Ridgewood Country Club, established in 1947, has a long history of providing the best playing conditions in Central Texas.
Since 1947, Ridgewood Country Club has provided its members and guests with arguably the best golfing experience in Central Texas. The pristine course, designed by native Texan Ralph Plummer, boasts rolling hills, wooded areas with large deciduous trees, and the scenic backdrop of beautiful Lake Waco. The combination of elevated bentgrass greens, undulating bermudagrass fairways, and significant elevation changes provide golfers of all skill levels with a fun yet challenging test of golf. Ridgewood strives to provide consistent playing conditions that exceed the expectations of our members and their guests. The course has experienced several major renovations over the years while always maintaining the integrity and quality that Ridgewood is known for. Ridgewood is currently working with the golf course architecture firm Tripp Davis and Associates to develop and implement a comprehensive Master Plan for the course. This plan is intended to preserve the historic value of the course while ensuring that playing conditions meet the expectations of future generations of golfers.
Course
History
Ridgewood Country Club opened for play in the fall of
1947 near what is now Lake Waco. The course was originally designed by native
Texas golf course architect, Ralph Plummer.
In the
early 1960s, the City of Waco and the United States Army Corps of Engineers
(USACE) finalized plans to expand Lake Waco. A new dam was constructed and the
normal lake elevation was increased to 455ft with a maximum flood pool
elevation of 503ft. The expansion of Lake Waco necessitated a complete
re-design of the course. Mr. Plummer returned to Ridgewood to undertake this
task and his new design opened in June of 1963. According to Buster Neal’s Waco
Tribune-Herald article, the new course was described as “the most scenic in the
Southwest” and “100 percent better than the old course”. Neal also stated that
“The course is not too long, 6542 yards with a par of 35-35—70, but Plummer
claims that ‘all the shots are there’” – a statement that most golfers would
still agree with to this day. There have been multiple renovations and
improvements over the years, but the overall layout and routing from 1963
remain intact.
Course Grasses
Greens - A1/A4 bentgrass
Fairways/Tee – Tifsport bermudagrass
Roughs – Common bermudagrass, hybrid bermudagrass, tall
fescue