Where Golf is our Game
Since 1973, Joe Lee's masterpiece at Rivermont earned recognition as one of his finest creations that is both fun for players of all abilities and challenging for even the best golfers. The 17th hole, featuring a 110-foot drop and linked to Evil Knievel's daring jump, initially stole the spotlight. Over the years Rivermont has hosted prestigious events like the Super Sports Classic, Georgia State Women's Invitational, and many qualifiers for the Georgia State Golf Association, Southern Golf Association and United States Golf Association.
In 2006 architect Michael Riley and Chris Cupit envisioned a golf course transformation that transcended the ordinary, aiming for something unique, distinctive, and delightfully unconventional.
Brief History
Rivermont has enjoyed a rich and diverse history since its opening in 1973. Over the years, numerous renovations have enhanced Joe Lee's original neighborhood course. His original design for Rivermont had the nine's reversed with #10 as the first hole. Club founder and first Director of Golf, David Cupit quickly determined that having the final hole end 500 yards from the clubhouse was not a good design and reversed the nines. Continued changes over the years led to Tom Doak naming the course as one of the "Three Best Renovations" in the country in 2015. Rivermont was proud to host the 2023 Georgia State Amateur while celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Click here to read our 50th Anniversary Book
The Basket
To capture a vintage 1920s ambiance on the course, Chris and Mike sought a classic look for Rivermont's flagsticks. They considered various flag shapes, like pennants and rounded designs, aiming to avoid copying Merion Golf Club's famous wicker baskets. Upon deeper investigation, Chris uncovered a 1931 catalog from Stump & Walter, a golf supply company that promoted a "Wicker Balloon" basket as an alternative to traditional flags.
These baskets were not intended to deceive golfers about the wind direction but were marketed as more visible targets, particularly suitable for inland courses where cloth flags often hung listlessly and went unnoticed beside the flagstick.