Riverwood Golf Club

"During the winter months, snowbirds flock to Florida to enjoy all that the Sunshine State has to offer. It’s been going on for more than 100 years and increases the state’s population by about 5% each year. For many, Florida’s main attraction is the ability to play golf during the winter months. Over the years, Florida’s Gulf Coast has been a desirable location for golfers looking to indulge themselves in some spectacular golf courses. One area of the Gulf Coast that is often overlooked is the area between Venice and Fort Myers. Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach includes the Charlotte Harbor Gulf Island Coast and includes the towns of Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, and Englewood Beach. Within this geographical area, there are more than 19 golf courses, including 13 semi-private championship courses and 6 executive courses. The Ron Garl-designed Kingsway Country Club just off of I-75 was recently purchased and closed and will become part of the new Sunseeker Resort in Port Charlotte when it opens for business next year. It will be known as Aileron Golf Club. Here are a few of my favorites. Riverwood Golf Club is located in Port Charlotte, FL, just a few miles from Tamiami Trail, and has received numerous accolades from Golfweek Magazine and Golf Advisor. Golf Digest has rated Riverwood 4 ½ stars and Golf for Women Magazine ranked it in the top 100 “Lady Friendly Courses in the U.S.’’ The front nine winds its way through heavily wooded terrain with a lot of palms, live oaks, and pine trees. You’ll encounter more water hazards on the back side as it meanders around salt marshes and wetlands. The course does play through a residential community however in certain areas, you’ll only see a few houses. Other portions of the course look as though they have been carved from the wild, natural vegetation of Southwest Florida. One area of the course in particular – holes 7 through 9 – has been referred to by Members as the Bermuda Triangle because of the difficulty and precision required to keep the ball in play and get it close to the hole. For those visiting that don’t play golf, there is plenty to do here, most of it on the water. You can go fishing, boating, swimming, and scuba diving. There are 35 parks in the area, perfect for bike riding, birdwatching or just strolling about. Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach has some good nightlife too; restaurants that feature everything from beachfront and tiki bar dining to gourmet meals. There are bars, microbreweries, wineries, and distilleries where you can let your inhibitions run wild. This is a small sample of what Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach has to offer golfers. For more information and to see a list of courses in the area, visit them online."

"While Riverwood is a fine-looking course, it is very unfortunate that the course uses only noisy, exhaust spewing, inferior, outdated, gas golf carts for guest transportation. Do golfers want to rudely announce their arrival at every tee and green while riding these loud, rattling, gas carts? Isn't it embarrassing for members to tell guests that they must ride loud, substandard carts all day? The revving noise is nearly constant throughout the course. It is like listening to a compressor starting and stopping all day. Do you want to be in the middle of a swing, or a put and suddenly hear the revving of loud, gas carts? The neighborhoods that abut the Riverwood golf course are forced to listen to the daily racket of the gas carts from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week. While golfers must listen to that racket all day, the exhaust of the 75 gas carts can harm the local environment, especially that of the adjacent, protected, wildlife, river preserve. If you are following one of these Riverwood provided gas carts, do you want to be inhaling exhaust all day, especially during COVID outbreaks? Ask yourself, would an ‘award-winning’ golf course force members and guests to ride inferior, second-class transportation? Would a responsible organization, after 20 years of ownership, continue to ignore the pleas of members, guests, and neighbors to update these noisy, polluting carts? What else could Riverwood be skimping on as you walk through the clubhouse and facilities? Riverwood club ownership were able to secure $3 million in PPP taxpayer funding, but are unable or unwilling to secure the small funding needed to build an electric cart charging station? Auto companies can commit to electric vehicles, but a profitable Riverwood golf course cannot do the same? Additionally, Riverwood seems to ignore golfers cranking loud music while they golf. I have personally seen this more than once. Irresponsible and rude golfers bringing along their juvenile boom boxes to blast their version of music as they play the Riverwood course. A video below is one example of this crude behavior. Not only does this tasteless act infringe on other golfers trying to enjoy the day, but Riverwood neighbors are subjected to the intrusive noise of these boorish golfers. This is the only course in the area that uses loud, inferior, gas carts, so there are other options if you want a quieter, more comfortable, and relaxing day at the golf course. But if you are looking for uncomfortable, noisy, second-class transportation during your day at the course, and you do not care about negatively impacting the adjacent neighborhoods and sensitive preserve environment, then this maybe the place for you. Please increase your volume on the following videos to get the true effect of these rambling wrecks crossing a neighborhood street."

"Extremely challenging, yet beautiful course that is very well maintained. There are very few "easy" shots on this course. Good shots are rewarded with a decent set up for the next difficult shot. Cannot wait to play this course again. If you are an amateur like me, bring extra golf balls."

"Visited from Nc and was looking forward to play one of the top rated courses in Florida. Pro shop staff were nice and accommodating we needed a rental set and got the wrong ones no big deal they fixed it. We played the first four holes and course was In good shape greens were slow compared to how they looked and then we caught a foursome we were a twosome and we waited, then the ranger passed us on 5 didn’t say anything he went to the restroom, we waited and waited we thought after 9 they were stopping so we didn’t press them. But after we stopped for beverages we got to ten and yep they were there and held us up the entire back 9 with no one in front of them complete lack of golf etiquette and I mentioned it to staff and was told oh well, obviously they don’t need outside money so we will go somewhere else and for someone that works in the golf business a little disappointed"

"Nice course & amenities. If you're looking for a long course with easily hit fairways, this is a good course to play. Also a nice driving range & putting green for some practice before your round."