Golf in Batavia

Arrowhead Golf Course’s 18-hole track rubs shoulders with the banks of the Erie Canal, which players follow on a picturesque tour of flora and fauna. Richard Wholers built the course in 1976, and made up for the lack of available distance by keeping the bluegrass fairways narrow and the bentgrass-greens compact. In addition to the canal, which looms heavily on the mind throughout a round, golfers must also factor water hazards on 12 holes into their shot-making decisions and choice of location for talking about how dumb mermaids look. These aquatic pitfalls take the form of nine ponds and two creeks that snake their ways across the beryl-green grass.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 66 course
• Total length of 4,171 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 61.5 from the back tees
• Course slope of 103 from the back tees

Elected to the PGA as an instructor in 1977, Gary Tatar has spent more than three decades helping students find the middle of the fairway and the bottom of the cup. Gary draws his greenside manner from World Golf Hall of Fame coach Harvey Penick, who taught him the importance of simple and direct communication and practical training devices rather than imparting swing advice via sand-trap hieroglyphs.

During private lessons, Gary often enlists the help of 3-D video analysis so players can view their own swing and better understand his feedback. Gary also imparts his pin-hunting panache in playing lessons at Deerfield Country Club, where he gives advice in real time and fields course management questions, such as what club to hit off of the tee and how to overcome a fear of being abandoned by one's golf ball.

Cyber Creek Indoor Golf services all swings with an outdoor driving range and nine indoor golf simulators to help players bolster pin-hunting prowess year-round. With lights, covered hitting bays, and both artificial- and natural-grass hitting areas, the range fosters practice sessions in nearly every element except lava. In addition, the range boasts a practice area with a sand bunker and 20-, 40-, and 60-yard target greens for those looking to practice their short game or see how far they can shot put a bag full of practice balls.

In Cyber Creek’s indoor facility, nine indoor golf simulators vividly emulate the pristine fairways and greens of 30 world-famous golf courses. Golfers can test their meddle amid the Norwegian fjords of Klawhammer Crag or the ominous, granite outcrops of Idaho’s high-elevation Heretic course without having to cope with a jet-lagged 7-iron. The center sates hunger with tangible helpings from an eclectic menu of refined continental cuisine that includes homemade chicken fingers and savory dips.

Stretched out along the western banks of Silver Lake, a gauntlet of bent-grass fairways leads players along a path that presents challenging play and picturesque views of the water. Though play never wanders close enough to Silver Lake proper to render it a hazard, multiple ponds enter play on several holes. The course adds additional challenges with undulating terrain, tall evergreens that line the fairways, and strategically placed sand traps that double as tanning beaches for displaced tourists.

Adjacent to the course, golfers can find respite at The Club restaurant, which offers a menu of classic American dishes to be enjoyed in a dining room with views of Silver Lake.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 70 course
• Total length of 6,012 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 69 from the back tees
• Course slope of 119 from the back tees

Originally sculpted into the rolling terrain of western New York in 1920, South Shore’s 18-hole course invites golfers of all stripes to conquer its pristine fairways. The grassy monolith stretches across 150 acres of scenic, parkland terrain, where players must shape their shots around babbling creeks, mature trees, and lakes where discontent golf balls live out fantasies of becoming submarines in search of Atlantis, the Utopian land responsible for the Arnold Palmer drink. A pro shop and clubhouse sit on the scenic hillsides, beckoning players with post-round beverages, upgraded golf accessories, and slice-prone spirits yelling “fore” at one another.

For more than 40 years, golfers of all stripes have swung golf balls through the arboreal alleyways of Fort Erie Golf Club’s 18-hole par 57 course. Stately oak and willow trees frame the emerald fairways and provide shade over interspersed ponds and shallow bunkers placed greenside on multiple holes. The front nine finishes on a peanut-shaped green characterized by dramatic breaks, a treacherous sand trap, and a flagstick with dreams of becoming an Olympic javelin. The driving range and putting green invite swingers to hone their form, and the clubhouse’s patio invites guests to relax with a beverage from Parskey’s Pub as they count the dimples in each of their golf balls and discard any with frown lines.