Fairway River Links Golf Course

Fairway River Links Golf Course

Rayland OH

6/10 Rating

 

This is my second golf course that I went to in my home away from home area in Steubenville OH. And I have to say that all of the courses around here have the same sort of vibe to them.

This course is situated right on the banks of the Ohio River and has 18 holes. Most of the holes are straight with a few that are blind shots at the pin. The scenery on some of the holes are nice, in particular the ones on the river. 

Now maybe wondering why the low rating?

I am not sure about you, but after being here, and being at the golf course back in my hometown, I believe that I am turning into a golf course snob.

The club house when you first get here looks like a sports bar on the outside. And on the inside, there really is not a whole lot either. There is a cashier to sell you beverages, lost balls and some new balls, and the tee time itself; but no logo balls, towels, shirts or anything you can splurge on so you can have something you can hold on to and say ‘oh yeah I remember that I played there’ (at least that's my big thing). Now even though the club house lacked some touch, the employees made up for it with their kindness and gratitude. What I find shocking however, is the amount of trust that the course has on its patrons. There is not a single starter or anyone to check if you're actually there to play, and you paid. You just walk up to a cart, put your things in, and drive off whenever you feel like it. No tee times, nothing; I personally find this quite odd.

In addition to that, they allow a max of 5 players at a time, in the past the courses that I have played at have been very strict on no more than 4, so seeing that a 5some is allowed to me is quite ludicrous. 

The carts are in the shape where they get the job done. They are nothing special, just standard carts. Each one has its flaws, and are all different. Even though the speeds were varied, I went in a group of 5, and I had the slowest one, also mine didn't have a window for whatever reason.

The course conditions were fairly easy. I did not get in the bunker once, I’m not sure if it was because of skill, or the fact that the sand traps were only a couple of feet big. I am not exactly sure what the grass type was, but I will say what annoyed me the most, was the fact that there were absolutely no fairways. On the contrary to that, the greens were immaculate. 

I must admit however, that the scenery was very nice, and the course had quite a few personal touches such as the street signs on every hole. One hole’s green was shaped in a heart and at the tee box had the immaculate heart of Mary statue, which I thought was pretty sick.

What shocked me however even more again, was the patterns. There were guys on the course with t-shirts and crocs. There was no dress code in sight which is shocking.

Overall, I don't want to bash this course so much, because it is nice if you want a cheap round with your buddies and play a bit. I just personally have seen much better courses in my past time, and seeing how many people come in and out here, and the versatility, they can put in a little bit more effort on the maintenance of the course itself with maybe some landscape architectural components.