No matter what Mark Twain said about golf being a “good walk spoiled,” you’ve got to think had this gentleman teed up in the Finger Lakes near his home in Elmira, he would have appreciated the delicate splendor of feathery fescue of the roughs brushing his knees. He would have soaked up the beauty of the ribbons of lush grass fairways winding through openings in the tall pines and maples and paused on an elevated tee to absorb the uniquely stunning landscape of lakes and hills molded by great glaciers.

Twain could have tipped his hat to golf course architects like Donald Ross, A.W. Tillinghast, and Geoffrey Cornish for respecting the integrity of the land and enjoyed a glass of fine Finger Lakes wine, perhaps on the patio of Anyela's Vineyards high above the incredibly deep blue Skaneateles Lake.

This is, after all, the stunning Finger Lakes region in central New York with more than 100 vineyards and 50 golf courses; a place where outdoor concerts are free, paying for corn at roadside stands is on the honor system, and most of the wineries are owned and run by people like Art Hunt of Hunt Country Vineyards and Jerry and Elaine Hazlitt of Hazlitt 1852 Vineyard, whose grape-growing roots date back six generations. Here green fees are often less than $40, and you can probably get a tee time on weekends without knowing the guy who runs the place. From perky par 3s and executive courses to park courses and challenging championship tracks, in the Finger Lakes you have many choices both in golf and wine.

Finger Lakes wineries are today producing award-winning wines from European varieties as well as from Labrusca and French-American hybrids. The winery facilities are extensive, many with gift shops and restaurants along with wine-tasting rooms. Some, like Glenora Wine Cellars on Seneca Lake, offer accommodations on site. Seneca, Cayuga, Keuka, and Canandaigua have their own wine trails so when you come here, bring your sticks as well as your love of wine and experience both passions.

EASTERN FINGER LAKES
Just 17 miles southwest of Syracuse, Skaneateles, the pristine village that huddles around the northern tip of the lake of the same name, makes an excellent base for exploring the eastern Finger Lakes. There are several fine courses within a 30-minute drive, more than 20 vineyards, old stagecoach inns like the sprawling blue Sherwood Inn (thesherwoodinn.com), B&Bs like the Lady of the Lake, plus a number of off-course diversions including swimming, spas, and boating.

Near Syracuse, the Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed Radisson Greens Course (315-638-0092, radissongreens.com) carved through mature woodlands over rolling terrain is easy to walk and fun to play while nearby Lafayette Hills Golf & Country Club (315-469-3296, lafayettehillsgcc.com) in Jamesville, designed by A.W. Tillinghast, sits on one of the highest points in Onondaga County and offers spectacular views of the countryside.

Highland Park Golf Club (315-253-3381, highlandparkgolfclub.com), a semi-private course 10 minutes west of Skaneateles popular among locals, was first built as a nine-hole layout in 1925. Another nine designed by Geoffrey Cornish was added in 1969 and plays like a different course with challenging rolling greens.

While here, visit Anyela’s Vineyards (315-685-3797, anyelasvineyards.com) on the west side of Skaneateles Lake. It has a lovely tasting room and lodge, patio, and organic gardens. For casual fare and huge portions, try the Bluewater Grill on the Skaneateles Outlet, the lively pub at the Sherwood Inn, or go to Doug’s Fish Fry, the closest thing you’ll find in the States to authentic English fish n’ chips.

If you want to bunk down in the middle of the grapes overlooking Seneca Lake, book into the 30-room Glenora Inn (800-243-5513, glenora.com) just below the winery. Rooms are spacious with pillow-top mattresses, patios or balconies, and views of the lake. Or book the cottage below the Inn, which comfortably sleeps six and has a kitchen, sunroom, living room, dining room, two bedrooms, and one and a half baths.

Heading west along Rt. 20, at the northern end of Seneca Lake, Big Oak Golf Course (315-789-9419, bigoakgc.com) in Geneva treats you to a “Jekyll and Hyde” golf experience. The front is wide open and fairly straightforward; the more dramatic new back nine cuts through trees and wetlands with water on six holes requiring some skillful target shooting.

After golf, consider stopping in for a bite to eat at Fox Run Vineyards (315-536-4616, foxrunvineyards.com) on Seneca Lake or Sheldrake Point Vineyard (607-532-9401, sheldrakepoint.com), both of which offer wine tastings as well.

WESTERN FINGER LAKES
The Y-shaped Keuka Lake and the 16 mile-long Canandaigua Lake along with some smaller lakes make up the western Finger Lakes region. Play Lakeside Country Club (315-536-7252, lakesidecountryclubinpy.com) at the top of Keuka Lake in Penn Yan, a pretty course set in vineyards on the upper hills along the lake. It evokes a tactical dance between older push-up style greens and newer, more rolling, tiered greens. Back in the clubhouse, sample some of their Concord grape jam and preserves made by the local members.

Set above Canandaigua Lake, Bristol Harbour Resort (585-396-2200, bristolharbour.com) is the region’s largest full-service golf resort with a Robert Trent Jones golf course, lodging, and restaurant. When Jones came here more than 25 years ago, he said, “In all the world and of all the properties I’ve seen, this one has just been waiting for a golf course.” The front nine plays like a links course with large bunkers, nasty roughs, and fickle winds. The hilly, tighter, and tougher back nine winds through woods with many of its holes revealing splendid views of the lake. Book a room in the rustic-chic Bristol Harbour Inn located a chip shot from the first tee or in one of the condos or cottages and line up a massage at the luxurious Lifepath Spa.

The people at Reservoir Creek Golf Club (585-374-8010, rcgolf.com) in Naples capitalizing on the wine theme have planted a small vineyard on the grounds, although more for ambiance than serious winemaking. The course is characterized by berms and moguls along with trees that separate the fairways. Play until dark and then hole up at Reservoir Creek’s five-bedroom inn, a renovated turn-of-the-century farmhouse.

As you follow the Keuka and Canandaigua Wine Trails, be sure to visit Dr. Konstantin Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars (800-320-0735, drfrankwines.com) in Hammondsport. Located at the southern end of Keuka Lake, this facility was founded in 1962 by one of the Finger Lakes’ most important winemakers, Dr. Konstantin Frank.

And finally, the oldest winery in the Finger Lakes region, established in 1860, the Pleasant Valley Wine Co. (607-569-6111, pleasantvalleywine.com) is well worth a stop. Home of Great Western Champagne and the largest producer of bottle-fermented champagnes in the eastern U.S., there are eight historic stone buildings on site along with a huge array of historical items in the Visitors Center.