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.