A weekly look at golf courses open...
A weekly look at golf courses open to the public in Southern California.
El Rivino Country Club
Address: 5530 El Rivino Road
Riverside 92509
Green fees: $16-$29.
Tee times: Weekends, one week in advance; weekdays, two weeks in advance.
Phone: (909) 684-8905
The facility: The “country club” part is misleading. This is a golf course. There is no driving range (well, there is, but it’s a little different). There is no snack bar, although some drinks and packaged foods can be purchased.
The good: Let’s start with that driving range. It’s actually the first hole, a 626-yard par six (OK, a long par five for you purists, but a six on the scorecard), which is where you get warmed up. There are other fascinating holes, including No. 4, where a good drive is necessary for a clear approach to the green, bordered on three sides by water. Watch out for water on the fifth hole. Nos. 13, 15 and 18 also require shots over water.
The bad: Fairways might be a little more lush in the summer. It can get a little windy. Don’t expect to get an early start as a twosome; foursomes are the policy, “to set the pace,” at the first tee time of 7 a.m.
The score: There are more interesting holes here than on most courses. And at $16, this is a real bargain less than an hour’s drive from downtown Los Angeles.
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Overall course rating: ** 1/2 balls
* One ball: Like an X on the scorecard.
** Two balls: Worth an occasional round.
*** Three balls: Like shooting four strokes under your handicap.
**** Four balls: Where the Publinx Golf Gods play.
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Hole Chcp Blue Tees Regular White Tees M/W Par Ladies’ Red Tees 1 626 595 6/6 580 2 374 367 4/4 360 3 162 125 3/3 119 4 420 408 4/4 400 5 304 290 4/4 281 6 347 339 4/4 285 7 281 266 4/4 254 8 493 484 5/5 479 9 153 142 3/3 128 Out 3,160 3,016 37/37 2,886 10 243 218 3/3 206 11 347 327 4/4 313 12 425 408 4/4 392 13 374 362 4/4 311 14 339 332 4/4 325 15 514 501 5/5 488 16 477 447 5/5 434 17 186 176 3/3 168 18 372 355 4/4 340 In 3,277 3,126 36/36 2,977 Total 6,437 6,142 73/73 5,863
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Rating/Slope: Blue--70.8/111, White--69.4/108, Red--71.8/116