Drive, Chip, Putt - Everything About Golf

Audobon Golf Course is a municipal golf course in Amherst, NY. The greens fees are relatively cheap and the course is decent for the price but there is not much character to to the course. The sand traps and water hazards are few and far between. There are many nicer and more challenging courses in the Western New York area but for the price Audobon Golf Course is a great place to get in a round of 18 and work on your game.

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Hole Descriptions
1. The course starts off with a par 4 that dog legs slightly to the right. This hole is fairly simple and provides a birdie opportunity to start off your round.

2. Hole 2 is a relatively straight par 4 with a slight dogleg right. Beware of the two sand traps to the front of the green.

3. Hole 3 is the first par 3 of the course. There isn’t too much trouble here, just avoid going over the green because there is some thick grass that will give you trouble when you try to find your ball.

4. Hole 4 is another par 4 that doglegs to the right. If you’re feeling really confident in your drive you can try to go over the trees to the right of the tee and cut some significant distance of the hole.

5. Hole 5 is another par 4 that plays relatively straight without much cause for concern.

6. Hole 6 is the second fairly simple par 3 of the front 9.

7. Hole 7 is a par 4 that doglegs to the left. Beware of slicing the ball off of the tee because there is a pond to the right off of the tee.

8. Hole 8 is a par 5 that you can birdie and make up a stroke. It bends slightly to the right and there is some very think grass off to the right of the tee that you should do your best to avoid.

9. Finish up the front 9 with this relatively simple par 4.

10. After the turn you begin the back 9 with a straight away par 4.

11. Hole 11 is another par 4 that plays relatively straight. Avoid the bunker along the front left of the green and you should end up in good shape.

12. Hole 12 is a par 5 that is pretty long but it doesn’t present too much trouble other than its distance.

13. This par 4 doglegs left and runs down hill so if you hit a decent drive it can potentially run up very close to the green.

14. Hole 14 is a par 4 that has some of the most character on the course. Big hitters can attempt to drive the green while players that prefer to play safe may lay up off of the tee to land in the fairway in front of the stream and put their second shot on the green.

15. Hole 15 is another straight par 3 with some bunkers in front of the green.

16. On this par 4, just avoid duffing your tee shot into the creek and you will be in good shape to birdie the hole.

17. This par 4 is slightly tricky because the green is well protected by a tree on its right side. If you can, try to stay on the left side of the fairway as you approach the green.

18. Finish up your round with this straight par 4 and avoid the bunkers to the left and right of the green.

Golf Course Ranking Scale (1 - 10):
Cost: 8
Maintenance: 2
Difficulty: 3
Scenery: 3
Originality: 2
Overall:5

Here is a list of the golf courses that we have reviewed in New York so far. If there is a course that you would like us to review for tips on how to play it correctly or if you’re a golf course owner that wants to have your course reviewed, just leave us a note in the comments and we’ll try our best to get you on the list.

• Ravenwood Golf Club - Rochester, NY
• Glen Oak Golf Course - Amherst, NY
• Audobon Golf Course - Amherst, NY

Ravenwood Golf Club is a great public golf course on the outskirts of Rochester, NY that was named one of the best new golf courses in 2003 by Golf Digest (read the article here). This course provides a reasonable experience for the casual golfer while being challenging even for low handicappers. It’s undulating greens, well manicured fairways, and deep soft sand traps make playing this course a great experience. If you’re a walker, beware, the course is very hilly and you will be in for quite a workout!

Have a look at our Google map or view it in Google Earth if you have it installed on your computer.

Hole Descriptions

1. This course begins with a par 4 that has a nice downhill tee shot. You want to aim for the right side of the fairway with your drive. Being near the large sand trap on the right gives you an opening to reach the green on your second shot. This green is large and most putts seem to move towards the front of the green.

2. This short par 4 is more difficult than it looks from the tee because the elevated green is surrounded by bunkers.

3. This par 4 is a dog leg left with a large pond along the left side of the hole. Play it safe and aim for the right side of the fairway off the tee.

4. Hole 4 is the longest par 3 on the course although it does have a large green. When approaching the green beware of the bunkers surrounding it.

5. This long par 4 is the most difficult of the course. This hole is entirely uphill and it has 3 fairway bunkers along the right side. When you finally get there, you will be faced with a relatively flat green.

6. This is the first par 5 on the course and it plays downhill with fairway bunkers on the right side. Your second shot will need to factor in a small creek and trees that help protect the green along with a large bunker.

7. This is another short par 4 playing only 289 yards from the Men’s tees. Be careful with your approach shot because the front left side of the green slopes off into a “catch-all” area and the back right corner of the green has a slight slope away from the green.

8. On this par 3, beware of the wetland area off the a tee and off the large two tier green.

9. Finish the front 9 with a dogleg left par 5 is a true test of length and accuracy. If you try to cut the corner with your drive beware of the fairway bunkers on the left. When approaching the elevated green, take care to avoid hitting over the green.

10. On the back nine you will start with this par 4. Avoid the large bunker on the right and you’ll have a clear shot at the level green.

11. On this par 4, you can really try to hit your drive because there is not much trouble off the tee. Just make sure to avoid going over the green on your next shot.

12. This par 5 is the longest hole on the course. After driving out to a large landing area, you’ll want to make sure your next shot clears the bunkers down the left side of the fairway. Fortunately, this green is large and forgiving to give you a reasonable chance of hitting it.

13. On this par 4 avoid the bunkers on the right hand side. There are no green side bunkers, but there are mounds to the left front of the green.

14. This par 3 isn’t too long but it requires a careful tee shot over the large lake. If you clear the water, you need to avoid ending up in the bunkers behind the green.

15. This par 4 is is very narrow and challenging. Your second shot will be long and uphill towards a large green protected by bunkers on the front left and right.

16. This par 4 is much shorter than hole 15 but still challenging. This hole requires your drive to carry over wetlands and a kidney shaped green is tucked behind a large bunker to the front left.

17. This par 3 has water to the front and right of the green.

18. Your day at Ravenwood will finish with a par 5 that doglegs right. The green is tucked into the woods with a hill behind it. There are also seven bunkers guarding the green and approach area. Once on the green, you will encounter a fairly level putting surface.

Ranking info:
Cost: 5
Maintenance: 8
Difficulty: 6
Scenery: 7
Originality: 6
Overall: 7

For official information visit www.ravenwoodgolf.com.

Glen Oak Golf Course is one of the most well maintained golf courses in the Western New York region. For the quality of the course, the fees are very reasonable for the casual golfer. Have a look at our detailed Google map to walk through each hole.

If you have Google Earth installed, you can also click on the following link to view a more detailed course map. This map will let you view the course and each hole from any angle that you would like - View in Google Earth

Hole Descriptions
1. You start off with a straight par 5 that has some bunkers placed on both sides of the fairway and around the green. If you can hit the ball straight you should be in good shape after the first hole.

2. On this par 3, there is a pond in front of the green and a small creek runs on all sides of the green except the left. Have a look at the Satellite map to see this in better detail. Make sure you choose the right club to avoid the water. If you do miss hit your shot, it is better to go left since there is no water there.

3. A big drive can go right through the fairway and into the water so you should consider a fairway wood or long iron off the tee. Trying to cut the corner is not recommended with a fairway bunker and out of bounds on the left. This hole has a large green that is well protected with bunkers all around it.

4. The entire left side of this hole is out of bounds. If you land in someone’s backyard, be prepared to take a stroke penalty. This green is very deep so make sure you know the pin placement before hitting onto the green. If you can play your shots straight, you will be in good shape on this hole.

5. This long par 5 will require 3 shots to get on the green so don’t be greedy and try to reach it in 2 shots. Water on both sides comes into play on the second and third shots so be careful as you try to reach the green.

6. Stay to the left of the fairway bunker and you will have a decent approach shot to the green. Long drivers can try to fly the fairway bunker off the tee which would set up a wedge to the green. The green is two-tiered and large, so pay attention to pin placement.

7. The wise tee shot is an iron off the tee aimed straight at the fairway bunker. A tee shot placed in the middle of the fairway leaves a short iron shot to the green. Some players can take the risky tee shot of driving over the pond but you can get into a lot more trouble this way. The green is huge and a pin on the right side of the green is a much longer approach shot than to a pin on the left side of the green.

8. This par 3 has a huge pond between the tee and the green. Hitting to the back of the green is the safe play here to avoid bringing the water and front left bunker into play.

9. On this par 4, the water on the right may likely come into play off the tee. The green is very narrow in the front and surrounded by bunkers. If you can aim for the back of the green, you will be in good shape.

10. Off the tee, you should aim to the right of the fairway bunkers. This will set up a short to mid iron to the green. This hole has a three tiered green that can lead to many 3 putts.

11. If you can find the fairway with your tee shot, you give yourself the chance of reaching the green in 2 to setup for an eagle putt. The right rough slopes down to the creek, where many drives end up in the water.

12. This is a tough par 3. The green is angled to slope into the water in the front and bunkers are behind the green. If you can land on the front right corner of the green, you will be in the best shape.

13. There is trouble to both the left and right sides of the fairway off the tee on this hole. A ball hit either way will unlikely be found in the tall grass or woods. Make sure to take enough club for the approach shot which is uphill.

14. On this dogleg left, a straight drive can set up a birdie chance on this short par 4. However, hooked tee shots can easily find the out of bounds and sliced tee shots will land in the water to the right.

15. This par 3 usually plays longer than it looks, so be sure to choose the right club off the tee. Don’t go directly for the pin if it is behind the bunkers or you will most likely be attempting a second shot out of the sand. Be happy with a par on this hole!

16. Aim for the right side of the fairway off the tee and only try to cut the corner over the edge of the fairway bunker if you are a long and straight driver. Be careful because if your approach shot is long, you can land in the woods behind the green.

17. This is a short par 4 where water may come into play. To the left, you can reach water with your drive. If you can land in the fairway with your driver or fairway wood, you will have a short approach shot to the green. Avoid going over the green since it slopes down to a creek on the right.

18. This hole has the most character of any on the course. This is another par 5 that will take you 3 shots to reach the green. Hit a fairway wood or long iron off the tee, which will put you over the first creek to the middle of the fairway. A long iron second shot over the second creek can put you in the middle of the second part of the fairway short of the pond, leaving a short or mid iron over the pond to a receptive green. If you try to play this hole any other way, be prepared to lose you ball in the water than runs all throughout this hole.

Golf Course Ranking Scale (1 - 10):
Cost: 5
Maintenance: 7
Difficulty: 6
Scenery: 7
Originality: 6
Overall: 7

For official information visit www.glenoak.com.