Chautauqua Point Golf Club (Dewittville, NY)

My friend Frank used to own a house in Chautauqua, and he told me if I ever found my way out there, to play this lil nine hole course. I forgot all about it, but it popped into my head as I was driving back from Holiday Valley. 

(The view of the par five third green illustrates all the good attributes of Chautauqua Point.) 

Frank had a good sense what made a course worth seeing. He had a membership at Longue Vue, and regularly played Fox Chapel and Oakmont, so his golf architectural intelligence was high. For him to casually mention CP, I knew it had to be interesting. 

(The green on par three second hole slopes from back left to front right.) 

Chautauqua Point was designed in 1900 by Donald Ross. It sits on a side of a hill that slopes down to the lake, so one is constantly encountering hook and slice lies. The beauty in this little nine holer is not in the condition of the fairways, which is somewhat poor, but rather in the design of the greens. 

The side towards the lake is always crowned, so shooting at a pin on that side is quite brave. I hit a few draws into several greens, and each time it would come in close to the edge, the ball would bound down the hill. False fronts and false sides made it a fascinating play. 

On a parcel such as this, I'm always curious to see how the architect routs the holes. Ross is obviously one of the best, and he didn't seem to mind the hanging lies one encounters here. 1,3,4, and 7 all play across the slope. 

(The par four seventh plays over the sixth green to a turning fairway...

...with the ball above your feet, a sweeping draw is easy to pull off, but a bunker front right and false front short left, the player who can fade it is rewarded.) 

2,5, and 6 are atop the hill or play on flatter terrain. These three holes are the best scoring opportunity. 8 and 9 are the holes you remember long after the round, especially the eighth. The 154 yard par 

three plays downhill to a green resting on the shoreline. Note the trees in pic. They are nearly a goal post, though from the blue tees, the ball rises over them quickly.

A couple more pics to really entice the beauty of this hole!

(What a view of Lake Chautauqua!)

(A pic from the 1960s shows how much the trees have grown.) 

 

The ninth plays straight back up!! It's 134 yard par three that's closer to 160 yards! 

Yikes!! 

Chautauqua Point is type of course found throughout this country in the early years when golf was just beginning to be introduced to Americans. It's quite simply a living museum piece. I enjoyed every shot I hit! If you love golf, then it's worth stopping by when you're in the area. I usually end with a rating, but I'm going to refrain this time. I'm overlooking a lot of negatives while focusing on a really cool set of greens.