Atunyote Golf Club, Verona, New York ? the Only Native American Golf Course to Host a PGA TOUR Event

Atunyote Golf Club is the longest of the three championship courses found at the Turning Stone Resort. All three courses were designed by Tom Fazio, and Atunyote plays host to the PGA TOUR's Turning Stone Resort Championship, making it the only PGA TOUR event to be played on Native American soil.

The 18-hole, par-72 course plays to a tour-type length of 7.479 yards from the Tournament tees, and a respectable 6,998 from the Blues. The course features a parkland setting, with gently rolling hills, vast stretches of open spaces, several lakes, some small waterfalls and a stream. The largest of the lakes covers 13 acres and runs along three fairways, including the dramatic finishing hole.

The course, which opened in 2004, is said to be a golfing experience that revives the grand old days of the game, most notably in the amenities ordinarily found only at an exclusive, private club. Players receive valet car and golf bag service, personal attention from the Caddie Master, as well as an assigned caddie, and share the same lockers that PGA TOUR players use during the tournament.

The course is also conditioned and kept to PGATOUR standards and features some noteworthy holes. Hole No. 6 is a par-3 that brings some of Atunyote's water into play. The hole plays to 185 yards from the Black tees, and 175 yards from the Blues. Water runs the length of the hole on the right, while trees and a large bunker guard the left side of a wide, undulating green.

Hole No. 12 is a par-5 with water running the length of the hole on the right. The hole plays to 520 yards from the Blue tees as it gently doglegs right around the hazard. A large bunker guards the landing area on the right off the tee, and several more fairway bunkers are found on either side of the approach. The putting surface may be one of the hardest to hit on the course, as it's tucked behind the water, guarded by a bunker in front, and long and narrow.

Hole No. 18 plays to 624 yards from the Tournament tees, and 584 from the Blues, making it the longest on the course. Water guards the right side of this hole, which doglegs left toward the green. Bunkers guard the left side of the fairway along the way, and the front of a wide green that is not very deep.

Atunyote Golf Club has received a number of awards and accolades since its opening, including being named one of America's Best Top 10 Public Courses in New York by Golfweek, Top 10 in the USA by Native American Casino Magazine, and a ranking among the Top 100 Courses You Can Play by GOLF Magazine.

One of the most impressive aspects of Atunyote is its clubhouse, a New England-style structure that overlooks the 18th green and the large lake running along the fairway. The clubhouse features a Pro Shop and locker facilities, a restaurant and a Players' Lounge with a fireplace, cathedral ceiling, chandelier, and a stained-glass window depicting an Atunyote (the Oneida Indian word for eagle) in flight.

Turning Stone Resort also features casino gaming and entertainment, The Spa at Turning Stone, and luxury accommodations, including two AAA four-diamond-rated hotels.