
Elmira Course
Elmira Country Club


About this course
Elmira Country Club sits in the Southern Tier of New York, a region of rolling hills and wooded valleys near the Pennsylvania border. The club's golf course reflects the work of three architects across different eras. Willie Dunn Jr., a Scottish professional and early American course designer, laid out the original nine holes in the 1890s. A.W. Tillinghast, one of the Golden Age's most prolific architects, redesigned the course in the 1920s during his peak period of work in the Northeast. Ferdinand Garbin, a regional architect active in upstate New York, contributed later modifications that helped shape the present routing. The course occupies terrain typical of the Finger Lakes region—moderate elevation changes, mature tree-lined fairways, and natural drainage patterns that follow the contours of the land. Tillinghast's influence appears in the strategic bunkering and green complexes that reward thoughtful placement over pure distance. The layout moves through a mix of open and wooded sections, with several holes playing along natural ridgelines and others descending into lower ground. Elmira Country Club has served as a traditional private club for over a century, hosting regional amateur competitions and maintaining a membership drawn from the surrounding community. The course provides a representative example of how early American layouts evolved through successive redesigns, blending turn-of-the-century routing concepts with Golden Age strategic principles. The club continues to operate as a year-round facility with golf as its primary focus during the warmer months.
Quick facts
- Location
- Elmira, NY, USA
- Access
- Private
- Year built
- 1898
- Holes
- 18
- Designer(s)
- A .W. Tillinghast, Willie Dunn Jr., Ferdinand Garbin
- Par
- 72
- Length
- 6,692 yards
- Difficulty
- 72.9/132
- Course Vaults score
- 7.6
Getting there
The journey to Elmira Country Club begins at Elmira Corning Regional Airport (ELM), a compact regional hub just minutes from the club, or alternatively via Rochester International (ROC) or Syracuse Hancock International (SYR), each roughly an hour's drive north through the rolling farmland and wine country of the Finger Lakes region. For those motoring from farther afield, the club sits gracefully in the southern reaches of New York's Chemung County, accessible via Interstate 86 or Route 17, which wind through a landscape of gentle valleys and historic small-town architecture before depositing you into Elmira proper. The final miles unfold along tree-lined local roads that speak to the club's deep roots in the community - a quiet, understated arrival befitting one of the Northeast's most venerable private institutions, where tradition and the pastoral beauty of upstate New York converge at the gates.

FAQ
Common questions about Elmira
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Elmira has a Course Vaults score of 7.6 out of 10 based on 6 logged golfers.
Elmira was designed by A .W. Tillinghast, Willie Dunn Jr., and Ferdinand Garbin.
Elmira is listed as private on Course Vaults; guest access is typically restricted.
Par at Elmira is 72.
Elmira plays 6,692 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Elmira is 132.



