About River Bend Country Club

The design and construction of River Bend Country Club was a three-year project spanning from 1997 through its opening in 1999. Located in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts, this 6,672 yard course covers 150 acres of land and is a semi-private facility hosting approximately 40,000 rounds per season.

The front side of the course is set alongside the town river in West Bridgewater, which bends and turns with the natural curvature of the land. Its beautiful lush setting is further enhanced with seven man-made ponds and a back drop for the 10th through 18th holes that showcases the beauty of their matured black oak and chestnut forest.

River Bend is known and respected in the area as a course offering smart and challenging play, with well manicured greens and fairways. It welcomes all levels of golfers, providing all with a memorable and challenging round of enjoyable golf.

About the Project

Unlike the terrain in other parts of the state, River Bend offered a naturally flat landscape that lacked some of the expected elements that most course designers seek in creating an attractive landscape. What River Bend did provide, however, was an outstanding view of a naturally beautiful water area that could be viewed from a variety of angles. In designing River Bend, we took the traditional Donald Ross approach of maintaining the as much of the natural aspects of the course as possible, focusing on the beauty of what the land naturally provided to create a dramatic and attractive golf experience focused on the river’s curves.

In addition to the natural water features, we also designed and constructed seven ponds to enhance the aesthetics, challenge and playability of the course, as well as to obtain the necessary fill to enhance the landscape area. This technique also helped to provide a water supply for the front nine holes of the course, and is one typical of courses founding Florida, but at that time was unique in a New England course.

Because the back nine holes did not offer the distinctive views of the river that were on the front, we focused the aesthetics of the design around three man-made water hazards and the natural beauty of the forests surrounding the property. The level of maturity in the trees, even at the time of construction, provided a lush feeling of privacy, as well as a challenge to play.