Beer of the Week

The beer: Fresh Catch

Brewed by: Narragansett Brewing Company, Pawtucket, Rhode Island

Description (from the website): "Fresh Catch is a supremely refreshing blonde ale that's dry hopped with citra for a crisp grapefruit finish. Aromas of citrus and passion fruit are very evident, but mild on the palate. Brewed to be the perfect pairing with shellfish or whitefish."

Would I buy it again?: Yes, I think I would. I didn't pair it with any sort of seafood, but I still enjoyed this beer quite a bit.

The End Is Coming For Kepler

As of right now, we have discovered close to 4,000 extrasolar planets. That's an impressive haul for a science that's only 25 years old. We owe the vast majority of those discoveries to one space probe, the Kepler Space Telescope. For 9 years it's been patiently watching a narrow cone of the sky, watching for dips of light in the thousands of stars within its line of sight, a surefire sign of the present of an orbiting planet. It's been spectacularly successful, discovering thousands of worlds, some of which are potentially Earth-like.

Kepler is also nearly out of fuel. On August 2, Kepler will turn its antenna towards Earth to send back its latest batch of data, and it is likely that this will burn all the remaining fuel. There may be enough for one more 80-day period of data collection, but almost certainly no more after that. Kepler's been running on fumes for months. Unlike something like Hubble, which is in low Earth orbit and can be regularly serviced, Kepler is millions of miles away in a solar orbit and far beyond our ability to refuel it. When it's done, it's done forever. There are other space probes out there currently hunting for exoplanets, but for sheer output, I don't imagine anything will be matching Kepler any time soon. 

Beer of the Week

The beer: Dead Rise Old Bay Summer Ale

Brewed by: Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, Maryland

Description (from the website): "Dead Rise was brewed to highlight the indelible, bold character of OLD BAY with citrus hop notes and a crisp, tart finish. Pair it with tables piled high with shrimp, corn, and Maryland Blue Crab."

Would I buy it again?: Someone's gonna have to take away my Maryland license, because I did not really care for this at all. Old Bay has its place, but beer is not one of those places. However, seeing as Flying Dog is in Frederick, and I'm also in Frederick, I can't completely discount the notion of buying this beer again. It may happen. But it wouldn't be my first choice.

Review: Shenandoah Valley Golf Club (Red Nine)

You've seen the Blue Nine, now here's the Red Nine at Shenandoah Valley

The first hole of the Red Nine is a short par 4 at 309 yards. The tee shot plays downhill, and the second heads back up to a very small green. The greens on the Red Nine are, in general, smaller than the ones on the Blue Nine. Laying up with an iron here isn't a bad option, but the closer you get to the tiny little green, the better your view will be. But you'll be left with a pitch of an awkward length, so it's really up to you to decide the best way to tackle this hole.

The first hole of the Red Nine

Not a bad place to hit your second shot from.

The second hole is a straightaway par 4 of 391 yards. The green, once again quite small, is best approached from the left side of the fairway. That bunker front right is not really somewhere you want to be.

There's another decent mountain view on the second hole.

The second has another small green.

The third hole is a very short par 3, barely more than 130 yards. It's the shortest hole on the golf course. This is one of those holes where the general idea is either hit the green, or struggle to make a par, but there's not enough trouble on this hole to make missing the green that bad a punishment. If the grass bunkers right were regular bunkers, this hole would be a little bit more intimidating, and a little bit better.

The third hole.

The fourth hole is a short par 5, almost exactly the same length as the ninth hole on the Blue Nine. There's nothing particularly interesting about this hole, but I like the way it's set in a sort of natural bowl, where everything funnels towards the center. The fourth is an excellent opportunity for a birdie, it's a reachable par 5, dead straight, and there's very little trouble. It's one of those holes where if you don't make birdie, you really feel like you lost a shot.

The fourth hole plays along the bottom of a little valley.

The fourth hole is very reachable in two.

Looking up at the fourth green.

The fifth hole is a short par 4 at about 350 yards. The tee shot is quite blind and quite open for this golf course, but I wouldn't recommend a driver here. Go too far and you'll end up on a downslope with a little half wedge into the green, which is quite small and guarded by bunkers left and right, as well as by a big drop-off behind the green. Precision is very important on this hole.

The fifth hole features the return of the blind tee shot.

You definitely don't want to go long on this hole.

The sixth hole is the last par 3 we'll see. It's 175 yards and plays downhill over a valley to a refreshingly large green. There is a noticeable tilt from back to front, if the hole hadn't been on the very front edge of the green, I'd say that long was a bad place to be. But in this case, long was the better miss. That would be a tough chip from short of the green.

The sixth hole plays over a valley.

The seventh hole is the longest par 4 on the Red Nine, weighing in at 414 yards. It's also not really that interesting, although if I'm recalling correctly, the green is quite long and thin, and the left side of the fairway is slightly favored.

The seventh hole.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is a shortish par 4 at 369 yards. The position of the greenside bunker would suggest approaching the green from the left, but the green slopes from left to right, meaning the second shot from the left side will run away from the golfer. So again, it's up to you to decide the best way to attack this hole. I hooked it into the trees, so my decision was pretty simple.

The eighth hole.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is a very short par 5, and a big dogleg to the right. The golfer is invited to cut off as much dogleg as possible, and if you get far enough right, you'll get a big kick off a slope in the fairway and gain an extra 20 or 30 yards. It's very possible to hit this green with a wedge or short iron if your drive is good enough. The second shot into the green is not easy though, the green has significant sloping and is guarded by a pair of bunkers. Still, it's a real opportunity to finish off with a birdie.

The last hole of the Red Nine is a very big dogleg.

The ninth green.

There is one thing that Shenandoah Valley should really do with their golf course, and I swear, I'm not just saying this because I'm horrendously inaccurate off the tee. They really should clear some trees. This golf course is set in a very scenic location, you can see the northern end of Shenandoah National Park from a couple of places. But you can't see the many mountains from most of the golf course because there are trees everywhere. Open up some sightlines, Shenandoah Valley, give the golfer more long views.

So, what about the golf course itself? Well, it's not the most interesting course I've played this year. A lot of the holes are a little too similar. There are too many straight, medium length par 4s playing through a corridor of trees. And there isn't a single fairway bunker to give any sort of distinction either. Nobody likes fairway bunkers, but they do wonders for lending a golf course a bit of variety. I did like the greens, and I liked the rolling terrain. And the few views that were available were good.

All in all, I was a little underwhelmed with the course, and while I didn't dislike it, I don't see myself going back down there to play the White Nine any time soon.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Saison Farmhouse-style Ale

Brewed by: Ardent Craft Ales, Richmond, Virginia

Description (from the website): "Our Saison is a pale gold-colored farmhouse-style ale. We use a traditional yeast strain and Continental hops that in combination imbue an aroma with a mild spiciness tempered with fruit. The beer is medium-bodied, with a slight acidity. It is effervescent and dry, with an edge of bitterness that balances the fruitiness of the aroma. A yeast-derived refreshing, spicy ale."

Would I buy it again?: Probably not. It just didn't grab me. If I were to end up at their taproom, I'd reconsider, but I wouldn't buy a bottle of it at a store.

Review: Shenandoah Valley Golf Club (Blue Nine)

Here's a strange little fun fact about my golf career: Up until now, I've never played a round of golf in Virginia. Considering I've lived within an hour of Virginia for most of my life, that feels a bit strange to me. I've played in Florida, which is a thousand miles away, and I've played in New Jersey, but never Virginia. It just never came up. I'm happy to report that this injustice has finally been corrected.

So, Shenandoah Valley Golf Club. It's just north of Front Royal, Virginia, located right in the middle of the scenic...Shenandoah Valley. How about that? It's also a 27 hole facility. This review will be on the Blue and Red Nines.

Another fun fact, there's a lot of golf in this one particular area. Shenandoah Valley has 27 holes, and literally right next door is another golf facility with 36 holes. Why so much? I have no idea.

Oh, and since this is apparently fun fact time, Shenandoah Valley is located in a really, really weird place. You turn off the main road, and you spend at least 5 miles on a tiny little road, half-covered in gravel, where there's no posted speed limit for most of the way and there is literally nothing around. I was glad I had my GPS up so I knew where I was going. My younger brothers, who met me there, did not have GPS, and got quite lost. It's a very strange place to have not one, but two golf courses.

Anyway, let's get to the golf, shall we? The first hole of the Blue Nine is the longest hole on the entire property, a par 5 weighing in at 546 yards. Yeah, this isn't an excessively long golf course. You'll notice the mountains in the background, those are, of course, the Blue Ridge within Shenandoah National Park. It's a very nice view, but unfortunately, it's the best one you're going to get on either the Blue or Red Nines. A little disappointing, but that's how it goes. The hole itself meanders to the left over rolling terrain. If you can get your drive to the top of a little plateau, you'll have a clearer view of the green, though it's going to take two big shots to get to the green in two. The green is reasonably large, and full of interesting little breaks. Actually, Shenandoah Valley has, in general, some interesting greens. They're quite tricky, full of subtle little breaks. You can easily have a poor putting day if you're not on your game.

The first tee on the Blue Nine has the best view on either the Blue or Red Nine.

You can get a sort of view of the green with a well-placed drive.

The first green is large.

The second hole is a 180 par 3, playing downhill to a green tilted at a 45 degree angle to the line of play. A fade is definitely the shot to hit here.

The second hole.

The third hole is a short par 4 at 350 yards. This is one of the best holes on the course, if not the best. At around 200-230 yards, the fairway plateaus, and this is where you want to hit your drive. You'll be left with a wedge or short iron from a level stance to the green. Obviously, leave the drive short of the top of the hill, and the second will be blind. But if you go over the plateau, you'll have a downhill lie, and that's a much more difficult shot to hit, especially when the hole is in the back of the green. It's very easy to hit that sort of shot long.

Get your tee shot on three to the top of the hill.

The third green.

The fourth hole is a fairly long par 4, and a tight driving hole. A 3 wood through the chute to get yourself into play is not a bad idea. The ideal aiming point for the blind tee shot is where the cart path disappears over the ridge. The second shot, is to a green guarded by a small bunker left, so the right side of the fairway is probably the more favorable place to be.

It's another blind tee shot on the fourth.

Not a bad place to be after your drive. Unfortunately, this was my third shot.

The fourth green. Long is obviously no good.

The fifth hole is, at 430 yards, the longest par 4 on the golf course. Once again, the tee shot is blind. Left is out of bounds, so you don't want to go there. If you hit the fairway, you should get a nice kick down the hill. Otherwise, this hole is pretty straightforward.

The tee shot on five is very blind.

I'll say it here, I was a fan of the bunker coloration. Nice to have something that wasn't just white.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is a 383 yard par 4, and after three blind tee shots in a row, we can finally see the fairway. Blind tee shots are fine, but stacking them together gets tedious. This is another tight driving hole, but luckily, the hole's not too long, so a 3 wood should be more than adequate. The second is up the hill to a semiblind green, and is best played from the right side of the fairway. The bunker short right of the green is very much in play.

Not a lot of room to miss on the sixth.

Up the hill to the sixth green.

The seventh hole is another medium-length par 4. This is a pretty straightforward hole, hit down into the valley, hit back up to a semiblind green. I do kind of like the way the hole moves over the landscape. Golf courses on this sort of terrain will always have some sort of interest, so long as they use the land in a mildly competent fashion.

The seventh hole.

After five par 4s in a row, we are finally greeted with a par 3. This is a short one, just under 150 yards. If the hole is on the left side of the green, you can hit whatever sort of shot you want, I'd imagine. But when the hole is on the right, a fade is better. You don't want to be in the bunker short right.

Today, a fade is best for the eighth hole.

You can see all the little green contours here.

The ninth hole is a short par 5 at 487 yards. The dogleg can be slightly cut, but going too far right will get you blocked off by trees. Assuming you've hit the fairway with your drive (too big a task for me or either of my brothers), the green is very reachable, although this is the most tightly defended green on either of the two nines we played. Also of note, this green looks like it has a false front, but it isn't. So don't worry about that.

The tee shot on nine is fairly wide open.

The ninth green.

Here's the link to see the Red Nine.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Solid Gold Premium Lager

Brewed by: Founders Brewing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Description (from the website): "Our brewery was built on an attitude of no regrets. An attitude of taking risks to bring the best beer possible to our fellow renegades and rebels. Never brewing to style, but always brewing what we want to drink. Our take on a classic, Solid Gold is a drinkable premium lager brewed with the highest quality ingredients. Challenging what a lager can be? That’s something we won’t regret."

Would I buy it again?: No. It had kind of a weird aftertaste that I wasn't fond of, and when you're selling a basic lager, if you can't do better than Yuengling, I'm not gonna pursue the beer further. This is not better than Yuengling's lager, so I'm not going to pay more money for a product that is not as good.

The Good News For General Relativity Keeps On Coming

Not too long ago, I wrote about how alternate theories to general relativity have been having a tough time as of late. Well, things just got even tougher.

The equivalence principle was on trial for this experiment. One of the basic tenets of relativity is that two objects, no matter what their mass or what they're made of, they are affected by gravity in the same way. This has been tested many times on Earth (and famously, on the Moon), but never with really dense objects. Alternative theories to relativity assume that the equivalence principle breaks down at high density, since up to now, there's been room to work.

The test involved  a neutron star-white dwarf pair, and watching the orbit of the neutron star. If there were variations in its orbit, it would have been in violation of the equivalence principle, and the various alternate theories would have some ground to stand on. But there was no variation, and once again, general relativity was proven correct. And not only that, but this test improved the accuracy of the previous best gravity test by a factor of 10. Alternate gravity theories thus have a lot less room to work.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Saw Bones Ginger Table Beer

Brewed by: Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, Maryland.

Description (from the website): "During the height of the Civil War, our hometown of Frederick was given the nickname “One Vast Hospital.” With Maryland smack dab in the middle of the Union and Confederacy, patients often outnumbered residents. To this day, if you stand on a quiet street after sunset, you can still hear them singing “Hard Tack Come Again No More.” Despite pioneering a good bit of modern medicine, doctors were dubbed “saw bones.” While the literal sometimes occurred for those on the wrong end of a musket, Saw Bones were also revered for hand-made elixirs in which the cure-all nature of both ginger and lemon were common. To pay homage to the hard-working people on Mercy Street, we enlisted the National Museum of Civil War Medicine to bring you a new Saw Bones in the form of a Belgian-style table beer with ginger and lemon. Crisp and clean on the palette with bold citrus, spice and malt character, it’s just what the doctor ordered."

Would I buy it again?: Definitely. For one thing, it supports a very neat local museum (the National Museum of Civil War Medicine). Also, it's pretty good. A very nice summer beer. And it's rare too, you can't even get this at the Flying Dog brewery itself, you can either get it at the museum, or at a nearby bar. That's it.