Holiday Valley Double Black Diamond Golf Course — Hotel in Town of Ellicottville

Really enjoyed the course itself- they used the elevation well to make the course interesting, and required many different types of shots throughout the day. With the dry weather the greens were quick, so while putting was a bear, it was a positive challenge. Only 1 green, which had just been aerated, and whose cup created the "volcano effect" was sub-par. Maybe 2 fairways were a little torn up, but only in a few small spots. As a whole a well kept course.

The pro shop was well and fully equipped. The staff, from check in, to cart girls, to the car return guys, even the mowers (by way of courteously pulling aside while we played through) were great. We didn't eat at the turn, but the group ahead of us did complain about the delay- but I can't speak to it personally.

My only real gripes, and both are very minor, were: 1. It was in no way clear as to where to park. I'm pretty familiar with the resort, so just by guessing I got it- but really a sign would be great. 2. You must call to book a tee time, you can't do it online. Not a huge deal, but when booking weeks out with 3 other guys, it can be tough to keep calling back to discuss available times across days.

Lastly, the price... $64 for a week day with a cart, I though the value was through the roof. I'd gladly take that, even with the 1 hour drive from Tonawanda, over most of the pub courses within 30 minutes. Some are cheaper, some are closer- but few rival the combination of value and quality. I suggested my work's annual tourney look into this location for...

Course is exceptionally well kept, my only complaint is how one of the (I would assume managers) treats the golfers. I had family in from overseas who did not have their own clubs so my cousin shared mine with me. The “manager guy” came flying out to the tee box on hole 9 (we only played 9) on a cart and was almost screaming at us saying “Every player needs a bag, either get rentals or I’m going to have to ask you to leave!” (I knew some courses have and enforce this rule, but this guy had some of the worst customer service I’ve ever seen) so we explained to this power crazy nut case that they were from over seas and didn’t transport their personal clubs with them on the trip. We politely asked the guy if we could play the ninth hole just so we don’t have to spend the money on rentals just to finish our last hole of the day. He came back and said “I’m going to have to ask you to leave, come with me.” So at that point we just left, the course was very nice, just this power hungry police academy drop out of an employee needs to learn how to discuss a situation with the golfers and treat them with a little more respect. We had no problem with renting the clubs at first but with how this guy was, we knew it wasn’t worth trying to work something out because he was clearly more focused on being rude and miserable to us. Like I said, nice course, just have to watch out...

The quality of this course is not worth the egregious price tag. The first 8 holes were absolutely awful, with ruts in the fairway almost a foot deep in places, patchy grass, and rough so long that it's almost impossible to find your ball unless you're standing on top of it. The ground was so mushy and uneven it made getting clean shots even more difficult. One of the par 5s had to be played as a par 3, missing out on one of the few long shots the course even offered. Our pair was scolded for starting behind our t - time by 2 minutes because of a miscommunication on part of their staff, and we were thus holding up the larger party behind us. Paying close to $100 for one round of 18 with a cart and a rider is just simply obnoxious for a course that has such shotty maintenance. Staff was very impersonal and seemed like they were more concerned with pushing people through the door and rushing through each hole than truly caring about patrons having a pleasant experience. Will never recommend this course nor return to waste so much money for...