NWO Golf Links March 2016

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golf course and occasionally checks in at the
various courses.
Cary Long is the managing partner at Riverby
Hillls and Eagles Landing. Like his father, Cary
is a CPA and brings an accountant’s discipline
to the golf business. He has seen the ups and
downs of the golf economy and works to
balance the need for a manicured golf course,
with the demands of the bottom line.
TheLong familymembers are long-time residents
of Waterville, as well as, Wood County. Cary
lives near the course, recently moving into the
house previously owned by his grandfather.
RiverbyHills is one of the busiest public courses
in the area and even though it receives heavy
traffic the maintenance staff strives to keep it
one of the best maintained courses around.
The course has four sets of tees for every skill
level. From the Gold Tees the course is a very
playable 5,059 yards, while it can be stretched
to 6,853 for the low-handicap player.
A unique feature of Riverby Hills is the
difference between the front and back nines.
Holes 1-9 offer open fairways and level terrain.
Blast away and post a good score, because the
back nine offers more peril.
The back side is filledwith elevation changes and
although it is shorter, always plays to a higher
handicap. A meandering ditch comes into play
on four holes, plus a large pond makes correct
yardages and accurate shots a must on Nos. 11
and 12. Tight fairways and elevated greens will
challenge even the most skilled golfer.
The 435-yard, par-4, ninth hole at Riverby Hills
is the No. 1 handicap hole on the course. The
wide fairway allows for adequate room to drive
the ball, but the difficulty begins with the second
shot to the green. Trees line both sides of the
fairway and narrow as they approach the green.
Don’t go long or left as the pond separating the
9th and 18th greens is always lurking to drown
an errant second shot.
Take your par or bogey here and move on to
the back nine.
To view a flyover of the 9th hole at Riverby Hills
click this link:
One of the changes for 2016 was the hiring
of Justin Reitzel as the course superintendent.
Reitzel brings a wealth of knowledge to Riverby
Hills. He was the owner/operator of Demor
Hills Golf Club in Morenci, Michigan and
NWO Golf Links