Orchard Vali Golf Club is on Route 20 in Lafayette, which puts it in the rolling farmland east of the Onondaga Nation territory and south of the main CNY suburban reach, and that geography is exactly what makes the course interesting. Five stars for a golf club that delivers the experience of playing in a genuinely rural CNY landscape without requiring a long drive.
The course itself follows the natural contours of the Route 20 corridor through the Onondaga Hills, with the elevation changes and sightlines that flat-country courses can't replicate. The greens are maintained at a level appropriate for a club of this character. The back nine has views across the valley that remind you why people play outdoor sports in this region.
Lafayette is a specific kind of CNY town — the 20-mile drive from Syracuse on Route 20 takes you through the full transition from suburban to agricultural, and the town feels like a place that exists for reasons beyond being adjacent to something larger. Knoxie's Pub is on Route 20 in the village. The Lafayette Inn handles accommodations if the round turns into a long afternoon. Heritage Hill Brewhouse is twenty minutes north for a post-round beer. This is a full day built around a golf course.
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December 16, 2021
