Claudia has clearly enjoyed transforming what was a bland, run-of-the-mill clubhouse into a first-rate entertainment facility, complete with a new executive chef, Jim Capone, set to take the reigns of a new restaurant – the Center Post Grille –to now open to the public and welcoming golfers daily.

For Paul, the enjoyment has been restoring what was once one of the crown jewels of public golf in Rochester back into the premier 27-hole golf facility he always knew it could be.

A local software developer, Moriarty has played – and worked at - public golf courses for most of his life. Beginning at Lake Shore in his teens, and including Deerfield when it first opened – under another name – Moriarty has an appreciation for what works, both in business, as well as in a public golf facility.

Originally opened in the early 1960s, just off Clarkson-Parma Town Line Road, north of Rt. 104 in Brockport, Deerfield began as a 9-hole course called Sunny Crest, designed by Ed Benoit. Later, local amateur golf standout Bob Hill and renowned architect Pete Craig joined forces to purchase the property, adding 18 more holes and changing the name to “Craig Hill Country Club.”

For many years, the area’s top amateurs and professionals considered the facility one of, if not the best, public golf courses in the Rochester area. As a result, many premier tournaments were held at Deerfield through the years – including an all-star pro tour exhibition featuring Lee Trevino and Julius Boros – and culminating in the 1985 RDGA District Championship John H. Ryan Memorial.

Another testament to Deerfield’s former greatness is the fact that several of the area’s top players once honed their skills at the course -- including Greece native Jeff Sluman, who has since gone on to PGA Tour stardom.

Despite its storied history, however, Moriarty feels that over the past 25 years or so, Deerfield has strayed from what once made it great. It is his goal to bring it back to the position it once held as one of the area’s best public golf facilities.

In addition to the work on the clubhouse over the past year, Paul Moriarty has been busy out on the golf course as well. First on his list was upgrading the 9-hole East Course, which had been considered a poor cousin to the championship-length North-South 18-hole course.

Since last year, the East Course has received much of this attention with rebuilt bunkers, added mounding around greens, the planting of more than 500 mature trees and the addition of new tees for juniors, seniors and women. The cumulative affect of these improvements has been to add depth and texture to each hole, while at the same time, giving each hole more definition and individuality.

This year, work has continued on the North-South Course, with much of the same rebuilding, shaping and texturing of holes that was done on the East Course last year – including the par-3 17^th hole, where years of unchecked growth along the right side of the hole has been removed to reveal a scenic creek bed, which is now covered in wild flowers. It is this renovated 18 that will greet the contestants of the 2015 RDGA Mid-Amateur on August 14 and 15.

Moriarty is very happy with the work done this season by new greens superintendent Nick Pentz – the fairways and greens are lush, tee boxes have been expanded to make room for up to five distinct sets of tees, and many bunkers have been restored – and some added – which had been let to grow over through the years.

Greeting golfers as they arrive at Deerfield is David Moriarty - brother of Paul - who makes it his goal to ensure that every guest has a top-notch golfing experience. Once they arrive, golfers will see that the practice range has even been redesigned – with expanded tees, better turf, and an extended curbside dropoff area next to the parking lot. A brand-new fleet of electric golf carts come equipped with the latest GPS technology, which provides accurate yardage measurement on each hole in an on-board screen display.

Although there are a few loyal seasonal members at Deerfield, Paul Moriarty sees his core supporters as coming from the daily fee ranks. Several leagues are up and running – and very popular, with more than 200 payers in each – as well as a few strategically-places outside tournaments, but making the course available to public play remains his primary objective.

Running the day-to day operations at Deerfield is Jon Miner, hired last year as the new General Manager by the Moriartys.

Formerly a local vice president for a national food service distributor, Miner was brought to Deerfield not for his knowledge of golf course operations, but because of his management style – one that relied heavily on customer service.

“This is a completely new industry for me,” Miner says. “There are a lot of variables that I haven’t had to deal with before, such as weather, and the fact that golf is a seasonal industry. But there are many similarities, too, such as overseeing a staff, managing costs on a daily and weekly basis – but in the end, it’s still about customer service.”

Aside from transitioning from the “other side” of the business, as he calls it - from the “supply side,” coming from a food distributor to the “demand” side of the equation, as a customer of those services - Miner had the additional concerns of coming to a golf course that was undergoing a complete transformation, although ultimately, those concerns were unsubstantiated, thanks to the efficient working environment provided by the Moriartys.

“I’m really lucky to have Paul and Claudia as owners and to come along as they build Deerfield into an elite course,” adds Miner. “There’s definitely a sense of pride in seeing it all come together – and it’s been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

With all the improvements made this year at Deerfield, it might seem as if the Moriartys have run out of things to do to the facility. But – as with any labor of love – the work is never finished.

For more information about Deerfield Golf & Country Club, visit the course's website by clicking HERE.

For more information about the 2015 RDGA Mid-Amateur Championship - including how to enter - click HERE.

Written by RDGA Communications Director Dave Eaton. Portions of this article previously appeared in Rochester Golf Week newspaper.