Twenty-five years ago when Robert Trent Jones came to Canandaigua in the western Finger Lakes region, he looked from the hilltop site down to the lake and said, “In all the world and of all the properties I’ve seen, this one has just been waiting for a golf course.” Today this lovely rolling course stands as one of the most scenic in the state.

Lying in the midst of a wine region where the rows of grapes from about 100 vineyards march down the hillsides of the Finger Lakes is the rustic yet elegant Bristol Harbour Resort, which also happens to be home to Jones’s 18-hole championship golf course.

The course lets golfers fully appreciate the beauty of the region while enjoying that full-service resort experience. At Bristol Harbour, play a round of golf, then relax on the patio of the lodge sipping a glass of chardonnay or merlot while the white sails of boats glide gracefully across the water below.

The front nine of the Bristol Harbour Course plays like a links track with large bunkers, nasty rough, native grasses, and fickle winds. The hilly back nine winding through woods is tighter and tougher with some dramatic elevation changes. Jack Nicklaus shot a 67 at this course in 1978, playing the back nine in 34—a course record that still stands today.

The par 3s are far from ho-hum taking full advantage of natural hazards starting with No. 2. Although just 146 to 184 yards, strong winds sweeping across the landscape can force the use of two or three clubs longer. Back-to-back par 5s on the front nine are especially challenging. The par-5 465-yard No. 6 requires a carry over a large pond to reach the green—don’t overshoot and find the bunkers off the back. No. 7 is a 506-yard uphill climb with a steep elevation change of 60 to 70 feet to another well-bunkered green.

One of the most memorable tests, however, is the par-4 No. 14, the 410-yard signature hole. A dogleg left, on the second shot there is a 100-foot drop to green into a gorge while the fairway rolls to the left, threatening to pull the ball into the dense stand of trees.

Bristol Harbour offers first-class dining in a rustic tavern setting with views of Canandaigua Lake. Stay at the 31-room Adirondack-style inn with balconies and fireplaces about a chip shot from the first tee or choose from more than 200 condominiums.