Mark Twain Golf Course

Mark Twain Golf Course sits on the south-facing hillside above the Chemung River valley in the Town of Horseheads, operated by the City of Elmira. Today it functions as a busy, affordable municipal course with a full pro shop, snack bar, and practice amenities that include a driving range and short-game areas. The card plays to 6,857 yards (blue tees) at par 72, with a contemporary USGA course rating of 73.6 and slope of 130 from the tips. Visitors encounter a walkable but decidedly rolling layout: multiple uphill tee shots and approaches, and a sequence of downhill holes that spill along an escarpment. Public tee times, league play, and scholastic events dominate the calendar, and the facility regularly hosts statewide high-school championships, which underscores its continued tournament utility. Course information (yardage, rating/slope) is published by the club; amenities are corroborated by national tee-time providers. In recent years the City has invested in infrastructure—most notably a full irrigation replacement approved in 2024—while planning near-term bunker work, changes that will influence daily presentation without altering the basic character locals recognize.