Champion Hills Golf Course
Victor, New York
A Nine-hole “Cottage-Style Course”

Emerging from a rolling 200 acre site in the growing affluent Town of Victor, New York the Champion Hills Golf Course is coming to reality after all most 10 years of planning.

The course will be the area’s first “cottage style” course. “Cottage style” is a term coined by renowned Golf Architect Barry Jordan. According to Jordan, “the ‘Cottage Style” refers to a nine-hole course that is less than 3,000 yards and has a non-traditional total par - but most importantly, the course is designed to reflect a quality and craftsmanship in its detailing of features, equal or exceeding the top-level courses in the country.

It is a style of course directly contrasting the increasingly absurd modern architecture of 7,500 yards plus “McMonster” courses. These long, ineloquently designed courses are excruciatingly boring and offer little interest to most golfers. By contrast, a cottage style course is infused with holes that require strategies: careful thought and superior shot making abilities and offer multiple alternative routes to the holes.

They are also designed to address the modern lifestyle of today’s golfers. One of the beauties of the cottage style is the playability of the course for all age groups and skill levels. The length alone insures that the holes are playable – and ultimately will be “parable” - for most golfers. However, the holes do provide challenges that will assist in the development of a wide repertoire of shots if the course is to be truly mastered. One can also expect to find many of the hazards found on premium 18 hole courses: water and sand bunkers will require tactical decisions by players if they are to successfully negotiate the course. At the same time, Champion Hills eliminates forced carries of any length and offers multiple tee boxes for varying skill levels.

The Champion Hills cottage style is also deliberately designed to be extremely family friendly, where grandfathers can play with his son and granddaughter and all enjoy the match. In addition, more sophisticated golfers will find the Champion Hills course as a quick and useful tune-up for their games on challenging regulation courses when they are short on time. The typical length of time to play The Champion Hills will be 90 minutes or less but players will find that despite the reduced length of the course, they will be required to hit every club in their bag.

In addition Champion Hills will provide a broad array of non-golf recreational activities including a outdoor pool with cabana and snack stand, a fully equipped fitness club, hiking trails, a gourmet bistro style restaurant and bar, a filly equipped pro shop, off season cross country skiing and snow shoeing trails, birding areas, and beautiful club house for relaxation, and member functions including weddings.

Champion Hills Country Club - Hole Descriptions:
(All distances are measured from the back tees)

Hole 3: Par 3 – 165 Yards

The third hole is another mid-length par three. While playing to a similar length as the second hole, the third hole will entirely differently. First, the hole plays in a completely different direction. Secondly, the hole plays slightly uphill. The hole is also surrounded by gently undulating landforms that provide a sense of privacy from the adjacent residential areas. (It is the only hole on the course bordered by residences on both sides). The target is another large green, with less depth and more lateral movement than the hole two. This green ideally receives a shot played left to right, with the back right hole location being the most difficult. Bunkers on the left and right sides of the green help set up the shot from the tee, and provide an aiming gateway for players playing a safer shot up the approach.
 

Hole 4: Par 4 – 310 Yards

When players reach the fourth tee, they are finished with holes in the residential area, and enter a pristine wooded area. The fourth hole is a short par 4 playing just over 300 yards. The fairway slopes right to left and slices will be forgiven due to the slopes. The fairway itself widens out at 200 yards off of the tee, and holds a width of 60 yards through the 300 yard mark. This will make the choice to play driver or long iron more difficult. Players will find that what looks like a tight shot off of the tee is actually very generous. However the fairway has several tiers, and a drive that lands on the upper tier will have a much different approach than the drive landing on the lower tier. (The surface of the green being visible from the upper tiers and not visible from the lower). Being a somewhat “shortish” hole, the green surface maybe one of the most challenging on the course. Several subtle shelves – with not so subtle rises - will truly reward a well placed pitch shot. A bunker center front of the green will also make the upper right approach distinctly different from the lower left, with front hole locations most challenging.
 

Hole 5: Par 3 – 210 Yards

The fifth hole is a long par three that plays downhill over two ravines and into a green that is contained in a bowl on the left side, while dropping off steeply on the right. The safe line into the green is the left side of the hole as a shot will work its way across the green from left to right. A bunker short and left of the green provides the ideal target-line while saving bunkers on the right side of the hole will prevent balls from kicking off the hillside. This should be a spectacular par 3, as the view from the green over looks the dramatic sixth and eighth holes that are bordered by generous ponds.
 

Hole 6: Par 4 – 350 Yards

The sixth hole is a beautiful par 4 with an immense pond running along the entire left side of the hole. Unlike the drive on the previous par 4 forth hole, the landing area narrows from a width of 60 yards between the 200 – 240 yard mark, to a pinch of 20 yards at the 265 yard mark. Here, two fairway bunkers will certainly tempt longer hitters to thread the needle. This will make an iron shot off the tee a smart play and a driver a much more daring shot. The drive also favors a right to left shot, however water is lurking on the left of the hole. In either case, players will be rewarded by positioning their shots close to the left side of the fairway. A lone greenside bunker is positioned on the front, right side of the green, presenting a hazard to be avoided from any approach shot played from the right side. The green itself is the most boldly contoured green on the entire course as it has a front area with a distinct bowl-like feature.


Hole 7: Par 5 – 560 Yards

The seventh hole is a par 5 completely isolated from the rest of the golf course. It is carved out of wooded area and has a gentle cross-slope running from right to left. The hole is free of bunkers on the drive and presents a straightforward opportunity for players to set up their second shots. The second shot is very strategic in nature since a cluster of bunkers are positioned approximately 100 yards from the front of the green. This will mean a second shot laid up in front of the bunkers will be at least 150 yards in, while a shot beyond the bunkers, 100 yards or less.
 

Hole 8: Par 3 – 145 Yards

The eighth hole is a mid-length par three. While not a traditional water hole, the green complex has water on the left side, but requires very little of a carry from the front tees. The green has a ridge running down the center and players will be rewarded for shots played to the hole-side of the green. A bunker in the rear of the green will come into play on back right hole locations, as well as providing a visual backdrop to the green from the tee. Once players reach the green, there will find a breathtaking view across the length of the pond to hole six.
 

Hole 9: Par 4 – 350 Yards

The ninth hole is the finishing hole at Champion Hills, and fittingly, the tee shot is launched from an elevated position above the fairway. The wooded hole is a dogleg right that slopes from left to right. Players need to pick the preferred target for the drive. The fairway provides ample room for shots to cut off the right corner of the hole and gain advantage for their approach. However, they must negotiate their shots between two strategically placed bunkers guarding the corner of the hole. A bunker along the right edge of the fairway will come into play on drives between 215 and 230 yards, while a bunker in the middle of the fairway will come into play at the 260 yard mark. The safe play is along the left side of the hole – but this will add considerable distance to the approach and difficulty in regards to angle of attack, as the green runs left to right as well. The green itself has a couple of swales running through the mid section. This will induce tricky putts, particularly running across the green.