Beer of the Week

The beer: Haze Charmer

Brewed by: Tröegs Independent Brewing, Hershey, Pennsylvania

Description (from the website): "Haze Charmer emerges from a soft, swirling cloud of oats and unmalted wheat. Vigorous dry-hopping adds a second phase of haze, propping up the oils of Citrus and El Dorado. Each sip delivers notes of juicy pineapple, fresh grapefruit and candied peach balanced by a hint of white pine and low bitterness."

Would I buy it again?: Honestly, I wouldn't mind getting it again, but I also wouldn't mind if I didn't. It was fine in every single way, but not standout in any way. I love Tröegs, so odds are that I will get it again.

Disappointing News: Kim Il Sung Couldn't Teleport

I know, this is a sad day for all you fans of North Korea, but their state media recently admitted a tragic truth: Kim Il Sung, founder of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, was actually not capable of teleporting. This represents the first time a myth about the North Korean leadership has been debunked, and the North Korea media source stated that their current leader, Kim Jong Un (who may or may not be dead), will be looking at their current deifications (Yes, North Korea deifies its leaders, what else would they do) and would be making some modifications to keep things grounded in reality. As a golfer, I hope they keep the whole "shot 38 under par the first time Kim Il Sung played golf" thing. Deep down, I think all golfers would like to hope that it's possible to be that good.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Frangelic Mountain Brown

Brewed by: Founders Brewing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Description (from the website): "We love a well-balanced brown ale. Especially a brown ale of the hazelnut coffee persuasion. Case in point: Frangelic Mountain Brown. Initially brewed and released in bottles in 2012, this deliciously sweet and nutty coffee brown ale quickly became a favorite amongst beer fans and inspired us to continue pushing the coffee and beer envelope. Turns out your new favorite coffee drink is a beer."

Would I buy it again?: Founders does not have the greatest reputation in the beer community as of late, but there's no denying the fact that they know how to make a good beer. This is no exception. It tastes just the right amount of hazelnut and coffee while also tasting like beer. I'd definitely buy it again.

Review: Augustine Golf Club (Part 2)

It's time to check out the back nine at Augustine Golf Club, go here to see the front nine.

The tenth hole is a 420 yard par 4 playing downhill. So it's on the longer side, but it doesn't play 420 yards. The ideal tee shot is a fade; if you hit a draw, you'll quickly run out of fairway and have a much longer second shot. The green is shallow and protected by bunkers short and long, though if you're coming at the green from the left side, you'll have slightly more room to work with.

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is a 500 yard par 5, which means it's fairly easily reachable in two if you can hit a good drive. You'll want to hit a draw off the tee, and there's a bit of a dip splitting through the fairway that you'll probably also want to avoid. If you're laying up, you'll want to do so on the left side, as the green is guarded by a bunker to the right. Of course, there's a fairway bunker right where you'll want to lay up, so you'll want to avoid that.

The eleventh hole.

Approaching the eleventh green.

The eleventh green.

This image brought to you by FedEx.

The twelfth hole is a fairly long par 4 at 435 yards, and it plays the full 435 as the tee shot goes right up a fairly significant hill.  You'll want to hit a draw to stay away from the three bunkers to the right. Get to the top of the hill and you'll have a view of the green. A small stream and native area cuts across the fairway about 75 yards from the green, and while it isn't a problem if you hit a good drive, if you don't, it can definitely threaten lay-ups. The green is quite small and protected by a single bunker short and left.

The twelfth hole.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is identical in length to the previous hole, but they do play noticeably different. For one thing, the tee shot is downhill and there are no bunkers in play. Once again, a small stream slices across the fairway about 75 yards from the green, which makes it not much of a problem if your drive is good. The second is more challenging, as there are quite a few bunkers around and the green is fairly undulating.

The thirteenth hole.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is the longest par 3 at Augustine, coming in at 225 yards. Missing right isn't a great idea, as there are a pair of bunkers. Not the most fascinating hole in the world, since the green isn't really that interesting.

The fourteenth hole.

The fifteenth hole is by far the shortest par 4 on the course, measuring only 300 yards. Much like the eighth hole, I appreciate the fact that it's here, even if it isn't the best short par 4 I've ever played. It's certainly not bad though. You have three distinct options off of the tee: You can lay up to the right side of the fairway, which is an easy shot but leaves a challenging uphill pitch over bunkers to a shallow target; you can lay up to the left side, which leaves a much better angle but requires negotiating the fairway bunker; or you can pull out the driver and go for the green. Just be wary of the greenside bunkers, as they're pretty deep and not pleasant places to be.

The fifteenth hole is framed by pines, much like the seventh.

The uphill approach to the fifteenth green.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is a return to the 400 yard par 4. The best drive to hit is a gentle draw aimed at the right fairway bunker. The hole isn't hugely wide, so if you're not a particularly accurate driver, you may want to use a fairway wood. The hole isn't hugely long and is downhill, so you can certainly get away with less than a driver. Missing the green right isn't great, but left isn't much better since the golf ball will bounce quite a long way away. 

The sixteenth green.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole isn't quite what I'd call a short par 3, but it's less than 170 yards, which definitely isn't very long. And it feels fairly dangerous as there are three bunkers covering a significant portion of the green, which looks like a pretty small target out there. It's not an easy green either.

 

The seventeenth hole.

The eighteenth hole finishes things off in a noticeably rambunctious manner. This short par 5 features six bunkers, more than any other hole, and these are not small little things either. There's a lot of sand to get caught up in. The two bunkers left of the fairway in the driving zone are the most notable, as attempts to go for the green in two will go better if you're coming at the green from the left side. Interestingly, despite all the sand, it's a lone tree that manages to be the most important feature of the hole. That tree, located just short and right of the green, is something you have to think about over the entire hole, and it's one of the few times I'm okay with a tree as a hazard. It adds a lot to the strategy of the hole, it's not literally in the middle of everything, and since the leaves are pretty high up, it's easy to recover from should you end up behind it. This is a strong finishing hole and I wish Augustine had more like this.

The eighteenth hole.

That big tree complicates attempts to go for the green in two.

Approaching the final green.

The eighteenth green.

Ultimately in the grand scheme of things, Augustine is a perfectly decent golf course. Not bad, not great, thoroughly average in pretty much every way. And that's sort of the problem. I don't really have much to say about it. It's pretty inoffensive. A really good golf course, sure, I can talk plenty about that. A bad golf course is the same, as long as it isn't Cumberland Golf Club. A so bad it's funny kind of course like Westminster National can be fun to talk about. Augustine is in the middle of the scale, however. It's just sort of there, doing its own thing. The value isn't terrible, and the walk isn't too bad, which is nice. It's not a guarantee that modern golf courses will be walkable. But that's all I have to say about Augustine, to be honest. It's fine but forgettable, which is definitely not an accusation anyone can level at next month's review. But you'll have to wait to learn more.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Saisonztraminer

Brewed by: Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, New York

Description (from the website): "Saisonztraminer begins as a delicate farmhouse saison. After the brew house, gewürztraminer grape juice is blended in and the mixture is cofermented using our house Belgian yeast. The result is a beer with all the peppery phenols and lively effervescence one would expect of the style, but with flavors of rose petals, lychee fruit and honeysuckle, as well as a vinous minerality that would be impossible to achieve without the cofermentation process."

Would I buy it again?: This is certainly one of the fanciest beers I've ever had, and I wish I had a more appropriate glass for it. But I'm fairly confident that the correct glass wouldn't make it taste that much better. Frankly it doesn't have much taste at all. At least, not nearly as much as I was expecting, considering it's basically got wine in it. It's actually a pretty light and drinkable beer, which would be fine if it cost $8 for a six pack. But I'm sure it doesn't, so I'm going to say that this really isn't worth the cost. I wouldn't get it again.

Review: Augustine Golf Club (Part 1)

So, funny thing happens when half the golf courses in the country close, the ones that are open are really busy. While golf courses in Virginia were allowed to be open at the end of March, quite a few weren't. So not only were there fewer courses for Virginians, I'm sure there were quite a few golf refugees from states where all the courses are closed. No idea who that could be (thanks Maryland). So while there are quite a few courses in Virginia that are closer to Frederick than Augustine Golf Club, which is just north of Fredericksburg, they were all swamped on a pleasant Saturday afternoon. So Augustine it was.

The first hole is a mid-length par 4, playing slightly downhill, but the most notable aspect of the hole is the split fairway, separated down the middle by a native area. However, I'm not entirely sure there's any reason to go down the right side; that fairway is narrower and the second shot will be over a bunker to a shallower target. Going down the left side gives you more room to miss, an unobstructed second shot, and more green to work with. The green is long, fairly thin, and reasonably undulating, though nothing too severe.

The first hole.

The first green. It was a little weird seeing so much brown, considering grass had started growing back in Maryland.

The second hole ups the difficulty by quite a lot. At 440 yards, it's the longest par 4 on the course, and the entire left side is closely guarded by a pond. The fairway bends left alongside it, and drives that carry more of the pond are rewarded with a shorter second shot.  But you can't drive it too far, as the pond cuts in about 300-325 yards from the tee. Admittedly, not a concern for most people, but it is something else to think about. The green is similarly close to the pond, with water also curling around behind. Shots hit out to the right on both the drive and second shot will tend to funnel back down, so bailing out is possible. I'm usually not a fan of really tough holes so early in the round, and this is no exception.

The second hole.

The second green.

The third hole is a mid-length par 4, just like the first, but the similarities end there. There isn't a whole lot to see on the tee, as the hole quickly crests the top of a hill. Ideally, the top of that hill is where you want your drive to end up. This may require using a 3 wood, but you really do not want to start going down unless you're comfortable hitting a wedge from a severe downhill lie. Of course, if you don't reach the top, the second will be blind. The green is not a particularly inviting target even from a flat lie at the top of the hill, there are several grass bunkers left and right, and long is basically dead, even if you don't go off the course.

The third hole features a very blind drive.

The third green.

The fourth hole is the only par 5 on the front nine at Augustine, and it's also the longest hole on the course by a significant margin, being 60 yards longer than the next longest hole. Plus, it's an uphill 560 yards as well. The hole is of the switchback variety: It bends left at first, meaning draws are better off, then bends right, favoring a fade. There are no bunkers on the tee shot, but a stream and trees guard the left side. But plenty of sand threatens the lay-up area, and a bunker protects the right side of the green as well. The green isn't big, and there's a bowl of sorts at the front, making putts from the back to the front section quite tricky.

The fourth hole bends to the left very quickly.

It would take two impressive shots to get to the green in two.

Approaching the fourth green.

The fifth hole is another roughly 400 yard par 4, playing downhill to a blind fairway. Long hitters would do well to use less than a driver off of the tee, as a stream cuts into the hole about 300 yards from the tee, not to mention there's quite a severe drop-off leading up to it. The green is protected by a bunker to the right, meaning a fade is the better shot to hit. The green has quite a lot of slope from back to front, so being above the hole or missing long isn't recommended.

The downhill tee shot on the fifth hole.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is the first par 3 at Augustine, and it isn't easy. The green juts out into a pond, with water lurking left and long. Miss in either of those places, and you're probably wet. Now, short isn't the worst place to miss, and neither is right, but when the hole is cut so close to the water as it was the day we played, it's tough to get the chip all the way to the hole with any sort of confidence.

The sixth hole.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is another mid-length par 4 at 415 yards, but it does go uphill as it bends right between a whole bunch of pine trees. It's a little odd how this course has some holes completely framed by pines while others have virtually none. Anyway, there's a single fairway bunker on the left side, and because of those tall pines, a well-hit drive is going to be aimed at it, and will end up in it if you don't hit a fade. Using a 3 wood to stay short is also an option. The green is bunkerless, but the terrain clearly favors a shot hit from the left side of the fairway. I kind of liked the green complex here, it was very open yet because of the contours, it wasn't a wide open shot.

The seventh hole winds through pines.

Approaching the seventh green.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is something I didn't really expect to see here at a golf course that is, and I apologize if this is your favorite course, nothing special. Truly short par 3s are something you don't see very often at serious golf courses, especially ones built more recently, but yet, here we are with a 135 yard par 3. Is it the finest short par 3 in the world? No, but it's still pretty fun. There's a couple of bunkers and the green is divided into two tiers to make things tricky. It's an easy hole, but I appreciate the attempt.

The eighth hole.

The ninth hole is yet another mid-length par 4 (there's not a huge variety in length -- five of the six par 4s on the front are between 395 and 417 yards), though the large bunker eating into the right side of the fairway may make the hole play longer, since you may not want to use a driver. However, shots hit from the right side will have a better angle into the hole, as the green is angled toward the right and there are two bunkers short and left of the green.

The ninth hole.

The ninth green.

That's it for this week, next week we'll take a look at the back nine.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Chocolate Stout

Brewed by: Guinness Open Gate Brewery, Halethorpe, Maryland

Description (from the bottle and the website): "Pure cacao was added post fermentation to give this beer bitter chocolate flavors to balance light, malty sweetness. ... Made with Columbian coffee from local roaster, Vent Coffee."

Would I buy it again?: Yes, two Guinness beers in a row. While the Yuengling Hershey Porter remains the ultimate chocolate beer, this is pretty good, and I would definitely buy it again next time I go to the Guinness brewery. Once again, dare I say it, but this may be better than the standard Guinness stout.

Closest Black Hole To Earth Discovered

In cosmic distances, the new black hole in the HR 6819 binary star system is right next door. In human distances ... not so much. So if you see a news headline announcing how there's a black hole lurking super close to Earth, be a little skeptical. It's 1,000 light years away. Like I said, close on a cosmic scale. There is absolutely nothing to worry about from this black hole. The potentially millions of undiscovered black holes lurking throughout the galaxy? You can worry a little about those.

Beers of the Week

The beer: Over the Moon Milk Stout

Brewed by: Guinness Open Gate Brewery, Halethorpe, Maryland

Description (from the website): "After 200-plus years of making the world’s most popular dry stouts, we decided it was high time to brew a sweeter style. So, our American brewing team developed a milk stout, meaning a stout brewed with lactose (aka milk sugar), which imparts a sweet creaminess to the beer. Over several experimental rounds, we refined a recipe using a bevy of specialty malts (Carmel 120, BlackPrinz and our own Guinness Roasted Barley) along with Mount Hood hops. The result is a creamy, sweet stout with mocha-like notes and earthy, woody tones. We named it Over The Moon based on the whimsical image of an unhappy moon coveting a pint of stout resting upon a happy earth. The picture is the work of John Gilroy, the artist behind the classic Guinness campaigns of the 1930s and 50s."

Would I buy it again?: If there's one thing you can trust Guinness to do well, it's stouts. And just as you'd expect, their milk stout is absolutely delicious, and is something I've already bought multiple times. Dare I say it, but I think it's better than their standard stout they're so well known for. This is far more drinkable and tastes way better, in my own personal opinion.