The city of Sugar Land, located about 20 miles southwest of Houston, has been in a nearly constant state of transformation since it was incorporated in 1959. The vast farmlands where sugarcane once grew, and provided the city with its name, are now filled with corporate offices, master-planned communities, shopping centers, schools, hospitals, and all the ancillary services and conveniences that comes with decades of growth.
It's not always easy to maintain a sense of place while the surrounding area changes so rapidly. But Riverbend Country Club has managed to do just that. Tucked away in a quiet neighborhood not far from Sugar Land’s city center, Riverbend has been a peaceful getaway from the ruckus of daily life for over half a century, providing members and guests with an exceptional experience rooted in tradition.
Founded in 1957, two years before the city itself, Riverbend Country Club was designed by Press Maxwell, arguably one of the most underrated golf course architects of the mid-20th century. Press developed his craft while working with his father Perry, whose extraordinary design skills were recently on full display at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., site of the 2022 PGA Championship won by Justin Thomas.
At Riverbend, it’s readily apparent the younger Maxwell learned well his father’s gift for creating subtle and intimate routings. The course flows seamlessly through the rolling terrain, creating interest and strategy by incorporating the natural landscape. The wonderful mix of holes feature plenty of risk-reward options that demand accuracy and well-thought-out tactics to get around the property in the fewest number of strokes as possible. It’s a timeless design that offers up endless enjoyment day in and day out.
In 2010, Jeff Blume led a $1.4 million dollar renovation and modernization project that included rebuilding and shifting bunkers, upgrading irrigation and drainage, as well as reconstructing greens complexes and re-grassing with MiniVerde Bermuda to improve playing conditions.
With several teeing options available on each hole, the par-72 layout can be played from 6,908 yards from the back tees to 5,378 yards from the forward tees, so golfers of all ages and abilities can chose an ideal length and challenge that best suits their game.
Along with the classic parkland course, Riverbend Country Club provides a variety of other first-rate amenities including an extensive practice center with a double-sided range, putting green and short-game area, fine and casual dining, tennis courts, swimming pools, and a state-of-the-art fitness center.
Riverbend has been a proud supporter of amateur golf through the years and later this summer will be hosting its third TGA championship when it welcomes the Women’s Four-Ball from Aug. 8-9. The 36-hole event is one of the most competitive on the annual schedule, and the 50-team starting field comprised of the state’s most accomplished women amateurs will be tested by a venerable layout that demands precision shot-making and excellent course management skills.
For more information about Riverbend Country Club, click here. For more information about the Women’s Four-Ball, click here.
