Designer: Robert Trent Jones II/Ty Butler (2010)
Location: Lewiston, New York
History: Owned by the Seneca Gaming Corporation, Seneca Hickory Stick opened in July 2010 with a design from Robert Trent Jones II and Ty Butler. The course currently owns the following award:
#40 Best Casino Course in America – Golfweek (2024)
Conditions: 8/10, Despite playing late in the season, this course was in excellent shape with lush fairways and teeboxes and thick rough. The greens ran true even though they were recently aerated.
Value: 9/10, Seneca Hickory Stick offers strong value at a maximum of $82 including a cart during peak times, with discounts for seniors, juniors, twilight, and early bird.
Scorecard:
Tee Par Yardage Rating Slope
Black 72 7016 74.4 142
Blue 72 6670 72.3 139
White 72 6331 70.7 135
Green 72 5955 68.6 130
Red 72 5417 71.5 131
Hole Descriptions: Unfortunately I was only able to play 9 holes at Seneca Hickory Stick due to aeration on the back 9, but I played the front twice and got enough of a sense of the course to at least semi-evaluate it. Seneca is an upscale public course that gently meanders around flat marshland and forests near Niagara Falls. While it won’t offer much unique in terms of architecture, it is well-routed, thoughtful, and provides strong conditions and value for the public golfer. In an area (Buffalo/Niagara Falls) lacking in quality public golf, Seneca Hickory Stick is the best option on the American side and is worth a play.
Seneca Hickory Stick opens with a 381 yard dogleg right par 4 featuring a semi-blind teeshot to a generous fairway. A pair of well-positioned bunkers down the left at 210 yards and right at 240 yards line this fairway and you’ll be smart to avoid these. Following these bunkers, the fairway slides to the right with a pond running down the left for the final 130 yards. This is a challenging approach to a smaller, diagonal green defended by water left and bunkers short and long. The putting surface itself slopes both back-to-front and right-to-left towards to water.
At a prodigous 615 yards, the 2nd is the longest hole on the course and a true three-shot par 5. This marathon hole begins with a straightaway drive over a right bunker at 200 yards to a fairway lined by forest left and fescue down the right. The fairway then bends back to the right and opens up a bit for your second shot. You’ll likely face an uneven lie on your approach to a bowl-like green lined by a bunker long. It is a straightforward hole, but the length alone makes it the number 1 handicap.
The par 5 2nd
The 3rd hole is the first par 3 at Seneca and is a solid one at 178 yards. This attractive one-shotter features a diagonal, back-to-front sloped green well-defended by numerous bunkers short, left, and right.
The par 3 3rd
The 4th hole is the longest par 4 at 420 yards and features a generous, fescue-lined fairway that turns to the right around 240 yards with a pair of bunkers down the left. Four bunkers run down the right near this green, which is flatter but features a vertical ridge running through the center. Pars are well-earned here.
The 5th is probably my favorite hole on the front 9 as a 369 yard par 4. While this hole is straight on paper and features a wide fairway, there are numerous bunkers down the right between 195 and 265 yards, forcing you to the left off the tee. This approach is quite fun and plays back to the right towards an elevated, shallow, severely back-to-front sloped green. There are steep slopes surrounding this green short and right while any miss to the left will find one of several bunkers.
The clever par 4 5th
At 410 yards, the 6th hole is a tough and memorable par 4 that’s another one of my favorites here. This teeshot is difficult through a chute of trees to a tight fairway lined by water down the left the entire way. At about 260 yards, the fairway does open up a bit, but a right crossbunker comes into play at this point. This approach is also challenging, playing uphill to a small, elevated, flatter green defended by a deep bunker short and tight lies to the left.
You’ll need to be accurate on the 6th hole
The 7th hole is somewhat of a Cape as a shorter 324 yard par 4. This dogleg left features a water hazard down the left the entire way with more yardage needed the further left you go. This green features a subtle Biarritz design and juts out over the hazard, with a tiny bunker short as well.
The risk/reward 7th is reachable for longer hitters
A closer look at the 7th green
The 8th hole is a 534 yard par 5 featuring a very skinny fairway lined by OB left the entire way. While you can miss to the rough in the right, you’ll want to avoid a nasty pair of crossbunkers down the left at 200 yards and right at 250 yards. This second shot gives the golfer options as the fairway initially widens following the bunkers but then constricts to almost nothing about 120 yards short of the green with a hazard jutting in down the left and bunker down the right at this point. From here, the hole turns back hard to the left towards an elevated, initially very narrow green defended by marshland left and a pair of bunkers right. I like the risk/reward options this second shot gives the golfer, but find the dogleg back to the left a bit jarring so late in the hole and feel there’s a bit too much going on here.
The par 5 8th
Seneca’s 9th hole is an attractive 146 yard par 3 playing over water the entire way to a wide green lined by a bunker long. The best miss here is short right, where you’ll have an easy uphill chip.
The 9th green is shared with 18
Hopefully, I can make it back to Buffalo at some point to play the back 9 here!
General Comments: Seneca Hickory Stick’s practice facilities include a full grass range as well as a putting green near the clubhouse. Pace of play was excellent when I played, but keep in mind this was during aeration late in the season.
Verdict: Although I was only able to play the front 9, the upscale Seneca Hickory Stick left a positive impression with a well-conditioned, great value public course meandering through the woods and marshes near Niagara Falls. It is the best public option in the Niagara/Buffalo area and is worth a play.