The Links at Greystone

I would have given this course 4 1/2 stars because a couple of its greens are severe. I would use the term 'tricked up' meaning you will never see this amount of undulation on any golf course the pros play.

Certainly not at famed Oak Hill East in Rochester, NY, site of the U.S. Open, PGA etc.

(Also, there is no 1st and 2nd cut of rough around the greens like there is at Ravenwood.)

The 5th green is the worst offender.

It makes me wonder - did they just give the guy on the bulldozer free rein when this course was built?

Pin positions are close to impossible.

The following is from the club's own website: "Architect Craig Schreiner shaped massive greens with multiple tiers and wild swinging breaks."

Wild indeed!

That said, this course has a lot to offer.

The view from the 5th tee is worth the price of admission!

The approach on the 18th over water to a shared green (with the 9th hole) is both stunning and terrifying at the same time.

In the clubhouse, the 19th hole is designed in the manner of a Scottish pub. You can have lunch or dinner here. Very nice!

There is also a large outdoor patio overlooking the signature 18th hole.

The $40 rate was fall/weekend afternoon.

Summer weekend rate is $65 before Noon.

If I had to pick the top public courses to play in the Rochester, NY area, I would rate them:

1. Ravenwood

2. Greystone

3. Blue Heron

4. Mill Creek

Greystone Golf Club is an excellent course, that is well worth the drive out to Walworth. Challenging course with water, sand, and tall fescue.

My first impressions of Greystone was a stinker. Teeing off in a light rain, my partner and I had just finished the first hole when the heavens opened up. We waited in the woods for a while and played the third and fourth holes in a steady drizzle. Thank goodness we didn't quit. Mother Nature gave us a hall pass, and we stayed dry the rest of the day, enjoying the course to ourselves. And what a course it is, arguably the best in the region (although Ravenwood gets higher marks from Golf Magazine). The fifth and eighth tees are spectacular elevated perches, playing to a pair of nice par 4s. A pond frames the excellent par-3 sixth hole. The seventh hole might be too demanding of an uphill par 4 for most players, but it does provide good variety. The land on the back nine rolls more gently. The tough approaches to the 11th and 18th greens must carry water hazards. They're two of the hardest - and most interesting - par 4s on the routing. Stoney's Pub inside the clubhouse turned out to be a great place to dry out and enjoy lunch after the round. I'd definitely come back again, hopefully to sunnier skies.

Had a great time at Greystone. This course is the crown jewel of the 3 courses (Shadow Lake, Shadow Pines) and was very challenging as always. We played it from the blue tees and this offers an opportunity to use every club in your bag. We also played it at 12:08pm which is the first tee time for their discounted rates on the weekend. The greens are fast and cut and rolled to provide extra challenge. I thought the rough was acceptable length, but my playing partner who is about a 22 handicap thought it was too long. Nicely manicured fairways, and fringes around the greens. Many greens are multi tiered so 3 putts always enter the equation. Some risk reward shots are also available such as on the 6th and 8th holes depending on the location of the tee boxes. We did not get anything to eat, but the drinks and beverage cart were reasonably priced and circulated frequently around the course. Overall, I would recommend this course to anyone of any ability level. It has challenges for all ability levels