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Syracuse golf is synonymous with Drumlins Country Club.

The Central New York golf epicenter is celebrating its centennial in 2026, offering a chance to look back into the Club’s journey from a 1920s farm to the busy recreational hub it has become. Drumlins has long offered a unique "public-meets-private" dual layout, as well as strong ties to one of New York’s most prominent universities. The venue offers a country club experience that breaks the traditional mold.

To fully appreciate where the NYSGA member club is today, we must glance all the way back, starting with the brilliant, unconventional visionary who was responsible for this community hub 100 years ago.

A Man with A Knack For Development 

The story of Drumlins begins with a prominent Syracuse businessman named Roderick S. Burlingame, Sr.

Burlingame, a city native, was a fascinating innovator. Initially, he developed one of the country’s first indoor skiing areas on South Salina Street in 1912 known as “The Arena,” and later what would become the Sedgwick Farms neighborhood on the city’s northside. Formerly the treasurer of Easy Washer, he’d left the company with the rights to manufacture hand-powered washing machines and established The Burlingame Manufacturing Company. When he purchased the 260-acre Nottingham Farm in 1926, he simply brought his factory along. Burlingame relocated his entire manufacturing facility right onto the property (it stands today below the 4th green on the West course) and dragged the original farmhouse to the edge of the practice green to serve as the Club's first pro shop (it remains in use today as the Bistro 1926).

A "Pay-As-You-Play" Standard 

Drumlins officially opened as a public golf course on July 3, 1927, with the original course laid out by architect Leonard Macomber. At a time when high-quality golf was almost exclusively hidden behind the gates of private country clubs, Drumlins was a breath of fresh air.

The course was an instant success. For a greens fee of just $1 during the week and $1.50 on weekends, the public was granted access to a meticulously designed layout draped across the region's signature "drumlins"—elongated, teardrop-shaped hills formed by ancient glacial ice. The city of Syracuse is essentially ringed by drumlin formations, a key characteristic to the geological area and a perfect name for the course.

"He (Burlingame) never did anything halfway, and the public appreciated the quality," said Tom Newlove, the club’s first golf professional (in an old NYS Men’s Am program from the 1970s). 

With its pristine practice facilities and a manicured miniature golf course right out front (located exactly where the modern parking lot now stands), Drumlins was decades ahead of its time.

A Winter Wonderland and Global Innovation

When the Great Depression (late 1920s) dissolved Burlingame's original plans for a summer-only facility, his resourcefulness shined. Drumlins pivoted in the moment, transforming into a massive year-round recreation resort.

The grounds became a winter wonderland for decades. Golf greens were modified into two massive ice rinks (one for hockey, the other for free skating) accommodating up to 1,500 people. The physical remnants of this era are still visible to golfers today: the former hockey rink sat exactly where the East Course’s 9th green is, while the earth separation between the 1st and 10th tees supported the public skating rink. There was tobogganing and ski jumping from the hill above the 9th green (East Course), The outdoor attractions were brightly lit at night to accommodate adults looking for evening recreation.

Drumlins also helped birth a global industry from this endeavor. In 1929, after Burlingame's brother saw a tractor winch pulling young skiers up a hill, Burlingame hired Vic Hall of Syracuse Supply to build a mechanical rope tow on the east slope of the drumlin bordering the West course's 1st hole. It was considered the first rope tow in the country. That single, jerry-rigged invention at Drumlins led to the creation of Hall Ski Lifts, a company that would go on to install ski lifts at resorts all over the world.

The Crystal Ball and the Social Epicenter 

By the mid-20th century, Drumlins was the undisputed social epicenter of Syracuse. 

The founder, more of a tennis player than a golfer, installed eight clay tennis courts in the 1930s, alongside areas for badminton and archery. The Club continued to expand its offerings, formally opening a private 18-hole golf course in the late 1940s, adding an Olympic swimming pool in 1960, and building a 12-lane bowling center in 1961. The private side of the property became known as Nottingham Knolls Country Club for a few decades.

At the heart of it all was the classic clubhouse. Originally a dairy barn, the hayloft had been transformed into a grand ballroom. Complete with a revolving crystal ball, the ballroom hosted countless fraternity and sorority dances, Saturday night big band public dances, and elegant weddings.

The Syracuse University Era and a Return to Roots 

The resort reached its peak shortly before Burlingame passed away in 1963 at the age of 81. After his passing, under the guidance of his son, Rod Jr., the Club pressed on, but the cultural landscape was shifting. Ultimately, the New York State fairgrounds and local municipal parks began offering their own free or modernized winter activities, replacing the demand at Drumlins. Furthermore, the rise of shopping malls, fast-food chains, and changing youth culture challenged the traditional sprawling resort model.

In 1969, Syracuse University purchased the 265 acre property for 2 million dollars. In transition, the University established the modern iterations of the East (private) and West (public) courses, swimming pool, driving range, tennis center (featuring multiple indoor and outdoor courts), a restaurant, and banquet center.

Today, the property thrives on a unique collegiate energy. Located just a few miles from campus, Drumlins serves as the home of SU's Division I women's tennis team and offers free golf (on the West course) and tennis perks to university students. This youthful vibrancy is felt across the property, from students packing the practice facilities to golfers trading stories over lunch at the Bistro 1926. Some of Syracuse’s greatest athletes have walked the fairways of Drumlins, whether during their collegiate days, alumni trips back, or during fundraising tournaments.

The Club’s modern success is championed by the Directors of Golf and Tennis, Sean Dadey and Marion Nies. They carry the torch passed down by their predecessors, actively growing the game, running clinics, and ensuring the facility remains a welcoming, bustling hub for the modern Syracuse community. It even housed the office of the Central New York PGA Section office for many years.

A Tale of Two Courses 

While Macomber crafted the original layout, the courses were later refined in the 1960s by renowned golf course architect Geoffrey Cornish. Today, as it celebrates its centennial, Drumlins maintains its distinct 36-hole identity, offering two widely different experiences:

• The East Course (Private): Opened in 1946, what was once Nottingham Knolls was eventually rebranded as the East Course. Enjoying a private membership, this side offers pristine conditioning, rigorous championship layouts, and the secluded feel of a traditional private club.

• The West Course (Public): Carrying the torch of the founder’s original "Pay-As-You-Play" vision, the West course remains open to the community, hosting public leagues, and serving as an accessible gateway to the game.

The rolling hills of Drumlins have tested the state’s most talented golf competitors over the decades, hosting several NYSGA Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships since the 1970s, countless Syracuse District Golf Association tournaments, and even some LPGA Symetra Tour (now Epson) events from 2009-2014.

While the initial vision of a massive, all-encompassing social resort eventually yielded to changing times, the core of Roderick Burlingame Sr.'s vision remains perfectly intact.

A century later, Drumlins stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of New York golf - a place where history, collegiate life, and championship fairways intersect.