Riverside Golf Club, Ravenstonedale, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria

For use on the course here is a course map. From September to December 2006 the retaining walls on the 5th and 6th greens were replaced and strangthened with cement, adding another 2 feet diameter to both greens, giving a larger, flatter putting surface.

	Hole 1 98 yards. The first hole is a gentle introduction to the course. It is slightly up-hill so the green is out of site over the brow of a slight incline. Don't stray left as over the wall on the left-hand-side is a 25 foot sheer drop to Scandal Beck (your ball won't be the only ball in the beck). The green is flat and oval, falling away to the back. It is 21 yards long and 11 yards wide. Complete this hole in 3 or 4 for a good start to your round.

	Hole 2 126 yards. The second hole veers to the right with a lethal trap on the left of the fairway where, over a dry stone wall, is a steep falling wooded slope down to Scandal Beck so shade your tee shot to the right. The hole is slightly down hill and the green gently undulates all over. The green is circular and approximately 18 yards in diameter. To complete the first 2 holes under 8 lays the foundation for a good round.

	Hole 3 103 yards. Teeing off is from high above the river edge back up towards the 2nd tee. The fairway is slightly uphill. There are no hazards unless straying left where the fairway slopes away towards the 6th tee so keep your tee shot straight or slightly to the right. The green is 2-tier and approximately 20 yards deep, flanked with ornamental conifers It is 14 yards wide. The back 5 yards of the green is at a higher level.

	Hole 4 95 yards. A small stream runs from right to left 5 yards in front of the green. There is also a bunker near the front right corner of the green. The fairway falls gently down to the stream and the green is well below tee level. The front of the green is flat, rising evenly to the back. It is 15 yards long and 19 yards wide. Hazard - play off too short and you are in the stream. Play off too long and you are on a steep grassy bank.


	Hole 5 67 yards. 'The Pulpit'. The shortest hole on the course. The tee lies up a footpath high above and beyond the 4th green. From the tee there is a bird's eye view of the green which lies about 15 feet lower than the tee across a valley with a stream. On teeing off there is a need to avoid surrounding Scots pines, the stream 25 feet below and the built-up stone front to the green.

	Hole 6 113 yards. Uphill and blind to the green, there is a need to clear 70 yards of rough to get to the fairway. The green falls away to a second tier. Hazard - Play right and the fairway falls away steeply. Play too long and you can end up in the river which lies 10 yards beyond the back of the green. Play too short and you are in the rough or a bunker. The green is 21 yards long and 17 yards wide, oval in shape.

	Hole 7 127 yards. The toughest hole. Playing off is diagonally over a fenced-off part of the stream 80 yards in length. The fairway towards the green is flanked on both sides by tall trees. To hit the right side of the green direct requires playing over a large tree 30 yards short of the green. To the left of the fairway is a steep wooded slope. Halfway up this slope is a level section known as 'The King's Highway', a haven for a stray tee shot.

	Hole 8 The tee is high up at the top of a wooded slope. It is a blind shot with only the top of the flag visible over the brow of the fairway. The green slopes away evenly from front to back. It looks straight forward but cannot be taken for granted. It is 19 yards long and 16 yards wide. Hazards - To the right is a wooded area steeply sloping away, to the left is a boundary wall while above are overhanging branches.

	Hole 9 89 yards. From the tee the hole lies across a small valley with a steep slope directly in front of the green falling approximately 10 feet. The green is concave front to back . It is 10 yards long and 21 yards wide. Hazards - Too short, even by an inch, and you may roll back to the bottom of the slope . Too long and you may tangle with the large oak tree lying directly behind the green.

	Holes 10 -18 Holes 10 to 18 are from different tee positions giving varied angles to the greens. Almost all skilled golfers have commented that they would approach the course differently a second time, realising where to play short, long, left and right as they struggled to post a good score the first time round. Tees 10 to 18 differ sufficiently from tees 1 to 9 to offer a challenging 18 hole course that provides 2 hours of enjoyable golf.