You’re headed out for a little driving practice on a relaxing summer afternoon on the lovely Wanoa Golf Course driving range. You stop by the vending machine for a basket of balls, which are served up to you quickly.Y
ou walk over to your tee, drop the balls into the hopper, and then you step onto a comfortable mat. You select the club you want to practice with, and set the tee height to suit you, your swing, and the club you’ve chosen. Now you watch as your first ball is served up to you on its tee. You swing. Up pops the next ball. No bending, no fussing with adjusting the tee; if you want to try a different club, you can adjust the tee height. Whether you could use a little help with the bending and stooping, you want a more consistent tee level, or you just want to devote a little more time and energy to your driving practice, the Wanoa Power Tees are brand new this season – and just when you thought golf couldn’t get any more fun! There are five power tees, including one for left-handed swings.
Wanoa has everything you’d expect in a lovely countryside golf course, and more. Golf Director Jay Carhart was happy to share with me that the course has had a lot of work done on it, and it’s in “the best shape I’ve seen it in over 30 years!”
Wanoa is a par 70 course, with 5 sets of tee boxes. The Green Tee box plays around 4,200 yards for 18 holes, and the Black around 5,900 yards. So no matter what kind of outing you’re looking for, Wanoa will have something suited to your skills, as well as your time frame and energy level on any given day.
Wanoa offers a range of membership plans, with benefits for every golfer, from Single or Senior Men’s and Women’s, to a Family membership, or perhaps you’d like to try a Golf Cart Membership for a specific number of outings? Each membership package has its own unique benefits, but for example, a Senior Women’s Membership offers:
• Unlimited greens fees 7 days a week
• Includes greens fees on all league play
• Access to all Member Tournaments
• Access to 15 reciprocal golf courses
The reciprocal golf courses give you an opportunity to play all around Central New York, from Casolwood in Canastota, to Elm Tree in Cortland, to the Lyndon Golf Course in Fayetteville, all the way up to Pulaski and the Elms Golf Course.
Wanoa also, according to owner/operator Tammy Ballard, has a number of tournaments for members to enjoy, including classic Captain/Captain and Member/Member tournaments, to such unique events as a Glow Ball Tournament – where you play a glow-in-the-dark game after the sun goes down. When I asked about the “Frog” tournaments, Ballard explained that situated as the course is, it’s surrounded by frog-loving countryside – and the course adopted the name, “Home of the Frog.”
Meanwhile, back at the driving range, Wanoa has dreamed up even more ways to improve your game while having even more fun as you practice. Come out and play the target game – Top Golf. There are targets situated for you to try to hit, each one a different color and number, with points attached. Aim for a target, practice your game, or enjoy a little friendly competition with a friend.
The course, which Jay Carhart calls “fun, but challenging,” has a fully stocked pro shop, cart and club rentals, and a highly-rated attached restaurant, offering everything from a quick pre-game snack, to a full post-game meal and relaxing beverage.
Spring is finally here – and with the fine and warm days we’ve been enjoying, what better way to enjoy the coming season than planning a visit to Wanoa?
6920 Minoa Bridgeport Rd
East Syracuse, NY 13057
Hours (In Season)
Monday–Sunday
6am-dusk
Phone
315.656.8213
https://www.wanoagolfcourse.com/