Riverside Golf Course

1st Hole

Good scoring opportunity. Driveable Par 4 but not recommended with OB left and trees guarding the right side of the fairway.

A long iron from the tee played down the left side of the fairway will give you a short iron or a wedge to an elevated green.

The green slopes towards the road so the safe play is to aim at the centre of the green or the flag and let the ball feed down. This will leave you with an uphill putt and a realistic chance of a birdie.

2nd Hole

Elevated tee and a dog leg left. The green has protection from a safety screen so long hitters trying to cut the dogleg in order to reach the green will require a high tee shot or a strong draw around the corner.

Percentage play is to play a mid or long iron to the centre of the fairway. This will leave you with another mid-short iron to the green. Although the green appears flat, take one more club as the green possesses a tricky false front and any ball that lands on the first third of the green will not hold.

The sensible approach is to play to the middle of the green.

3rd Hole

A reasonably straight golf hole but requires a good drive to a tight fairway.

A small bunker guards the left side and will catch any ball hit slightly off line. Play just short of this bunker or take it on to the right and you will be rewarded with a shorter shot to the green.

Although the green is large it doesn’t possess any real danger. A par four on this hole is always a good score.

4th Hole

The first of the par 3’s at Riverside. Although this hole is short it’s deceptive in its length. From an elevated tee club selection becomes most important, especially if there’s a wind gusting.

Many players naturally under club because going long behind the green brings OB and the Maribrynong River into play.

The green is deeper than it appears from the tee and is sloped from left to right meaning any balls landing on the right portion may run off the green. Leave the ball under the pin and you will have a makeable birdie putt.

5th Hole

A moderate par 5 in length with the Maribyrnong River running parallel to the fairway located on your left. Tee tree also guards the left side making it a dangerous miss left.

Players favouring a draw shape can start their ball over the right tree line and move it back to the fairway. From your tee shot the fairway starts to veer right and long hitters can reach the green in two with two solid shots.

The less skilled player can put the ball in position giving themselves a realistic chance to attack the pin with their third. Again most of the trouble is left of the green and once on the surface the green doesn’t impose too many problems. With the river on your left and walkways visible this makes for a very scenic and picturesque hole to play.

6th Hole

A challenging par 4, long and tight, would best describe this hole and admittedly the toughest hole on the golf course. A good drive down the middle is definitely the key to this hole, with a tight landing area.

If you are going to miss this fairway, the right hand side is where you want to be as missing left will give you little chance at finding the green with your second shot. A long iron/hybrid will give enable you to reach the green but leaving it short is not the worst result.

A good chip and putt can save you a par on this hole and breathe a sigh of relief. A par 4 here on any day is a great score.

7th Hole

This medium length par 3 is definitely a scoring opportunity. A mid iron to the middle/front portion of the green will leave you with a chance to make birdie.

Don’t go long as the green does have a slope running of the back with a well disguised grass bunker waiting for the long tee shot. Extrication from this bunker is tricky and an up and down unlikely. This hole can play as a sleeper so beware.

8th Hole

A driveable par 4 that has some protection from the trees on the right if you are attempting to reach the green with your tee shot.

A strategically placed long iron or fairway wood will leave a small pitch to a flat green. For some a wayward tee shot to the right can leave you chipping through trees.

This hole offers really good birdie opportunities and a chance to get one back on the course.

9th Hole

Riverside finishes with a characteristic par three with a pleasant view of the restaurant facilities in the back drop. Bunkers left and right cleverly guard this hole and will await any balls hit slightly on the wrong line. The green is very deep so club selection is important and dependent on where the pin is located.

This hole can play two to even three clubs more from front to back. Once on the surface the green is fairly flat with a slight right to left contour feeding balls towards the left edge. Avoid the bunkers on this hole and you can quite easily finish with a par.