Review: Lake Placid Club - Links (Part 2)

It's time to check out the back nine at the Links course, go here if you haven't seen the front.

The tenth hole is the last of the really long and tough par 4s that Lake Placid has to offer, and while it's comparatively short at a measly 450 yards, it's probably the toughest. The tee shot is completely blind, with your only guide a small pole at the top of the hill. To start off, the fairway is very generous, but a bunker cuts that width in half abut 250 yards from the tee. Yes, it's the same story as the seventh, but this time the fairway gets much narrower much quicker. Also, there's O.B. just right of the fairway. If you don't use driver, the second shot will be threatened by a fairway bunker that extends very close to the green. A horseshoe-shaped bunkers curves around the left, back, and right portion of the green.

The tenth hole features a blind drive.

The tenth hole.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is not a terribly challenging par 3, but it's not easy. The tee shot must carry a small ravine, and the green is protected by sand left, long, and short. While there's no sand right, the terrain quickly falls away into a native area. The green, tucked into a corner and backed by wilderness, slopes from left to right, and is fairly generous. Plus there's a rickety wooden bridge that you use to cross the ravine, which is definitely cool. It suits the surroundings.

The eleventh hole.

Not pictured: the swarm of wasps that made their home underneath the quaint wooden bridge.

The twelfth hole is a fairly short (finally) par 4, with the tee shot playing back over the ravine the eleventh crossed over. The fairway is fairly wide, but a pair of fairway bunkers do narrow things a bit if you want to use a driver. But since the hole is only 370 yards, a driver is mercifully unnecessary. The second shot will be a wedge to a fairly small green guarded by sand on three sides. For the first time, one of those three sides includes the front, so there will no run-up shots on this hole.

The twelfth hole.

An aerial approach is necessary on 12.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is a 570 yard par 5, and if I'm being honest, this is probably the worst hole at the Links. A single bunker provides some interest on the drive, and there's some interesting mounding around the green, but otherwise, this hole is kind of boring. Just don't go too far left, and play smart. Not much else to it.

The thirteenth hole.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

The thirteenth green.

Also the thirteenth green. The background is more interesting than the hole itself.

The fourteenth hole is the final par 3 at Lake Placid, and it is fairly similar to the first two on the front nine. Granted, the bunkers are significantly bigger here, but the hole is about 200 yards, bunkers surround the green on three sides, and a draw is the best shot to hit.

The thirteenth hole.

The thirteenth green (well, some of it).

On a golf course filled with long, tough holes, the fifteenth stands alone. The Links saved the longest par 5 for last, as the fifteenth weighs in at a backbreaking 620 yards. And unlike the thirteenth, there's plenty of obstacles in the way. The drive is easiest, with a single and small fairway bunker the only obstacle left. But if the drive is not good, the second shot becomes very tricky, as a pond to the right of the fairway about 100-150 yards from the green looms large. It's better if you can clear it, as the angle to the green, sandwiched between two thin bunkers, is worse if you avoid the pond to the left. For all but the longest golfers, this hole requires three strong shots, which is not something most golf courses offer. True three-shot par 5s are relatively rare, but Lake Placid has plenty.

The very long fifteenth hole.

Approaching the fifteenth green.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is broadly similar to the twelfth: Same length, same requirement for an aerial approach. There's even a similar need to carry the drive a certain distance to avoid a hazard. There are no fairway bunkers, but once again, the golfer is better off resisting the driver. The fairway is wide, so it's tempting, but if you hit a 300 yard drive, you'll be left with a little half wedge to a shallow green that is completely surrounded with sand. (Surprisingly, for all the bunkers Lake Placid has, this is the only hole that pulls that trick.) Not a difficult hole, but one you need to think about.

The sixteenth hole.

Another aerial approach is required on 16.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is normally the shortest par 4 at the Links, but the back tees were closed during our round, so we ended up playing from the front tees. That reduced a 360 yard hole to 250 yards. And I have to say, I think the hole works better when it's drivable. The first 300 yards of the hole is wide open. It's only in the last 50 yards that bunkers come into play, three on the right and one big one on the left. So, most golfers going from the back will hit a driver or 3 wood short of those, then have a wedge in. While the bunkers do reach greenside, they're not major obstacles. However, with the hole shortened, those same bunkers become far more perplexing. The green is easily reachable off the tee, but do you risk ending up in a bunker? Or do you lay up short and rely on your ability to hit a half wedge close? It may drop the Links under 7,000 yards, but the owners should definitely consider making this hole a full-time drivable par 4.

The seventeenth hole.

There's quite a bit of sand around the seventeenth green.

The seventeenth green, with the first hole in the background.

The eighteenth hole finishes off the round in a quiet, understated manner. A mid-length par 4 at 400 yards, a tee shot up the right side flirting with the tree line is preferred. That gives you a better angle at the green, which is elevated and benched into a hillside. The green is small and protected by only one bunker. Once you're done, take a moment to look back out on the course you just played, and the mountains that have served as a backdrop. It's tough to beat Lake Placid on a summer evening.

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

A long view of the Links.

The ski jump makes a return.

Despite the fairly tame finish, there's no escaping the fact that the Links at Lake Placid is generally a very brawny and tough course. Even though the course is pretty free from trees interfering with play, you absolutely need to be hitting the ball well from tee to green. If you aren't, it's going to be a long day. And I think that's completely appropriate, Lake Placid is a very isolated setting, so it almost feels like you're doing battle with the wilderness out on the course.

Unfortunately, while the Links is a very good course, my opinion of it is a bit soured by the fact that I played absolutely horrendous golf there. Seriously, I was barely able to enjoy the stunning views and stern challenges that were placed before me because I was too busy stewing. But I'll try my best.

Overall, Lake Placid has a lot of positives, but there are a few negatives that I have to mention. First off, there are a lot of flat holes. Now, the architect did a decent job of creating interest with the bunkering, which was both numerous and distinctive, but ultimately flat hole after flat hole means the course can kind of blend together. And on a related note, the greens are not the most compelling I've ever played. Not bad, but not great, and they weren't running very firm or fast.

Another issue: Lake Placid isn't the cheapest course in the world. It was $50 to play after 1 PM, but before that, it's $80. The $50 wasn't bad, but I'd struggle to justify paying the full price. So as far as value goes, the Links isn't spectacular. As for the Links moniker, it's a bit silly, but the old-style features and low profile of the course make it not the worst usage of the title I've ever heard.

Ultimately though, there are a lot more positives than negatives, and I think Lake Placid is an excellent golf course that's almost certainly in my personal top five. I can only imagine what it's like there in early October when the leaves are at peak color. If I ever go again, which I'd be perfectly okay with, I'd definitely go in the fall.

And with that, the last golf course review of 2019 is done. I'll be doing my annual round-up of all the courses I reviewed in a couple weeks, so stay tuned for that.