The James Webb Telescope Won't be a Joke Much Longer

Yes, not only does it have an official launch date (March 2021), but the telescope and the scientific instruments have been put together. So that's only about 10 years late. Maybe more.

Yeah, that's all I've got for this week. I'm just impressed this stupid telescope is actually moving forward in a coherent fashion.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Cookie Puss Birthday Beer

Brewed by: Captain Lawrence Brewing Company, Elmsford, New York

Description (from the website): "Inspired by Carvel fresh vanilla ice cream and the iconic Cookie Puss cake, this milkshake IPA is brewed with Carvel vanilla and milk sugar. It has a rich and smooth, creamy vanilla flavor that will make craft beer and ice cream fans rejoice!"

Would I buy it again?: For a beer that's got so many things going on, the taste was surprisingly mellow. I don't know if it really tastes like vanilla ice cream or cake, but it didn't taste too bad. Honestly, I was a bit underwhelmed, considering all the flavors that got thrown at it. I wouldn't buy it again, but it wasn't the worst thing I've ever drank.

Review: Fore Sisters Golf Club (Part 2)

We're back with the back nine at Fore Sisters, go here if you haven't seen the front.

The tenth hole is a short but not quite drivable par 4 at 340 yards. The fairway is sloped from left to right, and there's a noticeable dip in the fairway about 200-225 yards from the tee. The second shot is back up to a small green guarded by two bunkers. Going long leaves you a tough downhill chip to a green that slopes away.

The tenth hole.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is a downhill par 3 over a small pond to a severely tilted green more closely guarded by two bunkers. There's quite a bit of break on putts here, and it can be easy to race putts by if you're going downhill. It's a decent hole, I just wish it wasn't the same length as all the other par 3s at Fore Sisters.

The eleventh hole.

The twelfth hole is a fairly short par 4, less than 350 yards, though it plays uphill. The fairway rises and falls as it heads up, and there's a noticeable tilt from left to right. The green is guarded by a single bunker front right. This hole actually returns back to the clubhouse, I'm guessing that not a lot of people stop at 9, and instead play up to this hole if they don't want to go all 18.

The twelfth hole.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is the longest par 4 at Fore Sisters, though it's not even 400 yards. This isn't a long golf course. Interestingly, the distance between green and tee is probably not much more than 200 yards. If it weren't for the dense forest, the green would be easily drivable. That's because the hole is shaped like a big U. You hit your drive about 225 down the fairway, make a more than 90 degree turn, then go over a small native area to the green with a short to mid iron. The green is bunkerless, but it is quite small and has a noticeable back to front tilt. This is the sort of goofy hole I like seeing on courses like this. It helps give Fore Sisters a certain quirky charm.

The thirteenth hole. The green is pretty much straight to the right.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

Looking back down the thirteenth hole.

The fourteenth hole is a fairly unique proposition in the world of golf. You don't see par 6s every day; in fact, it's the first I've ever come across. 740 yards, uphill the entire way. Okay, the current management has placed the tees at a more reasonable 580 yards, but the far back teeing area, the one at 700+ yards, was in better shape than pretty much any other tee on the course, so my brother and I couldn't resist giving the full hole a try. Shockingly, 740 yards is lot. The hole is kind of a slog, to be honest. It's dead straight, there are no hazards save for the trees lining the fairway, and it's pretty much straight. The green, once you get to it, is guarded by two bunkers. Is this a good hole? Of course not. But it was fun giving it a try once.

You're in for a long journey on 14.

The uphill tee shot on 14.

Trust me, the green's out there somewhere.

Getting closer...

The fourteenth green at long last.

Looking back at the long trek up 14.

The fifteenth hole is yet another par 3 of roughly 170 yards, but this is easily the best of the bunch. The green is angled away at a 45 degree angle, and there's a big drop-off short and right. Long and left isn't much better. It's not a particularly easy hole, and since apparently this is the only length that Fore Sisters can manage from its par 3s, it's nice to get a little bit of variety.

The fifteenth hole.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is a par 5 of roughly 500 yards, playing back down the mountain. The uphill climb is finally over. The most obvious issue on the tee is the tree sitting in the middle of the corridor between the forest lines. There is not a lot of room to work with. If you manage to negotiate the trees, the hole is pretty easy. It's easily reachable in two, and the green is only guarded by one bunker. It's a great birdie opportunity.

The sixteenth hole, complete with inconvenient tree.

Approaching the sixteenth hole.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is a mid-length par 4 at 360 yards. It's a slight dogleg left, and the fairway is tilted from right to left. The green is small, but shots can be run up from the right side. Definitely not the most challenging penultimate hole in the world.

The seventeenth hole.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is a thoroughly underwhelming finish. It's technically the longest par 3 at Fore Sisters, but it's still under 200 yards, and that distance is further mitigated since the hole plays downhill. There are no bunkers, and the green is reasonably sized, though it does slope slightly away from the tee. That's the most interesting part of this hole. Considering some of the goofiness we've seen, it was disappointing to end on such a bland note.

The eighteenth hole.

As far as golf courses go, Fore Sisters is a less than impressive example. There are some fun and quirky holes, but the course is so narrow and tree lined it's difficult to appreciate them without feeling claustrophobic. You have to be accurate here, or you will not have a fun day. It's not a particularly thorough examination either, no par 4 tops 400 yards, and the par 3s are all pretty much exactly the same length. A big chunk of the course's 6,200 yards comes at that par 6.

However, despite the shortcomings, I would consider Fore Sisters worth at least one round, for no other reason than its location. You're in the mountains of western Maryland, and it is deep in the wild. Honestly, playing Fore Sisters feels more like a hike than a round of golf, and if you approach it like that, the course starts to make a lot more sense. The course traverses rugged terrain, and you'll have plenty of scenery to look at. It only costs $20 to walk 18, a price I would consider worthwhile. If I played the course regularly I'd probably spend the extra $12 to get a cart, but I doubt I'll be coming back, and I'm glad I got the experience of walking around Fore Sisters. It felt like a real adventure, and that's not a feeling you get all that often playing golf.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Yellow Finch Summer Ale

Brewed by: Brookeville Beer Farm, Brookeville, Maryland

Description (from the website): "Brewed with fresh lemons and fermented on fresh lemon zest."

Would I buy it again?: Only if I were actually visiting the place (It's only a 40 minute drive, so a visit is somewhat plausible). It was definitely good, one of the better summer beers that I've had, but it was absolutely not worth the price I paid for a can. But when you visit any brewery, all the beers are $6, and when you take that into effect, this beer makes more sense.

Review: Fore Sisters Golf Club (Part 1)

Yes, you read the title right. It's Fore Sisters, not Four Sisters. Yes, the name of the course is a pun. And I appreciate that a lot.

Now that we've gotten the obvious out of the way, we can talk about the actual golf course. Last month we were at Glenn Dale, a nice, quiet golf course in an outer D.C. suburb. While we're still in the same state, Fore Sisters is a very different beast. Located about 10 miles south of Cumberland, Fore Sisters rests on some rambunctious terrain on the side of Dans Mountain, the highest point in Allegany County at nearly 2,900 feet. For Maryland, that's pretty tall, and the ridge certainly towers over proceedings. The surroundings are pretty rugged and wild, and as we'll see, that's a trait that extends to the golf course itself, for better and for worse.

The first hole is a mid-length par 4 playing gently uphill to a partially blind fairway. If you want to aim for a specific side of the fairway, left is probably better, as it gives you a slightly better angle at the green. The entire hole has a noticeable right to left tilt, and the right side of the green is obscured by that elevation change and a small bunker. A very mild opening hole.

The first hole.

Approaching the first green.

The first green.

The second hole is a short 300 yard par 4 playing on the same line and general terrain as the first. The tee shot is again partially blind and again, the fairway is canted so that the ball will pretty much always be above your feet. In addition, the small green is angled so that it is better approached from the left.

The tee shot on the second looks pretty similar to the first.

The second green.

The third hole is where things start to get interesting. This is a short par 5 (only 450 yards) that plays from an elevated tee down to a fairway with a severe right-to-left tilt. There's a bit more room left than right, but if you do go left, you'll have absolutely no shot at the hole, leaving your only option a 100-yard lay-up. Frankly, I'm not sure too many people could go for this green, the hole doglegs sharply about a hundred yards from the green, meaning you'd have to hit a big drive into a progressively narrowing fairway to get a reasonable look. After descending down by a narrow creek, the hole rockets back up for the last 50 yards, with the green cut into the hillside in a fashion reminiscent of the seventh at Westminster National. I still think that hole's a little sillier than this one, but it's pretty close.

The third hole.

Heading up to the third green.

Looking back at the third hole, and the valley you have to negotiate to get to the green.

The fourth hole is the first of six par 3s at Fore Sisters. This one is about 170 yards, I think. Given distances weren't exactly precise out here. The hole is downhill, and you really don't want to go long. That's dead down there. The green also slopes from front to back, which adds a fair amount of difficulty to an otherwise simple mid iron shot.

The fourth hole.

The fourth green from behind.

The fifth hole is a short 320 yard par 4 with a drive over a steep ravine to a fairway sloping from right to left. There is a fairway bunker, and a true fairway bunker within the confines of the fairway, but it's not hugely relevant since it's so close to the tee. A decent fairway wood will get you over it. If you can pull off a big draw, the green is probably drivable. There is a bunker to the left of the green, but if you hit a good 225-250 yard lay-up, it's not really in play, but the half-pitch from a sidehill lie is tricky, especially going at a very small green.

The fifth hole.

Not a bad place to be on the second shot.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is a fairly short par 5 sweeping left down a hill. The fairway is in a subtle valley, and if you want a decent shot at the green, the drive should be hit down the right. A big tree separate from the rest of the forest sits in the left section of the fairway, about 150 from the green.

The sixth hole.

Approaching the sixth green. I'm making sure we get plenty of mountain views in these pictures.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is a classic drop-shot par 3. Only 140 yards, downhill, water short and left, it's the stereotypical wedge that makes you sweat. The hole is so short, it's an obvious birdie opportunity, and if you hit a poor shot and miss the green, the frustration may cause you to compound the mistake and end up with a bogey or worse. Adding a bunker right to further add to the peril wouldn't be the worst idea in the world.

The seventh hole.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is, according to the scorecard, a 515 yard par 5. I feel it's necessary to make that distinction because there is no way the hole measures anything close to 515 yards, not in a straight line. The tee shot is reasonably straightforward, hit over a pond to an undulating fairway. Things get interesting on the second shot. From the ideal position, all you can see is a bit of fairway down in a valley, quickly disappearing behind the forest to the left. If you've never played the course before, you would therefore assume the green is out of reach and lay-up with a mid or short iron. The hole's supposed to be over 500 yards, it's downhill, but surely an 8 iron wouldn't be too much. Wrong, the hole's actually 50 yards shorter than it says, an 8 iron was enough to get hole high, but instead, you're 50 yards right, underneath a tree, and there's a nice little stream in between you and the green so a run-up shot is out too. I'm still angry over this entirely hypothetical example of how to play the hole. Bottom line, the hole's a lot shorter than it says, and if you hit a good drive, a short iron is all you need to get over the trees and onto the green. It's a better play than trying to lay up.

The eighth hole.

The second shot plunges down to a small ribbon of fairway.

The eighth green. This is where you'd want to lay up. This is not where I laid up.

The ninth hole is another fairly short par 3 over a pond, though it's a bit longer than the seventh. The green is fairly tilted from right to left, and I imagine the greenside bunker gets a fair amount of action as people bail out away from the water. A pretty average hole to close out the front nine, which does not return to the clubhouse. The routing isn't out and back, exactly, but it's a nice change of pace.

The ninth hole.

That's it for this week, next week we'll check out the back nine.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Breakfast Stout

Brewed by: Founders Brewing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Description (from the website): "The coffee lover’s consummate beer. Brewed with an abundance of flaked oats, bitter and imported chocolates, and two types of coffee, this stout has an intense fresh-roasted java nose topped with a frothy, cinnamon-colored head that goes forever.

Would I buy it again?: I've been wanting to try this particular beer for a while, I've heard a lot of good things. It has a score of 100 on BeerAdvocate, which is as high as you can get. Is it the best beer ever? Well, I didn't think so, but it was definitely pretty good. I'd definitely get it again, but not in the summer. A thick stout filled with coffee is not the greatest idea on a hot summer day.

Alpha Centauri Can't Hide Its Planets Forever

We've discovered extrasolar planets hundreds, even thousands of light-years away. However, we have yet to confirm the existence (or lack thereof) of exoplanets in our closest stellar neighbor. And Alpha Centauri is a tempting target beyond its proximity: The star system contains not one, but two stars that are similar to the Sun. Alpha Centauri A is virtually identical to the Sun, and Alpha Centauri B is a bit smaller. But they're both main sequence stars, and that should mean they're both hospitable places for friendly, Earth-like planets to develop. But we don't know yet if there are planets there.

There's hope that things will change, though. Our astronomical abilities improve every day, and there are multiple concerted efforts to observe Alpha Centauri for exoplanets. It's tough to do, considering the two main stars reached their closest approach in 2016. All we know is that A has no planets bigger than 50 Earth masses and that B has no planets bigger than 8 Earth masses. There's plenty of room for an Earth analog to be hanging out around either star. It may be that neither star has what we're looking for. But we have to find out for sure. And soon, we will.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Lil' Crispy Crisp Ale

Brewed by: Clown Shoes Beer, Boston, Massachusetts

Description (from the website): "If your friends all jumped off a mountain, does that mean you’d do it? Yes, but please pack a parachute!  Light-bodied and refreshing, Lil’ Crispy is a welcoming Crisp Ale that is approachable as they come. With subtle malt sweetness and smooth overall flavor, we crafted this ale for easy drinking enjoyment."

Would I buy it again?: That would depend on the price. I liked this beer quite a bit, it had some real taste to it while still being very drinkable. But I paid something like $5 for it, and I'm sorry, but it's just not that good. A beer of this sort really should not cost that much.

What Are The Worst Trends In Beer?

Craft brewing is a great thing. Beer is great, and I'm quite fond of it, in case you haven't been able to tell. But not everything in the world of beer is so great, to be honest. A group of people in the business have compiled a list of the worst things going on in beer right now. I definitely related to the first item on that list. I've had a couple of milkshake IPAs, which I've reviewed, and I haven't been a fan of either. Obviously not the worst problem in the world, but I'd rather breweries make good beers. Especially when those milkshake IPAs cost $6 a can.