Golf in Lancaster

The Greens at Brock's par 58 executive course packs 18 holes of diverse obstacles into a dynamic, 3,000-yard layout. With nine holes measuring less than 150 yards in length, the course caters to players who can dominate their short-iron approaches, and four par 4s ensure that drivers don't start experimenting with fertilizer chemicals to stave off boredom. Lush landscaping greets players throughout the round, with weeping willows casting shadows across the seventh hole and pine trees lining the short-grass corridor of the 15th fairway. Alongside the course rests an expansive driving range with covered and open-air stalls and hitting areas blanketed with natural grass, turf, and retro shag carpet. After fine-tuning tee shots, golfers can read the breaks at the mini golf course or stroll over to the facility's tiki bar festooned with sand beaches, a waterfall, and tropical plants.

Brisk breezes from Lake Erie and nearby Niagara Falls waft across Emerald Pines’ 6,200 yards of manicured greens and oak-lined fairways, gently eddying past a rustic clubhouse that embodies the club’s homespun charm. Golfers can launch balls across the course’s 18 holes and driving range with name brand products found in an on-site pro shop, where a holographic projection of Mike Weir reenacts his most celebrated putts. The club’s rustic sensibility extends to the fully staffed kitchen’s menu, which comforts tummies with barbeque platters, jumbo hot dogs, and 8-ounce new york strip steaks.:m]]

Spruce Ridge’s nine-hole course craftily incorporates 200 acres of Wyoming County countryside into a scenic, 3,131-yard tapestry of fairways and greens. Throughout the round, golfers aim drives down gently rolling fairways, on the edges of which loom undesirable destinations including knee-high fescue grass, ponds, and headquarters for earthworm Mafiosi. Water hazards complicate passage on four holes, including the par 4 seventh, where two ponds hug the left side and contribute to its reputation as the course’s most difficult hole. After rounds, golfers can snag a hot dog at the concession stand to ward off hunger or use as an unconventional putter.

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.

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