Country Club of Rochester

This is a private club so you'll need to have some perspective when comparing it to public or semi-private courses. Overall the course was in great shape - the flowers and gardens that adorn the clubhouse and course were at their finest. This is to be expected at this type of club but worth noting. The pace of play was whatever we wanted it to be- no tee times. Go to the range and hit some balls and putt then go off when you're ready was a treat. The practice facilities were top notch. The Donald Ross layout may have been altered over time but there are lots of examples of his footprints on this course. The subtle breaks on the greens and the false fronts were classic Ross. Although this may be a shorter course for the longer hitters, the greens and trap placement challenged everyone in our group. I would recommend this course if in Rochester.

when you ask a consultant (gil hanse in this case) to help, its not likely they’ll tell you that you dont need it. and it didnt happen in this case. what was a wonderful wooded layout melding perfectly with its northeast surroundings has become a poor attempt at a links course in an environment ill suited for it. they’ve gone too far with tree removal, clearly dont take care of what little are left and the result is a wide open soccer pitch with some holes. theyve done this in the name of restoration to the original ross design but who cares? why cant things be improved? truth is the original ross design is still a far cry from the course today.

While this course has been updated several times over the years it is still a classic Donald Ross layout. The conditions are first class and there are plenty of hazards to get your attention. After a few relatively short holes the course starts to show its teeth. Holes 5-7 are the Trent Jones designs, but they meld seamlessly with the rest of the course. Gil Hanse has taken out a lot of trees creating some wonderful views across the layout. The last two holes are challenging finishers. Staff were all great.

I was invited here by a member being told this was a tough course but once out there it wasn't very hard at all. I managed to get a 47 In a poorly played round. This course seemed pretty easy for a Ross designed course. But everything else was very nice fairways tee boxes and facilities were all steller and hope to be invited back again soon and would love to join this nice country club in the future

If you get a chance to play this Donald Ross classic, by all means go for it. It is extremely well groomed and it a pretty layout with lots of old trees. The staff is what a private club staff should be: friendly, knowledgeable but not stuffy. For those who love Ross tracks, this is one you will savor. Although the victim of past renovations, the course has happily been restored to Ross's original routing and design.

Very playable for women.