Scott150VPD

We drive down from Binghamton NY twice a year (spring and fall) to play CC of the Poconos. The course conditions are always good and the staff, cordial. The views are spectacular and the course layout, sound. With as much as a 3 minute cart ride between some holes, walking is not practical here. And once you leave the clubhouse, you won't see it again until the 18th hole. As such, make sure you get your beverages and snacks before hitting the first tee. The course winds through a development, so pay close attention to the arrows on the roadway that guide you along. That said, the houses don't come into play and aren't even visible on most holes. I'd like to comment on the bar/grille, but it never seems to be open when we're there. That said, the clubhouse is quite nice. This course is worth your time.

My cousin Bob and I drove down from Binghamton, chasing the sun. The course was lightly trafficked and we got out ahead of our tee time. The staff was friendly and a member gave us a few pointers before we headed out. The first hole is a rather intimidating par 5, with a forced carry over water. Once we got past that, the second hole proved to be difficult to find, despite the member having given us directions. Once we found the tee, the rest of the front 9 was intuitive. The course has a lot of water and a fair number of forced carries. There are also quite a few doglegs and elevation changes. The course is a par 73, with five par 5's. That said, the premium is on shot placement, v.s. distance. The course was in good shape, for the time of year and the greens were surprisingly quick. The pro shop has the basics and there is a restaurant attached, though we didn't have time to check it out. We would definitely return.

4 hour 45 min. round. Course was in decent shape and the design is interesting and challenging. Pro shop was cordial. Starter made us feel welcome. Slow-ish play caused the 3-some behind us to decide to barge ahead...which then left them waiting behind the slow-ish foursome ahead of US... THAT, nearly resulted in an a** kicking, worthy of an MMA pay-per-view venue. Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed. Course needs to work on this. Otherwise, a nice time.

Cousin Bob and I played the course on a sunny (but very windy) mid October day. The course was lightly trafficked and we were able to get out right on time. The pro shop staff were cordial and the starter was very friendly. The carts were gas powered and reasonably well maintained. Having never played the course before, we were thrilled that the carts were equipped with g.p.s.. The course was immaculately maintained and a pleasure to play. That said, it may not appeal to everyone. There are a lot of blind shots and TONS of elevation change. The rough was up and we lost a few balls in places we felt they should have been readily findable. That part was frustrating; but the amazing views, design and conditioning far overshadowed the negatives. This course is in my new top 5 places to play in Pennsylvania.

My cousin Bob and I drove down from the Binghamton area on a cool, October afternoon. The course was lightly trafficked and we were able to breeze through check in. The pro shop staff were cordial and helped get us started in the right direction. The course was wet from the previous day's rain and as such, it was cart path only. Fortunately, we were both hitting the ball well and didn't have to do a lot of exploring. Many of the traps had standing water and were unplayable (not the course's fault). The fairways were in great shape, despite being spongy. The tee boxes were a little beat up, but they're clearly doing work on them to prepare for winter. The greens were in nice shape and sneaky tough. The carts were gas powered and clean/well maintained. One little quirk to note is that hole #8 gets you the closest to the clubhouse. #9 then plays away from it and #10 is nowhere near it. As such, grab a "to go" menu from Jack's bar/grille on check in (as we did) and call in to order your food before teeing off on #7. The food was high quality and reasonably priced, considering the venue. We had a great time and will definitely be back.

My fiancee and I played the course on a warm summer Sunday, while enroute home from Philly. We were paired with a couple friendly locals/members and played it in 4.5 hours, with a little wait on most every hole. The course is a par 70 and pretty short (6000 yards from the blues). The layout has a lot of doglegs and only 2 par 5's. The biggest challenge was the greens, which are full of undulation. Tee boxes, greens are fairways were average. The bunkers were hard packed and needed work. Carts were well maintained and clean. The best part of the experience was the bar/grille. There is an outdoor veranda bar and a separate bar/grille inside, (named the Foundation), where we ate. The food was good and reasonably priced and the service pleasant. Overall, it was a good experience.

I've played Oneida Community a handful of times in the last few years. Conditions have been largely weather dependent in the past, as it doesn't drain well in places. My wife and I played it this past Friday and it was in nice shape from tee to green. The pace of play was speedy, as we were done in 3.5 hours, even while waiting on a few tee boxes and hunting for a few errant shots. The restaurant had good food (try the stuffed mushrooms!) and we sat on the deck and enjoyed the weather and scenery. Well worth your time.

To preface my review, I'm a big fan of Cornish designs. That said, this isn't one of my favorites....And that said, the course has improved considerably under new ownership. The major rub here is that level lies are nearly impossible to find. Good shots leave you with less than desirable sidehill, downhill and uphill lies. It's a roller coaster from tee through green. You'll need all of your clubs to get around. Chipping and putting skills are a MUST.

My cousin Bob and I play Shadowbrook several times a year and it's my wife's favorite course to boot. As such, it see's alot of us, despite being an hour drive from home. The course layout is competent (Geoffrey Cornish) and the front and back 9 play completely different. Conditions are consistently good from tee to green. The clubhouse is fairly spartan and the carts aging, but reliable. The bar/grille is great and staff is always friendly. We've never stayed at the attached hotel, but have heard only positives.

Shadowbrook is an all inclusive "resort", with a golf course, bar/restaurant, motel, bowling alley and mini golf course. The golf course is half a Geoffrey Cornish design (you guess which 9). The front 9 is flatter and the back 9 hilly. Conditions are generally pretty good and the layout is competent. The views make it very pretty. The bar/grill is nice and reasonably priced. The "pro-shop" is pretty bare bones. The carts are gas powered and beginning to show their age. Overall a very nice play.

I traveled an hour and 20 minutes from Binghamton to play the course, based on the hot rate and the online reviews. I was paired with three very nice locals and we had a great round. The weather was perfect and the course proved to be worthy of the stellar reviews. I don't think there was a single hole that was boring. The views are gorgeous and there are no houses on the course. Plan for some blind shots and tons of elevation change. Conditioning was great and the greens were sneaky fast. The staff and facilities were awesome as well. When all was said and done, this course ranks in my new top 3 of favorite courses in N.Y. State.

My cousin Bob and I travel to CC of the Pocono's around twice a year (spring and fall) from the Binghamton NY area. The course is very unique and always in nice shape. You cannot walk the course, as there are 13 miles of cart path, and often a several minute drive between your last green and the next tee. Many of the drives take you through the adjacent housing development, so you have to pay VERY close attention to signage, pavement markings, and occasional traffic. The views are spectacular (especially on the back 9). The staff always seems friendly and accommodating. We never eat here afterward, so we can't comment on the food/drink. That said, the clubhouse is nice.

My cousin Bob and l played the course as a warm up for the MB March Championship. It was windy and cool but the course offers some shelter by winding through a wooded marsh. The clubhouse is basic but has food and a bar. Course conditions were surprisingly good for this early in the season. The design is competent and interesting. There aren't many houses on the course but the development is growing. Given the fact this course is so far off the beaten path, that could be a bad thing or a good thing. Only time will tell. In the meantime, take advantage of the great Golfnow rates. The course is worth it.

Twisted Dune is reminiscent of Mike Strantz's Tobacco Road golf club in Sanford, NC. The course is more visually intimidating than difficult. That said, there are some holes that can eat your lunch. Generally speaking, straight wins the day here more than long. The course was in decent shape, for late winter. It was cart path only on this day, due to recent rain and the greens were a bit shaggy and slow. The traps could use a good sifting, as they were shale filled. The clubhouse is spartan, with little in the way of food choices. Staff were cordial. A very unique course that is worth the drive.

I've played Iron Lakes a couple times before, with the most recent being 12/1/17. Considering the time of year, the course was in decent shape. We had to play from the "winter tees" but we understood the reasoning and it didn't detract from the round. The greens were in nice shape and the bunkers were better than expected. The fairways were decent and the rough playable. The carts (electric) worked but are aging. We were able to have a drink in the restaurant afterward and were happy with the staff and selection.

Shadowbrook is an hour south of my house and yet I've played it 6 times this season. This is an older, yet well maintained resort. The bar/restaurant is consistently good and the staff friendly. The somewhat spartan "pro shop" is in a separate building, to the left of the main complex. Carts are gas powered and generally well maintained, if a little aged. The course is usually in nice shape (especially the greens). The traps could use a touch more sand but are otherwise decent. The front 9 is mostly flat and open and the back 9 hilly and tighter. Shadowbrook is a Geoffrey Cornish design, making it well worth the trip and your time.

My fiancee and I played the course on a warm and sunny (if windy) fall day. We got a halfway decent rate on Golfnow and decided to stop on our way up to Niagara Falls. The course was lightly trafficked and we got right out on time. The guy in the pro shop was cordial and helped by giving us a few pointers on navigating the course layout quirks. If you haven't played here before, this is critical info. as the course has a weird flow. The tees and fairways were in average condition and the greens were pretty nice. The bunkers had little to no sand and were virtually unplayable. As a whole, the course was unremarkable and we have no plans to return.

I've played Ely Park for many years and have weathered the ups and downs and in-betweens. This is a municipally owned but privately managed course. It has its fans and detractors, more due to inconsistent conditioning than design. This has been a very wet summer and as such, the course is greener than usual for late July. The fairways and rough can be spotty and what few bunkers they have are generally unplayable. The greens are normally pretty good and the layout challenging in places. Carts are electric and well maintained. The real charm of Ely Park is often the most overlooked one. You're on top of a mountain with several panoramic views of the city and surrounding countryside. They really have the ideal location. The "pro shop", isn't and the facilities are basic, with the notable exception of the bar/grille upstairs. While the service can be iffy, the food quality is very good and the prices quite reasonable. In summary, if you're in the area and can score a good deal, then Ely is worth a play.

I'm a big fan of Geoffrey Cornish designs and while this isn't one of my favorites, it has its merits. The greens are LARGE and always in nice shape. The course itself is quirky and hilly and the most common complaint you'll hear is that you never draw an even lie here. Doglegs dominate the design, mostly by necessity. Shot placement is the key to scoring well and you'll usually shoot better with successive rounds. Fairways, bunkers and rough are generally in average condition. The carts (gas) are showing their age and due for replacement. It can get pricey here, particularly on the weekends, but I never pay full price with all of the readily available discounts. Golfnow has a great hot rate that makes it a solid play, even if you aren't a fan of the layout.

My cousin Charlie and I drove up from Binghamton to play the course on a perfect late spring day. I'm a big fan of Cornish designs and this course didn't disappoint. Conditions were good, considering all of the rain we've had lately. You can see that they're working hard on drainage. The greens were near perfect and the fairways solid. The traps had a little washout, but again, it's been a WET spring. I had played here several years ago and remembered the panoramic views, but had forgotten many of the holes. The scorecard says it's a 129 slope from the whites but I began to question that when I shot lows 40's on the front with a somewhat squiffy iron game. I got a reality check on the back 9, which is FAR more hilly than the front. The carts were gas powered and in decent shape. The gent in the clubhouse was welcoming and friendly. The clubhouse is above average, with staff and food that also fit the bill. We had a great time and will be back.