Corning, NY Outdoor Activities

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

The botany enthusiasts at Oriental Garden Supply care for a wide variety of greenery, including many Japanese and Asian plants and flowers. Their verdant nursery opens Sunday, April 15, allowing guests to peruse mini forests of korean fir, japanese maple, norway spruce, and overgrown toothpicks. Blossoming perennials and succulents await green thumbs in the greenhouse, which opens the first week of April.:m]]

Twenty-one runs streak across the Toggenburg Mountain Winter Sports Center trail map, furnishing skiers and snowboarders with ample real estate to perfect swerves and test nerves in the crisp high country air. Five lifts—two doubles, a triple, and a pair of beginner rope tows—hoist snowy revelers to the top of runs such as the black diamond Oh My Goat, the blue square Angora Alley, and the green circle Capricorn Caper, as well as two terrain parks. Here, a gantlet of rails, boxes, and tables not only give daredevils the chance to show off their aerial acrobatics, but also provide a rough idea of what it would be like to wear skis into a furniture store. First-timers and skiers in need of a refresher can sign up for snow school, where expert instructors illuminate proper technique during private, semiprivate, and group lessons.

Off the mountain, Chilly Choices ski shop keeps skiers and snowboarders warm on the outside with hats, gloves, goggles, and apparel. Meanwhile the Foggy Goggle and Toggenburg Cafeteria keep them warm them on the inside with toasty eats such as braised tenderloin tips and pizza.

Looking to put a new spin on a classic family activity, the minds behind Glowgolf decided to give the game a phosphorescent update. Incandescent courses place friends and family amid a tropical-fantasy golf world of neon orange, green, and violet surroundings. Players putt luminous orbs through vibrant treasure chests and glimmering windmills while negotiating tricky obstacles near walls portraying black-light-lit aquatic scenes. With more than 20 locations spread over 10 states, Glowgolf's fluorescent labyrinths challenge human players and traveling gnomes.

Located in central New York, just off New York State Thruway exit 40, midway between Rochester and Syracuse, sonorous moos and sloshing tins of milk once echoed across this idyllic nine-hole course, which James and Dee Ball converted from their family dairy farm in 1968. Since then, Meadowbrook Golf Club has seen a slew of proprietors, each of whom have added their own distinct touch by installing automatic watering, improving the drainage system, or building a 40’x80’ pole barn to house equipment and botched Dorf clones.

In May 2008, PGA golf professional Trey Walewski and his wife, Tina, took over the Meadowbrook. The golf club remains a family owned and operated business with Trey and Tina, and their daughters, Taylor and Sydney, taking on the operations of the course, practice facilities, pro shop, and bar and grill.

Sunlight punctures the leafy canopy over Genesee Country Campground, casting a cluster of log cabins, tents, and RVs in a hazy, green glow. Though situated minutes from Caledonia and Leroy, these lush grounds seem far from the bustle of cities and mating calls of feral fire trucks.

Regardless of the shelter in which they dwell, all lodgers enjoy access to their own fire pit and picnic table. Furthermore, Genesee Country Campground furnishes campers with a supplies store, pavilion, and restrooms.

Furthermore, groundskeepers strive to keep campers’ connected to the modern world; tykes can gambol across a playground, nine-hole golf course, and recreation room, and cabins come equipped with TVs. For those who seek more rugged activities, staff members are happy to direct lodgers to Letchworth State Park, Finger Lakes, and nearby hiking trails.