New York State of Mind Travel

An enterprising golf travel agency has taken a great deal of the hassle out of buddy trips in the Empire State by organizing the "New York Golf Trail" and putting together packages covering 21 courses (and lodging options) into six regions.  Given the fabulous golf available upstate, I think they've got a winner of a concept.

(sorry, the map here isn't interactive)

The six regions include the Finger Lakes, Central NY, Cooperstown, Saratoga, Lake Placid, and the Hudson Valley. Other areas, including Long Island, the Southern Tier, and Buffalo, I assume, may be added at a future date. I wouldn't expect a Westchester region, though, since our daily fee offerings are so limited.

Packages start at $245 per player and typically include two rounds of golf and two nights lodging with some meals often included. Considering the greens fees at some of the courses on the list (Mansion Ridge in Monroe, NY, runs about $100), that's a real bargain.  Prices are typically quoted for two players per room and some other minor qualifiers apply, but there's nothing onerous. Lodging ranges from Holiday Inn basic to Otesaga Hotel luxury, but New York Golf Trail swears its staff has personally stayed at every site and wouldn't offer it if it didn't meet their standards.

The other big appeal of the service is just that--service. You only make one call or email, and the New York Golf Trail staff handles the rest, including tee times, hotel reservations at group rates, and billing individual members of your group so you don't have to. That in itself is worth the price of admission.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf