Dutch Hollow Country Club claimed the Gold for Best Golf Course in the 2025 FLX Finest awards, and for anyone who has played the Wilford S. Hall-designed layout on Benson Road in Auburn, the recognition is overdue. This is a public 18-hole, par-71 course that stretches over 6,500 yards through rolling Cayuga County terrain, and it plays like a course that costs twice what they charge.

The design is old-school in the best sense — no gimmicky island greens or forced water carries, just a thoughtful routing that uses the natural contours of the land to create genuine strategic choices on every hole. The fairways are generous enough to keep mid-handicappers in the game, but the green complexes reward precision. The course conditioning has improved markedly in recent years, with well-maintained greens and fairways that hold up even during the peak summer season when upstate courses can get beaten down by heat and traffic.

Auburn sits between Owasco and Skaneateles Lakes, and Dutch Hollow benefits from a microclimate that keeps the turf lush well into fall. For golfers exploring the eastern Finger Lakes, it is an easy addition to an itinerary — the course is minutes from downtown Auburn's restaurants and the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park. Green fees remain accessible, the pace of play is civilized, and the post-round drink on the patio overlooking the course is one of the quieter pleasures in the region.