Hole #7

Batavia Country Club:

Bang for Your Buck in Western New York

Posted by Alistair Orr

The plot of land where Batavia CC rests can best be described as naturally undulating and the course just feels like it should be there. The land was not forced to fit someone's vision but rather the course was routed to follow the natural contours that mother nature provided. The creators of BCC pulled together a nice mix of holes that are open and windswept while also featuring several holes where large stands of trees greatly influence the shot making decision process. Although much of the course is fairly open, bunkering is rare and there are only a handful of hazards to contend with, the many strategically placed sentinel trees that dot the landscape will keep you on your toes while you move through the routing.

Possibly the best feature of BCC is the playability of the course based on some really sound maintenance practices that aid in increasing both place of play and the enjoyability factor. With only 9 bunkers strategically placed where needed on the course, and the rough cut at a playable height, you won’t be frustrated having to hack it out or waste time searching for balls.

The yardage at Batavia ranges from 5311 to a beastly 7194 but playing from the correct set of tees, the course is as equally enjoyable for the low handicapper as it is for players who possess a beginners skill set. The fairways are mostly driver friendly off the tee, however, the approaches are considerably more demanding and care must be taken with club selection to the undulating green sites. The deceptive green complexes are fairly large featuring swales, slopes and the occasional drop offs that are the prime defenses of the course. The wise player will take a conservative approach and play to the center of the greens and putt outwards, while attacking only when the pin positions are favorable. Should you find yourself on the wrong side of the pin you will definitely have a stressful day with the putter.

Editor's Shot Maker's Picks at Batavia. Superb par 4's

	Hole 4	Hole 5	Hole 6	Hole 11
Par	Par 4	Par 4	Par 4	Par 4
Blue	461	463	427	429
White	386	395	350	419
Gold	368	376	293	346
Red	313	305	293	312
HCP-Men	5	9	17	4
HCP-Women	11	16	13	4

Feature Holes Descriptions:

There is a solid collection of par 3's at Batavia led by the diminutive 3rd hole, where a short iron is the club of choice, while the beastly 7th hole where driver may very well be the club needed from the tee to reach the dance floor. Number 7 plays uphill and generally into a hurting cross wind, thus it plays up to two clubs longer than the yardage on the card would indicate is needed. The green surface can barely be seen from the tee and is protected by a lone bunker guarding the front right. Thick grass will gobble up anything hit long and the miss right will bound down a hill making an up and down challenging. A three marked on the card at the 7th is a triumph.The 3rd hole is a pretty little one-shotter that is the first hole you see when driving up to the course. Although only a short iron is needed for most to reach the green site defends the hole well and a deft chip will be needed if the green is missed. Either of these holes could easily have been chosen as a featured hole, however, I decided to look at the par 4’s for the cream of the crop at BCC and are indicative of the flavor of the entire course.

Hole #3

You don’t see the first par 4 until you reach the 4th tee but what follows is a stretch of three really good ones. Not a bunker can be found through this stretch but none are needed as the green complexes and length are sufficient challenges to par here. If you are bold enough to march to the back tees at 461, 463, and 427 yards the big stick is needed and your Sunday best drives are required should the goal of par be in your sights.

All three holes are essentially straight away with the 4th and 6th holes sloping0 gradually upwards while the 5th drifts downhill. The generous landing areas allow for you to bomb away off the tee, however, it is the green complexes that are the main source of defense through these holes. With slopes and swales that puts a premium on placing the correct iron in hand for your approach that will result in you finding the right area for a chance at birdie. An approach finding the wrong side of the green makes for a very difficult two-putt indeed. Nothing fancy through this stretch, just three really solid par 4’s that, if played well, could set you well on your way to having a successful day on the links.

The par 4 that really caught my fancy on the back side was the 11th. Playing from a raised teeing ground the hole flows gently downhill and sweeps to the left then elevates slightly to the green. With a stand of trees at the inside corner of the dogleg, to a left side pond in the distance and a lone bunker protecting the tricky green complex, there are plenty of visual distractions that will play with your psyche. Making par on this hole will boost your ego and put a spring in your step as you strut to the par 5 twelfth tee.

Course Stats at Batavie CC:

Par 72	Yardage	Rating/Slope-M	Rating/Slope-F
Blue	7194	74.1 / 128	-
White	6570	71.2 / 123	-
Gold	5984	68.1 / 116	-
Red	5311	-	66.8 / 123

With the myriad of courses in the highly competitive Western New York golf market, Batavia CC has positioned itself as a reasonably priced venue offering good bang for your buck for a solid routing with a quality shot making experience (the greens alone are worth the price of admission). Adding Batavia to your next foray into New York is highly recommended. This public daily fee course also offers stay and play packages that include other regional courses that can be arranged through Genesee County Tourism. For details visit: https://visitgeneseeny.com/

Location:

An I-90 exit is a short distance away making it easy for the traveling golfer coming from the Buffalo/Niagara border crossings.

Contact:

Batavia Country Club
7909 Batavia-Byron Road

Batavia, NY 14020

800-343-7660