Moving to Syracuse, NY - Private club recommendations?

[counselor79]

I am going to be moving to Syracuse, NY in the next 2-3 weeks and need recommendations for Country Clubs I should check out in the area. I belong to a great club where I live now and would like to find someplace really nice to play and with year round activities.

 

Can anyone make suggestions?

 

Thanks!

[swats]

From my faint memory of living there (10y ago) there are a good number to choose from, depends on which side of town you'll be living. I was on the west side and two private clubs near me were Onandaga Country Club and Cavalry Club. Some other I can think of are Lake Shore Yacht and Golf club, Bellevue Country Club, Camillus Country Club. Honestly, there is a lot of cheap relatively uncrowded public golf as well.

[4Par]

For year round activities you'll want to look at Bellevue, Onondaga, or Calvary..... I belong to Beaver Meadows 15 min north of Syracuse and would be happy to show you our place when you get here......

[JGalls]

Bellevue Country Club.

I'm a member and if you'd like a tour or setup a round, please feel free to PM me.

Can also talk to you about membership programs we have going right now.

[two_wood101]

Bellevue is a fantastic course/club

[italianstallion]

[quote name='two_wood101' timestamp='1399325371' post='9237563']
Bellevue is a fantastic course/club
[/quote]

They're hosting the NYS Amateur out there this year.

[counselor79]

4Par & JGalls, I greatly appreciate the offers and I may be reaching out to you once I get relocated. As you know it can be a little crazy getting situated after a long move.

I definitely have Bellevue on my radar as an option and am looking forward to spending some time at the club and playing a new course.

Thanks all!

[marrigo]

In addition to the clubs already mentioned there is Drumlins, The Pompey Club, Timber Banks is semi-private.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

Welcome to NYS. I can't help with you with private courses, but it looks like your getting some good advice on clubs. But also rest assured there is an abundance of great public golf courses in NYS. Allow me to make a few recommendations for times when you may want to try something different.

1. Turning Stone - There are several great courses there-- hosted some PGA events.
2. Also in Baldwinsville (suburb of SYR) is a great Nicklaus designed course called Timber Banks.
3. If you want to take a bit of a drive, you can go to Wayne Hills in Newark NY (not NJ). It's about an hour west of city center SYR. I honestly don't think anyone could find a much better course anywhere for the money. If it were located in SYR they could probably command 2x their current rates.
4. You are less than a couple hours from Old Forge NY in the scenic Adirondack Region. Go for a weekend with friends and play Inlet and Thendara golf clubs. Inlet is tight and meanders through the mountains and the entire course is scenic. Thendara has about the prettiest back 9 you'd ever see.
5. Heading west toward ROC, BUF and into Niagara Falls Canada, the list is huge.

I'm sure there are plenty other good public courses right around SYR, but those are the places I'm familiar.

Also not sure if you're a winter sports enthusiast, but buy yourself some snowshoes, learn to ski or buy a snowmobile, otherwise winter can be long. You've got Gore and White Face Mtns a couple hours away and smaller ski resorts much closer. Snowmobiling in Old Forge and Tug Hill are first rate fun.

[Campo]

I used to live south of that area and honestly, I would just gut up and play at Turning Stone as much as I could...Costly, but I love those courses and the treatment you get there.

Plus, hit the poker tables afterwards and get your fees back!

[RichieHunt]

You may want to look up Raddison Greens as well. And if you're looking to move more outside of Syracuse, I would recommend Skaneateles CC, Teugega CC or Yahnundasis CC.






RH

[joey2aces]

Welcome to the Cuse!!

Great clubs with initiation and dues north of 5k a year...... Cavalry, Onondaga, Bellevue, Skaneateles.

no initiation and dues under 5k
Lakeshore
Cazenovia
Drumlins
Pompey
Tuscarora

Semi-private
Radisson
Timber Banks (where the US Open qualifier is this year... but they do not have a club house)
Camillus

Feel free to inbox me. I have friends at all of these clubs and can get us on for you to play.

[Kuz013]

[quote name='joey2aces' timestamp='1399574367' post='9258257']
Welcome to the Cuse!!

Great clubs with initiation and dues north of 5k a year...... Cavalry, Onondaga, Bellevue, Skaneateles.

no initiation and dues under 5k
Lakeshore
Cazenovia
Drumlins
Pompey
Tuscarora

Semi-private
Radisson
Timber Banks (where the US Open qualifier is this year... but they do not have a club house)
Camillus

Feel free to inbox me. I have friends at all of these clubs and can get us on for you to play.
[/quote]

I think Pompey is semi now

[joey2aces]

[quote name='Kuz013' timestamp='1399918999' post='9280393']
[quote name='joey2aces' timestamp='1399574367' post='9258257']
Welcome to the Cuse!!

Great clubs with initiation and dues north of 5k a year...... Cavalry, Onondaga, Bellevue, Skaneateles.

no initiation and dues under 5k
Lakeshore
Cazenovia
Drumlins
Pompey
Tuscarora

Semi-private
Radisson
Timber Banks (where the US Open qualifier is this year... but they do not have a club house)
Camillus

Feel free to inbox me. I have friends at all of these clubs and can get us on for you to play.
[/quote]

I think Pompey is semi now
[/quote]
nope. Just asked the guy in the office next to me who is a member.

[Kuz013]

[quote name='joey2aces' timestamp='1399919306' post='9280429']
[quote name='Kuz013' timestamp='1399918999' post='9280393']
[quote name='joey2aces' timestamp='1399574367' post='9258257']
Welcome to the Cuse!!

Great clubs with initiation and dues north of 5k a year...... Cavalry, Onondaga, Bellevue, Skaneateles.

no initiation and dues under 5k
Lakeshore
Cazenovia
Drumlins
Pompey
Tuscarora

Semi-private
Radisson
Timber Banks (where the US Open qualifier is this year... but they do not have a club house)
Camillus

Feel free to inbox me. I have friends at all of these clubs and can get us on for you to play.
[/quote]

I think Pompey is semi now
[/quote]
nope. Just asked the guy in the office next to me who is a member.
[/quote]

wow, i just assumed they went semi since they were hosting a Post Standard qualifier

[joey2aces]

[quote name='Kuz013' timestamp='1399919493' post='9280461'][quote name='joey2aces' timestamp='1399919306' post='9280429']
[quote name='Kuz013' timestamp='1399918999' post='9280393']
[quote name='joey2aces' timestamp='1399574367' post='9258257']
Welcome to the Cuse!!

Great clubs with initiation and dues north of 5k a year...... Cavalry, Onondaga, Bellevue, Skaneateles.

no initiation and dues under 5k
Lakeshore
Cazenovia
Drumlins
Pompey
Tuscarora

Semi-private
Radisson
Timber Banks (where the US Open qualifier is this year... but they do not have a club house)
Camillus

Feel free to inbox me. I have friends at all of these clubs and can get us on for you to play.
[/quote]

I think Pompey is semi now
[/quote]
nope. Just asked the guy in the office next to me who is a member.
[/quote]

wow, i just assumed they went semi since they were hosting a Post Standard qualifier[/quote]

Thats actually one of the gripes from members. Too many outside tournaments. Especially scrambles. It leaves the course in crap condition for members. But they're big revenue generators. And its no secret that Pompey is short on cash.
Friend of mine told me the bartender got yelled at because she turned the AC on before noon one Sunday in August. Right in front of him and 2 of his guests.

[Kidz2feed]

Onondaga. Read Dobson's "The Dewsweepers". Boeheim is a member there.

[rbhan12]

From what I understand from friends of mine, Cavalry is short on cash. Usually what you do is put yourself on the waiting list for Onondoga CC and join Cavalry while you wait. Both tracks are good, but Onondoga is by far a much nicer country club. It's also much more "exclusive", particularly if your skin is anything past white. I'm Indian and was playing with my friend who's a member there last summer. The number of looks I got was uncanny. Not to mention several of my friends worked there and commented on how many of the members are both racist and sexist. I was a member at Drumlins and remember hearing that Daryl Gross, the athletic director for Syracuse University and former athletic director for USC while Reggie Bush was there, has been on the Onondoga Country Club waiting list for awhile now (very nice guy by the way).

Another place you should look at that hasn't been mentioned yet is The Links at Erie Village. It's like 5-10 minutes from Onondoga CC and is a great track (in my opinion). Greens are, again in my opinion, 2-3 faster on the stimp than most in the area. Very affordable as well.

Welcome to Syracuse and best of luck in joining a club!

EDIT: The Links at Erie Village is semi-private. Still worth checking out!

[Kidz2feed]

[quote name='rbhan12' timestamp='1400269646' post='9309943']
From what I understand from friends of mine, Cavalry is short on cash. Usually what you do is put yourself on the waiting list for Onondoga CC and join Cavalry while you wait. Both tracks are good, but Onondoga is by far a much nicer country club. It's also much more "exclusive", particularly if your skin is anything past white. I'm Indian and was playing with my friend who's a member there last summer. The number of looks I got was uncanny. Not to mention several of my friends worked there and commented on how many of the members are both racist and sexist. I was a member at Drumlins and remember hearing that Daryl Gross, the athletic director for Syracuse University and former athletic director for USC while Reggie Bush was there, has been on the Onondoga Country Club waiting list for awhile now (very nice guy by the way).

Another place you should look at that hasn't been mentioned yet is The Links at Erie Village. It's like 5-10 minutes from Onondoga CC and is a great track (in my opinion). Greens are, again in my opinion, 2-3 faster on the stimp than most in the area. Very affordable as well.

Welcome to Syracuse and best of luck in joining a club!

EDIT: The Links at Erie Village is semi-private. Still worth checking out!
[/quote]Gross is a member at Onondaga. I've been playing in their Member/Guest every year since 1998. While every club has a few personality issues, Onondaga's membership has really evolved. There are now several African-American members.

[jdb523]

If you happen to be east of Syracuse, recommend you check out the Oneida Community Golf Club. It's located on the borders of Oneida and Sherrill, about 20 miles or so from Syracuse. It's a couple miles from the Turning Stone Resort/Casino in Verona. The course is an old classic layout that was previously owned by the Oneida Limited silverware company. I've played it on and off for the last 30+ years whenever I get back to central NY, and it's remained one of my favorite courses anywhere. It's always been in really good shape, with quick but receptive greens and tight fairways. The course is interesting, reasonably challenging, and very walkable. It's a pretty course with nice views of the surrounding hills. Pace of play is good and the course never seems to be crowded.

The club is not a full up country club. It has a golf course, driving range, and clubhouse with pro shop. The restaurant in the clubhouse may be open year-round, not sure. Also not sure if it's open only to members and guests or if it has some sort of limited daily fee option as well. According to the website a family membership with assessments included is under $2000. Considering the quality of the course it seems like a pretty good deal.