Golfing Down the Mountain
March 12, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
For those of us living in southern Ontario, the name Ellicottville conjures thoughts of mountains of snow, skiing and snowboarding.
This quaint little town Just 3 hours south of Toronto, and not too far from Orchard Park, (the home of the Buffalo Bills) is a destination that golfers should also consider.
The folks at Holiday Valley, a giant resort management group also want it to be known that Ellicottville is also a golf destination, and a very good one, at that. The course, known as Double Black Diamond, has a unique layout that virtually surrounds The Inn at Holiday
Valley with a front nine on relatively flat lands near the base of the ski hills and a back nine virtually constructed on the side of the mountain, with fairways that wind their way under ski lifts, with not a flat lie in sight.
Dennis Eshbaugh, Holiday Valley’s General Manager and President says, “with this completely redesigned and renovated course we are now able to say we are the finest year round resort in the region. The Double Black Diamond course has been nominated by Golf Digest for the best golf course redesign of the year for 2009.”
The challenging par 70 layout was built in 1957 and today the affable Steve Carney directs the golf operation (and, in fact all Holiday Valley summer activities). Carney is a Master PGA professional who has been in the golf business for over 30 years.
Carney enjoys talking golf and, in particular telling stories about the Double Black Diamond layout. His enthusiasm is infectious. He is very proud of the golf course on what is widely known as a ski destination.
He says, “everyone knows Ellicottville and Holiday Valley as a ski resort and weekend ski destination. We’d also like to be known as a golf destination and we feel we are making great strides in that direction. This is not a ski resort trying to be a golf course.”
Carney is quick to add, “we are very proud of the work done by Paul Albanese and his team. They are responsible for the recent re-design of the 6,500 yard course. New bunkers were added, some stacked wall bunkers, ponds were upgraded and fairways modified. Albanese extended the length of the course from the Double Black Diamond back tees, but also made the course more ‘resort friendly’ by adding a new set of front tees.”
He also adds, “we have used the elevations of our mountains to our advantage.”
Hole #13, a 446 yard par 4 (from the Double Black Diamond tees and 317 yards from the forward ‘green’ tees) is my favourite. It has a steep downhill hill sightline to the base of the mountain with a panoramic view of the resort, the chalet, golf shop and the new Tamarack Club tower. The fairway is split and as you hit your golf ball, you can also visualize the path of the skiers in the dead of winter as they move down the hill along the same flight as your ball.
Best known for its winter offerings, Holiday Valley is becoming a rather unique summer destination as well.
A fully stocked pro shop and a practice facility with the Phil Ritson / Mel Sole Golf School on site complement the golfing experience.
Jane Eshbaugh, Holiday Valley Director of Marketing notes, “we are also extremely proud of our ‘newly opened’ Tamarack Club, a 79 unit luxury resort complex right at the base of the mountain adjacent to the Clubhouse Chalet. This condominium facility allows for traditional whole ownership as well as fractional ownership and exchange privileges.”
She adds, “Tamarack includes an indoor / outdoor pool, fitness centre, a spa with seven treatment rooms, a restaurant and underground parking. We are already 70% sold and ready for the 2009-2010 season.”
As for the town of Ellicottville, there is a lot to do and see, plus a wide variety of fabulous restaurants to whet your appetite. Although Ellicottville is known for skiing, the town never sleeps. Every couple of weeks, year round, there is a festival of some sort and visitors come from miles around to be part of the fun. From the Winter Blues Festival in January to Mardi Gras in March, to June’s Arts and Craft Festival, to summer Rodeos, to Fall Leaves festivals and finally Christmas in Ellicottville, there is something for everyone, every day of the year. Day spas, horseback riding and a nearby Amish settlement are all close by.
Holiday Valley and The Double Black Diamond Golf Course is a golf and tourist destination that fits every level of golf game and every recreational interest for all ages. A couple of rounds of golf and an overnight stay is a nice respite for busy golfers from southern Ontario. ♦
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