interesting! Dodged a couple of in-bounds!
May take a time or two to play and get the nuances.
The course needs to replant some roughage; too many thin lies close to the greens. And a driving range that is available! I support ALL efforts to encourage youth in golf!
But overall, I liked the course and will be back again soon!
Pace of Play: Good
Course Layout: Good
Course Conditions: Average
Staff Friendliness: Excellent
Value for the Money: Excellent
Off-Course Amenities: Good
Course Difficulty: Somewhat Challenging
I recommend this course
"Nice, at low price."

"Nice, at low price."
Reviewed on 04/15/2016
We played here only because of a great deal. It was better than I expected. Pretty decent layout, condition and staff. Some areas are hazardous because of errant shots from adjacent holes or golfers hitting before they should. 18 is a good challenge.....over the dogleg right fence.
Pace of Play: Fair
Course Layout: Good
Course Conditions: Average
Staff Friendliness: Average
Value for the Money: Excellent
Off-Course Amenities: Average
Course Difficulty: Moderate
I recommend this course
"good friday"

"good friday"
Reviewed on 02/28/2016
course has excellent but small greens all greens are protected by bunkers in the front making wedge and iron play important. The fairways were not over seeded and have not begun to grow. Fairway shots and lies were difficult.
I recommend this course
"what do you want from a city course"

"what do you want from a city course"
Reviewed on 02/23/2016
The early afternoon pace of play is horrendous but you expect a slower pace that time of day. The thing that drove me crazy were the golfers who were just driving around aimlessly jumping from one empty tee box to an other. Absolutely no regard for the other golfers and no ranger to keep those people in line. Then they would get behind you and act aggravated because you weren't playing fast enough for them. Plus there either needs to be more available water on the course to drink, besides the dirty looking bubblers, or a more visible cart person with beverages. I actually like the layout for a city course and the staff was very friendly. The greens were in decent shape also.
Pace of Play: Average
Course Layout: Good
Course Conditions: Average
Staff Friendliness: Good
Value for the Money: Average
Off-Course Amenities: Average
I recommend this course
"Sooooo Slow"

"Sooooo Slow"
Reviewed on 01/29/2016
Everything was fine with this course but the pace of play was terrible.<br/> If you like 5 hour rounds you will like the course. Fairways were hard and dry. Greens were very good with moderate speed.
Pace of Play: Poor
Course Layout: Average
Course Conditions: Average
Staff Friendliness: Good
Value for the Money: Average
Course Difficulty: Moderate
I recommend this course
"Pretty run down muni course. Better get a good money value to play, or you will not enjoy it too much"

"Pretty run down muni course. Better get a good money value to play, or you will not enjoy it too much"
Reviewed on 01/19/2016
Good layout for a muni course, but basic out and back and side by side fairways., so watch out for errant shots.
About half the greens are pretty rough, and you can't count on the ball holding its line.
I have no idea what they are achieving with the roped off areas near the greens --- I guess the soil/grass was pretty wet there, but they would be better off to have a clearly defined white line or markers to keep you from driving up near the greens.
The course really needs some protective chain link fences near about 3 tee boxes that are near the previous green.
Greens are very well trapped, but the sand/dirt mixture is not too good - a lot of hardpan in the low spots, one inch down. Grrrr.
I liked the basic layout and can see why in the old days the Tucson Open was played here. Dumpy old clubhouse, but functional. There seems to be a trap on the left and right (frontside) of every green. Small greens usually slope back to front. You can cut some of the dog legs for easy wedge shots.. Fairways hard and roll for extra yardage. Two long par threes.
When I went to the range to hit balls, there were no ball baskets - had to go out to the range and find one. I used that time to pick up all the empty baskets....all ten of them.
Pace of Play: Excellent
Course Layout: Good
Course Conditions: Fair
Staff Friendliness: Good
Value for the Money: Average
Off-Course Amenities: Average
Course Difficulty: Moderate
I don't recommend this course
"Better last year"

"Better last year"
Reviewed on 01/17/2016
Played 1st time this year. Better shape last year year but staff friendly as I remembered. Have to be on your toes as balls can come from any where on this course.
Pace of Play: Average
Course Conditions: Average
Staff Friendliness: Good
Value for the Money: Good
Quality of food & beverage: Good
Off-Course Amenities: Average
I recommend this course
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Commented on 04/16/2018
How are the fairways and greens?