Name: Riverstone Golf and Country Club
Location: Brampton, Ontario (~40 minutes northwest of Toronto)
Type: Public with membership options
Holes: 9
Length and Par: 1908-2530 yards / 35
Tees: (Shortest to Longest): Red, White, Blue
Website: http://www.riverstonegolf.com
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Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
Riverstone Golf and Country Club is a fun 9-hole course that will test golfers of all skill levels. Despite only being nine holes in length, you are offered the complete country club experience when you visit this course. It's large and elegant clubhouse offers very good restaurant-quality food and a large dining area, as well as a large lounge for players to relax. Aside from golf, the clubhouse also offers a fully-equipped gym, squash courts, and personal training services. There is even a shorter pitch and putt course offered as well.
As for the course itself, since it is situated on the shores of the West Humber River, water plays an important role in the course, with most holes featuring water hazards. The hole layout is okay, however on a few holes, a mis-hit tee shot could easily end up in another hole's fairway, especially the last three holes, which seem to be crammed in a small area. It's also worth mentioning that the course is situated within a sub-division, however due to well-places trees and shrubbery, houses are rarely visible and "in play". The course is also very scenic, especially on a few holes such as the 6th. Course conditions are also good, however after a good rainfall, the edges of the holes tend to get soggy, but nothing too serious. (The West Humer River itself also floods a bit, but doesn't affect any of the holes, although it is a cool sight to see).
What's common amongst many of the holes, especially the par 4's and 5's is that they wind with the river itself and therefore most of the holes feature doglegs to match those of the river. This adds a little bit of difficulty to the course. Some holes, such as the par 5 360-490 yard 3rd hole, also feature large and deep bunkers which are very tough to get out of. And despite being a nine-hole course, there are some very nice holes, my favourite being the 6th hole, a 450 yard par 5. The hole runs downhill, through a valley, with the tee box located at the top of this valley. The hole follows one large curve (almost 180 degrees by the end), with the West Humber River acting as a water hazard to the left, and forests to the right. Well placed bunker deter hitting your tee shot over the rushing river or going for the green on your second shot.
Pricewise, 9-holes with a power cart will cost you around $43 on a weekend and 18-holes will cost about $68 on a weekend. There are various specials offered such as student, senior, weekday, and twilight pricing. The "All you can play Mondays" special is very reasonable, costing $50 (power cart included) and allowing you to play the course as many times as you want on Monday. Memberships are around $1200, excluding power cart rentals. However, the course itself is often busy (I'm guessing due to the good prices and being located within a subdivision) especially on weekends. This is amplified due to the fact that it is a nine-hole course and some holes, such as the last few, are spaced closely together.
Also, according to the course website, a second nine is planning on being developed, although no dates have been confirmed yet.
Overall, Riverstone Golf and Country Club is a great course for anyone who wants a taste of what "country-club golf" is like, while getting to play a good golf course that will test all aspects of your game. I recommend you play it at least once.
-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews
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