Courses and clubs near Syracuse, NY

[Bill Shotzbarger]

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[Dan Herrmann]

Bill,
With all due respect, you'll probably not have the time.  Plus, private clubs cost $$$, something I never had in school.

More importantly, congrats on getting into Syracuse!

[Alex Lagowitz]

Timber Banks is OK, nothing great at all.  If you ever have some time, drive down to Colgate (about 45 mins).
Seven Oaks (Colgate's course) is a nice track and shouldn't cost much at all to play.

[Ken Fry]

Bill,

I graduated from Syracuse undergrad many moons ago.  Over 20 years now.

It's been a while since I've been back but for convenience from campus, Drumlins is close by if time is tight.  We would venture out to Radison Greens (a Trent Jones Sr. course) that wasn't too bad.  Green Lakes (front nine is also Jones Sr., not sure about the back) has a really cool front nine and a very awkward back nine.  Firefox was another option that had some really neat holes and some yawners.

When you're in college and on a budget you look for what you can afford.  Take that into account with these recommendations!

Ken

[Ronald Montesano]

Total disagreement with Alex about Timber Banks. There is much that is great about it, especially since Nicklaus never set foot on the site. Curious as to Alex reasons for saying "nothing great about it." Since when did greatness define reason for playing? Most of the greens at Timber Banks are quite undulating and challenging. The course challenges the tee shot, offers options on approaches and has a terrific blend of holes. Perry Noun, the director of golf, is a really nice guy, to boot. I imagine that, with the leaves a-turning their colors, Timber Banks is awesome in the fall, aesthetically speaking.

The course is about two to three years old. If you want to message me, I can go into greater detail about the course and get you some images from year one. I recommend it. Ian Andrew did some restore work at Onondaga. Would recommend it. Get to Mark Twain in Elmira and Seven Oaks in Hamilton. Green Lakes State Park nearby is one of RTJs earliest works (and is golden-age influenced, unlike his later works.) it is also on a great piece of land.

[JNC Lyon]

Gotta disagree with Dan a little bit: there is ALWAYS time for golf during the school year!  Teugega is my favorite course that is within an hour of Syracuse.  It is a very pure Ross layout, and it is a club that has a strong appreciation for its history.  On the public side, Alex (a fellow Colgater) is correct: you should make the drive to Seven Oaks sometime this fall.  It's a gorgeous drive from 'Cuse to Hamilton on a clear October day, and the golf course won't disappoint.  If you want another day trip, Thendara (9 holes Ross, 9 holes not Ross) is a probably a 2-hour ramble, and it will be well worth, if only for the 7th and 9th greens, which are both wifty and brilliant.  And of course, there is Leatherstocking--a quick use of the search function here should reveal my florid descriptions of the place (and maybe Ron can provide some photos).  Turning Stone is a short hop down the thruway as well, but many (myself included) have been known to vilipend the courses there, both for their high prices and for their low quality of golf architecture.

Turning west, Rochester is a golf-rich town, and there might be a GCAer or two there who would join you for a game.

[Philip Caccamise]

A few budget publics not mentioned to consider: Links at Sunset Ridge, Links at Erie Village, Rome Country Club

A private nobody has mentioned yet: Yahnundasis CC, a lovely Walter Travis near Utica. Probably my favorite course in the area.

[Ronald Montesano]

Yah is in my scope as target of my next Travis excursion. It will need strength to equal CC Troy up the I-90.

[Alex Lagowitz]

Total disagreement with Alex about Timber Banks. There is much that is great about it, especially since Nicklaus never set foot on the site. Curious as to Alex reasons for saying "nothing great about it." Since when did greatness define reason for playing? Most of the greens at Timber Banks are quite undulating and challenging. The course challenges the tee shot, offers options on approaches and has a terrific blend of holes. Perry Noun, the director of golf, is a really nice guy, to boot. I imagine that, with the leaves a-turning their colors, Timber Banks is awesome in the fall, aesthetically speaking.

The course is about two to three years old. If you want to message me, I can go into greater detail about the course and get you some images from year one. I recommend it. Ian Andrew did some restore work at Onondaga. Would recommend it. Get to Mark Twain in Elmira and Seven Oaks in Hamilton. Green Lakes State Park nearby is one of RTJs earliest works (and is golden-age influenced, unlike his later works.) it is also on a great piece of land.

Maybe its just me, but the course is not very well planned.  There are a few decent holes out there, but its just a bland design with typical Nicklaus insane greens, which in no way are appropriate for the individual holes.  Is it worth playing, sure.  Would I want to play there everyday, no way.  As a golf course, I'd much rather play Colgate's which I assume is atleast half the price.

[Ronald Montesano]

Beginning to see your points, Alex. I agree that I might not want to play ANYWHERE every single round. I'd love to know what makes the design bland; the challenge of routing through wetlands and leaving width was difficult, yet the team accomplished it. The greens are segmented and manageable; they don't stimp at a level that would make them unputtable.

[Bill Shotzbarger]

Thanks for all of the replies. I know money and leisure time will be scarce; but I also know that I have a week of Orientation before classes start and that the weather should be lovely in September/October.

I just completed a mandatory online student loan counseling and they advised me to look for "additional sources of income." I've pulled several Trevino's this summer and maybe my good luck and decent golf game will follow me up north for a few months 

[Philip Caccamise]

Yah is in my scope as target of my next Travis excursion. It will need strength to equal CC Troy up the I-90.

Haven't played Troy but it's better than Stafford, and while it's been a while (~20 years) since I played OPCC I recall them as about equals.

[Ronald Montesano]

OPCC is the equal of what? If I had to rank OPCC, even before they destroyed the course with the three new holes, it would be a distant fourth to Lookout Point, Cherry Hill and Stafford for WNY Travis, and well behind CCTroy. OPCC has little in the way of inspired Travis greens, despite having the topographical fluctuation to support them. I'd love to know if OPCC's greens were softened over the years.

[Philip Caccamise]

OPCC is the equal of what? If I had to rank OPCC, even before they destroyed the course with the three new holes, it would be a distant fourth to Lookout Point, Cherry Hill and Stafford for WNY Travis, and well behind CCTroy. OPCC has little in the way of inspired Travis greens, despite having the topographical fluctuation to support them. I'd love to know if OPCC's greens were softened over the years.

I guess I didn't remember the greens at OPCC that well because I don't remember them being that flat, routing wise I'd say it's about equal to Yahni. Like I said, the last time I played OPCC I was 15 years old so my memory must be poor. I like Stafford just fine but it sounds like you like it more than me. Have not played Lookout Point- but I definitely agree that Cherry Hill is the best of the three.

[Jay Flemma]

Here's the Teugega thread:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,52870.0.html

Here's the article/photo essay I wrote:

http://jayflemma.thegolfspace.com/?p=4535

[JNagle]

Yahnundasis is a very strong golf course waiting to be restored.  The course has had many trees removed in recent years and extensive naturalized areas installed. I have never seen CC of Troy, but I was VERY impressed with the bones of Yahnundasis a day after seeing C.C. of Scranton (another Travis course).  If the Club gets their hands dirty and improved bunkers that have not been touched in 80 years, clears more trees, expands fairways......  you have an incredible hidden gem.  The natural topography there is simply amazing.  My head was spinning there.  The work done between holes 1 and 6 (road expansion) does detract from the original Travis, however the Club is looking into rectifying the challenges.

[Jay Flemma]

I thought Ian Andrew did a recent resto at the Yahoo...

[Ronald Montesano]

Onondaga, not Yahnundasis...http://www3.sympatico.ca/iandrew/clientlist.htm

[Jay Flemma]

No, the former Pres of the Yahoo told me they worked with Ian.

[Dan Herrmann]

Bill S - I'm proud of your confidence.  When I went to UB, people would have looked at me like I was crazy if I tried to gain access to a private.    Hopefully times have changed for the better

[John Blain]

I don't believe that Ian Andrew has ever done any work at Yahnundasis. Everything they have done - mostly tree removal - has been done in-house under the direction of superintendent Matt Wolfe.

[Tim Martin]

Yahnundasis is a very strong golf course waiting to be restored.  The course has had many trees removed in recent years and extensive naturalized areas installed. I have never seen CC of Troy, but I was VERY impressed with the bones of Yahnundasis a day after seeing C.C. of Scranton (another Travis course).  If the Club gets their hands dirty and improved bunkers that have not been touched in 80 years, clears more trees, expands fairways......  you have an incredible hidden gem.  The natural topography there is simply amazing.  My head was spinning there.  The work done between holes 1 and 6 (road expansion) does detract from the original Travis, however the Club is looking into rectifying the challenges.

CC of Troy is also blessed with incredible natural topography. Between Bruce Hepner`s work and Chris Strong`s day to day maintenance meld and adherence to the design`s original intent it is an absolute joy to play. I am a bit baffled as to the assertion by some that the land is too severe.

[Ronald Montesano]

I agree with Tim. The land at CCTroy is not severe by any stretch of the imagination. Well, it is if all you know are flat-land courses. I wouldn't call it mountainous at all. If it didn't have the rises and descents that it possesses, it would be more boring. I think that walking CCTroy would be a great workout, but certainly not akin to walking a VT or NH or other such course in a neighboring state.

[Ed Homsey]

I am finding all of this conversation about Travis courses, from southern Ontario to the upper Hudson valley fascinating.  I trust Ron M's take on the courses, and agree with everything he has had to say.  I'm assuming that Flemma is referring to Yahnundasis with his "Yahoo" comment.  Ian Andrew has not done work at Yahnundasis, though he is one of the architects under consideration for the renovation work they are planning.  That course is in very good hands with their Superintendent, Matt Wolfe.  He has a great respect for the history of the course, and will make certain that whatever work is done there respects that history.  Someone mentioned the alterations to holes 1 through 6 as a result of road construction.  Those changes involved routing, greens, and tees.  However, when you play #s 3 and 4, you can't fail to notice that the original Travis greens were retained and the routing changes to those holes were minimal.  The severely uphill par 3, #7, appears to have been changed in terms of direction of the tee shot.  But, from 8 on--with exception of #10's green--that course is flat-out interesting, challenging, and a great tribute to Travis's skill at routing a course and green siting.  Did someone say that the routing at OPCC was as good as Yahnundasis??  That seems a stretch to me.  At OPCC, Travis was working with very little acreage, essentially landlocked by railroad tracks and roads.  I think he did the best he could with the little land he had to work on.  Though we have no pictures or maps to tell us what the OPCC course looked like when it opened in 1917, it certainly has the look of having been "softened".  Greens leveled, bunkers and mounds removed, probably.  Ian Andrew is working with them and I believe we will see some great improvements to the course.  Already, the short, par 3 16th has grown some teeth.


Ed Homsey
www.travissociety.com

[Jay Flemma]

You need an update Ed...I spoke with the club president AFTER you were there. (as recently as a month ago) he told me he was impressed with Ian and they were consulting with him.