One way to ensure a golf course is memorable is to build it on a great piece of land. Many of Wisconsin’s top layouts feature a signature landform—an unforgettable feature that you’ll always remember while playing the course.

Whistling Straits has miles of waterfront bordering the great Lake Michigan, while the River Course at Blackwolf Run weaves its way around a couple of bends in the Sheboygan River. Sand Valley Golf Resort is renowned for its interior dunes landscape and its sandy soil—the perfect medium for bucket-list golf.

However, it is much rarer to find terrific terrain on a lesser-known course.

River Island Golf Club in Oconto Falls is one of those magical places, and the setting makes the course a true hidden gem. Located 30 minutes north of Green Bay, River Island was built on engaging land next to the rushing Oconto River.

Originally member-owned, River Island is now a picture-perfect public playground just waiting to be discovered.

River Island Overview

River Island Golf Club makes full use of its special setting. Built in 1963 by community volunteers and designed by Larry Packard, the course starts on a scenic bluff, looking down at the river.

The first tee marks River Island’s highest point, and from there everything opens up below you. In the forefront, you can see the Oconto River area and the holes that play along the stream. Further in the distance, the towering stacks of the ST Paper Mill come into view, which marks Oconto Falls’ downtown area.

The first three holes start out gently, meandering back and forth as the course treks out to the Oconto River. The river finally comes into play beside the 3rd green, cutting in at its front left edge.

Golfers then cross a bridge to enter the namesake island section of the course. The 4th, 6th and 7th holes play on a pair of large islands in the Oconto River, while the 5th hole bends to the right along the fast-flowing waterway. You’ll finally return to the clubhouse hilltop at the scenic 9th green.

Note that I’ve labeled holes twice, corresponding to “front” and “back” nine designations—while River Island is a nine-hole track, there are two tee options available on each hole. This makes for an engaging 18-hole experience, even if the course only features nine greens.

The best example of two very different holes on each nine is the 6th and 15th. The 6th plays as a difficult 208-yard par 3 from the blue or front nine tees. Meanwhile, the 15th is a thrilling 292-yard par 4 from the red or back nine tee area.

The strategy for each hole is completely different. On the 15th, a player has two options—you can either go for the green off the tee with a high fade, or lay back and attack the target with a short iron. Neither option is easy, as the putting surface is guarded by the river on the left and a pond on the right.

On the long par 3 6th, a player must pull off a long iron or hybrid shot to reach the same green. From over 200 yards away, this is a much more challenging approach. The safest miss on either hole is just short of the well-protected target.

River Island’s combination course plays as a 6,058-yard par 70, but if you only want to play each hole from the tips, it presents a tough, 3,233-yard par 36 track.

River Island Golf Club

Architect: Larry Packard

Location: 100 River Island Dr., Oconto Falls, WI 54154

Par 35; Tees: Blue (Front Nine) – 3,024/69.0/119; Red (Back Nine) – 3,034/69.0/119; Yellow – 2,481/68.4/114

Favorite Holes and Highlights

My favorite hole at River Island is the 7th/16th.

The 7th/16th marks the end of an outstanding stretch of golf along the river, and also features the biggest distance difference between holes on each side. The 7th is a superb short par 5, while the 16th plays as an excellent mid-length par 4.

The 7th hole tips out at 507 yards, starting from a little peninsula in the middle of the river. From there you play to another island where the fairway spans out and bends gently to the right.

The river tracks along the left side of the fairway, before branching off in front of the green. With a great drive, this par 5 is reachable in two shots—but with the river guarding the short and left sides of the putting surface, it’s a risky shot.

From the red tees, the 16th plays as a 398-yard par 4. Because of the 109-yard difference between the tee areas, any drive on the 16th will need left-to-right movement to follow the bend of the fairway.

On the 16th, if you can get a drive out to the garden spot 150 yards away, you are left with a mid-to-short iron approach to a green without any bunkers.

The 3rd plays as the toughest hole at River Island. This 425-yard par 4 serves as a prelude to the outstanding stretch of river holes ahead.

The dogleg right is guarded by the river as you approach the green. A drive pressed up along the inside of the dogleg opens up the target as the creek cuts in to punish any shot missed short and left.

Mounds protect the opposite side of the tricky putting surface. The target is much easier to approach on the 347-yard 12th, as you should have a much shorter club for your second shot.

After playing the 3rd/12th, a small bridge takes golfers out onto the island for the short 4th and 13th holes.

This little nail biter plays from either 155 or 137 yards, depending on your choice of tee area. Either way, it’s a dangerous shot as water guards the left side before snaking behind the green.

The raised putting surface sits on a natural peninsula in the stream. The safe play is to aim for the open gap at the front right side of the rolling target, but a small bunker protects this corner.

The postcard-worthy 4th/13th is followed by the best two-shot hole at River Island, the 5th/14th. The 14th stretches back to 402 yards, playing as a dogleg right bending around the river.

The tee shot on the 14th offers two distinct options. The safe play is to hit a straight drive to the corner of the dogleg, but this leaves a daunting 180-200 yards shot to get home.

The other option is much riskier. To challenge the dogleg, you’ll have to let out the shaft and hammer a drive over the inside corner. If you can pull off a perfect power fade, it becomes a birdie opportunity.

Starting over 50 yards further up, the 353-yard 5th tee shot lacks the creative options of the 14th. But even a short approach into this green plays tough. The putting surface is set in a little clearing, protected on both sides by a series of devilish knob mounds.

While the 5th/14th is River Island’s best par 4, the long 1st and 10th are a great way to start a round.

Before you start either nine, take a moment to savor the view from the elevated tee area next to the clubhouse. Then grip it and rip it, as you’ll need a good blast to set up a reasonable approach.

Both the blue and red tees are set at the same angle and are placed only a few yards apart. That means you’ll have a similar second shot on either the 403-yard 1st or 415-yard 10th hole.

Playing next to the 1st/10th and moving in the opposite direction, the 9th and 18th are a terrific way to close things out.

Both holes play from similar distances of either 367 or 354 yards, respectively, heading straight at the clubhouse. You’ll need an arrow-straight drive on this par 4 to find the narrow fairway set beneath the towering trees.

Be sure to take an extra club for the approach, as the spacious putting surface sits well above the fairway. If you can escape the finale with a par or better, pause for a moment to appreciate the breathtaking view that stretches behind you.

Weak Links

River Island is an excellent course that takes full advantage of its tranquil setting, but the 8th/17th are a square peg in a round hole.

The landing strip tee area stretches back to give you one last view of the river, but from that point forward, this is a flat hole playing to a large green.

From the 160-yard 17th tee, this isn’t a bad hole, as the target fits a short to mid-iron approach. But from the 8th tee box set at 127 yards, it is a pretty simple shot.

While the 8th/17th can’t be stretched back to add more difficulty, River Island could add new tee areas on many of its other holes. In fact, some holes could gain 50 or more yards.

Pushing some tee boxes back might upset the regulars, but it would add some additional challenge to a very scorable golf course.

A prime example is the closing hole. As it currently stands, the 9th and 18th are both solid but very similar. Placing a new tee box for the 9th either to the right or behind the 8th/17th green could stretch the closing hole to over 400 yards. This would add more variety between the two tee areas and present a tougher option for better players.

The same applies to the 3rd/12th holes. The long par 4 3rd has acres of room behind its current tee box to make the hole play much longer. Building a new tee area in this vacant land could even make the current 12th hole (a short 347-yard par 4) play as a par 5.

The 5th/14th also has an interesting possibility for a new tee box.

At the back right corner of the 4th/13th green, there’s a small clearing next to the river. If a new tee area were built in this spot, the 5th hole could be pushed back from 353 yards to around 480 yards. Instead of playing as an easy hole, the new 5th could wreak havoc as a monster par 4 or entice birdies as a short par 5.

While new tee areas aren’t necessary, it’s something fun to think about. If River Island were to make an investment in some additional tee boxes, it would beef up an already challenging golf course.

Final Thoughts

While visiting River Island Golf Club, make sure to save some time for exploring the charming town of Oconto Falls.

This friendly community of 3,000 residents is a great place to go fishing, swimming or boating. You can also take a hike or go biking on some of the area’s beautiful nature trails.

If you’re interested in more playing more golf after a round at River Island, there are plenty of nearby options to scratch that itch. Just a 10-minute drive away is Abrams, another small town that is home to two more fun river courses.

Pine Acres GC is a nine-hole hidden gem, built on a rolling piece of a land next to the Pensaukee River. This scenic course features river crossings on both its opening and closing holes.

The 18-hole Patriot Golf Club is a short drive from Pine Acres, and like its shorter neighbor, it features holes where the Pensaukee River comes into play. The stream crosses in front of the 12th tee, backstops the 17th green and cuts through the landing area of the closing hole. A series of small ponds also protects many of the Patriot’s small targets.

About 30 minutes north of Oconto Falls is Hunter’s Glen Golf Club, set in the lakeside community of Crivitz. Hunter’s Glen ranks as one of my favorite Northwoods golf experiences and is a course you should not miss.

However, if you decide to only stay and play at River Island Golf Club, you’ll relish the walk around this wonderful track. That’s what makes it a true diamond in the rough.

River Island Golf Club website