Beer of the Week

The beer: Apple Pie Blonde Ale

Brewed by: Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, Maryland

Description (from the website): "Nothing is more American than Apple Pie, right? Well, hold my beer. Literally. We might not have invented beer or pie, but we sure as hell perfected both. 100 times more fun than paying to pick apples on an autumn day, this crisp, spiced brew is perfect for F.A.L.L. in the U.S.A."

Would I buy it again?: This is a beer to drink at Thanksgiving if ever there was one. You can taste the apples and the cinnamon, but it's not as bold a beer as you might think. This is a blonde ale after all, not a triple IPA or heavy stout. I was surprised at how subtle the beer was, considering it's one of Flying Dog's Brewhouse Rarities and the high alcohol content (7.2%). I hope they make it again next fall, and if I go beer shopping again soon, I'll consider getting another six pack of this if it's still around.

Review: Highland Links

The United States has an absolute wealth of golf courses. Golf courses of all shapes and sizes. Golf courses on mountains, in dense forests, in swamps, and on beaches and coastlines. But there's one type of golf course that we don't have too many of: links courses. True links courses are incredibly rare in North America, and Bandon Dunes has a near-monopoly on U.S. links. But out on the end of Cape Cod, flush against the Atlantic on a set of mountainous dunes, is a little 9 hole golf course called Highland Links. 

The fifth green on the edge of the Atlantic.

It's an old course, one of the oldest in the country, dating all the way back to 1892, a time when golf had only been played consistently in the United States for a few years and there were less than 20 courses in existence. It has changed a couple times over that time, but what hasn't changed is its primitive, basic nature. This is not an incredibly elaborate course; all the strategy comes from the land and the elements. Let's take a look at it.

The first hole is about as short a par 4 as you'll ever see, playing all of 250 yards. It's just sitting there, so within reach, a green sitting up on a hill, so close to the tee. You have to go for it, you just have to. But be wary of the wind. Oh yes, a golf course like this is fully exposed to the elements. I imagine this hole is completely unreachable when the wind is smacking you right in the face as you step onto the tee. The safe play is a lay-up, followed by an uphill pitch, but honestly, who can resist? In addition to the wind, there's a pair of bunkers just short that your tee shot will need to be maneuvered around. With the green being fairly quiet, you've got an excellent chance to open with a birdie. 

The first hole.

The first green, with a glimpse of the Atlantic beyond.

The second hole is the sort of hole you don't see every day. On the surface, it's a 460 yard par 5, which doesn't sound like much, but when you get to the tee, the story gets a lot more complex. You start off from a high point and plunge down into a narrow valley covered in bushes and scrubby trees doing their best gorse impersonation. The fairway is angled about 45 degrees from the tee, so the more of the dogleg you cut off, the shorter the second shot. Now, the fairway isn't exactly wide, and in an ideal world, the fairway would be maybe 10-15 yards wider. But that hardly detracts from what is a beautiful and unique hole. The second shot is uphill, but since you're sheltered in the valley and the wind is much less of an issue, it's pretty easily reachable in two. There's a couple of bunkers that need to be carried, but otherwise, the green is fairly straightforward.

The second hole. The mini-castle is apparently a memorial to some entertainment figure of old.

The uphill approach to the second green.

The second green.

Looking back down the second hole.

The third hole, a 160 yard par 3, heads back up out of the valley that the second played through. It's a tough shot, despite the modest length and the lack of any bunkers. It's a big hill you have to go up, and if you're going straight into the wind, we're talking multiple extra clubs being necessary. The green has a decent amount of back to front slope, so missing long isn't recommended. Or short. Or right. That fescue rough really doesn't stop golf balls as well as you might think. It's thin and whispy, especially when the course is dry.

The third hole.

The third green.

The fourth hole is an uphill par 4, not too long at 380 yards, but when it plays straight into the wind, it becomes quite a big task. You want to carry the hill on the tee shot, which wouldn't ordinarily be a huge problem, but the wind makes it a lot tougher. If you do make the carry, you get a view of the green, which is reasonably undulating. 

The fourth hole.

Approaching the fourth green.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole plays parallel to the fourth and is basically the same length, but since it runs in the opposite direction, you'll be facing the opposite wind. That meant the hole was playing very downwind for us. The hole looks flat from the tee, but the same small valley that you have to carry on the fourth cuts across the fairway here. Drives will probably end up down at the bottom, meaning you'll have an uphill and semiblind (or completely blind) pitch to the green. There's a bunker behind the green, which I'm sure gets a fair amount of action considering the wind and the fact that green does fall away slightly at the back. Of course, all that pales when you consider the background. It's really interesting hitting your drive on this hole, watching the golf ball disappear against the vastness of the sky and ocean beyond. The green is perched in the perfect overlook as well. This isn't a marsh, or estuary, or bay, this is the Atlantic Ocean, and there isn't land for thousands of miles. It may not be a complicated hole, but that's probably for the best, since any fancy design would be wasted against such an enormous  backdrop.

The fifth hole.

Down in the gully, looking up at the fifth green.

The fifth green.

Next stop: Europe.

The sixth hole is the longest hole at Highland Links, but at 465 yards, it doesn't sound like much. Remember the wind though, which was at its strongest here, right alongside the cliffside. I imagine even a tour pro would have difficulty getting to the green in two in the wind we faced. For me, a mere mortal, I were lucky to reach the bottom of the valley with the drive, and then to get to the top of the hill in two. Doing that provided a relatively simple pitch into the green, which is guarded by bunkers right and long. 

The sixth hole. Naturally, the Highland Lighthouse was closed and under repair.

Approaching the sixth green.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is a mid-length par 3, and unlike quite a few holes at Highland Links, the green here has a fair amount of slope, being tilted fairly significantly from back to front. Shots that don't quite make the green will run back down the little slope in front. There's a bunker behind the green that you'll also want to avoid.

The seventh hole.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole turns away from the ocean, and though it may seem modest in length at 350 yards, it plays into the wind and it isn't a very wide fairway. The hole is slightly uphill and doglegs slightly to the left. The right side of the fairway provides a better angle into the green, since there's a bunker left of the green. It was at this point that my brothers and I figured that we could keep shots under the breeze, so rather than throwing a wedge up and leaving it to the mercy of the wind, we hit run-up shots into the green, which worked a lot better. That's really how the course should be played.

The eighth hole.

Approaching the eighth green.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is the shortest hole at Highland Links at just 135 yards. Plus it was playing downhill too. Doesn't sound like much, but it's more interesting than you might think. The green is small, with bunkers short right and long left. It's also split into two tiers. Rather than hitting and hoping with a high wedge, the play, at least for us, was to hit a punch shot out to the right and running the ball down the tier toward the flag. So while it's short, this is one of the best holes on the course, and a great way to finish the round.

The ninth hole.

I won't sit here and try to claim that Highland Links is someplace you need to see. In the end, we're talking about a 9 hole course that isn't even 2,800 yards from the back tees, and a fairly rudimentary course at that. It's $35 to play 9 holes, which is pretty expensive too. But we played 27 holes the day we came here, with this coming at the end of the day. We drove more than 2 hours in total to get here, and 2 hours to get back. None of us regretted that decision. While some people may be spoiled for choice when it comes to links courses, my brothers and I are not. That makes Highland Links something really unique.

Plus, it's not like we're talking about a bad golf course in a special place. Sometimes rudimentary and primitive is all that you need. The second, fifth, and last hole in particular would be noteworthy at nearly any golf course, with the second being one of the best holes we played over the entire week. So would I recommend Highland Links? I would, and I'd definitely play it again if I'm in the area.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Pumpkin Oktoberfest

Brewed by: Red Shedman Farm Brewery, Mt. Airy, Maryland

Description (from Untappd): "A true Oktoberfest malt combination with 140 lbs of fresh pumpkin. Mildly spiced for the holiday season"

Would I buy it again?: When I saw that one of my local beer distributors was selling crowlers of a pumpkin Oktoberfest beer, I knew I had to get it. I'm sure Red Shedman aren't the first people to combine the two definitive styles of fall beer, but I've never seen it before. Unfortunately, I was left a bit disappointed. There's a little bit of pumpkin flavor, but it's more an Oktoberfest with a hint of pumpkin, rather than a true marriage of the two styles. I think if you were offered it without being told there was pumpkin in it, there's a good chance you wouldn't even realize. Was it bad? No, it was a perfectly fine Oktoberfest. But I think the search for a true pumpkin Oktoberfest continues.

Arecibo Is No More

2020 has had no mercy, even when it comes to astronomy. Arecibo Observatory, the massive radio telescope located in Puerto Rico, will be decommissioned. The decision is not based on a lack of funding or scientific value, but because of safety concerns. In August a cable helping to hold the telescope up slipped out of place, which damaged the dish, but the situation was still stable. Earlier this month, however, a second cable snapped, and the National Science Foundation has deemed the situation beyond repair. Basically, there's no way to repair the damage to the dish without putting people at unnecessary risk. The thing could collapse entirely at any time, and even a controlled decommissioning may not be possible.

Obviously Arecibo is not the be-all and end-all of radio astronomy, but losing it will hurt a lot. Now, back to our regularly scheduled beer and golf stuff.

Review: Cape Arundel Golf Club (Part 2)

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

The tenth hole is 330 yards, and it doglegs significantly around a cluster of knobs and bumps. To the left is both an arm of the river and a small hidden pond that narrow the fairway. There's plenty of room right, but there's a bunker short and right of the green that makes approaching from that side much more difficult, plus the green is tilted from right to left. The green itself is especially bumpy and difficult to putt. The river also lurks just beyond the green, not exactly in play, but it's definitely something in the back of your mind. 

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green. It's not an inviting target.

The tenth green, with the river beyond.

The eleventh hole is about 5 yards longer than the tenth, but it plays very differently. There's a classic risk/reward aspect to the tee shot, as the more water you carry, the shorter the second shot. The fairway gets narrower as you go as well, as it gets squeezed between bunkers and a road out on the far side. Oh, plus the entrance road crosses the fairway right where you'd want to aim a driver. You don't want to go too far down the right, as a bunker short right of the green will complicate second shots. The green has a bit of a bowl aspect to it, get in that and shots will funnel toward the hole, miss it and they'll be repelled. This is a strong hole simply because blasting away with driver isn't the automatic choice off of the tee.

The eleventh hole.

Approaching the eleventh green, with the entrance road crossing just before.

The eleventh hole.

The twelfth hole is 399 yards, falling just one yard shy of the 400 yard mark. But that still makes this the longest par 4 at Cape Arundel. The hole bends right around a pair of tall pines, but other some O.B. beyond the fairway to the left, there's not much in the way of trouble. Technically you can actually play down the eleventh fairway out to the right, as my brother and I did accidentally. Approaching the green is a slippery prospect though, since it slopes from front to back, and it's got a bit of the Pinehurst No. 2 style as well, as it falls away on all sides. 

The twelfth hole.

Approaching the twelfth green. This is not the standard route.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is Cape Arundel's postcard hole. It's 170 yards and plays over the river, with more river left. It's an intimidating look, but there's a fair amount of space short and left to miss, so the shot isn't quite as tough as it looks. The green is precisely as difficult as it looks though, and it's one you absolutely don't want to miss long. Which is what I did. Actually, I managed to get my chip on, which was probably the best shot I hit all day, but then I proceeded to three putt, so the effort was rather in vain.

The thirteenth hole.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole crosses the Kennebunk River early on the tee shot for yet another one of Cape Arundel's not particularly interesting "long" par 4s. Just don't go left on the tee shot and keep it in the gap and you're fine. The green slopes from right to left and has two bunkers on each side. Other than the river crossing, this hole is kind of forgettable, in my opinion.

The fourteenth hole.

Approaching the fourteenth green. This is not the correct fairway, however.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is 340 yards and features a bunkerless fairway. There's O.B. left, but it's not much of a threat when you have literally hundreds of yards of room to the right. You could use a driver, but I'd actually recommend against it, despite the abundance of space. Just right and short of the green is a small tree, which is the key to the hole. Now, if you use a long iron or fairway wood off of the tee, you'll be able to hit a full wedge or short iron into the green, and you'll be able to hit it that second shot high enough to render the tree irrelevant. But a driver would leave you with just a pitch, and that sort of shot is much more difficult to get up high enough. You could go down the left side with the driver, but with the O.B. lurking and the green being fairly big and relatively quiet, I'm not sure you gain any particular advantage by doing so.

The fifteenth hole.

The fifteenth green features an interesting hazard.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is the longest par 3 at Cape Arundel, playing 210 yards. There are no bunkers, which might make you think the hole is on the easier side. Well, that's not necessarily the case, though I admit any hole is tough when you miss it 50 yards right or 75 yards left. For once, I didn't have the absolute worst miss. The green is crowned, so it plays smaller than it looks. But all in all, despite the length, this isn't a very difficult hole if you hit a mildly competent tee shot.

The sixteenth hole.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is 360 yards, with the first 300 yards playing gently uphill up a ridge. At the top of the hill, a big bunker eats into the fairway, so if you're a long hitter, you may consider using a fairway wood or heading out to the right. After all, getting to the top of the hill means you'll have a clear view of the green. And what a green it is. It cascades down, following the slope of the hill, and it's right up against the river, so any shot that bounces or flies too far will go in. While a run-up shot is possible on most holes at Cape Arundel, it's absolutely the best play here. Flying the ball all the way to the flag is just asking for trouble. 

The seventeenth hole.

The seventeenth green, bordering on the river.

The green falls significantly from front to back.

The eighteenth hole crosses back across the Kennebunk River for the final time. The tee shot is partially blind, and O.B. lurks left in the form of the clubhouse and parking lot. This is one final par 4 that's just under 400 yards, and it's just as straightforward from tee to green as the rest. The green isn't particularly noteworthy either, not by Cape Arundel standards anyway. So unfortunately, it's not a very exciting finish to the round, especially after how good the last hole was.

One more river crossing on the eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

Cape Arundel has two things going for it: great greens and an almost-idyllic setting. There are few trees and the course is intimately routed, so you can hit the ball basically anywhere and get away with it. As a golfer, I loved it. But when I look at the course with a critical eye, I have to admit that there are some big flaws with the course. Yes, we've got the reverse of my opinion on Butter Brook, which I respected critically but disliked as a golfer.

My first big issue is the lack of length. I understand that there's no room to expand the course, but Cape Arundel would benefit enormously from having a couple of challenging long par 4s. The "long" par 4s are the worst holes on the course because they're so easily overpowered. That segues into my second issue: the lack of challenge tee to green. Cape Arundel relies entirely on its greens to provide defense, and while the greens do an admirable job, it's just not enough in my opinion. I can't believe I'm advocating for more trouble on the tee, but this is a weird world sometimes. On so many of the par 4s, there's absolutely no reason not to blast away with the driver. Who cares if you go 50 yards or more offline if there's no punishment for it? Recovering from that far away should be possible, in my opinion, but it shouldn't be easy either. 

To be honest, this is more an indictment of golf in the modern era than of Cape Arundel itself. Giant drivers and super golf balls have rendered all of the course beyond the greens basically irrelevant. Anyone who can drive the ball more than 250 yards (which I understand is a minority of all golfers, but a minority that I'm in) can overpower Cape Arundel. Again, that's no guarantee of a good score, considering the complexity of the greens, but fully half the round is just not that interesting to the good golfer. 

If I'm seeming harsh, that's because of the steep price of the round. If it cost $40 or $50 to play, I could forgive the course's flaws. But it costs $115 in the summer to play Cape Arundel, which is way too much. So if you can get on for less than $50, than absolutely go and play the course. It's got some real strengths. But if you can't, I'd say skip it. It's not worth it at full price.