Wanakah Country Club to host New York State Amateur

Press Release

Wanakah Country Club will host the New York State Men’s Amateur Championship July 9-11. This will be the third time Wanakah has hosted this historic event, with the other two times being in 1981 and 1999.

The NYS Men's Amateur Championship is the New York State Golf Association's flagship event, first played in 1923 at the Garden City Golf Club. The 2024 championship will mark the 101st anniversary of this event – and 2024 marks Wanakah's 125th anniversary. The championship is one of many events the club is hosting as part of its quasquicentennial celebration.

The format is 72-holes stroke play with 156 competitors playing 18 holes on each of the first two days. Following a cut, the 40 low players and ties will come back on Thursday for their final 36 holes. An awards ceremony will immediately follow the conclusion of play, with the presentation of the heralded Ganson Depew Cup to the champion.

Participants needed to qualify for this event through local qualifiers in various regions of the state, ensuring the best amateur golfers throughout the entire state of New York have their shot at the title. The winner of this event will receive an exemption to participate in the 124th USGA Men’s Amateur Championship being held at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota from Aug. 12-18.

The golf course at Wanakah was originally designed in 1900 as a nine-hole course, and the club was known as the Wanakah Golf Club. In 1913, the club became the Wanakah Country Club and, in 1925, the club engaged with renowned architect William Watson, who created an 18-hole course with beautiful views overlooking Lake Erie. The club has hosted several notable events, including the second USGA Girls Amateur in 1950, the Ryder Cup Challenge Matches in 1957, the State Mid-Am in 2018, and as previously noted hosted the NYS Men’s Amateur in 1981 and 1999. The club has also hosted multiple national qualifiers, as well as several Buffalo District events.

To remain amongst the finest clubs and golf courses in Western New York, in the early 2000s the club embarked on a new golf course enhancement plan with golf course architects Arthur Hills and Chris Wilczynski. The plan was eventually completed with Chris’s guidance in the spring of 2018. The course is fair, yet can be very challenging, depending on pin locations and the wind coming off of Lake Erie.

Wanakah Country Club is among Western New York’s premier full-service country clubs. The club’s inspiring and scenic setting includes a luxurious clubhouse, swimming pools, clay tennis courts, bocce courts, pickleball court, golf simulator, and a spectacular golf course on the shores of Lake Erie, just 15 minutes from downtown Buffalo. To learn more, visit www.wanakahcc.com.