Golf Club Atlas
GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture => Topic started by: Matt Frey, PGA on May 02, 2017, 02:05:48 PM
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My wife and I lived and worked in the New York State North Country for two years. I worked as a PGA Assistant Professional at Malone Golf Club, a facility with 36 holes; one course primarily designed by Willard Wilkinson and Albert Murray, the other by Robert Trent Jones Sr. While I did spend two years there, I actually only played those two golf courses. I worked six days each week at the club and didn’t have much of a desire to spend my day off at a golf course.
My bride has missed the area and its abundance of fresh air and outdoor activities, so we’re planning on taking our first real vacation since our honeymoon several years ago. She will be doing a lot of hiking, biking, kayaking, etc., while I plan on trying to see a bunch of the golf courses in and around the Adirondacks that I didn’t play in 2011 and 2012.
I’ve identified several courses I have an interest in (listed below in alphabetical order), but I am hoping for some guidance from this smart group on some of the courses histories (architectural and/or otherwise) so I can pick and choose which interest me the most as we’re planning to stay for about six days. Any information on any of the below courses would be much appreciated!
- Ausable (1888)
- Bluff Point (1890 / 1916, A.W. Tillinghast)
- Craig Wood (1925, Seymour Dunn)
- Lake Placid (1910, Alexander Findlay)
- Sagamore (1928, Donald Ross)
- Saratoga (1896, J.S. Mott)
- Saratoga National (2001, Roger Rulewich)
- Saranac Inn (1901, Seymour Dunn, Willie Dunn)
- Tupper Lake (1932, Donald Ross)
- Whiteface (1898, John Van Kleek)
I have also heard a tremendous amount of positive things about Glens Falls (1912 / 1923, Donald Ross), which I will probably try to see on our way back home in Philly. Leatherstocking (1909, Devereux Emmet) is also on my list, and we’re considering stopping in Cooperstown for a day on the way home as we’re both big baseball fans as well. We visited for Ken Griffey Jr.’s Hall of Fame induction last summer, but the course was obviously closed to the public that weekend and the museum was pretty crowded, so we’d like to visit again.
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Matt--
I've enjoyed many wonderfui golf days on courses in the Adirondacks. One of my favorites is Thendara, between the towns of Thendara and Old Forge. It's a tale of two courses; the front, a rather flat 9 holes, designed by Ross in 1920, with some classic cop bunkers. There are some of the most interesting and challenging greens that you'll find anywhere. And, then you go to the back, a nine designed by William Harries in 1958. A challenging 9 holes with a very interesting, and scenic routing. I love that course.
Hopefully you'll get to Whiteface Resort, and, hopefully, J. Peter Martin, golf professional, is still there. His book,"Adirondack Golf Courses--Past and Present" is a must have for anyone interested in the history of Adirondack golf. I bet it's available in the Old Forge hardware.
After Thendara, I'd probably play Inlet, then Tupper Lake Country Club (was Ross involved?), Saranac Inn (Seymore Dunn), Whiteface Resort (John VanKleek redesign), the lower course at the Lake Placid Club (Seymore Dunn), and I can't really speak for Craig Wood CC because we had to quit when got too deep (another Seymore Dunn creation).
There are many other old courses in the Adirondacks that we never got to. You mention Leatherstocking. A wonderful old Emmet course. Teugaga CC in Rome is a terrific Ross course. Yahnundasis Golf Club in Utica is a great Travis course (with some revisions done by the Gordons in the '50s).
Enjoy.
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Matt,
I'd highly recommend stopping at Glens Falls. CC of Troy is another in that general vicinity worth visiting as well.
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Matt I think what you have listed as Saratoga, is actually Saratoga Golf and Polo Club 1896
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Matt-
How are you? I miss seeing you when I travel to Malone! I hope things are well.
I have played every course you mentioned and would recommend the following:
Lake Placid Club (Lower): Great views of the mountains and a cool village to hang out in afterwards.
The Sagamore: Great old Ross course that I think you would enjoy. Unlike most Adirondack courses, The Sagamore is a true championship golf course.
Saratoga Golf & Polo: Fun nine hole course right in town. Private club but I am sure Kevin Hughes would let you play. Great guy and a good friend of your old boss, Derek Sprague.
Saratoga State Park: Haven't played it in years but was always a great layout. The only question is the conditioning. If it's in decent shape you will enjoy the course.
Saranac Inn: Not bad considering it's in the middle of nowhere. Some nice holes and you could do a lot worse.
Whiteface Inn: A fun mountain course in a great setting. Not necessarily a great course but it's a fun course and it would be worth it just to see and visit with Peter Martin,one of the all-time great pros and a true renaissance man!
Glens Falls CC: Very nice and well worth a play. Private but I am betting Head Pro Tom Haggerty would let you play. He is also one of the all-time great guys and pros.
Leatherstocking: Fun course in a great village with lots to do. You will love both the course and the village.
Not a huge fan of Bluff Point or Tupper Lake and have never played Ausable.
Hope this helps! Have a great trip and safe travels.
John
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I would second the nomination for CC of Troy. A course with some of the best examples of Walter J. Travis green sites in existence.
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Ed: I completely forgot about Thendara! I've read a few good things about that layout. It's only about two hours from Saranac Lake (where we're likely staying, so I'll be sure to try to make it there too). I know Mr. Martin and hope to see visit him on our trip; great man. Teugaga and Yahnundasis may be a bit out of our range for this trip, but they are definitely on my radar. Thanks a ton.
Chris: Troy is another one that had slipped my mind. I had set up a group of Malone members to play there and they absolutely loved it. Maybe I'll be able to make it a 36-hole day with Glens Falls.
Jaeger: Correct, the golf and polo club. The two pros there, Ron Ireland and Kevin Hughes are good people, I just haven't had the time to visit yet!
John: Long time, no see! I hope you're doing well. I am not familiar at all with Saratoga State Park...I'll have to do a little investigating. Maybe we can arrange a round together if you happen to be in the area the same week? I'll message you.
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I haven't had much time to golf in the Adirondacks myself, but I'll be there next week hoping to get out at Leatherstocking, Sagamore and CC Troy. If I can I'll report back.
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Didn't MacKenzie do some work somewhere in Lake Placid?
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Lake Placid Club claims to have been remoed by AM in 1931.
Didn't MacKenzie do some work somewhere in Lake Placid?
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Matt,
I'd highly recommend stopping at Glens Falls. CC of Troy is another in that general vicinity worth visiting as well.
+1-Travis was able to deliver on a pretty severe site at CC of Troy. An absolute blast to play with a great mix of holes and wild green's. The super Chris Strong is all about having the course play as originally intended and knows a lot about the history if you can get a few minutes of his time.
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I am in the process of buying a camp in the Adirondacks and have enjoyed golf up there for many years. (Mostly Western ADK area.) If you can swing it, a visit to the Yahnundasis and Teugega are well worth it. Both have some really amazing holes, particularly the Yahnundasis. Thendara is also interesting, but a tale of two nines. The back is extremely tight (unfair even?) and I don't think I've ever seen a Ross green anything like #9. One could easily 5 putt+ when the pin is at the top of the enormous mound (which they put there on occasion). Inlet also very tight. Another course just outside the park that I really like is Newport (Search the golf club of Newport in Newport, NY.) Return by way of Cooperstown and Leatherstocking is a lot of fun. Especially the finishing holes. Enjoy!
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Matt,
I played Craig Wood a few years back. Fairly open, and was a nice walk. Nothing all that memorable or architecturally inspring. If close by, play it, but I don't think it merits a long drive to play there. We stayed near Saranac Lake and also played Saranac Lake GC (AKA Ray Brook) 9 holes) which was actually a decent 9 hole course with a few cool holes, too bad it was practically under water when we played it. We were supposed to play Tupper Lake but were totally rained out.
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Matt, the conditions at Saratoga State Park have slipped, and expect some slow play there. But Saratoga has become a hoping little town, lots of good restaurants, plus the track.
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Drove by Queensbury many times on my way to Vt. Any good?
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Drove by Queensbury many times on my way to Vt. Any good?
In a word "no"
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Matt:
I played the Lake Placid Links last summer and, while I saw no traces of MacKenzie, I very much enjoyed the course. It's a quirky, funky layout with some nice features and great views, including the ski jumps and bobsled track at Olympic Park. I'm also a big fan of Glens Falls, which I thought was absolutely terrific, and of Country Club of Troy and Leatherstocking as well.
Here are a few shots from each:
Lake Placid Club
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4178/34500349045_6d859c2e6c_c.jpg)
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(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4192/34369950821_7a89eaf0c8_c.jpg)
Glens Falls Country Club:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4184/34500355235_03b33a5f68_c.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4165/34459279836_47d9e1300d_c.jpg)
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(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4169/34369977281_8c7a99b59a_c.jpg)
Country Club of Troy:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4164/34369949491_96dd1e4d0b_c.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4162/34115119340_73e0f58088_c.jpg)
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(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4162/33690430323_dac79bc96a_c.jpg)
Leatherstocking Golf Course:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4178/34115099390_e2389c66ac_c.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4190/33690401333_d97523e04d_c.jpg)
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Jon
Hang on there! Back track to Lake Placid. Please provide more pix and commentary. Your few photos are very intriguing.
Ciao
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Jon-
As someone who has played all four of these courses countless times those pictures are very impressive! I enjoy playing all four courses but would have to put Glens Falls at the top of the list followed by Leatherstocking, CC of Troy and Lake Placid Club.
If I had to break it out over 10 rounds it would be:
5 rounds @ GFCC.
3 rounds @ Leatherstocking
1 round @ CC of Troy
1 round @ Lake Placid (Lower Course)
Thanks again for the great pics
-John
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Matt,
I'm a huge fan of Leatherstocking and CC of Troy but may even like Yahnundasis better.
You can't go wrong with any or all of those three.
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Matt,
I'm a huge fan of Leatherstocking and CC of Troy but may even like Yahnundasis better.
You can't go wrong with any or all of those three.
Mike-I think Yahnundasis has the best piece of ground and edges Troy and Leatherstocking. Additionally I think the Travis greens at Troy and Yahnundasis are more interesting than Emmet's at Leatherstocking. That said I love all three and wouldn't get sick of any of them.
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Beautiful pictures. Hope, some day to have an opportunity to play Glens Falls. The pictures remind me a little of Teugaga. The pictures of the lower course at Lake Placid, with the ski jumps in the background reminded me of a time when my foursome was on a hole heading back toward the lodge when I happened to turn to look back at the tee and saw the whole Canadian ski jump team closing in on us, with their long ski jump skis on their backs. They'd just finished a practice session and were walking back to the lodge.
CC of Troy is one of my favorites, given its greens and interesting use of the terrain. No significant changes have been made to its routing, and Bruce Hepner did a great job with his bunker work a few years ago. As someone else said, on this thread, their Super is a great advocate for respecting and preserving the classic features of the course.
Yahnundasis is another favorite, once I get past the first two holes. Holes three and four are great par fours, and then another Gordon hole enters the picture at 5. But, from 7 on, it is terrific, with many terrific holes that capture your interest and attention. No two are alike. The finishing green sites on the front and back are beautiful examples of Travis greens.
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How about this itinerary:
Ekwanok
Taconic
Sagamore
Glens Falls
Troy
Leatherstocking
Yahnundasis
Teugega
You could add in Rutland, Seven Oaks, Mohawk and Onondaga.
Be hard pressed to find a better deeper run of quality architecture done by the old dead guys!
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Jon
Hang on there! Back track to Lake Placid. Please provide more pix and commentary. Your few photos are very intriguing.
Ciao
Sean:
Unfortunately, I can't provide a great deal of additional commentary, as I don't know all that much more about the course. I was in Lake Placid last July for my wife's race and wasn't planning on playing, but when an opportunity opened up late one afternoon to squeeze in a quick round, Lake Placid Club seemed like a good choice. I'm glad I played it. They call it a Links-style course, and while that's obviously pushing it, it does have a very linksy feel to it. The course is very walkable -- the only tough spot is the hike back up to the clubhouse at the end. But what I liked best about the course was the unique fairway bunkering and the terrific green surrounds. The only potential negative for some people would be the conditioning -- the fairways were patchy in spots but the greens were quite good. In any event, I think the photos will give you a good sense for the place.
As you requested, here are some additional photos from Lake Placid Club:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4156/34136110080_a680cf9823_c.jpg)
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Great photos Jon as always.
How refreshing to see some good old fashioned design features. I really like this sort of look and have the good fortune to live somewhere where I get to see quite a bit of it. I understand that the conditioning was a little less than perfect though conditioning is way overrated IMO. What was the GF?
Jon
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Cheers Jon, lovely pix. I really like the in your face earth works and some of the bunkering looks highly unusual. The course reminds me of Walton Heath with shallow bunkers! Any idea why Lake Placid isn't better known?
Ciao
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Ed - Interesting that you (like I) are not enamored with the first two holes of the Yahnundasis. They were redone in the early 60's for highway expansion.
Great pics! (If taken today, however, there might be some snow.)
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Thank you all again for the input...this thread has gotten much more attention than I expected and I'm very grateful. I plan on booking our lodging this week and can then start planning the rounds of golf.
Jon C.: Your photos look great, and those from Lake Placid intrigue me. I'm not sure what the draw is for me exactly, but I've always wanted to play that course!
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I'll reply with some more thoughts later today--my family has had a house in Upper Jay, NY, for more than 25 years, and I've played almost all of the public courses people have talked about here. I'm jumping in because the Lower/Links course is by far my favorite course in the High Peaks region, and is a very good deal; I think the max green fee is $50, with a $35 twilight rate and something like $25 replay.
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Cheers Jon, lovely pix. I really like the in your face earth works and some of the bunkering looks highly inusual. The course reminds me of Walton Heath with shallow bunkers! Any idea why Lake Placid isn't better known?
Ciao
Thanks, Sean. Glad you liked the photos.
I'm not sure why Lake Placid isn't better known. My best guess is that it suffers a bit from its location -- the Lake Placid area is not a golf destination at all -- and perhaps those who would seek out "high end" public golf options want what they consider to be flawless conditions. Hard for me to say.
I would never have played there myself had I not been in the area for something else, but I'm glad that I did, as I am quite fond of the course.
Jon Cavalier
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There is absolutely NOTHING around the area of Lake Placid and Saranac Lake. It is a fairly remote area. A lot of road cyclists around there, it's a beautiful area for lake sports and cycling. You can toss in a little golf too if you like. The remote feel of the area is why you would go there. I lived not far from there as kid, and I still go back every 2-3 years for vacation as well.
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Has anyone played Ticonderoga CC (Seymour Dunn 1925)?
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Has anyone played Top of the World Golf at Lake George? I have heard some good things about it.
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Has anyone played Top of the World Golf at Lake George? I have heard some good things about it.
Yes, and I have pics of all 18 holes.
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Has anyone played Ticonderoga CC (Seymour Dunn 1925)?
Yes, I have played it.
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As soon as I find a bit of time I will post pics of Top of the World and Ticonderoga CC.
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Top of the World GC near Lake George, NY. First picture shows the epic view of Lake George beyond number 10.
(https://preview.ibb.co/neyQ35/topofworldb.jpg)
(https://preview.ibb.co/cKBv35/topofworlda.jpg)
(https://preview.ibb.co/kLdpWQ/topgreen.jpg)
(https://preview.ibb.co/fmOyrQ/topgreen2.jpg)
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Saranac GC, 9 holes near Saranac lake, NY. Formerly known as Ray Brook GC. Good bones, no money to take care of it. Fun 9 hole course. At some point it was supposed to 18 holes with another 9 located across the street, but it never materialized. Could be a pretty cool golf course. A lot of major drainage issues on a few holes (but it was raining for weeks when I played). Course is shoe horned by a main road and railroad tracks. I would like to play it when actually dry.
(https://preview.ibb.co/kQ49Vk/saranacgc.jpg)
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Ticonderoga GC. Fun course near Ticonderoga, NY. Where the course sits was a big battle where Roger's Rangers were defeated by the French and Native Americans. (if you care about History). Fun course, but nothing that will awe you. I would say it is a pretty simplistic routing on some moving land.
(https://preview.ibb.co/ijBOqk/ticonderoga_A.jpg)
(https://preview.ibb.co/eFFoO5/ticonderoga_B.jpg)
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I'd add Emmet's McGregor Links to the list of the Adirondack foothills courses ( CC of Troy, Saratoga Spa, Glens Falls CC) that you are considering. Haven't been there in a couple seasons (vg cond then), but Mark Chalfant made it up last summer and had a favorable impression of what the new owners and superintendent are doing with it.
From their website:
http://mcgregorlinks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Golf_Illustrated_-_Macgregor_Links.pdf (http://mcgregorlinks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Golf_Illustrated_-_Macgregor_Links.pdf)
http://mcgregorlinks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/McGregor-Links-Summary-1921.pdf (http://mcgregorlinks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/McGregor-Links-Summary-1921.pdf)
(http://mcgregorlinks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Screen-Shot-2016-02-22-at-9.58.56-AM.png)
(http://mcgregorlinks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/aerial-photos.jpg)
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How about this itinerary:
Ekwanok
Taconic
Sagamore
Glens Falls
Troy
Leatherstocking
Yahnundasis
Teugega
You could add in Rutland, Seven Oaks, Mohawk and Onondaga.
Be hard pressed to find a better deeper run of quality architecture done by the old dead guys!
I did most of that for The Confidential Guide a few years ago. Having already been to Ekwanok and Taconic, I started at Longmeadow instead, and squeezed in Onondaga before heading further west for Monroe, Oak Hill, the Park Club, the CC of Buffalo, and Mayfield to round it off in Ohio!
And I was kicking myself when I was through for missing Ed Homsey's home course on my way to Buffalo! I didn't realize where it was until I'd driven an hour past it.
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If I told my wife we were taking a vacation and I was going to go play golf the whole time, you would read about me on CNN! All kidding aside, enjoy!
MM
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Glens Falls is a must!
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Tom---The door is always open for you at Stafford CC. Would be a pleasure to show you around.
Ed
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So here are a few brief thoughts on my time on a few of the Adirondack golf courses last week. A couple of the facilities I was hoping to see had member events, so I will have to plan a trip back up...maybe in the fall. I had more time to play golf, but figured I would keep my marriage intact and spend some time with my lovely bride on our first vacation in years! ;D
I visited my old stomping grounds on Monday and played all 36 holes at Malone Golf Club, the East and the West Courses. The East Course's first nine holes were originally laid out by Willard Wilkinson and was later expanded to 18 holes by Albert Murray (most of these 18 holes are spread throughout the East and West Courses today). When the West Course was built by Robert Trent Jones Sr., he borrowed a few holes from the original course and built some new holes for both "new" courses. I much prefer the East Course, but the West Course is good too...especially the original holes (Nos. 1, 9, 10, 17, 18). I was also able to see some of the tree work that has been done on the East's par-3 11th and 14th holes, which are now much more open and healthy (in my opinion, the course could get rid of many more trees, considering there were many less trees on the property when the courses were built). Some select photos of the East Course are below.
Malone - East - No. 1
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Malone - East - No. 2
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Malone - East - No. 4 (Punchbowl-type green)
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Malone - East - No. 6
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Malone - East - No. 14
(https://s3.amazonaws.com/ggrwmisc/adk17-mgc-14.JPG)
Malone - East - No. 16 (another Punchbowl!)
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On Tuesday, I played all 45 holes at Lake Placid Club: the Links Course, Mountain Course and Pristine Nine Course. I was very impressed with the Links Course (and it's not just because I played very well...a round of 70). The Links Course was laid out by Seymour Dunn, who was the longtime pro there, and was restored by Graham Cooke. I found the course to be very fun and it presented challenges for all types of players. It's definitely an "old-school" design and I loved every minute of it. The Adirondacks and North Country have received much more rain than normal this season, so the course wasn't playing as firm and fast as I suspect it does a lot of the time, but it was in great shape, as were all the other courses I played last week.
The Mountain Course has some very good holes, some as good as on the Links in my opinion, but there are also some holes I wasn't crazy about personally (just felt as though they were squeezed in), but it's definitely fun and great for the average player as the yardage doesn't get silly.
The Pristine Nine Course is a short par-29 course, but it is wonderfully fun and is a great course for beginners or for a group of friends to have a quick nine with a beer or two.
Some select photos of the Links Course are below.
Lake Placid - Links - No. 1
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Lake Placid - Links - No. 1
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Lake Placid - Links - No. 3
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Lake Placid - Links - No. 11
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Lake Placid - Links - No. 18
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The course I was most excited to see was the Ausable Club and it was a very cool experience. The club is only open a few months per year and offers many different outdoor activities, including golf. The course was built in 1888, but I haven't been able to find any information on who may have laid it out (first pro perhaps)? If anyone has any information on this, it would be greatly appreciated. Ausable is a very walkable golf course and offers some great views of the Adirondack's High Peaks Wilderness Area around St. Huberts, New York. The main building / lodge is beautiful and the golf shop is petite, simple and delightful. The design itself offers a few "Alps" type approaches and some tricky greens. It was a blast to play. Select photos are below.
Ausable - No. 1
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Ausable - No. 3
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Ausable - No. 3
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Ausable - No. 4
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Ausable - No. 6
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Ausable - No. 7
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Ausable - No. 8
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Ausable - No. 9
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Ausable - Golf Shop
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Ausbale Club
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Note: My wife is much more of an active person than I am (although I do walk and carry as much as I can while on the course), so she hiked while I played golf. I also don't do well with heights, but I did make it to the top of Whiteface, albeit hunched over with white knuckles. Even though I was terrified, the view from the top is pretty spectacular.
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Matt,
As a hard core skier, hiker, and golfer, the Adirondacks are a Black Hole in my resume. Fantastic post.
Thanks
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Awesome pics, thanks. My mom lives close to Whiteface, and I'm heading up there Thursday--hope to get the same weather you did.
As for the courses, there are probably only 4 courses in the world I've played more rounds on than Lake Placid Club Links; I love the place.
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Matt,
Great thread.
No one has mentioned the Nick Stoner Muni in Caroga Lake (1929) Has anyone played there?
http://www.carogalake.com/caroga-lake-history.html
http://www.carogalake.com/golf.html
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Solid thread.
Not much mention of Ross' Sagamore. I'm staying at the old grand hotel next week and would have time to walk the course, if not play, if the Clubhouse thinks it's worth the time. There's little available on the website, and what is sadly looks like an ODG in need of a chainsaw party.
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Solid thread.
Not much mention of Ross' Sagamore. I'm staying at the old grand hotel next week and would have time to walk the course, if not play, if the Clubhouse thinks it's worth the time. There's little available on the website, and what is sadly looks like an ODG in need of a chainsaw party.
Dan,
The Sagamore is definitely worth a round. I can't speak to how much is left of Ross' work but I would guess, other than tree growth and encroachment over time, it is fairly original in terms of bunker placement (style?) and greens' contours (size?). I played it almost 20 years ago and the biggest disappointment for me was how green and even soggy it was kept - I don't remember it being a super wet spring. I'd love another crack at it under firm and fast conditions. I say go for it and report back to us!
Cheers
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Matt-You should be in the process of planning another trip to see the cream of the crop. Teugega and Yahnundasis are almost on top of each other and are worthy of a trip by themselves. Troy, Glen's Falls and Leathetstocking as well are also
must see. The stuff you saw looks fun but you missed too many good ones.
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How about this itinerary:
Ekwanok
Taconic
Sagamore
Glens Falls
Troy
Leatherstocking
Yahnundasis
Teugega
You could add in Rutland, Seven Oaks, Mohawk and Onondaga.
Be hard pressed to find a better deeper run of quality architecture done by the old dead guys!
John-Ekwanok,Taconic and Rutland are not in the Adirondacks. Think the Taconic and Green Mountain range instead.
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The Erie Canal Tour remains my favorite all-time golf trip. Onondaga, Teugega, Glens Falls, Yahnandasis and CC of Troy with a side trip to Fenway. Hated to miss Leatherstocking.
Mike
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Tim: Yes, I definitely wanted to see those courses, but couldn't make them all happen between their member events and obligations to my wife. I think I will be able to convince some fellow GCA buddies to go on a fall weekend trip to see a few of them this year.
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Has anyone played Tupper Lake CC lately? It's been years since I've been there, but I still have vivid memories of a few of the holes. I recall some fun holes on the front nine.
Also--I always enjoyed a day off from Teugaga to play Inlet. A course with some quirky holes and awkward routing, but also a course that, in many spots, has a true Adirondacky feel to it, i.e. you're really out in the woods. Rough hewn.
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Ed: I didn't get a chance to play Tupper Lake while I was up there, but one of Malone's current assistant pros just played the Tupper Lake Open there a couple of weeks ago. From what I understand it could be in better shape, but nothing really horrible. It's still over-treed and could use some TLC. For better or worse, depending on how you look at it, I have heard the Greg Norman "renovation" has fallen through.
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My bride and I visited the Adirondacks this weekend for a mini-break and we really enjoyed the pleasant temperatures (65 degrees high / 45 degrees low) while she hiked and I played a few rounds of golf. My first few rounds were at my old stomping grounds, Malone Golf Club, on their East and West Courses, and my last round was Lake Placid Club's Links Course which I previously posted about in this thread.
I was able to play two courses that I've either driven by countless times (Cobble Hill in Elizabethtown) or read about (Westport).
Westport was fantastic. It has some tremendous terrain for a golf course...certainly among the best terrain I have played on this year to date. It's been reported to have been built in 1898 by Thomas Winton. Their former PGA Professional (he sadly passed away this year) believed Willie Park Jr., who Winton worked for, was involved with at least nine holes, but I am unsure if there was any documentation to back that up. The course is routed very well across the land and requires strategy and skill to shoot a very good score, but it is also fairly wide open and provides golfers with plenty of recovery options. The course played very firm and fast, which was a ton of fun and really forced you to think about how you wanted to try to shape your shots or where to land your golf ball.
I have posted a few photos from my round there this past Saturday below.
Westport - No. 3 tee
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Westport - No. 6 approach
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Westport - No. 7 approach
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Westport - No. 7 green
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Westport - No. 8 green
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Westport - No. 15 approach
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Westport - No. 16 green
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Westport - No. 17 green
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Westport - No. 18 approach
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Westport - Clubhouse
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Bonus: Westport uses a flock of sheep to help maintain its rough! Here is a video (https://youtu.be/5k8eX6O_Q0o) I took of the flock, located in between hole Nos. 11 and 14: Click here to watch (https://youtu.be/5k8eX6O_Q0o). I have also included a picture below.
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As I previously mentioned, I have driven by the Cobble Hill course many times while I lived and worked in the North Country. It looked fairly simple from the road and had not heard much about it, so my expectations were fairly modest. The first thing that surprised me after I determined which day I was to play Cobble Hill was its age: built in 1896! I was not aware it was anywhere close to being that old. I haven't been able to determine who may have built it, so maybe someone on this site has that knowledge they could share. I did read that a gentleman by the name of Dermont E. Mine was their first pro, so it's possible he may have been responsible, but again, I cannot be sure. As for the course itself, I enjoyed it! There aren't too many doglegs, so it doesn't require a ton of strategy off the tee, but the greens were pretty solid, particularly No. 6 green, which plays very much like a Redan approach. There's a fair amount of "quirk" on the course, which I appreciate, most notably the approach to the par-5 fourth hole. There is also some extreme elevation changes, like on No. 4 and No. 7. I would be curious if those back tee boxes way up on the hills were always part of the course, or were added later. I would suspect the latter. It is certainly a course I wouldn't mind playing often, especially for the value: $14 to push for nine holes on a Saturday afternoon...pretty solid! Select photos from my round are below.
Cobble Hill - No. 1 tee
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Cobble Hill - No. 4 approach
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Cobble Hill - No. 6 approach
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Cobble Hill - No. 6 green (seen from No. 5 tee)
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Cobble Hill - No. 7 tee
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Cobble Hill - No. 9 green
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Both courses look like a lot of fun to play with some great landforms. Thanks for the pictures!
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Great stuff, Matt! Thanks for sharing.
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Matt,
Thanks for this thread. It has been a great reference for this July 4th trip. I basically stayed local to Lake Placid and agreed with all your comments about the 45 holes at LP Club. Similar to Jon Cavalier's fondness, the Links course at LPC has enormous potential with just some better conditioning. Sitting out away from the resort, it really feels like an Adirondack adventure. It has "Arble Potential" for sure. Obviously with a short season and some catchup from the past two seasons, it is difficult for the courses to have great conditioning.
I did a quick 9 last night at Seneca Lake GC - 9 holer on the road to Seneca Lake, and it was great fun. Seymour Dunn is now the most underrated "Old Dead Guy" for me. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seymour_Dunn (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seymour_Dunn) Hope to get to Westport, Craig Wood, and Seneca Inn next trip.
Thanks again.
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I'm happy to hear that, Mike! I hope others continue to add to this thread to include courses that haven't been discussed yet too!
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Tupper Lake and Saranac Inn: https://buffalogolfer.com/wordpress/a-wee-review-of-tupper-lake-and-saranac-inn/
Teugega: https://buffalogolfer.com/wordpress/a-wee-review-of-teugega-country-club/
Yahnundasis: https://buffalogolfer.com/wordpress/a-wee-tour-of-yahnundasis/
Sagamore and Glens Falls: https://buffalogolfer.com/wordpress/a-wee-review-of-the-sagamore-glens-falls/
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Really enjoy Teugega and Yahnundasis. I look forward to playing the Yahnundasis after the restoration work is completed.
Another course that I enjoy when up there - I spend 3-4 weeks in the summer - is Thendara, located in Old Forge. A tale of two nines: a relatively open Donald Ross front nine and a tree laden back nine with a number of holes that run along the Moose River.
I also play Inlet (located in Inlet), which is very quirky and fun - worth a play (IMO) if you have time.
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I recently played several courses in the Adirondacks: Teugega, Inlet, Thendara, Nick Stoner, Alder Creek, and Holland Creek.
Inlet was by far the most disappointing of the courses on this trip. Yes, it says is was built in the 20's, but beyond holes 1, 2 and 9, it was quite bland. The greens were the most disappointing for a course of that era. There are much much better courses in the Adirondacks.
Nick Stoner was the exact opposite and one of my favorite hidden gem courses. Course has some unique 1920s / 30s greens some great land movement and that rugged Adirondack / New England charm.
Teugega / Thendara make me wonder how many Rosss courses out there have bastardized their greens. Several of the greens on these courses have to be seen to be believed.
Chris
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Chris - Where was the pin on #9 at Thendara? That and #7 are two of the craziest greens I've ever played.
Also, I think #7 and #10 at Inlet are solid. #12 and #17 are nearly unplayable at times.
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Chris - Where was the pin on #9 at Thendara? That and #7 are two of the craziest greens I've ever played.
Also, I think #7 and #10 at Inlet are solid. #12 and #17 are nearly unplayable at times.
At Thendara, I need to check my photos to confirm, but the pin on 9 was up top on the back half.
I wanted to like Inlet, but it was a big let down. I walked and many of the holes seemed to blend together. I remember more of the 9 hole Cornish course than the 18 hole Inlet course.
Chris