Waco, Texas
Ridgewood Country Club delivers a regionally elite test on rolling, wooded ground overlooking shimmering Lake Waco. The recent Tripp Davis renovation has sharpened the challenge while preserving the classic Plummer feel—making it a must-play for anyone lucky enough to get the invitation.
After your round, walk out to the lakeside bluff behind the 9th green for a panoramic sunset over Lake Waco—a favorite members-only photo spot.
Ridgewood Country Club, perched above Lake Waco on rolling, tree-lined land, offers a distinctly Texan blend of strategy and scenery. Ralph Plummer’s post-lake-adjustment routing fully leverages elevation, doglegs, and shifting wind exposures, demanding accuracy and intelligent angles off the tee. The 2024 Tripp Davis renovation delivered a modernized but timeless course — rebuilt TifEagle greens with classic Plummer movement, leveled tees, dramatically improved bunkering, and significant tree work have restored clarity and challenge. The result is a private club with strategic depth and excellent conditioning, defined by its stern par 3s and the ever-present hazard of wooded land and lake breeze.
The course reflects Plummer’s ‘tough-but-fair’ ethos, while Tripp Davis’s recent renovation preserves that legacy with an emphasis on strategic, visually striking greens and bunkers.
A classic, mid-length par 3 tucked tightly among mature trees, Woodland Apex asks for a crisp iron and nerves of steel to avoid the false sides and surrounding bunkers. The green’s subtle slopes reward a center-of-green approach and punish overly aggressive lines.
Land your tee shot on the safe side of the green and factor in wind swirling above the tree line.
Both bunkers and a steep drop-off lurk for missed shots left or right, with tricky up-and-downs from below the green.
Immaculate Bermuda fairways and TifEagle greens after the 2024 full renovation.
Pace of play is private-club fluid, but check with your host for member play schedules.
Classic Texas private-club energy with a lively, member-focused atmosphere.
Traditional private club dress code: collared shirts required, no denim, soft spikes only.
Study the strategy and green complexes at other Ralph Plummer courses to anticipate Ridgewood’s nuanced doglegs and approach angles.
Even on a calm day, swirling winds off Lake Waco can affect club choice, especially on the elevated and exposed holes.
Several long and short par 3s put a spotlight on precise iron distance and trajectory control.
Course opens, designed by Ralph Plummer
Plummer completes full redesign following Lake Waco expansion
Major Tripp Davis renovation begins
Course reopens with rebuilt greens and bunkers
Selected as host for 116th Texas Amateur
In the early 1960s, the rising waters of Lake Waco forced Ridgewood Country Club into a total course redesign, as the original holes were lost to the new shoreline. Ralph Plummer returned to re-imagine the course, giving the club a resilient new identity overlooking the water.
Even after the sweeping 2024 renovation, Ridgewood’s members proudly reference the course’s classic bones. The club’s rolling fairways and stern par 3s draw directly on Plummer’s original vision for a tough-yet-playable layout that could hold up to top amateur events.
The recent renovation by Tripp Davis didn’t just revive the course’s surfaces—it honored its Texas roots. Davis’ subtle yet bold green expansions and strategic bunkering pay clear tribute to Plummer, while making the course feel fresh and formidable for a new generation.
Lake Waco's expansion in the 1960s forced a top-to-bottom redesign of the course.
The course has hosted the Southwest Conference collegiate championship.
Ridgewood's greens were rebuilt to new specifications in 2024 using TifEagle ultra-dwarf Bermuda.
Ralph Plummer designed or renovated over 100 courses—Ridgewood is one of his signature Texas works.
Top public-access option with a championship pedigree, just a short drive from Ridgewood.
Convenient, walkable city-owned course with classic parkland routing—perfect as a relaxed second round.
Well-conditioned municipal course with broad fairways and approachable play for every skill level.
Stay in downtown Waco or the Baylor University riverfront area for short commutes, nightlife, and easy access to regional golf.
Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.
Why it matches: What links these two? A comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character — a familiar feeling, expressed in Cape Fear Country Club's own setting.
Why it matches: Audubon Country Club is a natural next stop after Ridgewood Country Club: it a comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character.
Why it matches: What links these two? A comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character — a familiar feeling, expressed in Vestavia Country Club's own setting.
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