On The Tee

LeRoy #17*

 

LeRoy Country Club:

Affordable, Fun and Fair.

Posted by Alistair Orr

 

LeRoy Country Club is one of those places steeped in history, surely with a secret or two locked away within the storied walls of the clubhouse and ancient trees dotting the course. With a lengthy lineage of people who have shaped the course since its beginning in 1931, the stories of the evolution of the current course would be a fun chronicle to uncover.

The course is situated on a beautifully rolling park-like setting just minutes from the quaint historic village of LeRoy, New York. With three sets of tees ranging from 5358 to 6579 yards the design will appeal to players of all abilities. Players who are new to the game, or have intermediate skills, will find this course enjoyable to play and those who have single digit handicaps will face a pretty good test from the back tees. While most of the course flows naturally over rolling terrain there are a handful of holes that traverse a valley, with accompanying creek and pond. This feature bisects the property and on these holes the elevation change can be quite pronounced. Although water features are not a huge factor on the course, a couple of small ponds and a wetland area create both challenge and visual distraction on four additional holes.

Playability and accessibility are key components of the design, as it is with their maintenance and business practices at LeRoy. The fairways and roughs are cut to sensible heights which makes for easier shotmaking and less time spent looking for balls, while bunkering is used sparingly but strategically at the corners of select doglegs or to defend the green complexes where necessary. Both these practices help to lower maintenance costs which can then be passed on to the players. 

How it all began: Back in 1899, LeRoy businessman Orator Woodward inked a purchase agreement for the formula of a new product called Jell-O. Woodward's $450 trademark purchase from Jello founder Peal B. Wait went on to become one of most profitable business deals in American history and the Woodward fortune was born. Orator’s youngest son Donald and his baby sister Helen were both ardent students of the game and it was as a result of this passion for golf that LeRoy's first public golf course came to be. It was Donald who built the first 9 holes with the goal of making the “pleasures of golf” accessible to those who could not afford to play on a regulation golf course. In the mid 30’s, Don passed the reins of the course on to Helen. Soon thereafter she expanded the course to 18 holes and added a full service clubhouse. Don’s original dream of creating a public course for all was realized with the reopening of the 18 hole course for the 1936 golf season. To this day LeRoy is still positioned in the marketplace as an affordable course for all.

 

Editor's Shot Maker's Picks at LeRoy. The long and the short

 

Feature Holes Descriptions:

There is a strong set of par 5’s on this course -specifically holes 10 and 12 deserve honorable mention. The 10th hole is a monster of a par 5 that stretches out to 565 from the tips. This dogleg left beast plays uphill and into the prevailing wind. The teeing ground is off the edge of the valley wall and a long drive needs to be ripped over the valley to find the elevated fairway on the far side. There are no superfluous bunkers on this hole as the sheer length of the tree lined fairway, with its well placed sentinel tree at the corner of the dogleg is all the defense that this hole needs. In contrast, the 12th is the shortest of the 5’s at 490 from the back tees, but overhanging trees, a pond and two rightside fronting bunkers will challenge the brave player who decides to try to take the risk and have a go at the green in two for an eagle opportunity. 

There are 5 par threes at LeRoy and all can be considered strong holes. It is rare for a course to finish with a par 3 but I have never seen one that closes out with back-to-back one shotters. Here it proves to be a great way to wrap up the round as both are wonderful holes. Located adjacent to the clubhouse, the 17th plays away for 175 yards across the aforementioned valley and pond,  while the 18th returns 178 yards back over the valley. Although both holes are similar in distance and character they play quite differently. Hole 17 plays downhill with the green complex on the valley floor on the far side. The tee ball must be struck purely to carry the pond and lone bunker that resides short right of the green. Anything missed either right or long will make for a very tricky downhill/crosshill chip. The green slopes severely back to front so keeping the ball below the hole is a must. After a short climb up to the 18th tee you will be faced with a tee shot that must carry all the way across the valley to reach the putting surface or your ball may bound back down the steep valley wall making for a very difficult up and down. Missing long, left or right will also leave nerve rattling chips to this sloping green. A par par finish penciled on your scorecard will likely win the holes and give you bragging rights in the clubhouse while enjoying your post round drink.

For the traveling golfer, great affordable golf stay and play packages that include LeRoy Country Club can be arranged through Genesee County Tourism. Other participating courses are Batavia CC., Chestnut Hills CC., Meadowbrook GC, Stafford CC, Terry Hills GC., and Davis Countryside Meadows. For details visit: https://visitgeneseeny.com/

 

Location:

LeRoy, NY. is about an hour along the I90 from the Peace Bridge, 10 minutes east of Batavia.

 

LeRoy Country Club

7759 East Main Rd

LeRoy, NY 14482

585-768-6000

http://www.leroycc.com

 

Photo Credits:

*Genesee County Tourism -Jim Ver Hague

**Woodward Memorial Library