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2.6
338 Reviews (338)
5 Stars
16
4 Stars
70
3 Stars
85
2 Stars
81
1 Stars
86
Conditions
1.8
Value
3.3
Layout
4.0
Friendliness
4.2
Pace
3.9
Amenities
2.9
56.5%
Recommend this course
191 out of 338 reviews
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About

Holes 18
Type Resort/Semi-Private
Style Traditional/Desert
Par 72
Length 7240 yards
Slope 132
Rating 73.0

Editor's Note: Course closed for business in 2018.

The beauty of the natural terrain and the way Jones fit the golf course into it is truly spectacular. Situated alongside the Santa Cruz River, the course meanders into the surrounding hillsides where the sunlight casts mystical purple and yellow shadows in the late afternoon. Holes 5 to 8 are considered one of the finest four hole stretches in the state, ending with the 439 yard No. 8. Teeing off from high on the hill, the fairway drops off twice before your long approach shot settles onto a green framed by a reed filled pond to the right and a gaping bunker to the left.

Course Details

Year Built 1971
Fairways Bermuda Grass
Greens Bent Grass
Golf Season Year round
Architect Robert Trent Jones, Sr. (1971)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes - included in green fees
Clubs Yes
GPS No
Pull-carts Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Bunker Yes
Caddies No
Golf School Academy Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex, Discover Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Dress code Collared shirt required, no denim

Food & Beverage

Bar, Snacks

Available Facilities

Conference Facilities, Banquet Facilities

Available Activities

Swimming, Billiards

Reviews

2.6
338 Reviews (338)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 34
Patio Dining 21
Brunch 17
Course Challenges Include:
Bunkers 40
Water Hazards 38
Elevation Changes 19
This course/club is great for:
Locals 45
Wildlife/ Scenic Views 44
Seniors 34
This Course's Location is:
Worth the Drive 30
In the 'Burbs 18
Convenient to the City 11

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

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Played On
Reviews 5
1.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Closed

After a 60 minute drive this golf course is closed and has been for 6 months, seems like Golff Now needs to check more often before they book golfers into closed courses

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Poor
Pace Poor
Amenities Poor
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/07/2019

Hello, thank you for reviewing our course, Rio Rico Golf Club. We appreciate you taking the time to leave us your feedback. We are sorry to hear that there was miscommunication about the course. We will make sure to pass this along to our staff. We hope to see you again in the future.

Played On
Reviews 7
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser

Course Closed

I booked a tee time on 1/4/19 for Rio Rico golf course in Rio Rico Az. To play on 1/5/19 your hot deal. Drove to the course 60 miles from my house only to find that the course has been closed sense September of 2018. How can Golfnow not know this? I can only hope when I call about this that they will compansat myself and my partner for our inconvenience.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Poor
Pace Poor
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Response from on 03/30/2018:
Hello, thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to review your experience with us, we truly appreciate your feedback and will certainly pass it along to our team. We hope to have another opportunity to welcome you back to the 5-star experience that you deserve.
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

NEEDS WORK

I have played this course many times. At one time it was a 5-star course and used as a Q School course in the 80's and 90's. The new owners have a challenge. The day I played the staff provided an astro turf patch to hit from the dirt fairways. The greens were shaping up with plenty of grass which not had not been rolled. This is such a special course. It has a great layout, is fair and offers variety. I am glad I had the opportunity to play the course in its prime. The owners should bite the bullet and close for 2+ years. Get it back in shape.

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Fair
Pace Excellent
Amenities Poor
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Response from on 05/03/2018:
Hello, thank you for taking the time to review our course, Rio Rico Golf Club, in the Arizona area. We are sorry to see that you may have had a poor customer experience with us and that the course may not have been in the best shape when you played. Any additional feedback is greatly appreciated so that we can improve your experience with us in the future. Thank you for choosing to golf with us and we hope to see you again soon.
Played On
Reviews 13
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

I heard that this course was one of the finest in the Southern Arizona areas. That was then this is now, I hate to give it a crappy review but you might as well save your money. The fairways are akin to a farmers field the greens are “green” but bumpy and need lots of work. I feel for the current owners but they need major investors to bring this course up to its past glory.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Response from on 03/21/2018:
Hello, thank you for taking the time to review our course, Rio Rico Golf Club, in the Rio Rico, Arizona area. We are very sorry to hear your recent experience with us may have been poor due to the course conditions. We greatly value your feedback as we work towards any necessary improvements, and hope you will notice some of these improvements during your next round with us. Thank you for choosing our course, and we hope to see you again soon.
Played On
Reviews 12
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Improving

While the greens were sometimes difficult to putt, at least they were grassy and green. There is no difference between the fairway and the rough, but that made for a lot of extra roll distance. Overall, an enjoyable experience at a good value: but a lot more work needs to be done to return the course to its Glory days.

Conditions Fair
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Response from on 03/21/2018:
Hello, thank you for taking the time to review our course, Rio Rico Golf Club, and for the 3 stars. We hope that you enjoyed playing our golf course and that you will see improvements in the course conditions the next time you are with us. It looks like you had a smooth round and a friendly experience with our staff, so we are glad to see that. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Played On
Reviews 13
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

I want to say something positive.

Rio Rico is a great Trent Jones design that is really not playable. I paid $13, played with 2 really nice guys but fairways are a field kind of mowed. NO grass anywhere except greens. Greens are very, very rough with long grass. One water cooler had weeds growing in it.

I did not try the grill.

I enjoyed it for the novelty and really hope someone saves it but I won't be back until then. Sorry.

Conditions Poor
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Fair
Response from on 03/20/2018:
Hello, thank you for reviewing our course, Rio Rico Golf Club. We strive to provide the best possible customer experience to our golfers, and we apologize if we missed the mark. We hope you will see improvements the next time you are with us. Thank you for choosing to play our course, in the Rio Rico, Arizona area, and we hope to earn your business again soon.
Played On
Reviews 6
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

A tarnished trophy

My wife and I couldn’t pass up the hot deal to play this Robert Trent Jones Sr design. V Apparently this was a Qschool course back in ‘79. The course is in rough shape which didn’t dissuade us from getting the experience under our belt. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. Can’t say we’ll be in the area again, but if we are we’ll be rooting for the courses climb back to its prominence.

Conditions Poor
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Response from on 03/20/2018:
Hello, thank you for taking the time to review our course, Rio Rico Golf Club, and for the 3 stars. We are sorry to see that the course may not have been in the best shape when you played and your feedback is appreciated. It looks like you had a friendly experience with our staff and that your round was a great value for you, so we hope this improved your overall experience with us. Thank you for your choosing our course, in the Rio Rico, Arizona area, and we look forward to seeing you again soon.
Played On
Reviews 21
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

nick

The course needs a lot of work - that said it was a GREAT course and we hope it is around for a long time - we hope people get behind them and help resurrect this classic Robert Trent Jones course - it's a jewel in the desert.

Conditions Fair
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 7
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

This place sucks

The people who bought and managed the property ran it into the ground, totally ruined by staff. Best "Jones" layout in Arizona by far. Obliterated by dumb and lazy people. A shame, a tragedy, a crime beyond compare.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Poor
Pace Average
Amenities Poor
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 43
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
2.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

COURSE IN THE WORKS

Don't be too hard on this course

1) Jane, is PGA teaching pro since '88. Nice lady runs the course
2) the Pumps are in bad condition because, well original not used for many years in 2000's, matter of fact only one pump working.
3) She has greens playable little shaggy some bare spots but you can play 2 putt rule. I had two kick in birdies.
4) Because the water problems (which she just got rights too) has to hand water because sensor are working. Yes the fairways are bare except for where the straw lays, so if you can't pick the ball clean you can score. I shot 75. Remember divots are to be small and shallow.
Her plan is to fix the pumps and work out from the green to 100 yards get grass growing on the fairways.
She has volunteers, but looking for help on cash flow of course, losing money daily. I like the course only Robert Trent Jones in the state of AZ I believe. So don't be hard to judge.

Conditions Fair
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Response from on 02/09/2018:
Thank you for your update. We continue to work towards providing the best playing conditions possible. While we are still a work in progress, we greatly appreciate your feedback and look forward to seeing you at Rio Rico Golf Club again soon.
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap Don't know
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

We need your support

One of the prettiest golf courses I have played on. The birds on the course are unbelievable if you are a bird watcher . The course itself is a lot better than last year the owners are doing their best on a limited budget and Volunteers. The front nine are the best the greens are a work in progress but if you want a challenge do the back nine its a bit ruff but fun .The owners need all the senior golfers in the local area to come out and support them as they are two of the nicest ladies you can meet and with a bit of work this course could still be one of the best courses in the Area. Maybe as a suggestion try making bigger holes to get more Newbie golfers for the winter months to just to have fun Big Mike Canada Snowbird

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 6
Handicap 25+
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Making Rio Rico Great Again

Course had fallen on hard times and we hadn't played for a while. Still a work in progress but very much improved. All 18 holes are open again and course is very playable. Staff could not be friendlier. We really enjoyed our round and will be back soon.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Poor

Only nine holes open, course needs a lot of work! Won’t be going back! Restaurant and bar nice !

Conditions Poor
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Poor
Response from on 12/11/2017:
Hello, thank you for taking the time to review our course, Rio Rico Golf Club in the Tucson area. We are very sorry to hear you had a poor customer experience with us recently and that the course may not have been in the best conditions on the day of your round. Any additional feedback is greatly appreciated so we may improve your experience with us in the future. However, we're glad you enjoyed our restaurant and staff and thank you for choosing to golf with us. We hope to see you again soon.
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/30/2018

They opened the other 9, greens are good I was told and the course staff is working on the t-boxes. I am playing 3 of Feb.

Played On
Reviews 10
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Lots of work to do

This used to be a premier golf course. What I encountered was awful. The only grass was on the greens and some of them were real shaggy. The fairways were dried Bermuda and dirt. A real shame.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Response from on 11/27/2017:
Hello, thank you for taking the time to review us, Rio Rico Golf Club in the Tucson area. We're very sorry to hear you had a poor experience with us and that the course may not have been in the best shape on the day of your round. We greatly appreciate your feedback so we may work towards improvements as we are committed to providing a valuable customer experience for you. However, we're glad to see you had a friendly experience with our staff. Thank you for choosing our course, and we hope to see you again soon.
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played

Work in progress

I have played this course various times this past summer (2017). Even with it being a work in progress, I know that it will get back to where it once was. The management team here is awesome, they have a plan and are working extremely hard. I will continue to support this course by golfing here and giving them all the support that I can. Thank you Rio Rico Golf Resort for all you do and what you are doing for our community.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
1.0
Previously Played

It's DEAD!

Drove down to look at it (35 miles) and were extremely disappointed in the condition! Weeds & grass severley overgrown, and no no water! One of my favorite courses is gone!

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Poor
Amenities Fair
Response from on 06/07/2017:
Hello Paul, thank you for taking the time to write a review about our course. We are sorry to hear about your subpar experience at our golf course. We’re normally known for our exceptional attention to detail, and we regret that we missed the mark. We appreciate your feedback and we hope to earn your business again.
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
2.0
First Time Playing

Worst course I've ever played

I've never had to leave a course after 1 hole, that is until I came across Rio Rico, the fact that they call this a resort is a joke and should just close the doors for good.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Amenities Poor
Response from on 05/16/2017:
Hello Sam, thank you for taking the time to write a review about our course, we appreciate your feedback. We are sorry to hear about the subpar experiecne, we will pass your feedback onto the appropriate department. Thank you for your business and we hope to see you again soon.
Played On
Reviews 9
Handicap Don't know
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

That golf course needs a big help -water and TLC. From people

We were sad to find this beautiful place to get in such a bad shape , look like needs a irrigation system to be fixed and get some knowledgeable people back in work there and restore it
Hope for this to happen soon
Take care. Hana

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Poor
Response from on 04/21/2017:
Hello Hana, thank you for taking the time to write a review about our course, we appreciate your feedback. We are glad you enjoyed our course layout. Thank you for your business and we hope to see you again soon.
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/02/2017

I appreciate that Rio Rico responds to the reviews with words, but at this point they are a broken record. I haven't been down in a few years. I was hoping the reviews would show some sign of improvement, but it doesn't seem to be happening. It could be so wonderful, but...

Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
1.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

It used to be a good course

The conditions are terrible tee to green. At one time it was a very nice course but course was neglected for a long period of time. Hopefully it will be brought back the way it one was.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Poor
Response from on 04/20/2017:
Hi Mike, thank you for the review. We are glad to hear that the staff was friendly and you enjoyed the course layout. We do however regret to hear that the course conditions were not up to par. This is not the standard we are trying to set for our golfers and will pass this note along to help make improvements. Thank you for playing and we hope to see you again soon!
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