Turning Stone Resort
When you think about New York, the first thing that generally comes to mind is New York City and the incredible energy, arts, commerce, and industry that takes place here on a daily basis.
From a golfer’s perspective, our mind often slides over to Long Island which has hosted countless major championships at some of the best private clubs in the country. As incredible as the golf is near New York City, an often-overlooked sanctuary exists only a few hours north of here near Syracuse, New York in the form of Turning Stone Resort Casino.
There is no shortage of things to do at this incredible property, and for us, it all starts with the golf. With 3 championship 18-hole layouts, a 9-hole course, and a 9-hole par-3 course your group will have plenty of options to fill up your golfing schedule during your visit here.
The golf alone would be enough to make us want to go here, but to add to that the resort has a plethora of activities to keep you busy after your round including a massive world-class casino, restaurants, music venues, shows from big acts, hunting, fishing, and so much more.
The golf at Turning Stone Resort Casino
Turning Stone Resort Casino provides you with five different golf course options that have been designed by some of the most elite course architects in the world, including Tom Fazio’s Atunyote, Robert Trent Jones, Jr.’s Kaluhyat, and a double dose of Rick Smith with Sandstone Hollow and Shenendoah.
When you are planning your trip here, we highly recommend including Atunyote in the itinerary. Atunyote served as the host course for the Turning Stone Resort Championship on the PGA Tour from 2007-2010, and this Tom Fazio-design provides an approachable layout to players of all skill levels with forgiving fairways yet demanding approach shots.
From the moment you arrive at Atunyote, you know you are in for a special day as you are greeted by a whimsical tree-like gate that opens to bring you onto the property. Upon arrival on the grounds, the first thing that strikes you is the awe-inspiring beauty of the location. Tom Fazio and his team sculpted this course to showcase the beauty of the Northern New York terrain in a way that only he can do. The tree-lined parkland-style layout has ample bunkering and water hazards with several natural fescue areas to challenge you off the tee. Even better, this incredible course is incredibly well priced for the experience provided here, and dollar for dollar it would be tough to find a better course for the money in the United States.
The next course on property we’d like to focus our attention on is Kaluhyat which is the Oneida word for “the other side of the sky.” That can be taken a few ways, but we took that to mean a heavenly experience and which we find to be quite accurate. The change of elevation throughout your round is a key aspect of your experience here, with some of those changes being as high as 50 feet providing captivating views from multiple vantage points throughout your round.
Kaluhyat features more natural, native areas throughout the round compared to Atunyote as the course contains several forced carries to tighter fairways providing golfers with a beautiful test of golf that will put a premium on accuracy for you. This can be considered the best test of your game onsite, and is also a must-play during your visit.
Shenendoah provides golfers with the third 18-hole golf course on property in the form of a Rick Smith-designed track that embraces the surrounding naturally wooded area. The course has served as the host venue for the 2006 PGA National Club Professional Championship, and is the most played course on property as it’s a favorite of both daily fee and resort guests.
Similar to Kaluhyat, the feeling of the natural setting is highlighted here as Smith and his team designed this course to abide by Audubon International standards. The result is a unique combination of wooded parkland holes, open pastures that provide a links-style feel, and Lowcountry style reminiscent of those you’d find along courses in coastal South Carolina and Georgia.
The last two courses are 9-hole attractions, with Pleasant Knolls featuring fast greens and plenty of water hazards, while Sandstone Hollow winds through the woods and natural wetlands of Northern New York. Pleasant Knolls plays as a par-36, a more standard regulation 9-hole course, while the Rick Smith-designed Sandstone Hollow is a par-3 course perfect for testing your short game that can serve as a fun round on its own or a nice add-on after you tackle one of the other courses on property.
Turning Stone
Off-course activities at Turning Stone
While the golf is certainly the star of the show for any golf stay-and-play package here, the off-course activities serve as the difference maker that elevates Turning Stone Resort Casino into being one of our favorite destinations to send golf groups to year after year.
We will highlight a few of our favorite activities to enjoy here, but do yourself a favor and check out their website to see all that this resort has to offer.
As the name of the resort implies, the casino is a big part of the allure at Turning Stone. It’s an incredible story of how this resort came to be, and it all started with a game of Bingo led in a double-wide trailer by the Chief of the Oneida Nation, Mr. Ray Halbritter. We’d love to share the story with you, but we think it’s best you hear it from the man himself at around the 1:30 mark from our friends at Golf Advisor and GolfPass.
We loved hearing how this incredible property rose from such modest beginnings, and you’ll be pleased to know that during your stay here you’re continuing to support the Oneida people.
And that showfloor has come a long way from a doublewide trailer, as the massive gaming area features 2,000 slot machines, 66 Vegas-style table games, one of the three largest Bingo Halls in the world, and the largest Poker Room in the state of New York.
Another favorite location to visit during your stay is Exit 33, the nightlife hub at Turning Stone Resort Casino. With four 21-and-up venues for you to enjoy including the massive Tin Rooster Dancehall & BBQ, your group will have the perfect place to stay all under one roof.
Speaking of music and nightlife, Turning Stone also has a slate of acts that come through on an annual basis, and in 2023 alone some of those names include the likes of Kevin Hart, Tim McGraw, The Beach Boys, Jake Owen, Dan + Shay, with plenty more to come.
To see a full list, see the link here.
And when it comes to food, there’s a plethora of options available on site including Peach Blossom for an elevated Asian dining experience; Pino Bianco for exceptional Italian food; and The Upstate Tavern as a perfect hub to enjoy a pub experience and perhaps catch a game. We’ve never had a bad meal, and the one restaurant we consider a can’t-miss here is the famous TS Steakhouse. Located on the penthouse floor of the Tower, the food, cocktails and service here are beyond exceptional.
Recommendation
There’s so much to love about Turning Stone Resort Casino. Every time we go here, we fall a little bit more in love with the experience here. The golf is spectacular, the lodging is fantastic, the food is exquisite, and the number of activities to enjoy post-round here are as good as you’ll find anywhere.
You cannot go wrong with any of the available accommodations onsite here, but we highly suggest considering The Lodge if you are looking for a slightly more upscale experience or The Tower which is extremely convenient to enjoy all that the resort has to offer.
If you’re looking to book a package here this summer, the time to act is now as the resort is filling up fast. If you’re thinking 2024 or beyond for your trip here, we are told the wait lists are growing by the day and you’ll need to act fast to secure your preferred rates.