A Thank You To Our Great Monroe County Golf Courses!
One very important component of our golf ecosystem here are the three outstanding Monroe County Parks golf courses: Churchville, Durand Eastman and Genesee Valley. For the better part of a century, very many people have been touched by these wonderful places.
All three facilities are unique and fantastic in their own way.
At Churchville – where I actually served as Golf Director for one year way back in the late 80’s – there are 27 holes, a championship 18-hole East Course and a full-sized 9-hole track called the West Course. I love the vast open spaces at Churchville – perfect for those who are trying to hone their skills. The people that play there are fabulous – the Men’s Club especially. Their passion for their club is as genuine and enthusiastic as anything I have experienced. Kudos forever to the men who volunteer their thime to run their ‘club’ and their special events and weekend games. And there are A LOT of women who love to play Churchville too!
Durand is the best of the three County golf courses – a fabulous design that truly tests your golf game, with some holes dating back to the 1920s. Featuring work by a fledgling golf course designer and native son – Robert Trent Jones – before he became one of the greatest golf course architects in the world, Durand is the trophy of the County courses. With a beautiful clubhouse, set in a magnificent park that was designed originally by the great lanmdscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead – designer of New York City’s Central Park – Durand is a treasure of the local golfing community.
Genesee Valley has 36 holes and is the busiest in terms of rounds played each year. It is beloved by the regulars who play there and it serves our community so well. The “Old Course” – also known as the North Course – dates to 1899 and is the nore challenging track. The South Course is much shorter, wide-open – and perfect for those golfers just learning the game!
The County courses help grow the game by introducing golf to so many people, especially young people, who then go on to become life-long golfers. I can’t tell you how many golfing friends and aquaintences tell me they started in the game at one of our County courses.
The County courses are very inexpensive, which also brings many more people to play them. We, as County residents, are indebted to our County officials, who continue to operate and support them. Special thanks to Monroe County Executive Adam Bello, as well as Monroe County Parks Superintendent Greg Klem.
I would especially like to call out and thank the County golf courses for what they do to serve our golf community. The RDGA supports and partners with many youth programs and grow-the-game initiatives and so many of these are staged at and supported by our great County trio of facilities.
Examples of these programs include The First Tee, US Kids and most recently the Jerry Stahl Junior Golf Academy and Golf Camp, are held at our County courses – they always say yes – it is clear part of their mission is to serve our community in that way – and we at the RDGA are so grateful.
Thank you for being a huge part of our very special golf community!
Best regards,
Tim Vangellow
Executive Director, RDGA
If you like what you read here, find past editions of TV Time With Tim Vangellow below – just click on the date to open: