The golf course at the center of River Club sells no annual, seasonal, or range memberships. It calls itself "100% public," and you can use its turf driving range without playing a round. Few courses within a short drive of Lakewood Ranch work that way now. That makes the 18 holes off River Club Boulevard an open amenity that anyone in the neighborhood can use on short notice. You don't join anything first.
The rest of this post covers how the course got that way, how it compares with the other clubs nearby, and what changes when the winter season starts on November 1.
One family, two courses, and a long public run
The River Club's own branding now calls it "Lakewood Ranch's Family Owned Course." Its About page names the Soletti family as owners, and Tony Soletti is listed as Owner and President on the event-planning page.
Here is how the ownership came together:
- 1988. Michael F. Pascuzzi Sr. opens the 18-hole River Club, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
- 2012. Soletti buys the 70-acre Links at Greenfield Plantation property for $850,000. Greenfield still says it has been family-owned and operated since 2012.
- September 2018. A company headed by Tony Soletti buys The River Club from Pascuzzi for $2.3 million, as reported by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
- 2026. Each club's homepage points golfers to the other as a nearby sister course.
The Links at Greenfield Plantation is at 10325 Greenfield Boulevard in Bradenton, 34212. Both courses run under one family, and both stay open to the public. On the October 5, 2026 tee sheets, both listed rounds starting at $55.
What happened at the other clubs nearby
In August 2025, Your Observer asked whether affordable golf around Lakewood Ranch was a myth. Its answer was a list of courses that had gone, or were expected to go, members-only. Legacy Golf Club, once the area's top public choice, was sold in 2024 to Heritage Golf Group, which now runs four private courses there. Lakewood National Golf Club had two championship courses open to the public, then went private as its neighborhood neared sell-out. Calusa Country Club opened to the public in February 2025, but the article said it would eventually go private once home sales there near completion.
The same article named The River Club the area's most affordable public choice, with summer morning rates of $45 at the time. Heritage Harbour Golf Club came next at $69 and Rosedale at $75, and the article said those rates move toward $100 as the season begins.
A year later, the overall picture hasn't changed much. Calusa still took public tee times for October 5, 2026. River Strand's reservation rules limit play to members and their guests. Rosedale and Waterlefe both call themselves semi-private. Waterlefe sells annual memberships to residents and non-residents.
Here is a one-day snapshot from the tee sheets and rate pages for Monday, October 5, 2026. These are posted starting prices for that date, not fixed rates:
| Course | Access as described by the club | Price shown for October 5, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| The River Club | 100% public, no memberships | From $55 |
| The Links at Greenfield Plantation | Open to the public | From $55 |
| Heritage Harbour Golf Club | Public rate sheet | $69, sunrise to 10:59 a.m. |
| Calusa Country Club | Public tee times, eventual private plan reported in 2025 | $99, 18-hole course |
| Rosedale | Semi-private | $105, morning |
| Waterlefe | Semi-private | $109 |
The River Club's October starting price is $10 above the $45 summer morning rate the Observer printed in 2025. It still sits at the bottom of the local range, tied with its own sister course.
What "100% public" covers once you pull in
Being fully public means more than open tee times. The course's posted policies and facilities pages describe a setup that works for a quick visit as well as a full round.
The range stands on its own. The FAQ says the turf range is open to the public, and you don't need to be playing golf to use it. Range tokens are sold in the pro shop. Baskets cost $7 for a small and $12 for a large. Complimentary range carts wait in front of the pro shop. With no range membership available, a basket costs the same whether you hit balls once a month or several times a week.
Late-day golf runs on the twilight rate. The River Club has no 9-hole rate. Instead, a twilight rate starts at 3 p.m., which the club describes as a good time to play 9, 12, or however many holes fit before dark.
Instruction is set up for newer golfers. PGA Head Golf Professional Tim Sheredy runs weekly group lessons through a Novice League. The club directs interested golfers to ask at the pro shop. The club also runs men's, women's, and couples' leagues for 9 or 18 holes at discounted league rates.
Food is quick and casual. The River Club Grille serves concession-style meals every day, made with locally sourced ingredients, and posts daily specials. The pro shop sells cold drinks and hot sandwiches and supplies coolers if you buy a few drinks for the round. After a round, you can drive your cart to the front door for a beer and a sandwich.
Group events don't need a big group. Tony Soletti can build custom golf packages for groups with no minimum size, according to the event-planning page.
A few rules apply to everyone. Walking isn't allowed. Men must wear collared shirts, and jeans, cutoffs, and tank tops aren't permitted. The course is a foursome facility, so smaller groups may be paired with other golfers. The expected pace of play is 4 hours and 15 minutes. Outside alcohol isn't allowed under any circumstances, and tee times are covered by a 48-hour cancellation policy.
What changes on November 1
Starting November 1, on-course service runs every day. The River Club's FAQ says the beverage cart and halfway house operate seven days a week from November through April. From May through September, the cart runs only on weekends, and golfers are told to carry four to five hours of fluids because the routing doesn't pass the clubhouse after the 9th hole.
Prices change on the same date elsewhere. Heritage Harbour's 2026/2027 rate sheet lists a $69 public rate from sunrise to 10:59 a.m. for September 1 through October 31. For the same time slot from November 1 through January 10, the rate is $119. The Observer said in 2025 that area rates move toward $100 once the season begins. The River Club's homepage sends golfers to an online tee-time booking page, and that page showed October prices when checked.
The River Club's events page had no events listed when checked, and the FAQ gives no fall closure dates. For any day-specific question, call the pro shop at (941) 751-4211.
How the public courses fit together
The two Soletti courses together make up a small public-golf network in East Manatee, during a stretch when several nearby clubs went the other way. The River Club's FAQ rules out annual, seasonal, and range memberships, and Greenfield's homepage says it is open to the public. The Observer's 2025 report also listed two county-owned courses leased to Fusion Golf Partners at lower 2025 rates: Manatee County Golf Course at $32 and Buffalo Creek at $28.
For River Club homeowners, the course next door is open to them with no membership required. A small basket at the range costs $7, and starting November 1 the beverage cart runs every day.
Living next to a public course raises its own questions, like which homes back up to the fairways and how that plays into value when you sell. 941 Team is glad to walk River Club homeowners through them. If you're thinking about what your place on the course means for your next move, contact us.
