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Bill Shotzbarger

  • Karma: +0/-0
Inness (Accord, NY) - King-Collins
« on: July 10, 2021, 01:26:23 PM »
Has anyone played this yet?  It looks like it just opened for play a few weeks ago.


Quote
Accessible to the public, members and hotel guests, the golf course at INNESS is a 9-hole course by renowned architects and builders King Collins Golf. Best known for creating Sweetens Cove in Tennessee, a course beloved by golfers of every skill level, King Collins is respected as a pioneer in creating more sustainable and eco-friendly design. King Collins is also regarded for infusing designs with architecturally significant elements from the past and incorporating them into modern layouts. This approach creates something that is challenging for better players but still fun for everyone.


With a flowing 9-hole layout, Inness's connecting fairways meet massive shared greens that highlight King Collins's unique approach to the design of the course. The deep bunkers with their natural brows are strategically placed to reward risk taking with a more favorable approach into Inness's expansive undulating greens. The distinctiveness of the layout and the greens add variety and amusement to each game.


The golf experience at Inness reflects a vision of how golf is evolving to be inclusive and unpretentious; walking is encouraged, keeping score and proper attire are optional, and having fun with your friends and family is central. Like the other activities at Inness, there’s an emphasis on being in nature and finding enjoyment in the simple pleasures.

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https://inness.co/

https://hvmag.com/things-to-do/inness-golf-course-hudson-valley/

https://kingcollinsgolf.com/projects/inness-accord-ny/


Tommy Williamsen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Inness (Accord, NY) - King-Collins
« Reply #1 on: July 10, 2021, 01:33:26 PM »
I'm no business whiz, but I wonder if a nine hole course as part of a resort can make it. I would think tee times could be difficult to get.
Where there is no love, put love; there you will find love.
St. John of the Cross

"Deep within your soul-space is a magnificent cathedral where you are sweet beyond telling." Rumi

Tim Martin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Inness (Accord, NY) - King-Collins
« Reply #2 on: July 10, 2021, 01:47:14 PM »
I looked at the tee sheet from the 19th to the 23rd of July and couldn’t find a time. I’m going to check back after Labor Day and hopefully play in the shoulder season. Anybody that scores a time and needs a player between now and then please send me a note as I can get there without much problem.






jeffwarne

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Inness (Accord, NY) - King-Collins
« Reply #3 on: July 10, 2021, 05:30:34 PM »
Inness is partially owned by a member at The Bridge.
He called me looking for advice several years ago after they acquired the property/existing 18 hole course.

I initially suggested Brian Schneider to him who had done fantastic work on or range and par 3 course, but after hearing his plan,and knowing how busy Brian was, I suggested he contact Tad King-and Rob Collins (who I had never met), figuring he could capitalize on the social media success of KC and Sweetens Cove, and the cache of being their second 9 hole project.
Ironically, he had just read the NY times article about KC and Sweetens so he understood my thoughts on capitalizin on SC's success and Social media following.
I was fortunate enough to walk the course with the new owner and KC and hear their plans.
I was actually hoping they would keep it an 18 holer(and mildly lobbied for it)...but it was pretty clear they weren't going that direction.

We randomly stumbled across KC(both Rob and Tad) at a diner after our day and had another great discussion and enjoyable lunch.
My son's HS soccer team qualified for State later that fall (2017)and the finals were in that area so I had the opportunity to walk the course again with the development team and began to recognize their vision of a boutique hotel, 9 hole course and other amenities.
An interesting model.


I was supposed to play there 2 weeks ago but we were just too busy for me to get away.
I hope to play there with the owners soon.
« Last Edit: July 11, 2021, 08:55:47 PM by jeffwarne »
"Let's slow the damned greens down a bit, not take the character out of them." Tom Doak
"Take their focus off the grass and put it squarely on interesting golf." Don Mahaffey

Bill Shotzbarger

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Inness (Accord, NY) - King-Collins
« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2021, 12:46:33 PM »
I looked at the tee sheet from the 19th to the 23rd of July and couldn’t find a time. I’m going to check back after Labor Day and hopefully play in the shoulder season. Anybody that scores a time and needs a player between now and then please send me a note as I can get there without much problem.


I was playing around with their online tee times.  It basically says singles cannot book online, so you need to call.  Also, if you try to book as two players instead of a single, there are many, many times available. 

Tim Martin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Inness (Accord, NY) - King-Collins
« Reply #5 on: July 11, 2021, 04:33:49 PM »
I looked at the tee sheet from the 19th to the 23rd of July and couldn’t find a time. I’m going to check back after Labor Day and hopefully play in the shoulder season. Anybody that scores a time and needs a player between now and then please send me a note as I can get there without much problem.


I was playing around with their online tee times.  It basically says singles cannot book online, so you need to call.  Also, if you try to book as two players instead of a single, there are many, many times available.


Bill-Thanks for that info.

Bill Shotzbarger

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Inness (Accord, NY) - King-Collins
« Reply #6 on: July 11, 2021, 05:36:05 PM »
I did some more reading and found a recent WSJ article (subscription required): wsj.com/articles/this-isnt-your-dads-old-golf-course-11625143365


It states the property used to be 18-hole Rondout Golf Club. It sounds like that course was completely dug up and converted to nine holes by King Collins, with the leftover land used to create the resort. Here is some info I found on the prior design Rondout: http://www.hudsonvalleygolf.com/courses/rondoutgc.htm 


The fact that this place is three hours from me in Philly compared to 12 hours to Sweetens Cove has me very intrigued.  If and when someone plays Inness, please be sure to report back!








Jimmy Chandler

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Inness (Accord, NY) - King-Collins
« Reply #7 on: July 21, 2021, 09:26:54 PM »
I learned about Inness just a couple of weeks ago, did a search here and found nothing. I'm glad I saw this thread on a second try.

I'm making a trip upstate from Brooklyn in a couple of weeks -- I also plan on playing Leatherstocking in Cooperstown, which I played for the first time in June. If anyone wants to join me on either Friday, August 6 or Monday, August 9th, I'd love the company. Just message me.

Bill: I promise to report on my findings.

John Mayhugh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Inness (Accord, NY) - King-Collins
« Reply #8 on: July 22, 2021, 07:42:55 AM »
The greens don't look boring!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URX_aryWfmo



Bill Shotzbarger

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Inness (Accord, NY) - King-Collins
« Reply #9 on: July 24, 2021, 02:34:49 PM »
Jimmy - I am heading up next weekend, so I will beat you to it!


John - Thanks for posting that video.  That is by far the most I have seen of the course online.  Looks like the greens are still growing in some places around the edges, but otherwise looks like a lot of fun.


I will be sure to take some pics and let you guys know what I think.

Steve_ Shaffer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Inness (Accord, NY) - King-Collins
« Reply #10 on: August 06, 2021, 01:03:21 PM »
Makes me want to go to Rochester for R&R:




https://www.linksmagazine.com/first-look-at-inness
"Some of us worship in churches, some in synagogues, some on golf courses ... "  Adlai Stevenson
Hyman Roth to Michael Corleone: "We're bigger than US Steel."
Ben Hogan “The most important shot in golf is the next one”

Chris Mavros

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Inness (Accord, NY) - King-Collins
« Reply #11 on: August 16, 2021, 08:58:14 PM »
I went around twice this weekend.  I really liked it.  There's a raw naturalness that shows itself most at the rear of the property at what seemed like a marshy wetland canopy while the hills towards the front are sleek with a dynamic barrage of contours and ridges.   


I wanted to go around again but had to make it home for dinner plans.  There was lots to learn out there and was certain third time would be a charm for me at the Third and Seventh!  I'll be back. 


Here are some photos. 





Andrew Harvie

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Inness (Accord, NY) - King-Collins
« Reply #12 on: August 16, 2021, 08:59:33 PM »
This looks much more appealing to me than Sweetens Cove. Please don't ask me to explain
Managing Partner, Golf Club Atlas

Mike Sweeney

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Inness (Accord, NY) - King-Collins
« Reply #13 on: August 17, 2021, 06:20:01 AM »
Chris (or anyone),


Have you played the nearby Mohonk 9, and how do they compare? https://www.mohonk.com/recreation/golf/


Thanks for posting the pics, I will definitely try to get there in the fall. Nearby Minnewaska State Park has a number of "Doak 9 Trails":


"One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us."

Dr. Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

Tim Martin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Inness (Accord, NY) - King-Collins
« Reply #14 on: August 17, 2021, 08:01:24 AM »
I made two trips around a couple weeks ago on a beautiful Summer day. The staff was accommodating and working on installing a deck off the rear of the very small but functional clubhouse. It’s a fun collection of holes with a wild set of greens and surrounds that offer plenty of variety in the shots you play. The greens for holes three(par 3) and six(par 4) share space with three sited low and six high. The short par four 8th hole I didn’t really see an option to play left and closer to the hole because of a pine tree and lack of landing area nor could I fly it to the green. It was the only awkward tee shot on the course for me. The two and nine green complex is huge and also has plenty of fun pin placements which is definitely a theme throughout the round. People should be smiling when they walk off regardless of how many times they go around.


I was told at Inness that if you wanted to play Mohonk you have to be a guest at their hotel although the link makes it seem that all are welcome.
« Last Edit: August 22, 2021, 05:49:38 PM by Tim Martin »

Tim Martin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Inness (Accord, NY) - King-Collins
« Reply #15 on: August 17, 2021, 01:56:24 PM »
I wanted to add that on my second nine I caught two players on the par three 5th hole who learned as they approached the green that one of the guys made an ace which I believe to be a first for both the player and Inness GC. I joined them for the last four holes and enjoyed the company and positive karma.

Jim_Kennedy

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Inness (Accord, NY) - King-Collins
« Reply #16 on: August 18, 2021, 12:10:15 AM »
Mohonk is accessible and 'old school'. A hickory player would seriously enjoy it. What you can't do right now is visit/have lunch at the Inn unless you're a guest.


The Hudson River Valley is a heat sink - we usually shied away from playing any of the courses in it during periods of hot, muggy weather. If it's 90* in Accord it would most likely be breathable, and mid to low 80s up at Mohonk.


The corridors they used for the Inness course will be familiar to anyone who played it as Rondout, but there is nothing similar about the greens and their surrounds, and that's a good thing. ;) 
« Last Edit: August 18, 2021, 12:22:51 AM by Jim_Kennedy »
"I never beat a well man in my life" - Harry Vardon

Brad Tufts

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Inness (Accord, NY) - King-Collins
« Reply #17 on: September 17, 2021, 02:21:44 PM »
I enjoyed a round at Inness on Wednesday morning, and enjoyed the quick 9.  We were the only ones out early (my brother and I), and only saw one other twosome as we played.


Conditioning-wise, it's still a bit raw, as the rainy summer we've had has created some issues in the low spots, but all-in-all it was nicely firm.


Having played Sweetens, I was interested to see how similar the two courses played.  The land is similar, with a rise in one corner, and some low marshy area peppered around the course.  The fairways are huge and undulating, and the wild greens will no doubt be the main interest at Inness at full speed.  We played a week after aeration so they were not full throttle for us.


Reactions:


Hole 1, 390:  Uber-wide to the right although that view is blocked by a pine about 50 yards in front of the tee, a neat feature.  The green has a wide high spot in front that will be difficult to judge even with a wedge.


Hole 2, 340:  Downhill and almost drivable with the firmness, the green is part of the triple 2/9/practice green, and it's enormously sloped.  A fun hole though.


Hole 3, 200:  Played to the upper part of the 3/6 double green, it's an exacting shot, but there are slopes long to gather, and short to deaden if need be.  It was a bit strange to be hitting almost past the other pin to the upper part of the double green, but it works despite the feeling that you lose a frame of reference to the right side.


Hole 4, 540:  Tough tee shot for slicers, but the fairway is very wide.  The humps and bumps over the last 125 yards or so will be fun for those laying up.  I didn't really get this green, wider than it is deep.  It maybe felt like a bit of a misfire, but we only experienced the far right edge of the green.


Hole 5, 175:  Very cool hole with the feel of the famous par three at Victoria National.  It almost plays like an island green, pushed up amidst bunkers and marsh.  Misses will be punished!


Hole 6, 370:  Another very wide hole, played to the bottom of the 3/6 double green.  There are many different sections of the fairway, and it would be interesting to see where the best spot to approach would be, although many will be hitting only a wedge.


Hole 7, 440:  After lots of wide holes, this one narrows at the tee shot, interesting that the least-forgiving fairway is on the course's longest hole to par.  The green must be seen to be believed, as it has several sections that are 6-7 feet above/below other sections on the green.  Our pin was at the top of the volcano in the middle left.  At 440 with a tough tee shot and a nutty green, I was not a fan, but a four here will be a memorable accomplishment.


Hole 8, 290:  This hole is a bit binary in choice, as one either has a 270yard carry in their bag, or you have to hit 6-7i off the tee followed by a SW to a huge green.  There is a corridor along the left edge to flirt with the pond in front and gain a pitch from just short, but this area is a bit blind and blocked off the tee.


Hole 9, 550:  A good three shot par five that legs left around the corner of the adjacent property.  The green is part of the 2/9/practice triple green so it's wild, albeit with broader slopes.  9 is a nice finisher that requires three solid shots.  Our pin was fun, right behind a buried elephant mound!


Best hole:  Either 1 or 5
Worst hole:  7


Inness is certainly worth a play if in the area, especially as it matures.  It may be a touch too far off the highway for an easy play on the way by, 20ish miles off 87 each way...but there is very nice rock climbing and hiking in the area, and Mohonk Mtn. House not too far away.  I think the wild greens could be best explored with multiple pin locations, but I'm not sure if the stay/play pattern will allow people to do that.  I don't know too much about the resort either, but it doesn't seem there is anything too unique about it other than being spartan and nice.... but I'm only going on photos i've seen.  Wednesday morning was also a humid round with no wind, and the black flies were, let's say, aggressive.  Some are able to ignore that and have a blast, and some cannot...I'm probably somewhere in the middle.  Not the course's fault by any means, but one has to be curious at how people stay at the resort and relax if spring/summer is like that much of the time...Fall would be a good call!
« Last Edit: September 17, 2021, 02:31:53 PM by Brad Tufts »
So I jump ship in Hong Kong....

Mike Sweeney

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Inness (Accord, NY) - King-Collins
« Reply #18 on: October 02, 2021, 09:58:07 PM »
Played it today (no flies), and there is not much to add to Brad's review. I really like it and maybe I will love it in a season or two when the greens settle in, and the rough is not a lost ball paradise.


The greens are the highlight of the course and are by far the wildest that I have seen:






We only had time for one beer post round at the restaurant (1 mile away), and it is a lovely place and vibe on a perfect Fall Saturday in the Hudson Valley:







"One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us."

Dr. Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark