Turning Stone Resort Casino

The Turning Stone Resort, just 30 miles east of Syracuse, New York, offers 707 guest rooms, a casino, nightclubs, restaurants, a 33,000-square-foot spa with cardio training and whirlpool, and a 5,000-seat theater, which has hosted such artists as Jay Leno, Tim McGraw, Alicia Keys, and Barry Manilow. Its best attraction, though, may be its three 18-hole golf courses.

The Turning Stone Resort Casino

The courses at the 3,400-acre resort—which the Oneida Indian Nation owns and operates—make respectful use of native wetlands and wildflowers.

Shenendoah, a Rick Smith design that opened in 2000, has just emerged from a thoughtful renovation that has seen seven new, replacement holes woven seamlessly into, over, and around the original layout. The result is a classically inspired layout with lots of cross-bunkers and alternative paths to play from tee to green.

Shenendoah Course

The course contrasts perfectly with the more modern, hopscotch variety of aerial golf demanded by Kaluhyat, a 2003 Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design that rewards precision and consistency through a kaleidoscopic minefield of colorful native flora.

Atunyote, a Tom Fazio design from 2004, is the most expansive and visually accessible of the three courses. It’s also the course reserved for the casino’s premier guests and has been home to some big-time championships, including a PGA Tour event where Dustin Johnson secured his first Tour win (2008).

Atunyote Course

The golf mix at Turning Stone includes two shorter alternatives—Sandstone Hollow, a nine-hole par 3; and Pleasant Knolls, a regulation-length, nine-hole layout—that are popular with families and newcomers and for those “emergency nines.” And despite the cold winters here, golfers don’t have to put away the clubs off-season, thanks to an indoor golf dome big enough to accommodate short game training and full wedge play.    

COURSES:
For more information about the golf courses at Turning Stone, visit turningstone.com or call (800) 771-7711.

AIRPORTS:

Syracuse International Airport (SYR) in Syracuse, New York, is 36 miles to the west and has a 9,003-foot runway. Griffiss International Airport (RME) in Rome, New York, is 15 miles northeast and has an 11,820-foot runway.