Bellevue Country Club

Overview: Bellevue Country Club is a private Donald Ross course on the hills of Syracuse, New York. The par-71 parkland routing follows the land’s natural contours with tree-lined fairways, sloping greens, water hazards, and strategically placed bunkers. At about 6,600 yards, the course relies on approach angles and green contours more than brute length.

History: Bellevue was incorporated in 1915 after local founders acquired a 138-acre farm site. Ross’s first nine holes were ready in 1916, and adjacent land was purchased four years later to complete the second nine. The club’s own history emphasizes how little artificial earthwork Ross needed to make the rolling site play as a full course.

Did You Know? The clubhouse sits beside a 160-foot rise and was designed by Syracuse architect Justus M. Scrafford. From the building, the course unfolds across the hills that Ross used for the routing, giving the building a direct view of the land that shaped the design.