It’s been a while since I last posted but I guess I was waiting for something really worthwhile to share. I’d like to introduce my fellow GCA’ers to the Hopson Hills Golf Course, a wonderfully walkable 9 hole links in Central NY (with plans to expand to 18). The course is located in Dolgeville, 15 minutes from Little Falls (the Erie canal passes through here) and 30 minutes from Utica. It’s completely worth a day trip, only $17 to walk eighteen holes, you won’t see many courses like it in the US.
The routing is exceptional considering how little earth moving was required to connect the golf holes. All the greens were built “California” style with T1 bent grass and only 2 fairways were “shaped” at all (to get through a particularly severe corner of the property). There are many aspects of this project, which remind me of the work on we did on Tom Doak’s course at Dismal River. At Hopson however, the presentation is even more Spartan. Fairways are fescue, grown-in and maintained without irrigation. The golden, browned out turf is also reminiscent of a sheep track you might find off the beaten path in Scotland. This place exemplifies the soul of the game and just how simple and fun golf can be on a good piece of ground.
The course features big greens, for a country course (avg 6500 sq/ft), with a variety of subtle micro contours, false fronts and fall aways. It took me a few rounds to appreciate the subtlety in the greens and the overall design. At the end of the day, I always walk off the course surprised and impressed by the effort and dedication of the owner and first time architect, Bill Fox, to building a golf course the old fashioned way. There are no templates here but CB and Seth would be proud…
I’m currently working on the project and helping the owner with anything and everything to keep it going. The project continues to move along, but the previous two years had only 6 holes open, so this summer is a milestone for the golf course.
I’m hoping enough GCA’ers can come out and start a discussion about the merits and faults of the design and perhaps add to the evolution of the golf course. If you don’t already have plans this week, pick a day to come by to check out a beautiful golf course and support a unique project in the world of golf. I’ll be happy to show you around and dream up some of the great golf holes that are yet to be born.
