Beer of the Week

The beer: Pretzel Wheat

Brewed by: Aldus Brewing Company, Hanover, Pennsylvania

Description: "Smells like a pretzel, tastes like a pretzel, drinks like a beer. From the pretzel center of the universe we bring you Aldus Pretzel Wheat Ale. Packed with Pennsylvania Dutch pretzel flavor with slight notes of salt, and ends with a crisp lager-like finish."

Would I buy it again?: Can you come up with a more classic combination than pretzels and beer? The Germans knew what they were doing. This is the culmination of that idea. Putting the pretzel IN the beer? Genius! And you know what? This is a great beer. It tastes enough like a pretzel that you don't feel cheated by the label, but it tastes like a beer too. I only wish I could get it here at home, rather than having to drive an hour, because this is a beer I will absolutely get again.

Biology Versus Microsoft, Round 1

The human body has a lot of genes. Thousands and thousands of them. HER2, BRCA1, BRAF, and so on, you get the idea. They're usually some combination of letters and numbers, sometimes forming coherent words, sometimes not. More relevant to today's topic, some have names like MARCH1 -- short for Membrane Associated Ring-CH-Type Finger 1. Also relevant to the topic, many biologists use Microsoft Excel to keep track of research and whatnot. 

Excel was not designed to be used for high-level medical research. It was designed to be user-friendly, and so, if you're a biologist and you input MARCH1 into Excel, the program not so helpfully "corrects" that into a date. Which is incorrect. According to a 2016 study, about one-fifth of genetics-related papers had been affected by Excel errors. There's no way to turn off the autocorrect in Excel either, you have to manually correct it every time, and it's easy to lose that correction if another person loads up the file.

And so, after many years of battle, science has finally capitulated to almighty Microsoft. A total of 27 genes have been renamed in 2020, with MARCH 1 becoming MARCHF1 and SEPT1 becoming SEPTIN1, just to give a couple examples. While this does sound extreme, gene renaming isn't exactly unusual. Genes such as CARS have been renamed to avoid confusion, but this is the first time a software problem caused a rename. And before you ask, Microsoft wasn't interested in changing Excel, since this was such a niche issue. Apparently having correct science isn't important for a company in the technology business.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Lowest Lord ESB

Brewed by: Denizens Brewing Company, Silver Spring, Maryland

Description (from the website): "An English tradition, the extra special bitter is a more hop/malt forward version of the English Bitter. Our version uses a blend of English and American hops leaving a floral and herbal character balanced by notes of toffee and biscuit from the malt."

Would I buy it again?: I don't see myself getting it again. It was a bit too bitter for my taste, so it fails at the task of being an easily drinkable beer. And without that, there's really no point in buying it.

Review: Galen Hall Golf Club (Part 2)

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

Most golf courses have both the first and tenth holes starting near the clubhouse, but that's not the case at Galen Hall, as the tenth is as far from the clubhouse as you can get on the course. In ordinary times that little shack behind the green has food and beverages, but sadly, we had no such luck during our round. Pandemic sacrifices and all that. Anyway, the tenth hole. It's a not particularly long par 3 playing over a little stream to a heavily sloped green guarded by two bunkers right and one bunker left. While there's not so much trouble around the green if you miss, the green itself is difficult enough to ensure that this hole isn't easy.

The tenth hole.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is a mid-length par 4 that doglegs right around a bunker and a cluster of big trees. You can cut the dogleg a bit, but not by a huge amount. The green is fairly tame by Galen Hall's standards, and while it is protected by a couple bunkers, this is a fairly easy green to hit in two, and so the eleventh is a great opportunity to make a birdie.

The eleventh hole.

Approaching the eleventh green.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is the third par 5 in the span of six holes, and this one is the longest hole at Galen Hall, playing 520 yards. Similarly to both the sixth, this one drops from a high tee then slowly climbs back up. This hole is pretty straight and, save for a couple fairway bunkers, there's not much trouble on the tee shot. A bunker about 75 yards from the green will complicate lay-ups, but its the unique hazard to the right of the green that gives this hole its character. In a previous life, the property must have been used as a farm, since there's an old barn or farmhouse just a few yards away from the green. It's not exactly close, but I can absolutely see wayward attempts to go for the green in two being stymied by it. It's funny how unusual a feature this is but nothing I saw about the course beforehand mentioned it. The second and fifteenth hole do overshadow it, I suppose, but this hole has plenty of quirky charm all on its own.

The twelfth hole.

Approaching the twelfth green. And yes, that is an old barn just right of the green.

The twelfth green.

Looking back at the twelfth hole.

The thirteenth hole is a short, almost drivable par 4. If you lay up, the tee shot is simple, and you'll be left with a wedge slightly up the hill to a green fronted by two bunkers. Normally forced carries are an issue for higher handicaps, but since the hole is so short, it's not so bad. However, if you are going for the green, those bunkers are much more in play. The green is pretty tilted from back to front, but all in all this is a great birdie opportunity. You'll need a good score for what comes next.

The thirteenth hole.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is 450 yards, and can play as either a par 4 or par 5. What you play it as primarily depends on whether or not you can carry the small stream slicing across the fairway about 250 yards from the tee. If you can't, it makes it much more difficult to carry the second stream that crosses the hole about 75 yards from the green. Fortunately, the green is bunkerless, so whether you're coming at it with your second or third shot, the approach isn't hugely difficult. Just be wary of the tree left and short of the green if you've gone up the left side of the hole.

The fourteenth hole.

Approaching the fourteenth green.

The fourteenth green.

Finally, we come to the fifteenth hole. The infamous Moat hole. Before we get to the hole itself, let's get some history. The first island green to exist was at Baltusrol and emerged in 1904 in anticipation of the U.S. Amateur. While it was on a par 4 instead of a par 3, the green was completely encircled by a narrow body of water, just like this one. That hole didn't last long, as it was built over when A.W. Tillinghast did his famous work there. Funny enough, it was deemed to be too easy. However, Mr. Tillinghast must have liked the concept a lot, because he built quite a few island greens in the next few years. Now, reporting from a century ago is sketchy at best, so I'm not entirely sure which island green came first, but this is definitely a strong contender for the title of oldest existing island green.

Anyway, the Moat hole. Originally it was only 130 yards, but apparently a resident pro didn't think a wedge approach to a small green surrounded by a stream was difficult enough, so that pro added a new back tee at a frankly ridiculous 195 yards. That is an incredible task to expect from golfers. Sure, you could move up to the white tees, which are at the original length of the hole, but since the course is only 6,200 yards, quite a few people would have no trouble playing from all the way back. It seems silly to move up for one hole, and besides, there's just something so intriguing about launching a mid or long iron at this green. Would it be better if the back tee was eliminated entirely? Absolutely. But while it's there, you just have to go for it, even though you know you'll probably fail.

The fifteenth hole (aka the Moat hole)

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is a fairly short par 4, but its 350 yards play uphill the whole way. That's something you'll have to get used to on the three closing holes, after all, you came all the way down on the second hole, and you've got to go back up at some point. I would strongly recommend avoiding the left side of the hole, the green slopes from left to right, and the bunker that guards the left side of the green is not much fun at all.

The sixteenth hole.

Approaching the sixteenth green.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is 185 yards, but since it plays very uphill, you can count on needing an extra club or two. The green is very difficult to hit, and once you're on it, the surface is absurdly difficult to putt. For whatever reason, the greens on the last two holes are extra undulating, so if you can make a par here, consider yourself lucky.

The seventeenth hole.

The seventeenth green.

You might think that a 480 yard hole without bunkers would be a bit of a pushover, but the eighteenth hole is, to be blunt, quite a handful. For one thing, you have to hit the drive up what can only be called an entire mountain. A good shot will get you to the top of the hill and will provide you with a view of the green. Just watch out going left, there's jungle lurking not too far off the fairway. Even with the 100-foot climb, the green is reachable, but there's no guarantee you'll make a birdie. I've seen some pretty crazy greens in my time, but this one more than holds its own. It's not just that the back is 4 or 5 feet higher than the front, it's the fact that the green manages to all that in such a small area. If you go over the green or end up above the hole, good luck.

There isn't much to see on the final tee.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The slightly ridiculous eighteenth green.

Galen Hall is not my absolute favorite course in the world, though I think I'd put it in my personal top 10. There are some things I wasn't too thrilled with, namely the speed and size of the greens. They were a bit too fast considering how much they sloped and how small they were. But the course has an undeniable quirk and charm to it, and that's something not many golf courses have. The second, twelfth, and fifteenth holes in particular really stick out. I see some comparison with Copake, both courses are short and not particularly tough from tee to green, but both make up for it by putting an incredible premium on the short game. Given some restoration, Galen Hall could be just as good as Copake is.

Value wise, Galen Hall fits in well with other old Golden Age public courses. It was 30 dollars to play on a Sunday afternoon, which is about right. Not the best, but not the worst. It's a surprisingly tough walk, though, considering it was laid out way before carts were a thing. The clubhouse is something like 200 feet above the course's lowest point, so while I wouldn't recommend a cart, those last three holes can be a burden and aren't the course's strongest point. But otherwise, this is a strong course and I'd recommend playing it if you're in the area.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Honey Brown Lager

Brewed by: Dundee Brewing Company, Rochester, New York

Description (from the website): "Man first brewed with honey more than 2,000 years ago. Back then, fermented honey was proclaimed the drink of kings. We first brewed Original Honey Brown Lager nearly 20 years ago. And we like to think every batch is still fit for a king. In the years since, Honey Brown has been brewed with the same premium barley, hops and pure Manitoba White Clover Honey to produce a great-tasting, medium-bodied lager. This isn’t your watered-down light beer from college. Nor is it a heavy craft beer. Honey Brown pours right smack dab in the middle. A delicious golden amber color, it’s a beer you can drink throughout the night while staying true to yourself and your evolving palate. Enjoy it with friends. Enjoy it with strangers. It doesn’t matter to us—just enjoy it."

Would I buy it again?: Probably not. I wasn't quite as fond of it as some of the other honey beers I've had. It was a bit too sweet, though not too bad. But when there as many beers out there as there are, that marginal oversweetness is enough to discourage me. 

Review: Galen Hall Golf Club (Part 1)

Some golf courses have more history than others, and while Galen Hall may not be the most historically notable course in the world, it's not exactly lacking for it. The course has certainly seen its share of changes in its more than a century of existence. The initial 9 holes at the course, located in the hills west of Reading, Pennsylvania, was laid out in 1910 by Alex Findlay, of which 8 holes still currently exist. A few years later A.W. Tillinghast expanded the course to 18 holes, with one of the new holes potentially being the oldest island green still in existence. Then in the 1950s, the course acquired a bit of new property and William and David Gordon added the current ninth, tenth, and eleventh holes.

Though the involvement of A.W. Tillinghast was enough to get my interest, I'd seen some interesting things online about the course over the years (not including this article on GOLF.com that came out more than a month after my brothers and I played the course). So I've wanted to play it for a while, and the involvement of Mr. Winged Foot, Bethpage, Baltusrol, and so on certainly makes this course something any golf course design aficionado would want to seek out. So was it worth the 2-plus hour drive? Let's find out.

The first hole is a short par 4 falling downhill over bumpy terrain. There's O.B. in the form of a road to the left, and there's a few fairway bunkers right that come into play if you choose to bail out away from the road with something less than a driver. Regardless of whether you use a driver to get close to the green or lay back, the second shot is to a green tilted severely from left to right. And this isn't a big green either; in fact, it's really pretty small. So it's not a tough opener, but the green ensures that it's no pushover.

The first hole.

Most of the greens at Galen Hall look like this: small and very tilted.

The first green.

The second hole is one of the most unique holes I've ever seen. It's a par 5, and a short one at 480 yards. It doesn't look like much from the tee, but that's because the hole is mostly blind from the tee. The first 150 yards go straight up a hill, but if you're wondering where to aim, I'd strongly recommend going down the right side; the trees will block out attempts to go for the green in two if you go left. Things get much more interesting once you get over the hill, as the hole tumbles down the hill, bending left the entire way. The drop from the top of the hill to the green is about 150 feet, so you can hit some big drives on this hole. Another feature to note: There's a road that crosses the fairway about 225 yards from the tee. I'm sure it's not heavily traveled, but the fact that it's in play from the tee and is also blind from the tee is very strange, and a good giveaway that this course is old. Assuming you've hit a solid drive down the right, you'll be left with a mid iron (or maybe less) with the ball way below your feet. No flat lies on this hole. The green is bunkerless but it follows the slope of the hole, so it can be tough getting it to stop on the green. The second is almost certainly a unique hole in the world of golf; I know I've never seen anything like it. It's probably good that it hasn't been repeated, but I'm glad that it exists here, and it's probably the best hole at Galen Hall.

Not much to see on the second tee.

That changes once you crest the hill.

The second green.

Looking back at the big hill the second hole tumbles down.

The third hole is a fairly short par 4, playing 365 yards slightly downhill. You may be tempted to go with the driver to get as close to the green as possible, but I wouldn't recommend it. For one thing, there's O.B. left in the form of a road, and the fairway narrows the closer you get to the green. Also, the same road that crosses the second fairway crosses this hole near the green, and since the hole is so short, a long drive could reach it. The green is sloped away at the front and sloped toward at the back and is guarded by three bunkers left and right.

The third hole.

Approaching the third green. You really can't see the road until you're almost on top of it.

The third green.

The fourth hole is a fairly long par 3 at just under 200 yards, but since it plays downhill to the lowest point on the golf course, it's effectively a bit shorter. But this is an extremely difficult hole. The green isn't very big, there's O.B. left, and a stream right and short. To be perfectly honest, the smartest play is to lay up on the fairway short of the stream, then chip on and try to make par that way. At worst, you'll make a bogey. But that's lame. Sure you might make a double or worse, but it's so much more fun to launch a mid or long iron at this green.

The fourth hole. Surprisingly, this is not the toughest par 3 at Galen Hall.

The fifth hole is a short par 4 that ordinarily might be almost drivable, since it's only 325 yards, but it does play uphill, with the last 60-70 yards going basically straight up. So unless you can carry it the whole way, driving the green is probably out. You can try to get as close as you can, but you'll leave yourself a little half wedge up to a small and very elevated green. And good luck getting a shot like that to stop anywhere close to the hole. While I don't think I'd advocate laying so far back as to end up on the flat portion of the fairway, which runs out no more than 200 yards from the tee, I do think it's best to be far enough back so that you have a full wedge into the green. Height and spin are important for getting close to the flag.

The fifth hole.

Approaching the fifth green.

The fifth green from the sixth tee.

The sixth hole is a 480 yard par 5 that drops down from the tee, then goes gently back uphill. There are four bunkers scattered along the hole, which is a bit weird because, for most of the hole's history, it was bunkerless. I found a Google Earth image of the course from 2012, and there was no sand. So the bunkers are very new. While I don't think they take away from the hole, I'm not entirely sure how much value they add. They're not exactly placed in areas where many golf balls would be ending up. The one on the right might catch a few good drives, but the other three are more threatening to higher-handicap players who can't hit the ball as far. Anyway, if you've hit a decent drive, the green is very reachable and there are no bunkers around it. The green is on the big side for Galen Hall, but it's got plenty of slope, so two putting is no guarantee.

The sixth hole.

Approaching the sixth green.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is the shortest hole at Galen Hall, playing all of 135 yards. It is a bit uphill and the tee shot is semiblind, but still, this isn't a long hole. But it doesn't need length when you see the green. Now, that may be a bit of a challenge, because the seventh green is nearly microscopic. It slopes sharply from right to left, and there are bunkers left and long. To be honest, the bunkers aren't a bad place to miss because at least the green is angled toward you. Miss right and you'll be left with a nearly impossible chip shot. This is a good short par 3 -- tough if you miss the green, but it's okay because all golfers have a fair chance at hitting the green.

The seventh hole is semiblind.

There are small greens, and then there's the seventh green.

The eighth hole is the third par 5 on the front nine (the par is 37), and while this is technically the longest of the three, the 500 yards is mitigated somewhat by the steeply downhill tee shot. You definitely won't want to miss right, because you'll be blocked out by trees. Those trees make the fairway bunker a bit redundant (it also seems to be a new addition), but I suppose it doesn't hurt anything being there. The green is completely reachable in two, but the green is closely guarded by three bunkers, so precision is necessary.

The eighth hole.

Approaching the eighth green.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is 410 yards, which means that, if you play the fourteenth hole (we'll get to it) as a par 5, this is the only par 4 at Galen Hall over 400 yards. Hey, the course is only 6,200 yards after all. You'll notice right away that the hole is straight, but tilted. There are no flat lies to be found on the ninth; when you hit your second shot the ball will always be above your feet (or below for the lefties). The green is protected by a couple bunkers left and right, and while this hole is newer and the green is a bit less extreme, it's still not easy to putt. It definitely fits in with the rest of the course.

The ninth hole.

Approaching the ninth green.

The ninth green.

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