Golf in the Adirondacks

[Matt Frey, PGA]

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.

[Ed Homsey]

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.

[Chris DeToro]

Matt,


I'd highly recommend stopping at Glens Falls.  CC of Troy is another in that general vicinity worth visiting as well.

[Jaeger Kovich]

Matt I think what you have listed as Saratoga, is actually Saratoga Golf and Polo Club 1896

[John Blain]

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
 

[Ed Homsey]

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.

[Matt Frey, PGA]

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.

[Frank M]

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.

[Nate Oxman]

Didn't MacKenzie do some work somewhere in Lake Placid?

[Ronald Montesano]

Lake Placid Club claims to have been remoed by AM in 1931.

Didn't MacKenzie do some work somewhere in Lake Placid?

[Tim Martin]

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.

[Dan Boerger]

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!

[Richard Hetzel]

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.

[Bob Brightly]

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.

[mike_malone]

Drove by Queensbury many times on my way to Vt. Any good?

[John Blain]

Drove by Queensbury many times on my way to Vt. Any good?

In a word "no"

[Jon Cavalier]

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















Glens Falls Country Club:


















Country Club of Troy:















Leatherstocking Golf Course:

[Sean_A]

Jon

Hang on there!  Back track to Lake Placid.  Please provide more pix and commentary.  Your few photos are very intriguing.

Ciao

[John Blain]

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

[MCirba]

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.

[Tim Martin]

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.

[Ed Homsey]

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.

[John Foley]

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!

[Jon Cavalier]

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:

[Jon Wiggett]

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