RB Golf Course

In March 2018 a local group of investors took over what was Runaway Golf Club and they made a commitment to making RB Golf Club the "premier golf club in Wise Country." The course and facilities were in horrible condition (all the greens were temporary for example) and the course had gotten a bad reputation prior to the new management taking over. The new team immediately started making needed improvements, some of which included:

• all new champion bermuda greens
• a new chipping area
• bunker improvements
• a new irrigation system that now puts water on the entire course
• complete renovation of the bar and restaurant
• a new pavilion for golf tournaments, weddings, or special events
• a new state of the art fitness center

One of the reasons we recommend RB Golf Club is because the golf course is great: it's scenic as it plays through live oaks and offers views of Lake Bridgeport; each hole is a little different from all the others; the conditions are good and getting better each day; the greens are raised and big and have plenty of everything to test your putting skills - contour, tiers, ridges, spines; and the course is fair but challenging thanks to elevation changes, 15 dog legs both left and right, and bunkers. There are four sets of tee boxes and yardages ranging from 5130 yards to 6326 - pick the right set of tee boxes and you'll have a fun, relaxing, and potentially low scoring round. Make sure you play the course at least twice during you stay & play because on your second round you'll know where to land the ball off the tee, which risk reward shots are makable, and where to try and land the ball on the green. Read our review of RB Golf Club to learn more.

RB Golf Club Stay & Play Lodging

The second reason to consider RB Golf Club for your next golf outing/destination is the stay & play lodging. Located on the fairway of the first hole is a three bedroom (with three queen beds), two bathroom, two car garage, fully furnished house that's part of the RB Golf Club Stay & Play Package. The house is located 180 yards down the fairway from the first tee box and close to the Pro Shop, bar, and restaurant.

The house has wood floors; ceiling fans in each room; a living room with a big flat screen TV, a fireplace, and large comfortable sectional; and a dining area with a table and chairs that is perfect as both a dinning table or poker table! The kitchen has a large refrigerator, double oven, dishwasher, microwave, coffee maker, and all the pots and pans and utensils needed if you want to cook a gourmet meal. The garage is big enough for two cars or four golf carts loaded with your clubs and ready to take you to the first tee box. Check with the pro shop about keeping the cart at house overnight if you're playing the course more than once.

The outside patio faces the 150 marker on the first hole and it's fun to sit outside and watch fellow golfers try to par the hole. During our stay we got three golf balls in our yard, including one Pro V! To help you look your best, there is an ironing board to press your golf shirt and pants and a washer and dryer in case you forget you second day golf outfit.

Bottom line on the golf stay and play lodging is that it's not the most luxurious but it's reasonably priced, close to the pro shop, has a refrigerator to keep the beer cold, a table for poker or games, an outside patio, and a comfy bed - what else do you need for a fun weekend of golf?

The Amenities at RB Golf Club & Resort

The RB Golf Club Clubhouse is home to a great recently renovated bar and restaurant - Lakeview Tavern & Grill. The restaurant is open from lunch and dinner and during our stay we had an excellent lunch that included: loaded nachos, a house salad, a very good cheese burger, a delicious triple decker Club sandwich, and a tasty crispy chicken sandwich - plus a couple beers and two outstanding Bloody Marys, which made the back nine much more fun!

The menu changes frequently but some of what was on the dinner menu during our visit included: Chicken Fried Steak, Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin, Fish & Chips, Grilled Chicken, Shrimp Cocktail, Boneless Wings, Loaded Fries, a variety of salads, and more.

Make sure that before you head out for your round of golf you spend some time on the new chipping area, at the range, and on the putting green. Visit the pro shop - they have a little bit of everything to make you look like a professional golfer and you might also consider taking a lesson and getting some tips on the course layout before you tee off

If you're into exercise, check out the fitness center - it's first class and loaded with everything you need for a good workout. If you play tennis there are two tennis courts across from the clubhouse. A new swimming pool is on the drawing board for RB Golf Club.

Nearby RB Golf Club & Resort

RB Golf Club & Resort is located a mile from the heart of Runaway Bay which is at the Southern end of Lake Bridgeport. The population of Runaway Bay is around 1,286 and as such there is not much to see and do that doesn't center around water activities on Lake Bridgeport. After your round of golf you can rent a pontoon boat and enjoy the lake. Dip your pole in the water and try to catch dinner - the predominant fish species include the largemouth bass, small mouth bass, white bass, hybrid striped (palmetto) bass, channel catfish, crappie, and sunfish. If you want to find the big fish, call one of these Lake Bridgeport fishing guides. If you've got a canoe or kayak, try paddling Texas Parks & Wildlife's Chupacabra Point Paddling Trail. Here is a link to Texas Outside's interactive map of Lake Bridgeport which has more information on the lake. You might also check out Texas Outside's review of Lake Bridgeport to learn more about the lake.

If Lakeview Tavern & Grill is closed (which is was on Sunday night and Monday when we stayed) then just down the road on the edge of the lake is 1 Stop of Texas which has a meat market and some good food - the burger was outstanding. Or Bridgeport is only 7 miles down the road and they have a good Italian (Pronto's and it's BYOB) and an excellent Mexican restaurant (Dos Chiles Grandes) with outstanding margaritas - which had a significant, and negative, impact on my golf game the next morning. On the first tee I couldn't tell which ball to hit and my first swing missed them both!

Service at RB Golf Club & Resort

The service and staff at RB Golf Club are outstanding - friendly, courteous, outgoing, fun, and out to make sure your visit is enjoyable and painless. Let me give you some examples: the course is closed on Monday but the golf pro (Tanner) came in to greet us and show us around get us a golf cart; the restaurant and bar was closed but they opened for the four of us and cooked up a delicious lunch and served us drinks (the waitress was superb!); and everyone we met from the GM to the golf staff was fantastic.

Another example of their service and commitment to the customer was the help they offered to fix my RV. I made a stupid mistake and drove my RV under a covered roof and damaged the roof air conditioner on the way to RB Golf Club. I ask the GM where in Bridgeport I could find a shop that could remove the AC from the roof so I could drive home without worrying about it falling off. He said "let me talk to one of my staff and we'll take a look at what needs to be done." Five minutes later they were on the roof checking it out and ten minutes after that they came back with the proper tools to quickly remove the air conditioner. On their day off! That's what I call superb service - thanks much. We also talked to several members who said the new management team was outstanding and the course was 100% better after they took over.

Bottom line - a fun course, comfy stay & play lodging, good food and bar,reasonable prices, and excellent service!