Golf course
For over 100 years, Rivermead members have enjoyed playing golf on the same parcel of land in Gatineau (Aylmer), only a few hundred metres from the north shore of the Ottawa River.
Originally designed as a nine hole golf course under the direction of Charles Murray, the course was expanded to 18 holes by George Cumming, a well-known name in course design.
In 1989, a major investment was made to completely renovate the course. Golf course architect Ken Skodacek (working with Ken Venturi) modernized and re-designed the entire course to the current outstanding championship layout we have today. The renovation included building all greens to USGA specifications and re-grassing the greens, fairways and tees with bent grass.
Laid out over gently rolling terrain, the par 72/75 (men/women) layout is easily walked. The course has four sets of tees ranging from 6,559 yards from the back, to 5,359 yards from the forward-most tees. Slope ratings for men range from 130 to 122 and 135 to 123 for women. Rivermead also has an excellent practice facility which includes a driving range, and a new short game facility and putting green built in 2015.
Rivermead is committed to making investments on an ongoing basis to improve the course and its infrastructure. Furthermore, following the approval by the members of a new Strategic Plan for 2018-2023, the Club has undertaken a Course Improvement Project, under the guidance of Golf Course Architect Jeff Mingay, which has already given rise to the modernization of several holes. For more information, go to Course Improvement Project on the website.
In 2010, as part of our Centennial celebrations, the Club dedicated a Centennial bridge near the 18th green to commemorate this significant milestone and honour past and current members.
Practice Facility
The practice range at Rivermead boasts a large grass tee, high quality artificial mats and a covered structure with three hitting bays.
The construction of our new short game practice facility and new putting green adjacent to the 1st tee was completed in 2015. It includes a 6,500 sq. ft. putting green and a 5,500 sq. ft. chipping green with a large bunker and two sided fairway area. The total investment was $175,000.
New practice target greens on the range are part of the Course Improvement Project and will be constructed as part of that project.
