Overview
A donation from the Goodwin family in 2003 allowed the financial support to cover a complete redesign by Pete Dye on an existing 18-hole layout along the New River in Radford, Va. The River course earned a fourth-place award from Golf Digest in its Best Remodel rankings of 2006, the highest of any public facility. The course—which is the home to both Virginia Tech and Radford University’s golf teams—has earned the reputation as one of the best collegiate courses in the country.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
Best in State: Ranked 12th, 2023-'24. Ranked 20th, 2017-'18.
America's Greatest College Courses: 6th (2023).
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“Fun layout though the conditions were just average. Like with many Dye courses, need to play it a couple times to know where you need to hit it. Very deceptive off the tee."
Read More2022
Review
“Pete Dye’s River Course is somewhat miraculously sited on a meander of the New River on the bottom land between the bluffs and the shore. At some points, the distance seems to barely exceed 100 yards across, yet the course does not feel crowded. Dye’s excellent routing is comparable to the Straits course at Whistling Straits, with forays toward and then away from the river’s edge throughout the round. The course is narrow and the greens are narrow as well (along the line of play). Nearly every green is a plateau and most are rather small (especially on the front nine), so misses left and right, which are common, leave the golfer with a delicate chip or putt from 3-7 feet below the green surface to a narrow landing area. There is not a tight drive on the course, so Dye River is a second shot and recovery course. Dye’s bunkers are often thin, linear strands or tiny pots—some seem barely large enough to stand in. With the plateau greens set at odd angles, long and short linear narrow bunkers, and clever routing, perhaps calling this a Dye architectural masterpiece is an overstatement, but it is at least a great example of how Dye handled a property with inherent and fundamental limitations."
Read More2021
Review
“The River Course reminded me of some of Pete Dye's most highly regarded work without the big budget. The nines are routed in a similar fashion to Whistling Straits with the river taking the place of Lake Michigan. The setting is wonderful and the course is challenging but reasonable. I think this is one of the best university courses in the country."
Read More2021
Review
“A tough golf course along the river. Fairways "
Read More2021
Review
“This Pete Dye course along the New River is on pretty tame terrain and follows the river on both nines. This is not one of Dye's best but it still is worth paying. It is not far off Interstate 81 near Blacksvburg."
Read More2018
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