River Ridge Golf Course: A 601-Yard Beast in Garretson, SD

River Ridge Golf Course sits about a mile north of Palisades State Park in Garretson, South Dakota, on the rolling ground above Splitrock Creek. The city has owned and operated it since 1989, and the layout still feels exactly like what it is: a small-town nine that everyone in Minnehaha County seems to know about, played twice for a full round, with greens that locals will warn you about before you ever pull a putter.

The Course at a Glance

Nine holes, played as 18 for the back loop. Built in 1989. Public, walkable, and open from early April through mid-October. The full 18-hole circuit stretches to roughly 6,580 yards from the back tees, with the front nine playing as the back nine on the second loop and the wind usually deciding which holes get harder and which get easier the second time around.

Eight of the nine holes have water, sand, or grass mounding in play. The greens are what put River Ridge on the map across the tri-state area: large, true, and slippery enough that a clean approach to the wrong tier can roll out further than you planned. If you have not been here before, two-putt par is a perfectly good score from anywhere outside ten feet.

The Signature Holes

Hole 4 is the one people talk about. It plays 601 yards from the blue tees and almost 560 from the whites, uphill the entire way, and the prevailing wind comes right at you. The course bills it as one of the longest par 5s in the Midwest, and that claim holds up. A solid drive leaves you with a long iron that still has not reached the layup zone. Par on number 4 is a number you take and never look back.

Hole 7 is the opposite kind of hole, and arguably the most fun on the property. It is a downhill par 4 with the green reachable from the tee when the south wind is up. Water guards the front, out of bounds runs left, and a deep greenside bunker sits left of the putting surface. Two well-struck shots make it a short par 4. One mishit driver can turn it into a double in a hurry. Risk and reward in 329 yards.

What the Scorecard Tells You

From the blue tees, the men's course rating sits at 71.8 with a slope of 117 over 18 holes, which is a fair fight for a mid-handicap player and a real test for anyone who cannot keep the ball out of the long stuff. The reds play 5,422 yards and rate at 72.0 / 116, which is a reasonable women's setup that still demands accuracy on the par 5s.

Handicap order matters here. Hole 4 is the number 1 handicap, hole 6 is number 3, hole 3 is number 5. If you are giving or getting strokes, you are getting them on the holes that genuinely deserve them.

Practice and Clubhouse

There is a driving range, a practice green, and a pro shop, plus a full-service clubhouse with a bar and what the regulars rave about: the pizzas. Nothing fancy, but the kind of food that tastes great after 18 holes in the wind. Walking is allowed, carts are available, and Wednesday is the local deal at 0 all day with a cart. Men's league runs Monday nights starting at 5:30, ladies night is Tuesday at 4:00, and Thursday afternoon is men's night.

Where It Sits

Garretson is about a 25-minute drive from Sioux Falls, tucked up against the Minnesota border in the northeast corner of Minnehaha County. The town's main attraction is Devil's Gulch, the rocky chasm where, according to local lore, Jesse James jumped his horse across to elude a posse after the Northfield raid. Palisades State Park is right next door, with the pink quartzite cliffs along Splitrock Creek that give the area its character. If you are making a weekend of it, River Ridge plus a hike through Palisades and a stop at Devil's Gulch is a good Saturday.

Worth the Trip?

If you are grading River Ridge against destination golf, no. It is a small-town nine, not a Top 100. But that is also the point. The greens are genuinely good, the par 5 on number 4 is a story you will tell, and the price is honest. For golfers in the Sioux Falls area looking for a different track, or for anyone passing through eastern South Dakota with clubs in the trunk, it is an easy yes.

For the full hole-by-hole scorecard, all tee yardages, course and slope ratings, and amenities, view the River Ridge Golf Course scorecard on Stymie.