Rio Rico Golf Club
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About
Editor's Note: Course closed for business in 2018.
The beauty of the natural terrain and the way Jones fit the golf course into it is truly spectacular. Situated alongside the Santa Cruz River, the course meanders into the surrounding hillsides where the sunlight casts mystical purple and yellow shadows in the late afternoon. Holes 5 to 8 are considered one of the finest four hole stretches in the state, ending with the 439 yard No. 8. Teeing off from high on the hill, the fairway drops off twice before your long approach shot settles onto a green framed by a reed filled pond to the right and a gaping bunker to the left.
Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
---|---|---|---|---|
Black | 72 | 7240 yards | 73.0 | 132 |
Blue | 72 | 6706 yards | 71.1 | 128 |
White | 72 | 6220 yards | 68.9 | 124 |
Silver | 72 | 5737 yards | 66.1 | 117 |
Silver (W) | 72 | 5737 yards | 70.9 | 128 |
Red (W) | 72 | 5085 yards | 67.0 | 121 |
Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Black M: 74.9/131 | 449 | 594 | 202 | 386 | 202 | 412 | 480 | 439 | 420 | 3584 | 558 | 371 | 193 | 447 | 406 | 441 | 448 | 192 | 600 | 3656 | 7240 |
Blue M: 73.1/123 | 421 | 558 | 173 | 363 | 183 | 389 | 472 | 431 | 411 | 3401 | 523 | 342 | 160 | 422 | 370 | 403 | 370 | 162 | 553 | 3305 | 6706 |
White M: 70.7/121 | 395 | 523 | 159 | 339 | 157 | 358 | 453 | 412 | 392 | 3188 | 496 | 319 | 145 | 382 | 354 | 377 | 322 | 132 | 505 | 3032 | 6220 |
Silver M: 69.2/117 W: 70.2/119 | 367 | 492 | 137 | 319 | 147 | 338 | 438 | 352 | 346 | 2936 | 480 | 292 | 131 | 351 | 328 | 348 | 293 | 102 | 476 | 2801 | 5737 |
Red W: 67.1/113 | 299 | 445 | 106 | 291 | 128 | 303 | 368 | 310 | 333 | 2583 | 463 | 273 | 114 | 295 | 280 | 291 | 256 | 77 | 453 | 2502 | 5085 |
Handicap | 3 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 15 | 5 | 17 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 18 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 14 | 4 | |||
Par | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 36 | 72 |
Handicap (W) | 5 | 1 | 13 | 17 | 15 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 16 | 14 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 18 |
Course Details
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Rio Rico
Once an outstanding golf course but now only 9 holes. No grass on fairways just bare dirt and clumps of weeds. Greens have regular grass about 2" high and full of bare spots and an uneven surface. It would appear that nothing is being done to turn this course around and I doubt if it will be open much longer. Whatever they charge it will be too much for a course in that condition.
Rio Rico spring fling
The course is much better condition than last year. For the price including cart, beautiful views cannot beat the value. This is a slow recovery process but for $25 great price for 18 holes.
awful conditions
great layout terrible shape greens are not kept up
Slowly Improving
I am new to golf and don't pretend to know much about golf, but this place is improving. Hopefully it will reach its potential soon. I enjoy layout and area. For someone just looking to practice, this is the place to be. The staff is very friendly and helpful.
Disppointed
There are signs that Rio Rico was once a nice trek. Interesting layout in the mountains, huge traps. Unfortunately, it was in deplorable condition when my wife and I played there on March 5th. It was difficult to tell the fairways from the surrounding desert, more bare dirt than grass. The greens were actually unputtable. They had grass, but they were lumpy and inconsistent. The clubhouse ladies and other staff were very pleasant though.
hard work paying off
My wife and I have been playing Rio Rico for six years. We are snowbirds so we play in the winter. Currently the course is limited to nine holes but the layout is wonderful. Thanks to a lot of hard work the greens are improving everyday and the general condition is coming along nicely. We recommend Rio Rico to others like ourselves who enjoy playing for a reasonable price in a beautiful relaxed and friendly environment.
CLOSED GATE
WELL I DROVE ALL THE WAY OUT THERE 1 HOUR AND THE GATE WAS CLOSED.
SO WHOEVER IS MAINTAINING IS NOT GOING A GOOD JOB.
I AM NOT SHOUTING, JUST HAVE CAPS ON. BUT I WAS DISAPPOINTED, AND RECEIVED COMPENSATION FROM GOLF NOW.
No I will not . Not until you fix the golf course. Too bad and sad.
Course needs work but still fun to play!
We were not expecting plush condition....we still had a great time on a nice layout.
A Real Shame
Hard times have befallen Rio Rico. The hotel, with course has been sold. It isn't being maintained properly.
The greens are awful, the fairway grass is too long, as are the tees. It isn't really playable at the moment. We
Love this course, have played it for years, and it is painful to see it like this.
Rio Rico improvements
Greens are now in very good shape. Those who played more than a month ago should try again. The 16 the hole is the only one being redone so there is still a temporary green.
Ed Dersham
Worst golf course conditions I have ever played
Thought I would try this course again as I have played it on and off for 16 years. Course is in horrible condition. There is dead grass and weeds mixed with dirt for fairways. They are trying to water some areas but there is no grass to even water. Not even worth the $9 I spent. This course used to be fantastic.
Ken3052718,
We want to thank you for playing at Rio Rico Golf Course recently! We value your feedback and appreciate your honest opinion of us. We apologize for the negative experience you had with us and can assure you that is not our typical experience that we provide. We only hope that you will come back to visit us again soon so that we can show you our normal excellent day of golf!
Sincerely,
Rio Rico GC Management
It's Getting There!
We played this course about 5 months ago and I have to say that the course is now unrecognizable. It is so much better! Of course some areas are still rough but it's obvious that they have been working their tails off to get it into shape. I can imagine that it takes a lot of time and money to rehab a golf course.
I appreciate the new owners efforts to restore this course back to the way it deserves to be. It is such a beautiful area and I'm excited to go back.
Thanks so much for noticing our improvements at Rio Rico! We are working hard to bring the course back to shape for the season and beyond. We really appreciate the positive feedback. See you again soon!
Like playing in a badly groomed yard
I played this course about 7 or 8 years ago and it was just ok then. This time was an entirely different experience. I was excited when I found the tee time for $9, but the reality was that they should have paid me $9 to play there. I should have known it was a bad sign when the lady who seemed to be the pro shop attendant, manager, waitress for the restaurant and groundskeeper all in one spent 10 minutes apologizing for the condition of the course as she checked us in. On the back 9, the greens were so torn up, you literally could not put on them. I drove over 45 minutes from Tucson to go here and I'll never make that mistake again. Lesson learned.
We appreciate your feedback and sorry to hear that the conditions may not have been up to par. We have informed our staff and crews on the matter and are working hard to rectify the situation and make this the best Rio Rico Golf Club possible for your next round. Come back and see us again we look forward to your visit!
Getting better day by day
Very nice course layout. I hadn't golfed course in years and went recently a month or two ago (date is estimated here). Many of the greens were terrible, a "war zone" and impossible to putt (put down a two), and speeds and breaks were unreadable, inconsistent. I was told there is new ownership and they are bringing the course back to the way it looked in it's "glory days". This is a fun course, and forgiving (not so narrow), and can't wait til it looks as it used to. I/we golfed it a week or so later, and the greens were noticeably better! Keep it up :)
Thanks for noticing our improvements here at Rio Rico CC! We are working towards the best Rio Rico possible, should see more improvements soon.
Don't Go
I used to drive down from Tucson to play Rio Rico because it was a nice little trip. Not any more. Course is in horrible condition. Greens not mowed (although someone was mowing hole #11 when I got there) making them unputtable. Not just dead spots, but actual gouges in the green two to three inches deep (although someone was filling the gouges on hole #8 when I went through it). Fairways bare, tees bare. There were signs that the course was working with the local high school FFA chapter on "natural" fertilizers. Someone needs to tell the kids it's not working. They need to hire a professional greenskeeper and suspend play for a year to get the course back in shape.
We appreciate your feedback and sorry to hear that the conditions may not have been up to par. We have informed our staff and crews on the matter and are working hard to rectify the situation and make this the best Rio Rico Golf Club possible for your next round. Come back and see us again we look forward to your visit!
A Sonoran Desert Gem
I discovered this golf course two years ago and was struck with the location, the natural beauty and the course design. It was in poor shape and from what I could determine this was caused by neglect and poor management.
Fast forward to this spring...now add to the same location, the beauty of the area and the Trent Jones design, an inspired and inspiring course manager, a friendly helpful staff and recovering, health;y fairways and greens. Awesome!
I am taken and will return time after time. Golf is a great game, for body, mind and soul. For those who love the game, it is places like Rio Rico that MUST be preserved and enjoyed by golfers of all levels of experience.
Thanks so much for your review and for playing at Rio Rico Golf Club! We are beyond happy that you enjoyed the course and the conditions are on the up and up. We can't wait to see you again on your next round. Thanks for being a true fan!
For the price, playabel
Greens were in bad shape so we just played a 2 putt rule. Course could be great with some TLC.
We regret to hear your experience was not up to par due to some of the conditions. We are working towards improving conditions at Rio Rico GC, we appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again real soon!
Terrible!
Course is currently unplayable. Greens are barely recognizable with sparse grass and large areas of 'bald' patches. Fairways are largely dormant with many areas of plain earth. Tee blocks were hard as a rock with many bald/bare patches. Probably the worst golf course conditions that I have played in 60 years of golf. It will need several years and a bucket of money to bring the course to a reasonable, playable state. Even at reduced green fees, paying to play this course is not recommended.
We regret to hear your experience at Rio Rico Country Club was not up to par due to conditions. We hope you come back and see us again once we get the course back to shape. Thanks for your feedback!
I would like to thank all that posted here. I have noticed that the response from Rio Rico acknowledges all the good comments and basically is a so sad too bad for all the opportunity for improvement comments with a distinct feel that after many comments on course conditions nothing has been yet done. I am bringing forty golfers in June to Az for an outing and as I hadn't played this course was going to book it and will now not do so.