Rivermont Golf & Country Club (Private)

3130 Rivermont Parkway, Alpharetta
770-993-1779; www.rivermontcountryclub.com

STAFF: Chris Cupit is the General Manager; Matthew Evans is the Golf Professional.

PAR/YARDAGE: Rivermont is a par 72 with four sets of tees: Red (7,005 yards); White (6,429); Blue (5,775) and Gold (5,103).

COURSE RATING: 74.2/138 (Red); 71.9/133 (White); 68.8/128 (Blue); 70.3/127 (Gold).

ABOUT THE COURSE: Originally designed by Joe Lee in the early 1970s, the course was renovated by Mike Riley in 2006. Unlike some of his other work on existing courses around Atlanta, his efforts at Rivermont were fairly substantial. Like Brookfield, most of Riley’s work was done to the greens complexes, which are significantly larger and have vastly more movement than the original putting surfaces. But a number of holes have also been lengthened considerably from the back tees, with both the senior and women’s tees shorter and friendlier than previously. The new back tees have added about 240 yards, inching the course just over the 7,000 barrier. The overall length has not changed much from the next set (whites) although there are a few holes that play much differently from their original design. The one thing that remains similar from Lee’s typically subtle but thoughtful design is the need to drive the ball accurately. Rivermont is still among the tighter courses off the tee in the metro area, with trees and/or hazards lining a number of fairways.

Errant drives will mean penalty shots more often than pitch-outs and much of the trouble is uncomfortably close to those with a tendency to slice or hook. Several of the par 4s now have ample length from the back tees to make the course more of a test for low handicappers, but Riley has left the more difficult greens complexes to serve as the main challenge to those who play shorter tees. Several of the putting surfaces have some interesting swales, ridges and slopes, which will result in some perplexing putts and chips that will put your imagination to the test. The bunkers have also been re-worked, and add a natural feel to a course that was already one of the more pastoral among Atlanta’s developed country club layouts. A quality course has gotten better, and the increase in membership is a testament to that fact.