~ Great signs and clever hole names, but it's a mostly wooded course that looks like it hasn't been groomed or maintained since opening in 2013. The first part of the course plays around a large open field before going into deep woods, and the lack of upkeep really reduces the playability of the later holes


~ Natural tees, and 8 DisCatcher baskets (holes 4 and 9 share a basket). The Hole #10 mentioned in old reviews might not exist anymore


~ Lack of upkeep aside, the only bad design is the first hole: 349' par 3 with a very sharp left turn less than 100' off the tee. So - throw something that will turn more than 90 degrees almost immediately and then go 250' to the green (the pictures on this site give a good idea of the layout)


~ There might be a good and fun little local course here if you play in the winter when the brush and poison ivy is down. A reasonable quick round or a beer league if you're not going to a nearby 18 like Parma, Basil or Sweden. Somebody loved this course enough to invest in very good signage and quality baskets, but it feels largely forgotten now as nature has encroached. The single DGCR rating since 2016 is 2.5 - and that's a lot closer to its existing state than early reviews. But most of the year it's a frustrating overgrown course, a bagging stop, or a practice field with some baskets

-mix of open and wooded holes
-some interesting basket locations
-new baskets, tee signs (no map)
-water hazards on 1-3, 9

-tees not clearly defined
-some fairways not clearly defined
-wooded fairways need clearing, lots of ivy and brush
-the brush off the fairway on hole 9 obscures the fact that there is water danger all over
-navigation is a little tricky: easy to skip hole 3 (tee 4 visible from basket 2), trails haven't been established in the woods between holes

The Woodlands has a good mix of open and wooded holes. Surprisingly, the open holes are probably the better holes on the course. Hole 1 has a big drive out of the woods (large window) and across a field but the pin is just past a small creek. You could easily land in the OB if you're trying to hit the green from the tee, good risk/reward. You must cross the same creek on hole 2 and an accurate, open drive sets up the deuce putt on a dogleg left on hole 4.

The wooded holes are a bit more rough. Hole 3 has a cool tunnel along the side of the creek to a basket tucked off to the right. It's a fun shot but the creek leave the whole area muddy. Hole 5-8 are in the same wooded area and are fun but repetitive. They all have elevated baskets that increase the challenge on each hole but feel gimmicky all together. The woods are tight but there is not a lot of thick brush but it would be nice if the fairways could be cleared of all the ivy, etc that covers the ground through this whole area. It would help define the fairways.

With some tweaks and regular maintenance this could be a pretty good 9 holer. Right now it leaves a little to be desired but is a good option if you live nearby. It's worth checking out at some point if you are into playing new courses but most people will prefer the many better options around Rochester.


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Interesting basket placement
challenging shots
mix of open and wooded holes
good signage; distances and pars

no direction to next tee
no fairways on hole 5; 7; and 8
garbage on # 3 fairway and on # 8

hole # 3 could be a really nice but short hole, but the mess on the fairway reminds me of the opening scene to "Book of Eli". The maintainers have really improved tee signs and the dirt bikers have improved the fairways. The more that I throw the Woodlands, the more I like it.