News

Ryder Cup 2025: Crossing to Bethpage – New York state park golf, part 2

Published

8 months ago

Jan 10, 2025

The history of the acquisition of lands for state parks and properties is a varied one, across the Empire State. The first state park, Niagara Falls, was established in 1885. Many of us locals would love to have a scenic golf course located on Goat Island, with holes that ease their way next to Horseshoe, Niagara, and Bridal Veils Falls. We do understand, however, that the parkland is better suited to accessibility by and for all residents and visitors.

Work on state parks, especially the introduction of golf courses, ramped up in the 1930s, thanks to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress programs. The state continues to acquire lands today, to preserve open spaces and critical habitats. For the golfing faithful the 24 state-owned golf course properties offer affordable and accessible, municipal golf.

It’s easy to divide the 19 parks that host golf courses into regions, but it’s much more challenging to build a tour. Our first trip, in June of 2024, focused on a quadrilateral of courses in South-Central New York state. We ran into an immediate impediment when both Chenango Valley and Soaring Eagles reported tournaments on the critical Saturday morning of our trip. We flipped a coin, and the home course of former PGA Tour professionals Joey Sindelar and Mike Hulbert came up a winner. Soaring Eagles did not disappoint, but still, we were left wondering what might have been at Chenango Valley.

Fortunately for us, Ryan Molter at Chenango Valley was able to curate a few images for us and supply impactful information on the layout. It’s our pleasure to initiate the second installment of “Crossing to Bethpage” with a look at his home course.

Chenango Valley

Thanks to the diligence of Ryan Molter, we learned a lot about the history of this central New York state park course. Chenango Valley came into existence as a nine-hole course called Riverside. Designed by engineer James Evans and built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, Riverside was expanded into 18 holes by regional architect Hal Purday. Purdy had worked for Robert Trent Jones, Sr., and his courses show off many of Trent Jones’ favorite architectural elements. For example, Jones was a fan of the double-dogleg, par-5 hole, and the 10th hole moves sharply right, then slightly left toward the end. Jones also loved monster par fives, and the seventh hole can stretch up to 570 yards. As if that weren’t enough, the fairway pinches between the adjacent Chenango River on the right, and a 200-yard-long pond on the left.

Chenango Valley is a traditional, parkland golf course. It tips out at 6,400 yards, with seven par-four holes measuring 370 yards or fewer. The golf course demands thoughtful preparation and execution, as bomb-and-gouge will not win the day in central New York. Better to be shorter and straighter than risk an approach shot blocked by the tall timber of the region. As Mr. Molter reveals, combine the low green fees with the high level of conditioning, and you have a true, hidden gem in New York state parks golf.

Soaring Eagles

Mike Hulbert and Joey Sindelar were the two top amateurs in New York State around 1975. Hulbert went off to Furman University in South Carolina, while Sindelar headed to The Ohio State University. Each would win multiple times on the PGA Tour, and each would point to the opportunities that Soaring Eagles gave them.

Soaring Eagles sits within the confines of Mark Twain State Park. The layout was traced by Pete Craig, a regional architect who found a home in upstate New York. Craig was given a massive amount of land on which to design a course, and he made the most of it. Soaring Eagles is a brawny, tumbly course that moves hither and yon, up and down, and over. There is marshland to the west and four of the course’s 18 holes dance along its edge.

To call out a small number of holes as memorable, would be an injustice to the totality of the layout. Soaring Eagles doesn’t feature a single, calendar golf hole. Its collection of golf holes adds up to a sum that is greater than the parts. It’s a course that changes day to day, that offers width to the wild, and challenge to the accurate. The putting surfaces are large and intriguing. It’s no wonder that Sindelar and Hulbert had a chance to become the golfers they did, playing their formative years over this tract of land.

: Soaring Eagles

: Soaring Eagles

: Soaring Eagles

: Soaring Eagles

: Soaring Eagles

: Soaring Eagles

: Soaring Eagles

Bonavista

Hardened but less-travelled golfers might be forgiven for underestimating a nine-hole layout. Some of the finest nines are nothing more. Such is the case with Bonavista. One could easily become a solid player at this bluff-top, nine-hole track that looks over Seneca Lake. Bonavista begins play with a downhill, dogleg left. A pond awaits to the left of the fairway, so don’t overcook your tee ball. The green’s raised sides funnel approach shots inward; if you miss outside of the ridges, your recovery should be daunting.

The second hole is the most memorable at Bonavista. It begins on high, and plays down for an eternity, with the lake in the distance. Oh, but for the removal of trees between the course and the water, and the view might be unparalleled. A seminal tree stands guard, center left in the fairway. It’s easy enough to punch under, but who wants a recovery when the par-five green is reachable in two? Number three plays over an abyss, with tree coverage pinching on both sides. The remaining holes at Bonavista are solid, if standard-issue. They move up and down with the slope, and feature greens that are protected by at least one sand bunker. Accuracy is required to have a putt at birdie, as the putting surfaces are smallish in nature.

Bonavista is a wonderful place to spend a late afternoon, with the sun setting to the west. With many wineries and breweries in the vicinity, and Watkins Glen at the bottom of the lake, the apres-golf options are endless.

: Bonavista

: Bonavista

: Bonavista

: Bonavista

: Bonavista

: Bonavista

Indian Hills

Indian Hills lies adjacent to I-99, the interstate that cuts south from Corning, NY, toward Williamsport, PA. The road’s construction cut away a portion of the original course layout, then the state took over Indian Hills and leased it to a management team. No state park surrounds Indian Hills, as is often the case with other NYSP courses. When acquired, the land to the north featured a par-three course. That layout has been taken out of service and currently features a practice ground for golfers.

Indian Hills is home to some of the more unique holes that you’ll play this, or any, summer. It begins with a series of fairly straight, treelined holes, then moves westward, toward the interstate. That’s where the fun begins. On the front, there’s a par five that compels you to face your longest night’s terrors: water, tree-enclosed green, out of bounds. On the inward half, the par-five 12th and par-four 13th defy both logic and imagination. On the former, you tee off through a hallway of arbor, where only a left-to-right shot will live to see another day. Your next play … well, you don’t really know. A flag appears beyond an impenetrable wall of timber, but there’s no way … oh, yup, that’s yours. Members simply punch approach shots between the trunks. Hit and hope, as they say. There is a fairway that goes way right, then back again, but no one goes there anymore.

On the later, the fairway moves 90 degrees to the starboard side, through a narrow tree chute, away from a flag that looks, for all logic, like the putting surface you desire. It actually belongs to the short 14th. If first-timers are fortunate, someone in the group follows the fairway mowing lines and cries, “That’s our green, way over there to the right.” Unlike the previous hole, no trees block your approach. After surviving (and finding) the tee ball (and the putting surface) the hole plays out in benign fashion.

: Indian Hills

: Indian Hills

: Indian Hills

: Indian Hills

: Indian Hills

: Indian Hills

With three chapters remaining in our story of New York State Parks golf courses, the image begins to take form. The state park system is a varied collection, offering diverse options to the residents of the Empire State.

News

Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

Aug 4, 2025

Ronald Montesano

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

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

Jul 29, 2025

GolfWRX Staff

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

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.

News

BK’s Breakdowns: Kurt Kitayama’s Winning WITB, 3M Open

Published

4 weeks ago

Jul 28, 2025

Brian Knudson

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)