markfromm

Played the east nine. (Legacy) for the first time since the renovation. One green location seems to have changed, but otherwise it is the same course. Conditions were good but the greens (supposedly regrassed) were disappointing. Some better than others, but generally chewed up and loaded in places with worm cast.

Staff friendly and helpful. Price of the round (9 holes) for a resident senior was $18 - a good deal. Price of range balls ($14 for 75) and beer ($7 for a draft) was not..

Well laid out course in good condition for a reasonable price. Staff attitude is excellent. The young gentleman in the pro shop displayed impressive skills in managing customers, tee time dynamics, the intricacies of the booking system and handling geriatric golfers. Practice facilities are adequate And include a short game area. balls cost extra but are not outrageous. Hot dogs are five stars.

Absolutely a masterpiece. A somewhat funky, almost defiant statement about what golf should be for those who love the game. On every hole I saw something that I had never seen before. The architect (the Late Mike Stranz) took chances and they all worked. Blind shots that provided some clues for those attuned to the shape of golf holes,, broad fairways that do not reward inaccuracies, sloping greens that punished inaccurately struck shots but were quite fair when the result was pin high, and a short par five, sharply angled requiring a high approach to a very small green inside a natural depression. The course was eminently playable but deliberately shaggy around the edges. There are no bunkers, but waste areas, through which carts are often driven, are everywhere and a local rule states that a ball may be replaced to an acceptable lie without penalty. I suspect the original links courses in Scotland were played the same way. The whole vibe is very rural, the opposite of Pinehurst, and the facilities are acceptable but minimal. My only complaint is that the bar/ snack bar closes early, so if you have staggered in off the course near sundown in early October (around 630PM) after an intense examination of your game, alcohol will not be available to help you deal with your thoughts and emotions. Still, a huge value at $120. I hope to come back.

The course website lists Donald J Ross as the designer, but I could find no evidence of his style here. I suspect the first nine was built in 1923 as part of the development of a "weekend getaway" resort in this hilly area about 35 miles from Hartford. The first four holes are extremely boring [down and back up the same ridge twice]. The next five are slightly better, except for the 8th, which is the worst par five I've seen in 60 years of golf.
The second nine is more recent and somewhat more competently designed and money has clearly been spent to improve the drainage. There is apparently no budget for fertilizer and herbicide as the fairway grass, what there is of it, is thin and is rapidly being overhauled by crabgrass and clover. The greens are decent and the traps did have some sand. There is a driving range [mostly crabgrass] for irons only and a tiny practice putting green. The buildings are well kept and the staff friendly. The carts were clean and well maintained. I did not eat at the dining facility. I doubt I will be back.

Ravisloe was a private club now open to the public and operated by Billy Casper Golf. Considerable effort, apparently, has been put into sprucing the place up for weddings and similar events. While not pristine, it is very usable and the food is quite good. The course is easily walked and is the best of the three Ross designs in Chicago that I've played. Every single hole involves a challenge [often visual] requiring thought and execution and inflicting penalties [some severe] when execution is lacking. The rough is not difficult and doesn't need to be as the mature trees lining the fairways adequately penalize wayward shots. Start to finish I found it an engrossing experience. Conditioning was excellent and the practice facilities were good. The senior rate with cart on Tuesdays was $41, I believe, and that is an excellent value.

Normanside was built in 1927 and designed by William Harries, whose work was limited apparently to upstate New York. The course covers very hilly ground alongside Normans Kill and Harries made the most of the opportunity, constructing a number of dramatic holes with substantial elevation changes and featuring greens with severe drop-offs. Conditioning and maintenance are excellent. I played on a Monday morning and pretty much had the place to myself. Usually there are outings on Mondays and it is a very good idea to call ahead. The clubhouse seemed dated. Other reviewers have noted excellent food; I didn't try the restaurant, but did stop at the snack shack next to the pro shop where I had the best hot dog since I came to Albany. All in all a very good value at $45 for a round with a cart.

Winding Brook is a privately-owned, public access course in hilly country about 20 miles east of Albany. The design makes good use of rolling terrain, although there are two holes that seemed gimmicky. The greens were acceptable [they had been sanded but $5 was deducted from the fee], the sand traps were dirty and the fairways were substantially weed-infested, so much so that winter rules were essential. Replay rate was just $8 - the cost of a cart. I felt the price was in line with the value, but will note that the hotdog obtained from the bar was quite undistinguished.

Well kept executive course - 14 par threes and 4 short par fours. Each hole is legitimate; the course as a whole is well laid out over good golfing ground. You have to pick your times to play; its gets slow around 1130 AM and then things pick up at 400 PM when league play starts. Also, attracts many outings, so call first. Somewhat expensive, but they clearly are putting money into the course. The driving range features thin grass, and needs refurbishing. Nice people and a good restaurant in the clubhouse.

Hilly nine hole course with a medium length par 4 and several longer par 3's. This has been a difficult year for grass in the northeast with warm temperatures and little rain: consequently, weeds everywhere, including the greens which are essentially unputtable. The layout is amateurish and construction was poor. Not worth the effort

This is a surprisingly good course in a lower middle class town. The first nine was built in 1931 and the architect [apparently unknown] constructed a fairly playful nine holes over uneven ground with excellent views of the Hudson River Valley and Albany.. The back nine was done in 1964 by Robert Trent Jones Sr at the height of his powers and is better constructed over somewhat less interesting land. Taken together it was fair and engaging test of golf.
Troy is a financially stressed city and it shows here, even though a $1.2 million irrigation system was put in recently. There is clearly not a lot of money for fertilizer, herbicides and turf replacement or other labor intensive work. Still, the greens are puttable, the fairways are in reasonable shape and the rough is mowed and the result is a high value proposition. The cost is modest for a course with so good a layout.
I checked the online tee times on the Park District's site, saw an open window between 11 and 1 on a Tuesday late summer afternoon, showed up and was sent right out. There is a practice green but no range. I rode and did't catch anyone else until the fifteenth hole. I didn't have time to try the restaurant; the staff was friendly and helpful. All in all a very good value and I will play it again.

Despite some of the best views in Western MA, this is a very poorly conceived and poorly maintained course. Holes range from boring to ludicrous. Below average experience in every respect, from rundown clubhouse to ramshackle carts without windshields. Don't bother

A private club but open to guests at a sister hotel on Waikiki. Service and facilities were very good and the course condition was excellent. The real story is the way a really good architect [Seth Raynor] was able to make a thoroughly undistinguished plot of land into a reasonable test of golf.

Enjoyable, well maintained, well designed course on the side of a mountain near the Jimminy Peaks ski hill. Very hilly, tight driving holes on most par fours. Nice views. Played in the autumn and was not crowded. Clubhouse nothing special and no practice facilities, but nice people and a convenient, inexpensive quality golf experience.

Belmont Hills was designed by Devereux Emmet, a Golden Age architect who did the original design for Congressional and a bunch of private clubs in the northeast that I couldn't get into. The course is a tutorial in how to take a short hilly piece of property and make a very engaging test of golf without moving much dirt. The staff is very friendly and the greens are in good shape and hold well struck shots. The price [ $48 for a round with cart on a weekday afternoon] is very reasonable. The course and facilities need investment, which is probably why it is now semi-private. But, all in all, a very pleasant and memorable round.

This is a well laid out course, but corners are clearly being cut on upkeep. It is ragged and the greens, while putable, are somewhat uneven. . The course represents challenging golf, though with wide fairways, and many of the staff were very nice, although the starter kept grumbling about how screwed up the reservation system was. Clubhouse staff was genial, but service was uneven, and the grill seemed popular. Overall, not a great value for the money.

As with the town of Celebration, where it is located, this course is in superb condition, excellently maintained. A great combination of wide fairways and challenging shots and a very interesting lay out over flat terrain. All in all a very enjoyable round.