ON THE GREEN : Winds Can Make Play Tricky Down by the Riverside : Budget golf: Course at Green River can be challenging, depending on breezes’ direction.

There’s nothing like a 300-yard drive . . . or a 150-yard three-wood. Golfers can experience both on the Riverside Course at Green River Golf Club in Corona.

“The course sits in this canyon and it’s just a wind tunnel,” Green River golf professional Steven Delgado said.

Located on the Orange-Riverside-San Bernardino county lines next to the Santa Ana River and 91 freeway, Green River has two courses.

Although Delgado said plans to build a third 18-hole course at Green River have been abandoned, the Orange and Riverside courses still give Orange County golfers two affordable and accessible alternatives.

The budget-conscious golfer gets a good value at Green River, which charges $24 on the weekdays and $32 Friday through Sundays.

Half the Riverside Course’s varied, par-71 layout plays on the north side of the railroad tracks, where golfers are transported to a quiet, countryside setting complete with views of neighboring hillsides and fields.

Water comes into play on eight holes and some contoured greens can also add a subtle challenge to a round.

The downsides to the course are the typical weekend crowds and inland summer heat.

Then there’s the wind.

It can swirl and the prevailing winds aren’t always the same. Whether from the west or east, the gusts can change the complexion of any hole.

Take No. 14, a 369-yard par-four.

The Santa Ana River cuts across the fairway 100 yards in front of the green. A big, downwind layup tee shot could result in a simple, 110- to 120-yard approach shot.

However, if 14 plays into the wind, it could be a 370-yard par five. A short tee shot could give the player a second shot of 170 to 200 yards, into the wind and over water, making another lay-up shot the smarter play.

Water and wind are also factors on No. 17, a 178-yard par three. The tee shot must carry the Santa Ana River, and a small green is protected by a bunker on the left.

“In the afternoon, there can be a two-club wind blowing on 17,” Delgado said. “The tendency for most players is to pull it left into the bushes, the river or the No. 12 tee.”

The course provides a good challenge, but a bigger feat is securing a prime weekend tee time.

Saturday and Sunday tee times until 9:45 a.m., are reserved for permanent tee-time holders, Delgado explained. Green River also hosts 700 tournaments per year, he said.

So what’s the best way to get on the course? Delgado had these suggestions.

* For weekends, call at 6:30 Monday mornings to obtain the earliest available times.

* For golfers trying to walk on, call to check if there are any tournaments being played that day. “We really try to get our waiting-list golfers out there, but it can be tougher with tournaments,” Delgado said.

* Play on weekdays or in the afternoons. Mondays are usually the slowest days and the twilight rates begin at 3 p.m.

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Course Information

* Course: Green River Golf Club, Riverside Course

* Address: 5215 Green River Dr., Corona

* Phone: (714) 974-8411, (909) 737-7393

* Green fees (regular/twilight after 3 p.m.): Mon.-Thu.: $24/$15; Fri.-Sun: $32/$22.

* Carts: $22

* Par/Yardage: (Par 71)/6,275 blue, 6,013 white, 5,467 red

* Rating/Slope: Men’s 70.6/122 blue, 69.3/120 white. Women’s 73.9/121 white, 71.0/115 red

* Reservations: Seven days in advance except weekend tee times, which are available Mondays beginning at 6:30 a.m.