Late in the summer of 2021, my family and I were visiting Rochester, NY, where I'd met my wife a dozen years earlier. We were staying with friends on Lake Ontario -- a place that is absolutely gorgeous in the summer and that can be absolutely brutal in the winter. With the promise of good weather, I had one day to make the drive east, past Syracuse, to Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona. Turning Stone is home to three 18-hole championship courses, a 3,300-yard nine-hole "recreational" course, and a nine-hole par-3 course. Two of the resort's courses -- Atunyote and Kaluhyat -- were ranked numbers 70 and 98, respectively, on Golf Digest's top 100 public courses list in 2019. Atunyote also served as host site to the PGA Tour's Turning Stone Championship from 2007 to 2010. Though both courses were left off the rankings when Golf Digest updated their top 100 public courses list in 2021, I'd already begun my journey to play the greats based on the prior list, so I consider them "legacy" top-100s. 

Turning Stone is owned and operated by the Oneida Indian Nation, whose rich history in the region predates the founding of the United States by centuries beyond counting. The Oneida were the first Native Americans to ally themselves with the American colonists during the American Revolution against the British in the 18th century. A subsequent treaty negotiated and signed by George Washington promised the Oneida 300,000 acres of land on which to continue to live as a sovereign nation, but legally dubious state land grabs throughout the 1800s had nearly stripped the Oneida of all of their land. Today, due in part to help from the Federal government to reclaim thousands of acres, the Oneida continue to preserve their culture and traditions on about 18,000 acres of land in central New York. And Turning Stone provides an important economic engine that enables them to maintain their way of life. 

One of the things that struck me most during my visit is the degree to which the Oneida heritage is honored throughout the property -- a vast, modern, commercial operation -- including in the naming of the courses (Kaluhyat is an Oneida word that means "the other side of the sky") and signage on each hole that seeks to educate visitors about the course, the land, the Oneida and Native American history. The other thing that struck me was the commitment to great service by the entire staff.

When I was planning my day at Turning Stone, I knew I wanted to play both ranked courses -- Atunyote and Kaluhyat. I'd need to drive more than two hours to get there, play 36 holes and then make the long drive back to rejoin my family that evening. It would be a long day, but doable ... provided I could get tee times on both courses. As it turned out, though, the resort had booked the Kaluhyat course solid for NCAA practice rounds the day I planned to visit. Worried that I might not make it back to the region for quite some time, I reached out to the Turning Stone's Head Golf Professional, Jeff Kleinman, to see if there might be any way for me to either arrive really early and shoot out ahead of the NCAA players for what would be a lightning-fast round ... or if there might be an opportunity to sneak me in at the end of the day, given my one-day window. And Jeff did not disappoint. Not only did he find an opening for me to play, he helped me to shift around my tee times such that I was able to play my second round for a reduced rate that saved me well over $100 versus what I was expecting to pay to play both courses. This wasn't the only time Jeff would save me some money and deliver exceedingly great customer service.

When I arrived for my first round of the day at Kaluhyat, Jeff came out to greet me at the bag drop and make sure I was situated. He explained the layout of the resort to me, gave me an overview of both courses, and shared with me a bit of the history of the resort and its courses. By the time we finished talking, I was raring to go and ready to get to the first tee.

A Robert Trent Jones II design, Kaluhyat stretches to a distance of 7,105 yards and boasts the second-highest slope rating in the state of New York (behind only Bethpage Black) from the tips. I played the white tees at 6,183 yards. That's a couple hundred yards shorter than my ideal length, but Jeff wisely counseled me to play up instead of back to even the 6,724-yard blue tees given the course's tight landing areas and ball-hungry hazards. All distances referenced throughout the remainder of the blog will be from the white tees, as reflects my experience playing the course.

Hole No. 1 - 476 Yards - Par 5 - Sky Journey Begins

The first hole at Kaluhyat is a reachable par-5 that gives the player a false sense of ease. The fairway is wide and inviting. From the tee, it felt like a low score was a foregone conclusion. 

Avoid the fairway bunkers down the right side of the hole, and you're all-clear to go for the green. 

Hole No. 2 - 369 Yards - Par 4 - Just Believe

The second hole plays downhill from an elevated tee, creating an illusion that the fairway is farther away and tighter than it actually is. At about 200 yards, the fairway angles right, meaning that a well-struck drive left of the prominent fairway bunker runs a real risk of running through the short grass and into the rough (or worse). The smart play may be a hybrid or long-iron off this tee. Otherwise, a well-played fade or a bold bomb that flirts with the left side of the fairway bunker may be the ticket to a golden scoring opportunity.

There is virtually no trouble around the green on this hole -- no sand or water to worry about. A player fortunate to find the fairway off the tee should have no excuse for a poor score on this hole. But don't assume it's an automatic birdie hole, either. Knolls and dips around the green, along with a tightly mown collection area long and right can turn a slightly mishit approach into a difficult up and down.

Hole No. 3 - 367 Yards - Par 4 - Hidden Challenges

From the tee on No. 3, the series of fairway bunkers on the right may look intimidating, but it's only about 190 yards to clear them, and the ideal shot is a drive that finds the right side of the fairway, opening up the best angle of attack for the approach shot on this short(ish) par-4.

A drive that finds the right side of the fairway offers the player the option to either try to fly an approach shot to the hole or to hit a low running shot into this deep green. Find the right tier on this green, and birdie is a real possibility. Find the wrong tier, and you could be looking at bogey.

Hole No. 4 - 302 Yards - Par 4 - At Wood's Edge

At 302 yards, the fourth hole may tempt a player to try to either bomb it over the trees on the left side or hook it around them in an effort to reach the green. But beware. It is all carry to the is well-guarded putting surface. Meanwhile, a 200-yard shot down the middle, splitting the fairway bunkers, is all it takes to open up the green for a short-iron or wedge approach.

From the fairway, it's important to know your carry distance and to hit it. The front bunker is even deeper and more trecherous than it appears as this green doesn't offer a lot of depth to hold a sand shot and stick it close to the flag. And a long approach risks an even worse fate if it finds the bunker behind the green.

Hole No. 5 - 111 Yards - Par 3 - Among the Forest

No. 5 should be simple. Just don't hit the ball short. From the white tees, this hole is likely no more than a pitching wedge or 9-iron for most players. And there is virtually no trouble so long as you clear the wetlands and the three bunkers between the tee and the green. On this particular day, the pin was in front, daring us to take a little less club and hope to land it close. The smarter play would be to take a little more club and just aim for the center of this back-to-front sloping green. 

Hole No. 6 - 503 Yards - Par 5 - Challenge of Courage

No. 6 is one of my favorite holes on the front 9. From the tee, the player can't see just how important it is to not go right. The right side of the fairway on the opening shot is all water. But the design of the hole brilliantly beckons the player to aim for the right side of the fairway nonetheless. As the fairway angles from left to right away from the tee, a drive down the left side runs the risk of running through the fairway into the rough. And it can be so hard for even a disciplined player to consider hitting anything less than a driver off the tee of a par-5. I saw three players in my group find the water right of the fairway this day.

No. 6 really isn't reachable by anyone but the longest players. So, there's no absolute need to hit driver. The point of the tee shot here is simply to make it safely to the fairway. The really critical shot on this hole is the second. Play right and avoid the series of bunkers short of the green to give yourself a chance at pitching on and making birdie. Find any one of those bunkers, and you'll be fortunate to escape the hole with bogey.

Hole No. 7 - 391 Yards - Par 4 - Meadow Spirit

The seventh hole offers players a wide fairway, but the water on the left does come into play for anybody who can hit the ball more than 250 yards. The bunkers on the right require a drive of about 200 yards in the air to carry, but beyond that the fairway is wide open. And any ball hit to that right side should bound down the fairway, leaving a player with a mid- or short-iron into the green.

If the drive on No. 7 is relatively easy, the approach shot is downright scary! As the lake pinches in from the left, a very narrow, multi-tiered green is also defended by four bunkers. Find the sand, and it's entirely possible that your next shot will run through the green and into the water. This shot requires confidence, nerves of steel, and a very well-struck iron. Or ... play your approach short of the green to the wider bit of fairway and chip on for a potential par save. If nothing else, that strategy should take double or worse out of play. And that can be a win on a hole like this.

Hole No. 8 - 182 Yards - Par 3 - Whispering Grasses

No. 8 is a fun, challenging par-3. There are no trees around the eight hole, which means a strong breeze can really wreak havoc on your tee shot. And there are seven bunkers around this green to capture a wayward ball. The green -- like so many of the greens here -- demands that your tee shot (or second shot) finds the right tier. Otherwise, a three-putt is entirely possible. 

Hole No. 9 - 403 Yards - Par 4 - Journey of Choice

The ninth hole offers the player a number of choices off the tee. The fairway is wide open to the left, but probably requires most players to leave the driver in the bag as anything hit more than about 225 yards risks running through the fairway into the rough, leaving a very challenging approach into the green. That side of the hole may be the safest journey, but it'll leave you with a much longer approach to the green.

The other option is to aim right and dance with the bunkers that guard the entire right side of the hole. A tee shot of between about 225 yards and 265 yards should find the narrow landing area between the bunkers. A tee shot played to the right does open up the green a bit more to the possibility of a low, running approach shot. But no matter where you drive the ball on the ninth hole, birdies are going to be rare, and par is an excellent score.

Hole No. 10 - 299 Yards - Par 4 - An Illusion

For big hitters, the tenth hole may be drivable. It's a relatively straightforward 299-yards to the hole, and a hot ball can chase into the green without needing to carry all the way there in the air. Aim just right of the small fairway bunker on the left side of the hole and send it. There are trees left, so anything pulled could turn into a difficult par. But a push right isn't likely to find much more trouble than a lie in the rough with a wedge into the green. 

For those who decide to play more conservatively off the tee, the fairway on 10 should be easy to find, and the green is relatively wide and receptive. The real challenge on hole 10 is the putting surface itself. Don't lose concentration there, or your birdie opportunity could quickly become a bogey.

Hole No. 11 - 563 Yards - Par 4 - Uncertain Passage

No. 11 is a long par-5 that moves from right to left. The ideal tee shot is a draw that starts out over the right side of the first set of fairway bunkers and turns left, following the angle of the fairway. The far fairway bunkers require a drive of at least 265 yards before the come into play. 

The second shot on 11 is really all about keeping the ball in play and, for most players, will require that you stay short of the wetlands that traverse the hole about 100 yards from the green. The third shot will likely be a short-iron played uphill to a relatively flat green. The greenside bunker that wraps around the right side of the green can make for a difficult up-and down. But any approach that finds the putting surface should be rewarded with at least an easy two-putt, if not a real shot at birdie.

Hole No. 12 - 401 Yards - Par 4 - Straight and Narrow

No. 12 puts a premium on both length and accuracy. There is no room to hook or slice a ball off the tee on this hole. Thick trees line both sides of the fairway, along with high native grasses. If you don't find the fairway off the tee, be sure to play a provisional, because it'll be a long, lonely trip back if you discover your ball has been lost to the forest and you need to reload.

Those who do find the fairway on 12 will likely have an easier time of it but still aren't guaranteed a par. The approach to this green is made difficult by five bunkers short and left and another long and right. I saw multiple players hit from bunker to bunker before finally finding the green on this hole. And the putting surface is two-tiered, making it important to land on the right level. 

Hole No. 13 - 500 Yards - Par 5 - Big Water

I loved the 13th hole. Maybe that's because I carded a textbook par, but I just really liked the look of this hole. From the tee, there is plenty of room to bomb away with the big stick. Just avoid the water on the right. The bunkers on the left side of the fairway are certainly in play, but because this isn't likely a hole I'd ever go after in two, a ball in one of those bunkers is easy enough to advance down the fairway to set up a good approach shot. 

From the fairway off the tee, the second shot is all about keeping the ball dry and leaving yourself a distance that you like for your approach. I just love the water cuts in fromt he right and the way the fairway pushes back out into the lake to create a wider landing area closer to the green.

The approach shot to the green can be played a bit more conservatively to the left to avoid any chance of splashing down in the water. And the relatively flat putting surface on this hole makes birdie -- and certainly par -- a real possibility for any player who manages to make it there in three. It's a challenging but gettable hole that could yield low scores from time to time.

Hole No. 14 - 331 Yards - Par 4 - Hidden Truth

No. 14 can be played conservatively with a hybrid or long-iron played to the right of the fairway bunkers, leaving players with a short-iron or possibly even a wedge into the green. Or, bigger hitters may want to try to hit a fade around the trees on the right and really cut the angle to this green. There is water on the right side, so it's a risky play. But it does open up the possibility of playing your second shot from as close as 75 yards or less.

There are no bunkers near the green on 14, so the only real trouble is the water to the right. A smart play may be to keep the approach low to the ground and run it into the left side of this green. Balls pulled a bit left of the green to compensate for the trouble right may find themselves buried in a tough lie among the rolling terrain and rough that increase the level of difficulty for greenside pitches like this one.

Hole No. 15 - 128 Yards - Par 3 - Peaceful Glen

No. 15 should just be a short-iron or possibly even a wedge for most players from the white tees. The challenge is convincing yourself that you've got enough club to clear the wetlands and avoiding the one greenside bunker that protects the putting surface. The green is deeper than it looks from the tee, so it's not necessarily a bad idea to take a little extra club and risk being a bit long with a putt back toward the hole.

Hole No. 16 - 371 Yards - Par 4 - Edge of the Sky

No. 16 is a really fun hole. It's best to club down from the tee as the fairway runs out at about 250 yards. And it really begins to pinch in at about 200 yards from the tee. Keep it in the fairway, and you'll be rewarded with a pretty view of the green and the tree-covered land beyond.

From the fairway, this hole requires distance control above all else. Short, and you'll find either sand or leave yourself with a long, uphill pitch to the green. Everything about this hole is tough, and that's a part of what makes it so much fun. After all, golf is meant to be an adventure.

Hole No. 17 - 141 Yards - Par 3 - Turtle Den

The 17th is a mid-length, downhill par-3 that can be played a number of ways. I pushed my 9-iron a bit right and wound up with a difficult pitch up the bank from a gnarly lie in the rough. One of my playing companions hit a high, straight ball into the middle of the green. And another of my playing parthers hit a low punch that landed maybe 30 yards short of the green and rolled all the way to the back. All three tee shots gave us opportunities for par. Even from one of the bunkers left, given the width of the green, there shouldn't be any reason to score worse than a bogey on this hole. And birdies and pars ought to be bountiful.

Hole No. 18 - 345 Yards - Par 4 - Journey's End

The 18th hole is a terrific par-4. Its wide fairway gives you ample opportunity to find the fairway ... always a great way to end a round and get excited about the prospect of playing again. The high native grasses frame the hole beautifully as the fairway rises to the right and then falls back and to the left. Left of the fairway you can see some of the lodging available at the resort.

Farther left from the tee you can see the hotel and casino in the distance. This was about the only time since the first tee and the turn that the buildings on the property were plainly visible from the course. By and large, Robert Trent Jones II and the Oneida have done an incredible job really making the course feel like it's a part of the natural landscape of the property.

The approach on 18 requires a carry to the green as three bunkers short of the putting surface await any ball that doesn't fly all the way to the putting surface. The small green is very narrow in the front and wider in the back, so the smart play is to take an extra club even if the pin is up front. Despite the wide fairway, this finishing hole is anything but a push-over. It's a really great final hole and a terrific way to end a round on a deceptively challenging course.

At just over 6,100 yards, I would generally have expected to score better. But Kaluhyat kicked my butt. It's easy to understand its high slope rating ... and it's ranking among the top public courses in the country. I loved every minute of my round on this course, and I hope to make it back again some day.

I wish that I could share scans of the yardage book pages, which -- rather than a written description of each hole to go along with the yardage map -- provides a bit of context and historical perspective about the Oneida Indian Nation and Native American heritage. It's possibly the best use of a yardage book to tell a meaningful story that I've ever seen. At present, you can find the text from the yardage book alongside the individual course tour hole videos on the Turning Stone website's Kaluhyat page. I imagine that could change as they refresh or redesign the site in the future, but so long as the descriptions are there, I highly encourage any reader of this blog to click through and check them out.

As I conclude part one of my two-part Turning Stone blog, I just have to say that I was beyond impressed with Kaluhyat. The property is gorgeous. The course is challenging. The conditions were impeccable. The staff and service were top-notch. I can't for the life of me figure out why these courses dropped out of Golf Digest's top-100 ranking in 2021, but I can say unequivocally that you'd be hard-pressed to find a better place to play one or more rounds of great golf. And I wouldn't hesitate to suggest that anyone make the trip. 

Stay tuned for part two of my Turning Stone review -- Atunyote ... coming soon.

Have you played Kaluhyat at Turning Stone? What did you think? Leave a comment below or email me at shawn@iputtaround.com.