The Founders Bridge Pool - A Brief Review
" Founders Bridge Pool" is one of three brand new public golf courses that The Garden City Golf and Country Club are building. Located just west of Richmond, Independence now serves as the premier country club and public golf course in all of Virginia. Recognized by Golf Digest Magazine as one of the best courses in Richmond for both beginners and seasoned professionals, we've reduced playing time by nearly an entire hour from its usual three-hour schedule. Not only is this great for beginners learning the ropes, but for experienced players looking to hone their skills and compete more intensely, too. The club's all-time women's record has also been improved to 4th best in the area. 
 
Unfortunately, there are inherent risks to this unique location. Among these are the short term and long term effects of the construction itself. Although it is virtually guaranteed that there will be no structure collapse, and only a very minor amount of surface damage (mostly in the form of broken rocks), there are still some inherent risks. A brief look at the potential problems you should expect should help you make your decision when choosing between The Garden City Golf and The Founders Bridge Pool. 
 
One of the inherent risks to enjoying your golf experience at the founders bridge pool is the proximity to the river. The bridge is right next to the river, and you will occasionally have to deal with high volumes of sediment, and/or the constant erosion of the river bottom. If you are unfamiliar with the area, this could pose as a challenge to navigate through. Another possible concern is that the sediment could create a pool edge effect, which could cause you to lose yardage on both ends of your course. This is a slight problem, and one that most courses manage without too much hassle. 
 
The second risk is the layout of the course itself. Due to the nature of the design, many players find the putt is more difficult to hit from certain areas around the course. This was not an issue during our play, but can be an issue if you are accustomed to hitting the putt from a more distant distance. Fortunately, most players find this not to be a problem. 
 
The third risk to consider is your lack of skill in handling your own ball. Having played many games at the bridge pool, I can report that the majority of my errors occur during the putting stroke. My scores are always significantly worse at the putting greens than they are on the course. This can translate to making poor shots and getting stuck on the green. You should not have a significant problem with this, just make sure to keep your head down and try to stay on-line as much as possible. 
 
The final consideration is the conditions. Like most public golf courses, the conditions change seasonally. In the winter, the grass tends to be a bit longer. The exception is during the spring when the grass thins out and the greens tend to dry out more. If you are playing at ahole on a rainy day, the water can splash a lot and be unpredictable. In both situations, it can be frustrating to play through. 
 
With that said, I've seen some success playing the course in the summer. startups is a bit longer and in relatively good shape. There is a bit more traffic on the course during the hot summer months, but the conditions are still favorable. The downside is that most people aren't as familiar with the course as they would be during the colder months. Unless you know a lot about playing at a Masters level, I wouldn't recommend this as a warm up or recovery game. 
 
Overall, I like to play around the area before a round. There isn't a lot of difference between the bridge pool and the regular fairways, so there isn't a lot of learning required, which is good for me because I don't really like to be out there playing something I'm not comfortable with. If you do decide to play around at the Founders Bridge pool course, I encourage you to review the course before you play around.
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