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9 Questions on the OnCore Golf mega-facility in Buffalo
As land for golf becomes scarce and precious, as golf courses are repurposed as mixed-use communities, our game endeavors to find a new landscape in which to fit. Forgotten, under-used urban sites find themselves suddenly desirable, as cities redevelop factories and warehouses into recreational spaces. Enter OnCore, one of many boutique golf-ball companies (think CutGolf, Snell, Vice) to enter the marketplace over the last fifteen years.
OnCore is much more than golf balls, and has larger goals focused well in its lens. In September, the Buffalo-based company announced plans to build a massive, urban facility adjacent to the revitalized downtown of the Queen City. With a hotel, arena targets for golf, and other recreational offerings, OnCore is betting that America’s love affair with golf will continue into the next few generations. The brains behind the project, Bret and Keith Blakely of OnCore, answered some hard-hitting questions on how this dreamscape can possibly become reality in the USA’s favorite, snowy city.
Will this facility be able to handle Buffalo weather?
KB: Absolutely. The engineering of the frame is designed to divert and deflect winds off Lake Erie, the game board will be engineered to handle snow loads, and a variety of snow removal options will be integrated into the final design. The hitting bays are covered and will be heated both from above and below, providing exceptional comfort to customers year round. Many of the attractions and activities are fully-enclosed and unaffected by the weather and another advantage will be the 225 covered parking spots situated below the game board.
What makes this different from Topgolf?
KB: A number of things are unique to our approach. There will be complete ball-tracking technology in each hitting bay allowing golfers of all skill levels to not only enjoy the entertainment aspect of the facility but can use the information and data that will be available to improve their skills. We are using a proprietary game board construction and layout that will allow for a number of different competitive games including both skill and luck elements. Our games and ball-tracking do not require the use of special golf balls like Topgolf so customers will enjoy the ability to use the best balls in golf – those offered by OnCore Golf. A number of other elements – social media integrations, novel food and beverage services and offerings, different spatial configuration inside the clubhouse that provides enhanced entertainment and socialization opportunities, other forms of athletic experiences, and expanded meeting, event, banquet, and hotel space – are all distinctive factors.
Aside from golf, what other sports activities are planned?
KB: We are currently planning to offer some “active sports” activities including indoor water surfing, skateboarding, and simulated snowboarding. We also expect to offer simulated skills challenges in baseball, soccer, basketball, archery, and many others.
Why choose Buffalo?
KB: As the home of OnCore Golf, we felt strongly that this “first-of-its-kind” facility ought to be introduced in Buffalo. Buffalo deserves something that the world points to as the best of the best and there just aren’t other facilities in existence that will offer everything OnCore Buffalo will.
How is OnCore planning to use this to benefit the community in ways other than just the entertainment aspect. What sort of access will local junior and high school programs have to the OnCore Golf Buffalo facility?
KB: We have already committed to providing the First Tee of WNY with free space for their operations and to allocate time in the facilities for them to conduct their important programs. We will be reaching out to both athletic and educational programs to encourage and assist them in utilizing our facility for a wide range of initiatives. We are in talks with others about different ways we can use OnCore Buffalo to make a positive impact and assure that this is a huge reason for our bringing this project into existence.
Tell us about the environmental impact of this facility on Kelly Island and the Buffalo River.
KB: We have already completed environmental studies and will be conducting remediation of issues created by previous industrial use of the site prior to breaking ground. Local government officials have indicated strong support for improving the infrastructure improvements for both vehicles and for pedestrians looking to access Kelly Island from downtown. We have also met with Buffalo River Keepers to ensure that our development efforts support and complement their work to improve responsible use of the waterway.
What changes will need to be made to the roadways in the immediate area (known as the Old First Ward) to accommodate the increased amount of traffic generated by the facility?
KB: There currently are over 1 million visitors to RiverWorks, which is also located on Kelly Island so the existing infrastructure is adequate to support the estimated 350,000 visitors to OnCore Buffalo. However, as indicated already, there have been a number of encouraging regarding the improvements that could be made to the roadway and creating a waterfront greenway for pedestrian access.
Discuss how the facility will benefit different age groups. Activities that kids love, don’t necessarily translate to seniors and middle-agers, and vice-versa.
KB: It is our plan to offer a complete spectrum of fun activities for all ages and to ensure that families can enjoy time at OnCore Buffalo without having to split up. The use of augmented reality glasses and simple gaming hardware to allow kids to launch golf balls towards the targets in a “virtual” mode, instead of having to actually swing a golf club, is just one example of that approach. There are a few others that are going to be incorporated into the facility that are so unique, we are not ready to disclose them!
Why will people stay at this hotel, when they could be in the heart of downtown, or near the airport?
KB: The OnCore Buffalo facility will be located within a mile of every major attraction in downtown Buffalo including Canalside, HarborCenter, Seneca Buffalo Casino, Buffalo Rowing Club, RiverWorks, the Cobblestone District, Sahlen’s Field, and Keybank Center. The question is why anyone would want to be anywhere else!
I’m going to gush in this intro paragraph, to get the emo stuff done early. I’ve not pulled harder for a professional to win, than Cameron Young. I coach golf in New York state, and each spring, my best golfers head to a state championship in Poughkeepsie. I first saw Cameron there as a 9th grade student. I saw him three more times after that. I reconnecected with Coach Haas from Wake Forest, an old interview subject from my days on the Old Gold and Black, the Wake newspaper. He was there to watch Cameron. After four years at Wake Forest, Young won on the Korn Ferry Tour, made it to the big tour, almost won two majors, almost won five other events, and finally got the chalice about 25 minutes from the Wake campus. Congratulations, Cameron. You truly are a glass of the finest. #MotherSoDear
OK, let’s move on to the Tour Rundown. The major championship season closed this week in Wales, with the Women’s Open championship. The PGA Tour bounced through Greensboror, N.C., while the PGA Tour Americas hit TO (aka, Toronto) for a long-winded event. The Korn Ferry lads made a stop in Utah, one of just two events for that tour in August. The many-events, golf season is winding down, as we ease from summer toward fall in the northern hemisphere. Let’s bask in the glory of an August sunrise, and run down a quartet of events from the first weekend of the eighth month.
LET/LPGA @ Women’s Open: Miyu bends, but she doesn’t break
Royal Porthcawl was not a known commodity in the major tournament community. The Welsh links had served as host to men’s senior opens, men’s amateurs, and Curtis and Walker Cups in prior years, but never an Open championship for the women or the men. The last-kept secret in UK golf was revealed once again to the world this week, as the best female golfers took to the sandy stage.
Mao Saigo, Grace Kim, Maja Stark, and Minjee Lee hoped to add a second major title to previous wins this season, but only Lee was able to finish inside the top ten. The 2025 playing of the Women’s Open gave us a new-faces gallery from day one. The Kordas and Thitikulls were nowhere to be found, and it was the Mayashitas, Katsus, and Lim Kims that secured the Cymru spotlight. The first round lead was held at 67 by two golfers. One of them battled to the end, while the other posted 81 on day two, and missed the cut. Sitting one shot behind was Miyu Yamashita.
On day two, Yamashita posted the round of the tournament. Her 65 moved her to the front of the aisle, in just her fourth turn around a women’s Open championship. With the pre-event favorites drifting off pace, followers narrowed into two camps: those on the side of an underdog, and others hoping for a weekend charge from back in the pack. In the end, we had a bit of both.
On Saturday, Yamashita bent with 74 on Saturday, offering rays of hope to her pursuing pack. England’s Charley Hull made a run on Sunday closing within one shot before tailing off to a T2 finish with Minami Katsu. Katsu posted the other 65 of the week, on Saturday, but could not overtake her countrywoman, Yamashita. wunderkind Lottie Woad needed one round in the 60s to find her pace, but could only must close-to’s, ending on 284 and a tie with Minjee for eighth.
On Sunday, Yamashita put away the thoughts of Saturday’s struggles, with three-under 33 on the outward half. She closed in plus-one 37, but still won by two, for a first Major and LPGA title.
PGA Tour @ Wyndham: Young gathers first title near home
Cameron Young grew up along the Hudson river, above metro New York, but he also calls Winston-Salem home. He spent four years as a student and athlete at Wake Forest University, then embarked on tour. This week in Greensboro, after a bit of a break, Young opened with 63-62, and revved the engine of Is this the week once more. Runner-up finishes at the Open, the PGA, and a handful of PGA Tour events had followers wonder when the day would come.
On Saturday, Young continued his torrid pace with 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over his closest pursuer. Sunday saw the Scarborough native open with bogey, then reel off five consecutive birdies to remind folks that his time had, at last, arrived. Pars to the 16th, before two harmless bogeys coming home, made Young the 1000th winner of an official PGA Tour event (dating back to before there was a PGA Tour) throughout history. What’s next? I have a suspicion, but I’m not letting on. Mac Meissner closed with 66 to finish solo 2nd, while Mark Hubbard and Alex Noren tied for third.
Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Are you Suri it’s Julian?
Who knows exactly when the flower will bloom? Julian Suri played a solid careet at Duke University, then paid his dues on the world’s minor tours for three years. He won twice on two tours in Europe, in 2017. Since then, the grind has continued for the journeyman from New York city. At age 34, Suri broke through in Beehive state, outlasting another grinder (Spencer Levin) and four others, by two shots.
Taylor Montgomery began the week with 62, then posted 64, then 68, and finally, 70. That final round was his undoing. He finished in that second-place tie, two back of the leader. Trace Crowe, Barend Botha, and Kensei Hirata made up the last of the almost quintet. As for Suri, his Sunday play was sublime. His nines were 32 and 31, with his only radar blip a bogey at ten. He closed in style with one final birdie, to double his winning margin. Hogan bloomed late…might Suri?
PGA Tour Americas @ Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates
Some tournament names run longer than others. This week in Toronto, at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto, we might have seen the longest tournament title in recorded history. The OVOPBVCCBMA was a splendid affair. It saw three rounds of 62 on Thursday, but of those early risers, only Drew Goodman would stick around until the end. 64 was the low tally on day two, and two of those legionnaires managed to finish inside the top three at week’s end. Saturday brought a 63 from Patrick Newcomb, and he would follow with 64 on Sunday, to finish solo fourth.
Who, then, ended up winning the acronym of the year? It turns out that Carson Bacha had the right stuff in TeeOhhh. Bacha and Jay Card III posted 63 and 64, respectively, on day four, to tie for medalist honors at 23-under 261. Nathan Franks was one shot adrift, despite also closing with 63. If you didn’t go low on Sunday, it was about the check, not the championship.
Bacha and JC3 returned to the 18th hole twice in overtime. Card nearly chipped in from the thick stuff for birdie, while Bacha peeked and shoved a ten-feet attempt at the win. On the second go-round, Card was long with his approach, into the native grasses once more. He was unable to escape, and a routine par from the fairway was enough to earn the former Auburn golfers a first KFT title.
Card III and Bacha both miss their birdie tries on the first playoff hole.
We’ll play 18 again @OspreyOpen. pic.twitter.com/vNpHTdkHDg
— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) August 3, 2025
GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.
Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.
Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.
General Albums
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #1
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #2
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Chandler Phillips – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Davis Riley – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Scotty Kennon – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Austin Duncan – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Will Chandler – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kevin Roy – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ben Griffin – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Peter Malnati – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ryan Gerard – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Adam Schenk – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kurt Kitayama – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Camilo Villegas – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matti Schmid – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
Pullout Albums
- Denny McCarthy’s custom Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Swag Golf putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Karl Vilips TM MG5 wedges – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- New Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matt Fitzpatrick’s custom Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
Kurt Kitayama just won his 2nd PGA Tour event at the 3M Open. Kurt is a Bridgestone staffer but with just the ball and bag. Here are the rest of the clubs he used to secure a win at the 2025 3M Open.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (11 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees, A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX
7-wood: Titleist GT1 (21 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS (with Mindset)
‘Why would anybody want to change that swing?’ – Brandel Chamblee says PGA Tour star was wrong to change his swing
‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
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ScottF
Oct 6, 2019 at 3:30 am
Hahaha Buffalo seriously???
Ronald Montesano
Oct 6, 2019 at 9:06 pm
Seriously. Come see us and enjoy what we have, all year round.
Jon Barone
Oct 23, 2019 at 4:23 pm
Totally agree. I actually moved back here after being away for decades. 2 family members and 2 friends have moved back in the past 3 months. Affordability, access to so many Summer and winter activities is amazing, the Falls & Canada close by. The question is, why wouldn’t you want to live here. Only wimps that can’t handle the 3 or 4 bad snow days we have on average in the winter need not apply. ??
Jon Barone
Oct 23, 2019 at 4:24 pm
Totally agree. I actually moved back here after being away for decades. 2 family members and 2 friends have moved back in the past 3 months. Affordability, access to so many Summer and winter activities is amazing, the Falls & Canada close by. The question is, why wouldn’t you want to live here. Only wimps that can’t handle the 3 or 4 bad snow days we have on average in the winter need not apply. ??
Juan Pablo
Oct 4, 2019 at 6:37 am
Ask them if they’ve ordered steel for their new building yet. Yes, it will be built. No, it’s never getting off the ground.
Ronald Montesano
Oct 6, 2019 at 9:06 pm
Interesting take. Can you elaborate on the steel concern?
Keith Blakely
Oct 23, 2019 at 5:14 pm
Ron – Not sure what Juan was saying? Yes it will be built but no, it’s never getting off the ground? Seems contradictory! Regardless, we have been working with global architectural, engineering, and construction firms so there will not be any surprises on cost, timing, or availability of all of the structural and technology elements needed.