Dennis Nett/The Post-Standard
By Chris Wagner | Contributing Writer
From historic to modern and from links to mountainous, golf in Upstate New York offers a variety of courses that come with a special perk: You don’t have to know a Fortune 500 executive to play them.
Following is a list of the 18 Best Courses You Can Play in Upstate New York. Each region tops the charts with multiple offerings. For golfers, that means they can turn day trips into mini-vacations.
In Central New York, for example, the trifecta of championship tracts at Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona can be supplemented by a half-hour trip to play Seven Oaks Golf Club at Colgate University (known as one of the top college courses in the nation) or a 75-minute drive to tee it up at Leatherstocking Golf Course (which, if not for a little thing known as the National Baseball Hall of Fame, would be the crown jewel of Cooperstown).
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Atunyote at Turning Stone Resort & Casino, Vernon
This Tom Fazio-designed gem hasn’t hosted a PGA Tour event since a five-tournament stretch from 2006-10, but conditions remain tournament-ready every day. A classic second-shot layout, Atunyote offers plenty of fairway room off the tee but ever-increasing challenge the closer you get to the slick greens.
18-hole riding fee: Ranges from $200 (resort guests) to $225 (non-guests).
Address: 4774 State Route 31, Vernon, NY 13476
Phone: 877-748-4653
Website | Directions
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Kaluhyat at Turning Stone Resort & Casino, Verona
Kaluhyat, the Oneida word for the "other side of the sky," is one of the most challenging courses in the state. It sports a knee-buckling course rating of 75.5 (the expected score of a scratch golfer) and a slope rating of 150 (113 is average and 155 is as high as the scale goes) from the 7,105-yard championship tees. Best advice for playing this Robert Trent Jones Jr. design: Check your ego in the car trunk.
18-hole riding fee: Ranges from $60 to $150.
Address: 5218 Patrick Road, Verona, NY 13478
Phone: 877-748-4653
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Shenendoah at Turning Stone Resort & Casino, Verona
Shenendoah, the first of the three championship courses built at Turning Stone, underwent a major redesign last year before reopening in the fall. It now sports seven new holes, but the popular appeal of the Rick Smith design (and redesign) has been kept in place. Shenendoah offers a mixture of woodland and parkland holes and a splash of pasture holes that evoke Irish links layouts.
18-hole riding fee: Ranges from $60 to $150.
Address: 5218 Patrick Road, Verona, NY 13478
Phone: 877-748-4653
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Seven Oaks Golf Club at Colgate University, Hamilton
Few seasons are complete for Central New York golfers without a trip to Seven Oaks. Starting with a long, par-4 first hole that is among the toughest openers in the state, the Robert Trent Jones Sr. design challenges the body (with thick rough and slick greens) and mind (with strategic choices) the entire round.
18-hole riding fee: Ranges from $55 to $105.
Address: 2 E. Lake Road, Hamilton 13346
Phone: 315-824-1432
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Timber Banks Golf Club, Baldwinsville
Timber Banks became a force to reckon with right after it opened in 2009. Designed by golf icon Jack Nicklaus' architecture firm, the course is known for its challenging greens complexes. Most feature severe slopes that require pinpoint approach shots, as well as cavernous bunkers that might leave your head below the green's surface when you attempt to hit out of the traps.
18-hole riding fee: Ranges from $29 to $69.
Address: 3536 Timber Banks Parkway, Baldwinsville 13027
Phone: 315-635-8800
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Leatherstocking Golf Course, Cooperstown
Leatherstocking, the resort course for The Otesaga Inn, has been entertaining golfers for more than a century. Dating to 1909, the Devereaux Emmet design has a timeless quality about it, and the closing hole will leave you with great memories (and thoughts of Pebble Beach Golf Links' 18th hole) no matter how you play it.
18-hole riding fee: Ranges from $87 to $130.
Address: 60 Lake St., Cooperstown 13326
Phone: 800-348-6222 Option 5; 607-544-2546
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The Links at Hiawatha Landing, Apalachin
One of the crown jewels of the golf-rich Southern Tier, The Links at Hiawatha Landing features a gently rolling path along the banks of the Susquehanna River. The links-style layout designed by Brian Silva and Mark Mungeam demands more brain than brawn, and those with good course-management skills will be rewarded for using their noggin.
18-hole riding fee: Ranges from$34 to $65.
Address: 2350 Marshland Road, Apalachin 13732
Phone: 800-30-GOLF-3; 607-687-6952
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Conklin Players Club, Conklin
When golfers talk about Conklin Players Club, the first thing they'll mention is the up-and-down nature of the course. It's hilly. Very hilly. So much so that trying to rely strictly on yardages to choose the right clubs for approach shots is an exercise in futility. If you value the artful nature of golf over the scientific, you'll have a blast at this well-maintained Southern Tier tract.
18-hole riding fee: Ranges from $48 to $65
Address: 1520 Conklin Road, Conklin 13748
Phone: 607-775-3042
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En-Joie Golf Club, Endicott
The "Play Where the Pros Play" motto of this municipal-course gem is backed up by the fact that En-Joie has hosted a PGA Tour event (B.C. Open) or PGA Champions Tour event (Dick's Sporting Goods Open) since the early 1970s. While the pros frequently post low scores on the 90-year-old Southern Tier design, the narrow fairways and plethora of water hazards will keep average golfers on their toes.
18-hole riding fee: Ranges from $35 to $65.
Address: 722 W. Main St., Endicott 13760
Phone: 607-785-1661
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The Sagamore Golf Course, Bolton Landing
One of the most beautiful golf courses in the Adirondacks, The Sagamore Golf Course cuts a forested path through wooded terrain above scenic Lake George. Designed by acclaimed golf architect Donald Ross in 1928, the course is part of the renowned Sagamore Resort.
18-hole riding fee: Varies throughout the season; call for rates.
Address: 110 Sagamore Road, Bolton Landing 12814
Phone: 518-743-6380
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Saratoga National Golf Club, Saratoga Springs
Located about a mile from the Saratoga Race Course, the golf course sprinted out of the gate to rave reviews when it opened in 2001. Designed by Roger Rulewich, a protégé of Robert Trent Jones Sr., the flattish course features a bounty of forced carries to raised greens protected by deep bunkers and water hazards. The clubhouse amenities are second to none.
18-hole riding fee: Ranges from $70 to $220.
Address: 458 Union Ave., Saratoga Springs 12866
Phone: 518-583-4653
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Thendara Golf Club, Thendara
Thendara has long been a can't-miss destination for those planning golf vacations in the Adirondacks. Its rich history begins with its iconic designer, Donald Ross, who designed the course in 1921 in the mountain range's foothills near Old Forge. Although it's short by today's standards (6,446 from the back tees), it remains a sporty and scenic test.
18-hole riding fee: $55.
Address: 151 Fifth St., Thendara 13472
Phone: 315-369-3136
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Ravenwood Golf Club, Victor
Since opening in 2003, this Rochester-area course that can be seen from the Thruway has been a mainstay of championship golf, frequently hosting USGA and PGA of America events. In addition to a top-shelf layout, it has one of the best driving ranges in the area.
18-hole riding fee: Ranges from $40 to $75.
Address: 929 Lynaugh Road, Victor 14564
Phone: 585-924-6711
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The Links at Greystone, Walworth
Ask for a description of Greystone and the first thing a golfer will talk about is the size of the greens. They're massive. And while that may lead to hitting more greens in regulation, it may also cause more three-putts because of the long-distance range of putts.
18-hole riding fee: Ranges from $30 to $50.
Address: 1400 Atlantic Ave., Walworth 14568
Phone: 315-524-0022; 800-810-2325
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Millcreek Golf Club, Churchville
Millcreek vies for the title of being the high point of the game in golf-rich Monroe County. In one aspect, it wins hands down, as it's located at the highest point in the county. On other points, it scores well, too, particularly for overall beauty. That comes compliments of a glacial drumlin that cuts across the middle of the 320-acre tract.
18-hole riding fee: Ranges from $26 to $49.
Address: 128 Cedars Ave., Churchville 14428
Phone: 585-889-4110
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Seneca Hickory Stick, Niagara Falls
Opened in 2010, the property of the Seneca Resorts & Casinos, has quickly become a destination stop for those living in the Greater Buffalo area and Ontario, Canada. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., it carries a few of his signatures, including a split fairway on the par-4 sixth hole and a large, kidney-shaped dual green servicing the ninth and 18th holes.
18-hole riding fee: Ranges from $39 to $70.
Address: 4560 Creek Road, Lewiston 14092
Phone: 716-754-2424
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Harvest Hill Golf Course, Orchard Park
This fine course added another feather to the cap of acclaimed designer Dr. Michael J. Hurdzan when it opened in 2007. Subtle contouring throughout the course makes apparent wide driving lanes narrower than they appear. It also brings minimalist bunkering into play, especially around the greens.
18-hole riding fee: Ranges from $35 to $59.
Address: 3052 Transit Road, Orchard Park 14127
Phone: 716-662-1980
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Diamond Hawk Golf Course, Cheektowaga
This Buffalo-area course's only downside may be its difficulty factor. It's downright tough and demands good choices, as well as sound shots, to play well. In 2015, Buffalogolfer.com ranked Diamond Hawk in a tie with Seneca Hickory Stick as the top public courses in the Buffalo-Niagara area.
18-hole riding fee: Ranges from $28 to $48.
Address: 255 Sonwil Drive, Cheektowaga 14225
Phone: 716-651-0700
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To keep the kids happy ...
Check out our list of the best mini golf courses in Upstate NY.
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