WESTFIELD, NY – Nolan Swanson and his father, Mel, spent Monday’s Fourth of July holiday, a day traditionally reserved for families, together at the golf course, just as many fathers and sons enjoyed the day.

For the Swansons, though, Monday was just like any other day during the summer months as golf serves as way to stay together.

It was just over two years ago when Nolan and younger brother Ryan decided to take their lifelong passion for the sport and desire to remain in the area and close to family and put their resources together and buy a golf course of their own. Today, Pinehurst Golf Course in Westfield thrives thanks to the work put in by their owners.

Pinehurst Golf Course now has four different height cuts of grass around the course, making for distinct fairways, leading into softer greens under the ownership of Nolan Swanson and his brother, Ryan. (Photo by Scott Eddy)

“This was one of the few things we were going to be able to do together and be able to stay in the area around our family,” Nolan Swanson said.

That’s when Nolan, who had spent four years as track and field coach at Fredonia State University after moving back to the area following a prolific career at Wake Forest, and Ryan, a recent graduate of St. Bonaventure University after playing on the golf team there, began hunting for the right fit. A neighbor of Nolan’s told him about the possible availability of the Westfield nine-hole course and put the wheels in motion.

“We heard this course was for sale and I’m glad we did because it is a great size for a nine-hole golf course,” he said.

Immediately, the Swansons began the work of molding Pinehurst into their vision. Both used their background in the sport – both as players and workers as Nolan grew up working at Chautauqua Golf Club and Ryan at Peek ‘n Peak – to revitalize Pinehurst.

“We saw the layout here and knew what we expected to see because we’re golfers first,” Nolan said. “We put the design of the course back to the way it was meant to be.”

The Par 36 layout sits on 65 acres of land and required quite a bit of work in several areas when the sale was completed.

“We’ve done a lot of work with the greens; a lot of tree work,” Nolan said. “Fairways didn’t exist here before; everything was cut at one height. We have at least four height cuts of grass out there now. It takes more machinery and more time, but that’s the way we want to make it look.”

Water is in play at different locations on Pinehurst, including this Par-3 tee box where golfers hit over a pond to the green below. (Photo by Scott Eddy)

The new owners converted some of the unused land on the lot into a driving range as well. While the owning brothers do most of the course upkeep, father Mel does much of the driving range care in the summer when not teaching and coaching basketball at Sherman Central School during the school year.

“We all love it,” Nolan said. “It is cool because we know we’re going to be here all the time.”

Along with the new driving range and course improvements, the Swansons also have added a new bar and remodeled the pro shop. All the work that comes with owning a golf course and doing the work primarily between family members can be a bit daunting from time to time, though.

“We didn’t know the amount of machinery and maintenance that goes into it. It has taken awhile to learn,” Nolan said. “The biggest surprise is how much stuff you break.”

A nicer surprise, though – the support from the surrounding community.

“It’s been surprising how quickly the towns of Westfield, Brocton and Poland have supported the course when it got into the condition that people wanted to see it,” he said. “We have a lot of members who are willing to pitch in with things – drainage projects, a new bridge. It’s pretty surprising when you get people who just want to help.”

Many of those golfers who stop by ask if the family has plans of expansion. For now, though, making the nine holes they have as strong as possible remains the focus.

A bench at the Par-5 455-yard first hole is one of the several projects donated by locals. (Photo by Scott Eddy)

“A lot of people ask if we’re going to make this 18 holes and I don’t see that happening,” he said. “The land is expensive here with vineyards and it would take more people to maintain more land. This is a nice town golf course and we can keep it cheap doing a lot of the work ourselves. We want to continue to improve what we have and keep it simple.”

The course’s location off the beaten path a bit gives Pinehurst a country setting, but also means that some local golfers still don’t realize it exists.

“A lot of people don’t know this place is even here,” he said. “We’re on Route 20, not Route 5 where everyone drives.”

For the golfers returning to Pinehurst after years away, there’s little doubt the course stands in better shape today than it before the Swansons took over. Looking out over the work the family has put in stands as reward enough for the time and expense put into their labor of love.

“There’s something to enjoy about this every day,” Nolan said. “When you mow a fairway and it looks sharp, that’s gratifying. Every time you make something look better – it might only last two days, but it keeps you going. The people that haven’t been here for two years and are surprised to see what it looks like now, that is gratifying to know that you built it and are taking care of it.”

Pinehurst Golf Course is at 7428 East Main Road on Route 20 in Westfield. Greens fees are $12 for nine holes to walk and $19 with a cart while the course has a new twilight rate of all you can play walking for $9 and $14 nine holes with a cart after 5 p.m. Fridays are $1 per hole with cart valid before 12 p.m. A full service snack bar with sandwiches, beer, snacks and other beverages sits inside for patrons. For more information, call 326-4424.