Mill Creek Golf Club - hole 18
0 of 11
Mill Creek Golf Club - hole 18
The 18th hole at Mill Creek Golf Club is a tricky, 344-yard par 4. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Mill Creek golf course - 9th
1 of 11
Mill Creek golf course - 9th
This is the view from the Mill Creek clubhouse of the ninth hole, an uphill par 3 of 172 yards. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Mill Creek G.C.
2 of 11
Mill Creek G.C.
The highest points for golf around Rochester, N.Y., create some beautiful vistas at Mill Creek Golf Club. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Mill Creek golf course - 16th
3 of 11
Mill Creek golf course - 16th
The 16th hole at Mill Creek Golf Club is a massive double green with plenty of humps and bumps. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Mill Creek G.C. - 14th hole
4 of 11
Mill Creek G.C. - 14th hole
The 14th hole is one of several at Mill Creek Golf Club with a split fairway. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Mill Creek golf course - 12th
5 of 11
Mill Creek golf course - 12th
The 12th at Mill Creek Golf Club, seen here near the green, plays 218 yards downhill. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Mill Creek G.C. - 15th hole
6 of 11
Mill Creek G.C. - 15th hole
The par-5 15th hole at Mill Creek Golf Club, seen here from the 11th fairway, features water up the entire right side. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Mill Creek golf course - 10th
7 of 11
Mill Creek golf course - 10th
Mill Creek Golf Club's par-3 10th hole plummets off an elevated tee. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Mill Creek Golf Club - hole 8
8 of 11
Mill Creek Golf Club - hole 8
The eighth hole at Mill Creek Golf Club is a risk-reward, short par 4 of 331 yards. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Mill Creek golf course - 6th
9 of 11
Mill Creek golf course - 6th
Plenty of slope characterizes the sixth green at Mill Creek Golf Club in Churchville, New York. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Mill Creek Golf Club - hole 5
10 of 11
Mill Creek Golf Club - hole 5
A split fairway allows golfers to choose their path to the par-5 fifth green at Mill Creek Golf Club in Churchville, New York. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
11 Images

Roll with the land at Mill Creek Golf Club near Rochester, New York

CHURCHVILLE, N.Y. -- There are plenty of highs and lows at Mill Creek Golf Club. The 6,962-yard layout, the handiwork of Michigan-based architects Ray Hearn and Paul Albanese dating to 2005, showcases the highest point for golf in the greater Rochester area.

From the hilltop clubhouse, holes spill off ridges to a rolling meadow before eventually climbing home again. Tantalizing downhill holes unfurl before your eyes. The first tee drops before the gentle par 4 bends right. The potentially drivable eighth hole -- guarded by wetland and bunkers -- leads to a pair of excellent par 3s: the steep skyward trek at no. 9 and the demon drop downhill to the 10th green.

A handful of split fairways (holes 4, 11, 14 and 18) offer multiple options from the tee, although it's usually best to take the route of least resistance. All the upheaval of the land and multiple fairways lead to a couple of confusing holes, especially for newcomers. It's a bit of a guessing game where to hit it on Mill Creek's par-5 11th hole and par-4 18th hole. Bad tee shots result in tough, blind approaches.

Overall, though, Mill Creek leaves golfers riding high. It's a fun place to play that, because of its remote location west of the city, costs less to play than it should.

Jason Scott Deegan has reviewed and photographed more than 1,100 courses and written about golf destinations in 25 countries for some of the industry's biggest publications. His work has been honored by the Golf Writer's Association of America and the Michigan Press Association. Follow him on Instagram at @jasondeegangolfpass and Twitter at @WorldGolfer.
Now Reading
Roll with the land at Mill Creek Golf Club near Rochester, New York