{"id":474,"date":"2011-09-22T13:05:22","date_gmt":"2011-09-22T18:05:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tomharack.com\/?p=474"},"modified":"2011-09-23T15:40:11","modified_gmt":"2011-09-23T20:40:11","slug":"turning-stones-golf-is-no-gamble","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/tomharack\/golf\/474\/turning-stones-golf-is-no-gamble","title":{"rendered":"Turning Stone\u2019s Golf Is No Gamble"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

The closing hole at Kaluhyat<\/p><\/div>\n

Hurricane Irene was famously capricious in her march through the Northeast, with towns in Vermont and the Catskills washed away and others, directly across the Hudson, doused but otherwise unscathed. And while Turning Stone Resort \u2013 Casino<\/a>, 30 miles east of Syracuse, wasn\u2019t directly in the storm\u2019s path, we didn\u2019t know what to expect in terms of conditioning on the resort\u2019s robust troika of 18-hole layouts.<\/p>\n

It turns out, no pun intended, that we\u2019d never seen them in better shape, after a summer with a lot of rainfall but ultimately temperate conditions. The courses remain among the best trifecta at a single property to be found anywhere.<\/p>\n

It also seems that the vision of the owners, the Oneida Indian Nation, has in some sense been validated, as the golf operation was conceived to stand on its own, rather than as a standard amenity. Considering that the place only opened in 1993 and that the first 18-hole course \u2013 Rick Smith-designed Shenendoah \u2013 debuted in 2000, it\u2019s no mean achievement, as Turning Stone has become a household name among golf-centric destinations.<\/p>\n

As is frequently the case, it\u2019s tough to top the original, and Shenendoah Golf Club <\/strong>remains a favorite among the regulars. It\u2019s easy to see why, as it touches all the bases of resort-course design: playable, slicer- and women-friendly, with mostly modest forced carries, although it can play as long as 7,129 yards from the most-distant of five sets of tees.<\/p>\n

Best of all, it winds through greatly varied topography, forest and meadowland, with the only reminders of the outside world the faint drone of motor traffic where the layout jogs within earshot of the Thruway and the occasional glimpse of the resort\u2019s towering hotel. It\u2019s a showcase for the region\u2019s rugged terrain.<\/p>\n

The next course to come online was Kaluhyat Golf Club<\/strong> — pronounced gah-LOO-yut<\/em>, an Oneida word meaning \u201cthe other side of the sky\u201d \u2013 a strapping track that slopes out at 146 from the back tees, among the half-dozen highest slope ratings in the state.\u00a0 Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. and built on a 220-acre site, it is hillier and more narrow, though slightly shorter, than Shenandoah.<\/p>\n

A glorious survey of the lush local ecosystem, Kaluhyat also has a number of dauntingly difficult holes, like the 11th<\/sup>, named \u201cUncertain Passage,\u201d that\u2019s 621 yards from all the way back and 563 yards from the white tees, most of it uphill. The greens also have considerable contour \u2013 problematic, no doubt, for first-timers on the course.<\/p>\n

Atunyote Golf Club<\/strong> \u2013 uh-DUNE-yote<\/em>, meaning \u201ceagle\u201d \u2013 is the most recent course addition and plays the most like a \u201cresort\u201d layout, slightly less punishing than the other two.\u00a0 Unlike its sister courses, it is several miles from the resort, and the contours of its grassland setting can be reminiscent of designer Tom Fazio\u2019s work in Florida or the tropics — vast open spaces, gently rolling terrain, and some adroitly deployed water features.<\/p>\n

Good fun for average players, it can also be made testy enough for the pros, some of whom, including Tiger, were there to play in the fund-raiser for Notah Begay\u2019s charity during our visit.<\/p>\n

Turning Stone also has two nine-hole layouts, Pleasant Knolls and Sandstone Hollow, which presumably comes in handy in accommodating guests who play golf only during their annual casino pilgrimage.<\/p>\n

It also has the Golf Dome, an elaborate practice facility with academy, clubfitting, and two-tiered range with 48 bays, a truly welcome buffer against upstate New York\u2019s sometimes-punishing winters.<\/p>\n

In fact, you have to quibble to find fault with the golf operation \u2013 this reporter\u2019s gripe would be that the three courses are unwalkable, for instance. Seen in the context of the whole package, however, it\u2019s pretty remarkable.<\/p>\n

Much has been made of the connection between golf and gambling, but the Turning Stone golf experience suggests<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Turning Stone's sometimes raucous atmosphere contrasts with its serious-golf counterpart. The Tower serves as action headquarters.<\/p><\/div>\n

that they can co-exist with limited symbiosis. When we asked about a late checkout from the hotel \u2013 The Lodge is the smaller, upscale option \u2013 we were given an extra hour, as the desk was expecting the arrival of seven wedding parties for the weekend. The ex-desk clerk in me immediately empathized.<\/p>\n

The point is that Turning Stone Resort \u2013 Casino generally is a pulsating concern, handling more than four million visitors annually. Establishing a first-rate golf destination that\u2019s both right next door and a world away is a clever twist.<\/p>\n

www.turningstone.com<\/a>;<\/p>\n

#\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 #\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 #<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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