Dryden, NY

TC3 Panther Highlands - Old Layout

3.735(based on 24 reviews)
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2 0
luke_Rosati
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

An Awesome Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 11, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Exceptionally taken cared of- grass was freshly cut.
-The course was very well marked, multiple tee boxes were awesome.
-When going OB it is not hard to find your disc, my dad threw it 7 times into the woods and found all of them within a matter of seconds and could play it where it lied.
-Great use for different shots, got to try out my forehand.

Cons:

Hole one is not there anymore due to campus construction.

Other Thoughts:

-As a beginner, it challenged me to throw it over 400ft on some holes and use different shots which helped develop my skills. If I wasn't on vacation I would definitely come back to this course!
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4 0
markmcc
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.5 years 278 played 254 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Beautiful Course with Some Issues 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 5, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

This beautiful course plays on the grounds of Tomkins Cortland Community College (T3C) and takes advantage of rolling hills, lots of green grass, a pond, and several sections of wooded land.

Two sets of tees are offered on each hole, labeled Black and Red. From the longer Black tees the 18 holes play right at 7000 feet, with most of the holes in the 300' - 450' range. In fact only Hole 2, playing inside a corridor of mature trees is less than 300', playing at 250'.

I found most of the holes to be fairly open, often playing alongside a treeline or requiring shaping around a corner of trees. The few holes with trees on both sides were wide enough that I wouldn't consider them tunnel shots. Drives were well balanced between straight, left curving and right curving. No doglegs or really tricky shaping required. Overall the fairways were pretty forgiving.

There are some nice uphill/downhill fariways that add interest and challenge. Nothing extreme but enough elevation that it has an impact on your disc selection.

The ponds come into play on Holes 1 and 18, but the baskets are comfortably far enough from the water that you can be pretty aggressive.

Tee pads were rubber mats. Tee signs had serviceable hole diagrams as well as the expected par and distance information. Next Hole arrows were also included in the signs so pay attention!

Baskets were grey Chainstars in good shape. A more obvious hole number would be nice as you had to be standing next to them to see it on the orange, center-pole tape.

Cons:

The rubber teepads are uneven and lumpy. In most cases you can make do but a few are uneven enough with high spots and holes to impair a normal runup. A couple were also slick enough to be a problem.

Signage was hit and miss. In many cases the signs are out of the ground and laying nearby. A couple seem to be missing altogether.

Navigation was also hit and miss. Much of the course flows fine, but the walkouts from 7 to 8, 10 to 11, 12 to 13 and 16 to 17 were all long and not obvious. The walk from 10 to 11 is especially weird as it follows a narrow brushy trail some distance through the woods and takes you back almost to the Hole 8 basket. In fact it would be easy to jump from Hole 8 to 11 and skip Holes 9 & 10 completely.

Could use a couple more "next tee" signs on the longest walk-outs, or add a distance so that new players would have a clue of how far to go.

Other Thoughts:

This is a beautiful course on a Community College campus. The grass was being mowed the morning I played and I can see where it could get out of hand quickly in spring and early summer. There is thick rough on some areas of the course that looks like it could hide a disc very well.
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1 1
Pequam3
Experience: 6 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 23, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great all around
Nice long shots
Well manicured greens
Good sinage and flow, great use of space

Cons:

Campus police giving me the hairy eyeball and looking in my car
(Nothing saying I needed a parking pass)

Other Thoughts:

Wind can be a major factor in your game.
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3 0
pandabaer6496
Experience: 17.3 years 877 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Super fun course!! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 1, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

The number one thing that stands out about this course is the creative layout. From short to long, left to right, uphill to downhill, this course has as good of a variety of any I've played. it doesn't drag as many courses do, and it makes for a truly exciting 18 holes of golf.

- Signature hole: TC3 also stands out in that it has one hole that is really memorable. Hole 16 (long tee) is a nearly 400 foot straight downhill shot that is really impressive. Its the kind of hole you could empty your whole bag on.

Overall, this course is clean, diverse, and exciting!

Cons:

TC3 falls short mainly for the little things.

1. Very long walks between holes in several cases.

2. Rubber tee pads

Other Thoughts:

With a couple minor touchups this course could be truly elite. Unfortunately, Ive heard that the students at TC3 don't play it very often, but nonetheless it is a great course!
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2 4
esdubya
Experience: 29.4 years 106 played 23 reviews
3.50 star(s)

I Wanna Be at TC3 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 2, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Other Thoughts:

From purely a hole design standpoint, TC3 Panther Highlands is probably a 5 star course. Where it loses some of its lustre is all of the other pesky things, like long walks from basket to tee-pad, and the lack of concrete tees. I really enjoyed playing here, and look forward to my next round at TC3 Baby! Looks to be a good challenge from both sets of tees, although I played the black layout the first time.
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4 0
LSC player
Experience: 15.7 years 7 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Destination For Sure! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 5, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Great tee pads.
-Signage is very good.
-Nice variety of throws and distances.
-Scenery is a plus!
-Great overall layout.
-Holes 3 and 16 are extremely fun. Especially 16, long downhill throws are always exciting.

Cons:

Very little cons... only gripes are even with a map, you can get a little confused at times. By far the worst is the walk from 16 to 17. Serious bushwhacking req'd. Also, as a bit of a DG purist, I'm not a huge fan of walking over the tee pad of 3 to get to another hole. In fact, there are a couple of other spots where the layout is a bit wonky (aka walking close to fairways of one hole to get to the tee pad of another. You might want to consider playing with a friend or two so you can spot each other. A couple of holes (hole 9 especially) almost requires one if you want to get aggressive.

Other Thoughts:

Really cool course! I'd definitely recommend this course to anyone in the general area. If a couple of bridges were installed and a little bush cutting was done I could see upgrading my rating to a 4.5.
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6 0
softball29
Experience: 14.3 years 23 played 13 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Not bad overall, tough for beginners 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 25, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

On a whim, two of us drove up for the afternoon to play TC3. I had heard good things about the course and was interested in playing it. Though still within my first year of playing, I like getting a challenge and seeing what's out there.

- The course was, for the most part, easy to navigate. The signage is excellent and with most of the course being mowed recently, it was solid. You could see the baskets from most tees, so that also helped.

- Multiple tees. For someone, like myself, who isn't a long thrower or fine-tuned yet, having a shorter tee was nice (though sometimes the difference wasn't that big). The reds are still a very big challenge.

- Terrain. Though not walking mountains, I thought it was a challenge and one got a decent little workout. My pedometer showed walking just over two miles for the round, so that was nice.

- Scenic. Though some of the holes aren't of the great looking variety, some of them are incredible. I loved looking from 16 and over the mountains and into the horizon. Very pretty.

- Hole 2. This is, by far, one of my favorite holes I've played ever. I really loved it. It just has a really cool feel to it.

- The maps in the beginning of the course (in the mailbox) were excellent!

Cons:

- Not beginner friendly. Though there are some really solid holes for someone to spray and miss, accuracy and some length is needed on this course. The red tees are more than 5,000 feet long, so it's still a long course.

- The final 4 or 5 holes. It got a little confusing for us. Though the signs were really good, we needed to do some bushwhacking to get to the next hole, or hopped over small streams, muddy areas and all that. Some small "board bridges" would really be helpful and might help make it safer.

- The hike from 16 to 17 is a little ridiculous as we had to duck under trees, climb over fallen trees and go through extremely tight spots. As someone who hikes, I don't mind bushwhacking at times, but this was silly. For a few moments, we wondered if we missed the right trail. Then, we got to an opening (tee for, I think, 15) and had to keep going to 17, down a short, but steep embankment (muddy after rain). The person I played with fell and it could have been bad. This could be dangerous in bad weather and should be worked on to make things better.

- I only remember seeing one or two benches and there were no garbage cans.

Other Thoughts:

This was a tough course. I had a tough time several times during the round as it's tight in a lot of spots and if you get into the rough, it can be even tougher.

I'm glad I got to play the course as I've heard a lot about it. It wasn't bad, by any means, and I think the more experienced player would love it (though the person I was with is pretty experienced and was agreeing with my thoughts). It's a pretty course, seems to be well kept and it's a good place to challenge yourself. However, I'm not sure when I'd be ready for the longs as some of those were really long!

I didn't put tee pads in the pros or cons because I didn't mind them, but the person I was with had issues with them a little. They could use a little better work, for sure. But I thought they were OK. I could see where it would be tough if really slick.

Though I wouldn't rush to get up here and play again, I wouldn't veto a trip here, either. I just think I'd want to get some more time under my wings to be able to adjust to situations more. There are a lot of challenging shots on this course and even the easy looking holes can bite one in the rear.
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9 0
sloppydisc
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.9 years 201 played 147 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Endless possibilities 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 23, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

18 holes with 2 tee pads for each hole. Great signs that show distance and hole layout. Small arrows on the baskets help direct you to the next tee. There are also a few signs in key locations directing you tomthe next hole.

A well maintained course with a ball golf feel. The freshly mowed grass fairways made me feel like I should have been wearing a collared shirt.

Fairways were well defined and trails and walkways were clear. No interference from other activities or campus users. Just nice, neat and clean. A beautiful course.

Course has trees and woods, but plays mostly in the open.

2 holes near the pond and several that use small creeks to add risk.

Cons:

Rubber tee pads that were uneven and sometimes slick with dried grass. Concrete pads would be nice.

While there is trees and woods the fairways for the most part are open or wide. You are usually not
forced to hit a certain line or angle. There is a pretty wide margin for error on most holes.

Basket positions could be used better in some areas to add challenge or risk to the holes. Several of the baskets are in very open areas. While there are 2 holes that play near the pond, 1 and 18, neither is close enough to the water to add risk to the hole. Only a truly errant shot will take a swim.

A couple long walks between holes. Transitions could be better. In a couple spots I think I saw the chupacabra beast hidden in the woods. Bring water, food, and something to do while you're wandering down the paths. From hole 10 to 11 and from 16 to 17 is where you get to wander through the woods.

Other Thoughts:

There were a few holes that really stood out as fun at this course.

#3 is a nice, long 520' shot off a small hill. There are some scattered trees in the fairway and an OB road to the right. Pretty cool

#7 is a blind 460' hole that tightens toward the basket which is perched on a small hillside.

#9 could be the most challenging hole on the course. It is 560' and forces you to hit a narrow gap about halfway down the fairway. And both side are lined with a very nasty rough. Get off the fairway and you are in trouble. Just a really good hole.

#16 is a fun 385' shot off a big hill that let's you watch your disc fly through a fairway of small trees toward the basket. Feel free to empty your bag on that one. It's a blast.

Over all I was pretty impressed with this course. With a few minor tweaks and improvements this could be a true championship caliber course. Just beware of the chupacabra on those long walks through the woods.
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3 0
elsteveo30
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 19, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

The Course is definitely the best in the Ithaca area! It has dual tee pads on every hole and wooden posts to delineate where the tees are located. Great use of the natural landscape with some open holes and tighter ones!

Cons:

The day we played it was raining off & on and the rubber tee pads were definitely slippery. There are no tee signs but luckily I printed out the score card that had distances as well as the map. The maps on this site are no longer 100% correct b/c the construction is finished. We actually missed hole #17 :( The last few holes are a bit disjointed, but I assume that is because of the reformat.

Other Thoughts:

Overall great course and much easier to follow than the Cornell course. I unfortunately lost an orange star destroyer on the left of hole #7 in the rough. Would love to get it back if you find it!
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5 0
simpletwist
Experience: 17.3 years 30 played 10 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A gem mid state NY 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 11, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This is a true gem of a course in a very nice setting. It has something for everyone except the most casual of players. It was the recent setting for the NYS Senior Games. And the course was in excellent shape. Very well defined fairways but this grooming may have been specifically for the games. I believe the new construction is complete and all baskets are in their final locations.

- This course puts accuracy at a premium. If you are off the fairway you are in the rough, and I do mean rough. Very thick vegatation with hidden creeks, bogs, ditches and more. There are some out of bounds and if you are in the rough, you'd wish you went out of bounds.
- Nice mix up of tight and open holes with plenty of opportunities to grip it and rip it.
- Number 9 is the hole from hell. A par 10 and maybe I'll birdie some day. Seriously, this is a tough one. Up hill and long. There is a hidden creek/ditch just off the fairway to the left and the fairway shinks to less than 15 feet wide in places.
- With well placed shots there are a lot of dueces to be had and there are some ace runs.
- No crowds, and based on the lack of damage to the trees and shrubs this course is very under utilized.
- There are some homemade benches throughout the course.
- Tees signs were helpful if not completely accurate.
- Very nice score cards and maps at # 1.
- Rubber tee pads are like new.
- Some nice elevation changes; excellent use of the available terrain.

Cons:

- Not sure if the course is finished yet.
- The tee signs are informative but do not look permanent.
- Not an accurate distance listed for number 17, the tee sign says 246 from the short tees but looks more like 500.
- No garbage cans, but there is almost no litter.
- Some long traverses between some holes and the trek from 17 to 18 is almost impossible to follow for a first timer.
- Not sure what the triple mando is on # 2. But no one else knew either.
- Many, many woodchuck, gopher or other critter holes throughout the course. VERY dangerous.

Other Thoughts:

This is a beautiful course in a very relaxed setting. And you owe it to yourself to check out this gem in mid state NY.
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5 0
alx133
Experience: 20.5 years 78 played 9 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Home 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 7, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Dual tees that actually change the feel of the course substantially
- Beautifully maintained course; even through the summer when classes are not in session
- Big, and challenging holes
- 17 is a huge bomb of a hole off of some serious elevation

Cons:

- without a guide the first time through will be difficult for most to follow.
- the walk from 17 to 18 or old 16
- tee pads are not level
- no wooded holes

Other Thoughts:

-This course is only getting the 3.5 because of the disruption in its flow that was caused by the expansion of TC3's buildings. The walk between holes 17 and 18 is truly asinine.
-I have been hearing about expansion at this course for years now, no doubt there is plenty of room for it, not to mention expansion would hopefully fill the gaps between some of the holes.
-Old 16 is still in the ground and is a sweet hole.
- It is rare to see other players out on this course which is a shame. this course is excellent and worth playing to be sure. I have never met a student playing disc golf here in my 4 years of playing this course.

- this course is definitely worth playing even if technical courses are what you desire. one of the better courses in the CNY/Finger Lakes area
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2 2
xalzan10
Experience: 17.6 years 11 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good stuff but... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 3, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very challenging shots on a number of holes. Variety of approaches necessary, with very difficult pars. Only a few easy par's.

Cons:

Tough to follow the course. Even with a map it became pretty difficult. Rough in some places was dense and really tough, particularly on the back 9. Some long walks between holes. No hole maps on the signs, so a lot of guess work involved.
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7 0
80playedin10states
Experience: 31.2 years 84 played 7 reviews
3.50 star(s)

my baby 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 8, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

well groomed and great baskets, 2 sets of tees..you will need all your shots here. some nice use of the elevation(hole 17 is now 525' and reachable with a great shot) and there is a pond and a little creek that runs thru a few holes..

Cons:

lack of signage and cement...still "under construction"..rubber pads arent the best but they are better than dirt/mud.may need spotter(holes 5,7,9,13) if you find yourself off the fairway...very dense rough(disc eating)...could be a little confusing to follow for a first timer but the baskets are numbered and there are next tee arrows on the bottoms of the baskets..

Other Thoughts:

i play here often so im biased, but could use some tlc(money) to make the course a true 4-5..of course the pictures dont do it justice. if you start on hole 2, you will finish your "front 9" after hole 10(both holes are within yards of the parking lot). there are a few longer than short walks from hole to hole, but for me this isn't a con.. there is a path completed from 17's basket to 18 as of 7/11/09...still kind of rough..it comes out behind 14's basket...a short stroll to 18's tees..course records are 44 and 50..SIGNAGE ON THE WAY
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3 2
metis314159
Experience: 17.5 years 26 played 14 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Best course in the Ithaca area 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 14, 2008 Played the course:once

Pros:

Well groomed and signage is okay, but not great. The course has decent elevation changes and most of the holes have their own unique feel (you are not just playing the same hole with different distances every time).

Cons:

Certain tees are bumpy, not flat. Rough/OB is pretty punishing in areas. Hole 16 - the fairway is basically the walking path, but it is so short that you can recover almost any shot and still get par.

Other Thoughts:

The current hole 17 is excellent with lots of elevation change, though the hole could be further away.
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6 0
Godard
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.2 years 65 played 46 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Could be a masterpiece with some improvements 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 4, 2008 Played the course:once

Pros:

Immaculately groomed course. Many of the fairways resemble ball golf - 6 has a sweeping fairway up and around a hill. Water, trees, punishing rough, and well-defined and fair fairways. Blue tees are good for intermediates, and red tees could give a challenge to experts. Can't say enough how beautiful this course is. Hard to believe this is a community college... it's nicer than most private schools I've visited!

Cons:

Signage is practically useless. Please print out a map before going! Some long walks between holes, but with holes as well designed as 9 and 10, it's worth the walk. Holes 16 and 17 are temporary and it shows (down to the portable baskets). Hole 16 is too narrow a fairway, short and lame. Teepads could also use some love.

Other Thoughts:

Construction looks finished... how about restoring the course? I found old basket 16 and the blue tee outline, so that hole is actually still playable! (Consider it an easter egg). Also blue tee 18 is still there, so when you finish the course be sure to try that tricky little water hole.
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4 0
cdeane
Experience: 20.4 years 50 played 19 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Interesting 18 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 4, 2008 Played the course:never

Pros:

Baskets and Tees well maintaned and course well groomed. Beautiful setting, quiet, nature filled. Nice wide open fairways, but errors are still punishing (finding disc in brush at right of # 5, ovethrowing the hole and the creek behind it on # 7 OB) Arrows on the baskets point the way to the next tee. Some interesting elevation changes.

Cons:

No permanent tee markers. Not much variety, no holes in the woods, only #1 plays next to water. Some awkward transitions (12 to 13 and 17 to 18). Very buggy, bring spray or bug wipes.

Other Thoughts:

#2 had a blurb about a "triple mondo" on the tee sign but no explanation. Good thing I printed out the map - I needed it. I played the closer tees (i've learned not to go for the long ones first time out on a course) and had a few birdies shots and even a plausible ace try on #16. I enjoyed this course and would travel to play it again. I was the only person playing (Maybe July 4 holiday keeping players away at festivities?) so kinda lonely out there.
**played from the Redcat Tees the next day- gives some holes a whole new feel particularly # 1 # 13 and # 16. Watched my disc on # 17 fall out of the sky in mid-drive and realized I hit the phone lines DOH! Only added 5 strokes to my game playing from the long tees...........
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2 1
andy
Experience: 16.4 years 14 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 3, 2008 Played the course:never

Pros:

Good basket placement for an open course. Hole 3 is amazing!! Well groomed and no poision ivy. Chainstars are good baskets. Fairways are defined. Will play every time I am in the area. You have a gem on the hill!

Cons:

Rubber in not my favorite. No true woods holes. Needs at least 1 more shorter hole in the 200' -275' range.

Other Thoughts:

Would be an awesome course for 18 new baskets and a 4 layout course like warwick or blackfalls. Hole 17 lengthen by 100' so you can throw a driver if you dare.
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4 0
PsyStal
Experience: 18.4 years 16 played 13 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Not Bad... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 4, 2008 Played the course:never

Pros:

Great variety of holes layouts and settings. Course is kept in good condition for the most part, and they did a good job working the space available. For those in Ithaca with limited time/mobility, TC3 is like paradise compared to the other local courses.

Cons:

Navigating without a map is difficult. Holes were probably marked well initially, but many of the small laminated signs have fallen over or gone missing and numerous random paths dot the course. Not a great course for rollers. While the hole variety is nice, some of the hole lengths don't jive well with their layout, probably due to the very tight land restrictions. Rubber tee pads aren't my favorite (I actually prefer gravel) and most course accessories (signs, benches, etc) are cheap if not entirely missing in action. Certain holes hold water for several days after it rains.

Other Thoughts:

I'm fortunate enough to have three great courses very close to my hometown in PA, so I'm a bit spoiled. TC3 is a decently designed course primarily lacking the final touches that help make a course more accessible. It's not a course I'd want to play in a tourney, but it is great for practicing a variety of shots. With just a little extra investment of time, money, and land this course could really be extraordinary, but it seems like the powers that be cut it off just shy of that point. Again though, if you're in the area this is by far the best course you're going to find. Don't waste your time at the other two Ithaca-area courses.
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4 0
NIBSTOOLS
Experience: 35 played 35 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Really Great course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 8, 2007 Played the course:never

Pros:

Like the mix of different holes. Has some holes with decent elevation changes, which I was not expecting on a college campus! Once you get past hole one and two you don't hardly realize your on a campus at all until the final holes on the back 9!

Cons:

Some of the tee sign are knocked down and/or missing. Made my first time around a bit challenging. Long walk between 17's basket and 18's tee.

Other Thoughts:

I liked hole 17, long down hill shot. Maybe it could even be longer. Just under 400 feet with alot of elevation change.
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3 1
cayuga
Experience: 17.4 years 8 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Do Not Eat the Apples 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 23, 2007 Played the course:never

Other Thoughts:

I played this course today, a 65°F Sunday with blue sky and persistent winds. B1 starts it off with a pond to your left. B2 presents a tree hallway. At B3, you will throw between large pines to your left and the college entrance road to your right. I met Bob and Mike at the B4 tee. Strong players, much better than I. B4 is a grassy fairway with medium thickness plant growth on both sides, and its basket is partially blocked by an apple tree. No, the apples are not fit for human consumption. B5 has a similar feel. I enjoyed this course and will play it again. It is not necessary to check-in with the TC3 Fitness Center. There is a waiver sign at B1 tee to inform you that the college is not responsible should you injure yourself. The course layout is good enough that I rarely found myself having to refer to the course map. Next tee signs and tee markers are consistent and correct, although both have a less than permanent quality as they are the "sticks in the ground and duck tape sign to sticks" type.
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