Full disclosure: I grew up playing tons of golf. Many of my teenage summers were spent playing at this particular course near my home growing up. I ate it, drank it, breathed it, and on a least two occasions put in 45 holes in a single day. And 72 over a weekend was common in summertime…..you get the picture.

Nowadays it’s the complete opposite. That 45 number is one that I sometimes haven’t reached for an entire season. In fact, the clubs haven’t even come out of the closet yet, not even for the driving range.

So while I’m no longer a rabid fan, I still pay attention out of the corner of my eye. And when a tournament event comes into the area, I’m all over it. Hence today would be the day to travel to Rochester’s renowned Oak Hill Country Club for the final round of the Senior PGA Championship.

It’s a real treat to see such a high quality of golf whenever the opportunity presents itself. Reason being is that opportunities to witness live golf are VERY rare in these parts compared to other sports in this part of the woods. Consider: Top level football and hockey are available right here in town, baseball and basketball just ninety miles away and all take place(and have been for years) multiple times each year.

For golf…well, there’s the occasional big time tournament at Oak Hill, the ‘95 Ryder Cup, the PGA Championship in ‘03 among others to have taken place every so often. That’s it, that’s all for the golf fan. So while watching a tournament is much easier to follow if seen on TV, the fact that a live experience is so rare makes up for its many shortcomings (difficult to see over people at times, unable to stay informed about scoring consistently. etc.)

And the added bonus for me in this situation would be that there were two competitors in the field who grew up playing on that same course that I once did years ago. Guys that we all looked up to and revered as kids learning to play the game going up against the other players that they battled during those times years ago.

It was plenty of fun, and it started from the time I hit the MCC shuttle bus parking lot. I had no ticket, but someone handed me a premium ticket with access to the Oak Hill club house for below face value. Sweet!!

So I get there at about 10am with a strategy to follow the local guys as much as possible with the goal of watching (HORSEHEADS’ OWN!) Joey Sindelar until he dropped out of contention. First off, I saw former Buffalo resident Jim Thorpe for a couple holes on the back nine, then waited on the twelfth green until Horseheads’ other stud golfer Mike Hulbert showed up. I watched him get his only birdie of the day on the one hole I watched.

Sorry Mike, I was going to stick with you longer but as he made for the 14th Sindelar was about to tee off at the first hole nearby and his entrance into play brought about an interesting and unexpected dynamic as he was in the same playing group with Greg Norman, who is currently engaged to retired tennis legend Chris Evert. The buzz for her alone was as big as for any player in the field, with possibly the exception of hometown Rochesterian Jeff Sluman. “Did you see her?”. “What’s she look like?” There even was an exchange where a fan(probably slightly inebriated) called for a “big hand for Chris Evert”. And loud applause ensued.

To her credit, she took it all in stride. She was there as just another fan. No entourage surrounding her, no pretentiousness that may come with being a renowned figure, and always obliging when fans came up for an autograph or just to chat. It really added to the day.

Also making the experience great was that clubhouse pass I had. If you are a fan of the game of golf and enjoy looking at memorabilia from days gone by then the club house will WOW you. Clubs used by legends such as Hogan, Bobby Jones, Sam Snead, the Babe(Ruth and Zaharias) along with so many others are on display here. A trophy room also exists of the major world events played here. Three US Opens, two PGA Championships, the ‘95 Ryder Cup and more. It would be a great place to walk through whether there’s a tournament in progress or not.

And as far as watching my fellow high school alum, I wound up watching the entire round of his as he never really did drop from contention. Sindelar made a couple birdies early while the leaders(Sluman and Langer particularly) dropped like a rock right off the bat. And while Joey never got closer than two strokes, he was never far enough back for me to bolt to the lead group. When the smoke cleared and play completed Sindelar would finish just two strokes back of champion Jay Haas. Nice work Joey, you can thank the USRT karma for coming so close to the trophy. I mean, you know the old saying: “Those who can’t(break 100 if their life depended on it) do, teach”, ummm….or something like that. Right?

Would be nice to have more events like this around here, say like an annual PGA or Champions Tour event. Just sayin’.

We’ve been wanting to try out the newest golf course to hit the Buffalo area since they opened the back nine last fall. So with my dad and my brother in town, Andrew arranging for the VIP invitation, we were off for a day of golfing at Diamond Hawk.

Now fully open for business, this golf course is still a well kept secret, nestled next to an office/industrial park in the northeast end of town. To get there you have to pass the airport via Genesee Street, turn right on Sonwil Drive and you will see it on your left.

Any preconceptions you have about “Cheektovegas” and its alleged pink flamingoes and bowling alleys goes right out the window as soon you get here - the facilities are first class and opulent, the clubhouse and dining room almost swank; everything done with a flair.

Since my dad is an avid golfer and my brother John is right behind him, we asked them for a critique of the course after our rounds, as we enjoyed a post golf meal in the Diamond Hawk clubhouse restaurant. My dad replied, “This is nothing like your typical municipal golf course or some par 3 facility. This is a really difficult and challenging course to play.”

Continuing on, “With the tight fairways, plenty of bunkers and such, your shot off the tee has to be a good one or else you’re in real trouble right away. Then there are the greens - they are massive and spacious and that makes things a real adventure on the putt.”

John made note of the quality of the course, now in only its first full year of operation. “The course is in great shape for being so new. The lawns look mature and the attention to maintenance is superb.”

In addition to the quantity of bunkers, sand traps and other hazards, the roughs here are, well, rough. “It’s easy to lose balls here” said Dad. “The roughs are especially thick and high to add to the challenge.”

The course itself winds through a number of housing subdivisions, is adjacent to a municipal park and an office park, and the airport control tower is easily visible from a distance. But pay special attention to the 16th and 17th holes - they pass through an actual environmentally protected wetland, with water hazards, thick reeds and dense foliage. It is the coolest and most unique feature here at Diamond Hawk.

While we were golfing, Andrew, who was a Cheektowaga Councilman when the bond issue was executed to buy the land for this course back in the early 90s, gave us a historical background of all the difficulties and false starts that happened before the dream of a Cheektowaga golf course finally happened. He was beaming with pride all afternoon long. “This place is so awesome. Another superb amenity here in our great town.”

Our special thanks to proprietor Sam Tadio for hosting us today. Suffice to say we will be back. Oh, and check out the Diamond Hawk website for everything you need to know about the place.