PUBLIC COURSES 2011

25. Peak 'n Peek Lower Course
In a word, complementary. The lower course does not benefit from the fairway undulation and elevation changes of the upper course, but it is a fine fit for the opening spot on my top twenty-five public course list. The holes work their way over a flattish piece of land but are never boring. Conditioning is top notch, probably the element that allows the Lower to grasp the final rung on this 25-rung ladder.
http://www.pknpk.com

24. Holland Hills
One of the many unknown jewels on this list, Holland Hills sits quietly off Route 16, just beyond the Holland Speedway. The course stretches through the meadows, balancing straight holes with doglegs and one island green!
No Website

23. Chestnut Hill
If you'd like the lowdown on Chestnut Hill, read Rico's Rants rant # 9 from this year. Chestnut Hill is a meat-and-potatoes course that does more tournament rounds than any other local layout. Fine conditioning balances out a benign layout and elevates Chestnut Hill into the elite 25 of area public courses.
http://www.chestnuthillcc.com

22. Dande Farms
Another humble country course, Dande Farms often gets overshadowed by its neighbors, #s 3 and 5 on this list. Nevertheless, it was good enough to produce the Brodziks, Gary Neuschel and Ken Bugenhagen, some of the finest amateur golfers in WNY during the 1970s and 1980s. Known for its absolute lack of sand traps, Dande Farms also blends an open front nine with an enclosed inward half to merge two unique styles of golf.
No Website

21. Cazenovia Park
Some might consider it a stretch to list a city-owned, nine-hole layout in the top twenty five of area public golf. If you let Caz grow on you, you'll understand why. Whether it's the fairway-level 1st, 2nd, 6th or 9th greens (holes where you cannot believe you 3-whacked or failed to get it up and down), the volcanic 3rd and 5th putting surfaces (where a miss anywhere but short leaves a ticklish recovery) or the hill-benched 4th, 7th or 8th greens (holes whose approach shots demand the greatest of care), Caz is an approach-shot course. Hit your drive anywhere, it seems, until you realize that each of these putting surfaces must be approached with respect and restraint. Conditions relegate it to the bottom five of the list but, hey, that's not so bad for a little south Buffalo course, is it?
No Website

20. Concord Crest
This southern Erie county course grew little by little...nine holes followed by nine more and voila! 18 interesting holes. The piece of property holds five holes on the upper shelf, along with one that transitions from top to bottoms, and the remaining dozen or so in the lower bowl. Concord Crest is not afraid of rock walls that front par three greens, nor consecutive short par fours, nor heroic par fours with greens that bench into a hillside. A solid if short course that easily finds a home in my top twenty.
http://www.concordcrest.com

19. South Shore
About five years ago, this link to golf's golden age of architecture was at a low point. As one friend liked to say, "a bunch of unsupervised kids with chemicals are burning out the greens and fairways." South Shore tried everything, including lights along the closing holes, a dome and a shortened first hole. To outsiders, it appeared that the Styles/Van Kleek course was on its way to foreclosure and a quick sale to developers. The rennaissance of the Hamburg course lies in the hands of an invested ownership family and a commited superintendent. South Shore occupies an elegant piece of land and contains a series of memorable holes. The approaches to #3, #7, #10, #11 (from the back deck) and #14 make full use of the creeks that work their way through the course. The laying of the fairways utilizes the flow of the land well. Unfortunately, the par fives are weak and minimal/ineffective bunkering relegate the course to its present location.
http://www.southshoregolfcourse.com

18. Deerwood
For many years, the key to Deerwood was length. Back in the days of wooden heads and rubber-band ball guts, it opened with along par five, a long par three and a long par four. Add the prevalent winds to the mixture and you might be 3-4 over par before heading to the fourth tee (thankfully, a short par four.) In the late 1990s, plans began for a third nine and the entire blend of the course changed. Scott Witter (see #3 & #11) took a compact tract of land and maneuvered a series of fairly shot (versus par) but challenging holes and created the third and most interesting nine at the golf course. Unlike the original eighteens, where straight and long is the order of the day, Fawn nine employs short and medium-length par threes, angular short par fours and hidden green sites to create a happy place for shotmakers.
Click Here

17. Elkdale
If you can't putt, you're in for a long day in Salamanca. Elkdale is a straight hitter's paradise, so long as said hitter can putt. The entire course is benched into the side of one of those Allegheny hills and the putting surfaces are 100% influenced by the slop of the terrain. Add well-mowed greens to the mix and you have the exciting and ennervating combination of undulations and speed. If one could hit driver 270 yards and straight at Elkdale, one would have wedge in all day...fortunately, that doesn't happen and the course asks for its share of mid and long iron approaches. It's amagical ride down to Salamanca and a worthwhile trip around a well-kept, divergent hill course with all the requisite shot opportunities.
http://www.elkdalecc.com

16. Elma Meadows
One of four municipal courses that occupy a spot among the heralded twenty-five, Elma Meadows takes complete advantage of the ground over which its course is laid out. It's no coincidence that local high schools hold their X-Country championships here. Elma Meadows is a compact course with an excellent routing. No single hole nor stretch of holes offers anything less than diverse horizontal and vertical movement. The course begins with a quintet of challenging and memorable holes, closes its front nine with four solid offerings, then begins its back nine with two oppsoing forces: a short and straight par four, followed by a long, doglegged two-shotter. The pace at Elma never gets too demanding, nor does it ever let up. Conditioning is decent for a muni and that's all you need for an affordable and interesting 18 holes.
http://www.erie.gov/parks/elma.asp

15. Buffalo Tournament Club
When plans for BTC went on the table, talk of the other new courses in the eastern suburbs was minimal at best. As development of the course moved at a leisurely pace, work on neighboring additions speeded up and suddenly, BTC was the formerly-acclaimed new kid at school who now had some competition. It's clear that BTC has some terrific land and a more-than-decent course scheme. The shots over the creek (#4 and #7) on the front, along with entire 9th hole, are memorable and challenging. The back nine keeps you waiting for that "wow" hole that never quite materializes. The shot qualities are all in the "B" grade range, but none ever ascends to the "A" level of this lists's top 8. Buffalo Tournament Club found its nitch in the golfing market of Buffalo's eastern suburbs and holds it down quite well. A day spent at the Lancaster course is enjoyable and worthwhile.
http://www.btcgolf.com

14. Chautauqua
It would be nearly impossible to suggest that either course at Chautauqua (unlike the two courses at Peek 'n Peak) would be deserving of a spot in the top 25 at the exclusion of the other. Taken together, however, the golfing compound situated high above the gorgeous, southern-tier lake and intellectual retreat merits a mention in my list. Chautauqua benefits from above-average conditioning and a great deal of interesting land, not from the architecture. While Donald Ross is listed as the designer of the Lake course, it would surprise me if he ever spent time on site. Ross was know for sketching layouts based on topographical maps, then delegating the work from afar to his field supervisors. His Lake course does bear many of the characteristics of golden-age architecture, with little earth movement and siting of greens and bunkers in places where the land and the the golfer's intuition would expect (for better and worse) to find them. Xen Hassenplug's Hill course has longer and more modern holes, and works its way through more trees and elevations than the exposed Lake course. One could do far worse than schedule 36 holes at Chautauqua during the summer of 2011.
http://www.chqgolf.com

13. Willowbrook
One of two 27-hole complexes to make our list, Willowbrook made great strides in the late nineties with the addition of its north nine. Some of the more intriguing holes in Niagara county, including two challenging par five holes, are found on this third of the course. Long known as a short and accurate hitter's paradise, Willowbrook's older, goofier holes are offset by the newer, substantial ones found on the north nine.
http://www.willowbrook.biz

12. Tri-County Country Club
Tri-County made some upgrades a few years back to its second hole, tunrning the stretch from yet another short par four to a challenging, three0shot hole (unless you're Jake Katz...more on that later.) Tri-County is a transitional step away from the professionally-designed hill course (see #10 and #11) to the "a local guy somehow got it right" type of layout. The piece of property out in Forestville is singular, with holes moving quickly up and down the equivalent of mild blue diamond slopes on the front, before flattening out for the most part on the back. The length of the course is on the home nine, with most of the trickery taking place on the front. Competitors in the BDGA Individual championship last summer (2010) had, for the most part, never seen a course like this one and it eventually showed, with lots of lost patience. And Katz? Well, he hit driver-7 iron to the second hole for eagle in the final round, on his way to a convincing victory.
http://www.tricountycountryclub.com

11. Ironwood
Believe it or don't, Scott Witter is more pleased with Ironwood than with Arrowhead. Certaintly the best-known attraction in Cowlesville, Ironwood has no weak holes. Short par fours are guarded by strategic sand, fairway cuts and giant ponds. Reachable par fives are buffeted by appropriate hazards and undulating putting surfaces. Witter invoked the great holes of yesteryear, from the pitch-shot 2nd to the blind tee ball on 3, from the risk-reward 7th to the great Irish flavor of 18. The slightest miscue is all it takes to keep a course out of the top ten and, unfortunately, the green built beyond the pond on 14 is incapable of holding much more than an 8 iron, eliminating the possibility of hitting the green in two or, sometimes, three shots.
http://www.playironwood.com

10. Byrncliff
There is no nicer and challenging walk in the woods than Byrncliff. Wyoming county's premier course moves up and down the foothills with gentle abandon. Known for its par five holes, all of which are reachable on a good day, Byrncliff also has a collection of short but deadly two-shotters. Need convincing? Play the 3rd, 5th, 6th and 13th in even par and you'll have a great day. 4 and 8 are fine one-shotters, but it's the boring nature of the back-nine par threes and the uncerainty of 17 (par four? par five? par four-point-five?) that holds Byrncliff back from a higher ranking.
http://www.byrncliff.com

9. Sheridan
The cream of the municipal crop in Buffalo-Niagara, no other municipality (town, city, county or state) has a course that comes close to Sheridan. Sadly, what once was and what might have been were even better than what exists today. When the land across Sheridan Drive was sold to developers, the course lost six great holes and replaced them with lines stolen from flat baseball fields. Nevertheless, find a stretch of holes as stirring as the closing eight anywhere in western New York. The dance back and forth across two mile creeek on 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17 and 18 is monumental. Return Sheridan to its glory days and the course vaults into the area's top five.
http://www.tonawanda.ny.us/index.aspx?NID=280

8. Glen Oak
One of my favorite success stories is Glen Oak. Back around 2000, knowing that a peck of new courses was coming to the eastern suburbs, Glen Oak dredged its ponds and tidied up what had become a drab old course. Glen Oak, built around the same time as Crag Burn, by the same architect (Robert Trent Jones, Sr.) is a fine, flat farmland course that looks at home in western New York and Florida. Fast forward three decades, turn the same land over to Scott Witter and you'll have a completely different course. Great holes like 7, 10, 11, 12 and 17 are balanced out by stinkers like the opener and the closer. Were it not for the incredible 11th, Glen Oak might have the worst set of par fives of a top 25 course in the area. It is a credit to the grounds crew that the courses is always in top shape and prepared to offer a quality test of golf.
http://www.glenoak.com

7. Diamond Hawk
Diamond Hawk is a clear 6A, tied with Holiday Valley for the first slot in the second five. The penal nature of Diamond Hawk is what holds it back from a greater assessment. To their credit, the owners and managers of the Cheektowaga course have listened to client opinions and have made efforts to remove great clumps of briar patch and widen landing zones and rough areas. Diamond Hawk is the ultimate strategic golf course; driver is useful but should remain in the bag on 2, 7, 8, 12 and 15...in other words, think your way around the course! The toughest finishing hole in Buffalo cements D-Hawk's place in the WNY top ten.
http://www.diamondhawkgolf.com

6. Holiday Valley
There aren't many redesigns in western New York, which makes Holiday Valley most unique. Ownership took the brave step to upgrade the golf course to the level of the ski resort and did so in spades. Bringing in Paul Albanese (see Mill Creek near Rochester) was a brilliant maneuver. Albanese improved #10 (the second of consecutive par threes) and gutted the abysmal 11th, making it a playable hole for the first time in its existence. The always-troublesome 17th and 18th were reversed, to great reception. 17 is now a terrific par five and 18 is the heroic, downhill hole that it should be. Oh, let's not forget the new tee on 7...shame about 5 (boring par three) and 6 (goofy, walled-off drive), holes that keep HV out of the top five...wait, one more...#14, the gorgeous launch hole to the newly widened and split fairway. Holiday Valley 2.0 is one heck of a golf course.
http://www.holidayvalley.com

5. Links At Ivy Ridge
Home to the smartest ownership team in Buffalo-Niagara (who else would have left such an enormous buffer between the course and Main Street?), Ivy Ridge might have the strongest collection of par four holes in western New York public golf. Taking advantage of the central ridge that defines the course and its name, LIR guarantees no similarity between consecutive holes. Even the 9th and 18th, twin two-shotters that wrap around the same pond, require two completely different strategies for success. The par three holes at Ivy (with the exception of the somewhat-mundane 5th) are stellar one-shotters. The centrally-located 6th and 14th, both brawny par fives, narrow a bit too much in their various landing areas to be truly considered great holes. Nevertheless, Ivy Ridge is firmly implanted in the top five of the area's public courses.
http://www.thelinksativyridge.com

4. Peak 'n Peek Upper
Gone too soon was WNY's most stable professional event. The Upper course held its own against the best of the Nationwide tour. Whether it's the breathtaking drop from tee to green on number three, the throat-narrowing second on the long 14th or the chance to get it as close to the home green as possible on the drive, the Upper Course without question offers one of the top golf experiences in the region.
http://www.pknpk.com

3. Arrowhead
The first 18-hole triumph from Lockport import Scott Witter. Afforded a flat piece of farm land occupied by some old Bright Meadows golf holes, Witter crafted a very playable layout with some of the best public course movement in the region. From short par fours to long par fives (and everything in between), Witter proved himself to be a master of his cradt and the finest hire for golf architecture around. The absence of a 7000 yard deck and occasional conditioning issues relegate Arrowhead to a third-place finish.
http://www.arrowheadgolfclub.net

2. Harvest Hill
The course in Buffalo-Niagara with the most similarities to the great Crag Burn, Harvest Hill offers the finest collection of par five holes in the area, public or private. The par four holes offer a strong backbone to the course and it is only the relative inconsistency of the par three holes that keeps Harvest Hill from the top spot.
http://www.harvesthillgc.com

1. Seneca Hickory Stick
It may be the newest, it may have been a bit controversial/newsworthy, but Seneca Hickory Stick has everything that one needs in a golf course for the average amateur and the professional alike. The ground and air games are welcomed at SHS as at no other course in the area. The putting surfaces are complex while the fairway routing demands forethought and planning if success is to be garnered.
http://www.senecahickorystick.com

PRIVATE CLUBS 2011

25. Shorewood
A fine course in Dunkirk, it has neither "shore" nor "wood," nor memorable holes. The entire 18 rests on a flat piece of land and the holes tend to go back and forth, parallel to each other. Conditioning is pretty good and a few local events have been played there.

24. Tan Tara
Also a fine course in North Tonawanda. Tan Tara would rank near the top twenty if not for the awful decision to begin and end each nine with a par three hole. #1 and #18 are very good holes that come at the wrong time in the round. All four short holes play across the same ditch. Throw in the goofy, 90 degree 11th and you have three unappealing holes. Tan Tara does have some excellent holes in the interior of the course, but is hampered by a practice range that takes up prime land in the middle of the property.

23. Shelridge
Shelridge ranks 23rd by virtue of having fewer awkward holes. It has some excellent newish holes on its more recent nine, yet many of the older ones still end in inverted turtle-shell greens that are very difficult (in a bad way) to putt and chip.

22. Bartlett
Bartlett is one of two private clubs along the southern Tier expressway that merit a trip down. The course is not long but makes use of its length in excellent fashion. Molded into the Olean hillside, Bartlett also takes advantage of rises and falls and suitable green sites. The conditioning is excellent, which brings it into the top 20 discussion.

21. Gowanda
Gowanda would be a bottom-three private club without one fatal move: the retention of Scott Witter as architect. Witter changed 3-4 holes in the middle of the back nine, creating one of the area's most spacious and dramatic par five holes. Like Bartlett, Gowanda benefits from very good conditioning and meandering terrain that adds character to the course the way sideburns fill out a face.

20. Westwood
What can you really say about Westwood, other than it is a solid course with good conditioning? There is no elevation change to speak of, until the 18th hole. The greens at Westwood are typical William Harries, not very inspired and quite uninteresting. There are no distastefully weak holes on the course, yet there is little consistency in design to elevate the course above its fourth-five placement.

19. Lockport Town & Country Club
Now we start to get into some mildly interesting layouts. Each of the next eight has just the right number of weak holes to remove it from top-ten consideration. At Lockport, the contrast between the original nine and the modern one is stark; the original holes lay on a rumpled piece of land that moves up and down with abruptness, ending in a flat, boring and weak 18th hole. The newer nine extends over two or three (hard to tell) separate pieces of land to the north-east, and possesses one of the worst par five finishes (#14 and its fronting moat) in the region. That it comes on the heels of the elegant 13th, also a par five, is grating.

18. Moonbrook
This classic course, the site of Ben Hogan's final stateside tune-up, prior to winning his only British Open title (1953) is reminiscent of Bartlett (#22) on a grander scale. The same Allegheny foothills give character to the fairways and mystique to the greens. Very rarely do holes run parallel, offering the notion of a journey, rather than a well-trod path.

17. Fox Valley
Like many a private club in Buffalo-Niagara, Fox Valley suffers from a lack of space. Tim Davis did the best he could with the available terrain; the flood plain he had to work with was equal parts inspirational and diabolical. Who among us has gazed in awe at a drive from the elevated 15th tee, only to arrive at the ball and curse the prospect of wedge-wedge into a reachable par five? Fox Valley makes a straight driver out of all its members, yet affords them the occasional, open-field lash at a reachable par four or five. Its drop-shot 6th hole is rivaled only by the Park Club's 13th for beauty.

16. Transit Valley
The most claustrophobic course in Buffalo-Niagara, Transit Valley gives new meaning to the words "restrained" and "containment." No matter what the estimate of available acreage might be, it is doubtless less in reality. Transit is made up of 18 solid holes. Brilliant ones like the 3rd and the 5th are balanced out by wretched ones like the 12th and 14th. The two "valley" courses have much in common; both place too much of a premium on driving accuracy, both long for more land and both fit comfortably in the middle of our list.

15. Springville
The pull of a gorge is mighty! Springville benefits from a natural phenomenon that no other course in wny boasts. The deep gorge to the south draws shots on 4, 12 and 13 with a sense of inescapability. The club had the common sense to purchase land to the north and utilize in-house talent to replace 3 weaker holes with a triumvirate of broader brush strokes. Fast greens and a wide variety of approach shot demands make Springville the first member of our "fine fifteen."

14. Orchard Park
I'm not saying that the destruction of holes 17 and 18 ruined a Travis design, but it sure ruined the integrity of a Travis design. Holes like 3, 4, 8, 10, 14, 17 and 18 absolutely bathe in the golden-age glow; they are a call from an earlier time and an invitation to play the land, not the air. In complete contrast, holes 5 and 13 are so out of proportion and style (5 may be the single worst hole on a good course in the area...in fact, it i) that one is grateful that the two are placed on separate nines. Any closer proximity and the complete flow would be disrupted. You'll remember 16 holes at OPCC for their wonderment; hopefully the new ones won't make a lasting impression.

13. Niagara Frontier
It must have taken serious daring "back in the day" to build a golf course over broken ground. Maybe it was easier, since you could place tees and greens on opposite sides of ravines and not worry about tending the space in between. This course has its fair share of these holes, some that breach a major chasm, along with others that run on and through a minor chasm. The piece of the puzzle that completed the image was the abandonment of some claustrophobic holes and the addition of three more in the western hollow. The new holes look more Florida-TPC than old school, the only negative that keeps this NFCC out of the top 10.

12. East Aurora
The most demanding drivers course in the area, there is not a single hole here that can be considered a wide-open driver. For the average adult, driver stays in the bag on nearly half the par fours and fives. The shots into the greens are less arduous, then the putting takes over. There is a reason that an international junior tournament is held here: it takes young nerves to conquer this course! EACC contains many of the area's memorable holes, but don't leave your patience or your punch shots in the locker room.

11. Brierwood
The pros had their share of trouble when a Hogan (now Nationwide) Tour event was held here in the early 1990s. Brierwood may have more space than any other club course in the area; in contrast to its immediate predecessor, when don't you take out driver here? Despite its apparent openness, the course tosses in a hole made narrow by a creek, a ravine or a stand of trees from time to time. The ultimate combination of challenge and accessibility for players of all lengths and ability levels elevates Brierwood above courses of similar worth.

10. Lancaster
Metro Buffalo's hidden gem. Lancaster has more solid par fours than most courses in wNY. The 18th hole was a forgettable par three in the original design, but now plays as a driveable, risk-reward par four. The greens at Lancaster slope phenomenally and are wicked when fast. The blind, par 3 8th hole is unique in the area.

9. Stafford
Western New York's hidden gem. Not many outside the inner circles of golf and the membership have been to Stafford. One of Walter Travis' pieces of mastery, the Batavia-area course boasts humpty-dumpty greens that demand acuity from the tournament player and a sense of humor from the average chop. The front nine begins and ends with stout, challenging par fours; the inward half begins and ends with drivable two-shotters (quite the irony!) The Travis quadrilateral (Stafford, Cherry Hill, Lookout Point and Orchard Park) is, in a rival sport's lexicon, quite the round trip.

8. Wanakah**
The double-asterisk identifies the one course on both lists (private and public) that BuffaloGolfer has not played. A google-earth tour of the property, along with the reputation (state amateur championship site and local renown) of the course place Wanakah in the top eight of our listing. Might it rank higher or lower? Of course. When we have the opportunity to finally play the track, we'll re-rank (if necessary) accordingly. Until then, Wanakah's true worth will remain as mysterious as the identity of its designer/architect.

7. Brookfield
This course is solidly anchored in the top ten of area club courses. Designed by the enigmatic William Harries, Brookfield does not share the inspirational greens of Cherry Hill (where Harries was a member.) The course is solid from tee to green, although it employs far too many straight holes with little interruption from tee to green. Brookfield is the victim of technology is well; two of its more unique holes (13 & 14) are bisected by a creek that now comes into play for longer drivers, never an issue with wooden clubs and balata balls. Brookfield replaced two holes in the 1990s. The new second is a triumph, while the unfortunate third is a bunker-dominated par three of less worth.

6. Niagara Falls
From a tournament perspective, the Porter Cup is in a class by itself. From a golf course point of view, the question begged is, is it Tillinghast? Cornish? Trent Jones? Niagara Falls ranks in the second-five of area club courses for the simple reason that its architecture has no definable identity. The course has undergone so many changes over the years that many would be surprised to know that #18 was once a short par four! The Lewiston tract of land is equal parts subtle roller and garishly-bunkered post modernist. Without equal are the greens; their subtle and obvious undulations are the match of any surfaces around, despite the location of many of them on flat, uninteresting ground.

5. Cherry Hill
The lone Canadian representative might as well be a US course, right? Cherry Hill has the "it" factor, a characteristic unique to its terrain...all putts run fast toward Buffalo. Uphill and toward the Queen city? It's fast. Downhill and away? It shall be slow. It's not grain, it's not the drop off the escarpment, but it is something! Ian Andrew's remarkable bunkering efforts of the late 20s, combined with Mother Nature's winter thinning of tree copses, opened up and closed down Cherry Hill in new ways. And, lest we forget Raymond Floyd's whining, the 18th green is the most iconoclastic golfing element of our region.

4. Park
This Colt-Alison offering lies serenely below Sheridan Drive and represents the most eponymously-named club in the area. The golden-age design team
utilized the central spine of the escarpment to develop the finest drop-shot par three (#13), a back-to-back rise and fall tandem (#14 & #15) and the
most dramatic closing hole in the area. If that weren't enough, the fifth hole might be the best par three around.

3. Country Club of Buffalo
At times, the third iteration is the charm. After stints along Elmwood Avenue and at Main-Bailey, the CC of B retained Donald J. Ross to build the area's golden-age masterpiece. One of the original quarry courses (Merion in Philadelphia being the other), CCB uses non-traditional terrain to provide stark shot selections over a lush canvas.

2. River Oaks
Desmond Muirhead was known to be a wildly-influenced (although not influential) designer. What he did on Grand Island was carved and mound a series of golf courses (depending on the tee deck that you select) within one 18-hole stretch. If there is a more challenging stretch of approach shots in the region than 10-13 at River Oaks, it ain't by much. Only a finishing stretch of disputable merit keeps River from challenging Crag Burn for the top spot.

1. Crag Burn
The undisputed champion will likely remain the best private course in western New York for years to come. The usual forced carries and penal bunkering of Robert Trent Jones, Senior are not in evidence here. Instead, RTJ, Sr. crafted a thoughtful, serpentine layout replete with optional routes from tee to green. Crag Burn is known for its lengthy 2nd hole; in our opinion, #2 is only the 3rd-best par five on the course! The only flaw to the course is the absence of a driveable par four on the back nine, to complement the 3rd hole of the outward nine. Often mistaken for a links course, Crag Burn bears the greatest of resemblances to the fine heathland courses of the British isles and is a worthy occupant of the local private course throne.

Public Courses
January, 2003
Best short par threes (145 yards and under)

Best medium par threes (145-189 yards)

Best long par threes (over 190 yards)

February, 2003
Best short par fours (370 yards and under)

Best medium par fours (370-430 yards)

Best long par fours (over 430 yards)