Beer of the Week

The beer: Triple Nator

Brewed by: Tröegs Independent Brewing, Hershey, Pennsylvania

Description (from the website): "What if we took the big and malty Troegenator and made it even bigger, even maltier? So big, you could tuck it away and age it for a year or four. For this sippable triple bock, we stuffed our mash tun full with Munich and chocolate malts and added Belgian candy sugar for a rigorous fermentation. In the end, Triple Nator delivers deep toffee and crisp malty notes. Put it in a glass or put it in your cellar. The next chapter is yours."

Would I buy it again?: I have some good news and some bad news on this one. The good news: This is the best beer I've ever had. No exaggeration, no question in my mind. It's everything I love about the Troegenator and more. It's malty and sweet in all the right ways, and it's still got that liquid bread taste that all dobbelbocks should have. And the best part? It maintains a certain drinkability that the fancy stouts just don't. I wouldn't chug one down, but it's not a chore to drink. I enjoyed it just as much at the end as I did at the beginning. This is, after all, a lager, and it's kept a bit of that lager identity. It's malts, hops, yeast, and water, with only sugar as an added ingredient. It's not even hopelessly bad value, either: $20 for a four pack isn't cheap, but when you consider how strong the Triple Nator is, it's not incredibly expensive. One of these has almost exactly as much alcohol as three Yuenglings. I've paid as much or even more for beer that I liked a lot less than this.

Now for the bad news: Don't bother looking for this beer in stores, you can only get it at the brewery itself. It's on tap as of late June, and there may be bottles floating around their general store, but if you want some, you have to go to Hershey. Which is annoying, but this is some seriously good beer.

Earth Now Has A Fifth Ocean

Don't panic, Earth hasn't suddenly changed, all the continents are right where we left them. This is a change in terminology only. We all know the four oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic, but back in elementary school geography you may have come across the name "Southern Ocean," referring to the body of water surrounding Antarctica. In terms of geographic separation there's really nothing delineating the Southern Ocean from the southern Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic, but there's a big difference in the water itself, thanks to the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which makes the water of the Southern Ocean much colder and less salty than the oceans surrounding it.

The Southern Ocean has always exists, but it's always been an unofficial term, but now National Geographic has recognized it as the fifth ocean. I'm not sure how much that changes the reality of the world, and I didn't know National Geographic had the authority to declare this, but here we are. Earth now has five oceans.

Beer of the Week

The beer: General's Golden Ale

Brewed by: Antietam Brewery, Hagerstown, Maryland

Description (from the website): "Refreshing golden ale brewed with wheat & a blend of American & New Zealand hops. Classic light ale, broad appeal. So drink up!!!"

Would I buy it again?: I didn't know that this beer had wheat in it, which gives it a much stronger and juicier flavor than I was expecting. I'm glad for it too, because it makes it more interesting, and so I would get this one again. It distinguishes itself from the herd of summer beers.

Review: Leatherstocking Golf Course (Part 2)

It's time to take a look at Leatherstocking's back nine, go here if you haven't seen the front.

The tenth hole is a mid-length par 4 that continues climbing up the mountain, so it plays noticeably longer than the 385 on the scorecard. The fairway isn't very wide and there's a bunker that cuts into the fairway about 100 yards from the green, so it may be the wiser play to use a 3 wood off of the tee. The second shot is a wedge or short iron up the hill to a basically blind green that's surrounded by a flattened ring of seven bunkers. Miss right and you've got a deep bunker to deal with, but miss left you'll be left with a bunker shot to a precariously perched green that slopes away, which is really not much better. 

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The tenth green from the eleventh tee.

The eleventh hole is not the par 5 Leatherstocking is famous for, which is really too bad, because this hole is incredible. At 560 yards, this is the longest hole on the course, and it manages to pack interest into every single yard. The tee shot is downhill to a wide but severely canted fairway with dense forest to the right. If you want the best angle to potentially go for the green in two, you'll need to skirt that right side, preferably with a fade so it stays on the right side. If you don't hit a good drive, a group of three bunkers built into the hillside about 200 yards from the green become a potential issue. Most people will probably lay up to the right up at the top of the hill, leaving a wedge down a big hill to the green. Or you can pull out the fairway wood and hit a swooping draw, encouraged by the sidehill lie, that takes the slope down toward the green. The back half of the green is ringed by bunkers, but the front is wide open. No matter how you play this hole, even if you can only hit the ball 100 yards, there are decisions to be made, and that's something few par 5s can claim. I can't say enough good things about it.

The eleventh hole.

The eleventh fairway has quite a bit of tilt to it.

Approaching the eleventh green.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is by a wide margin the shortest hole at Leatherstocking, and it's an interesting proposition. It's only 135 yards and plays a few dozen feet downhill, so even less club is needed than you might think. And this is a green you don't want to go over. There's a parking lot and a road just feet behind the green; much like the third, I can't believe there's no netting or anything to contain stray golf balls. Plus that's not the only problem, though it is admittedly the biggest hazard on the hole. The green is shallow and subtly sloped from front to back, and there's a ring of 10 bunkers completely encircling the green. There's a lot going on here, but the hole is extremely short, so it remains playable.

The twelfth hole.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is not as threatening as it first looks. When you step onto the tee, your eye will be drawn toward the big deep bunker that dominates the fairway, but that bunker isn't actually that big a threat. It's only 150 yards from the tee, so it's no trouble to carry it. The drive is actually pretty easy, since the hole is only 340 yards and the fairway is deceivingly wide. The second shot is much trickier, since the green is small and guarded by a couple of bunkers and a deep pit (though not as deep as the one on the seventh, since the green isn't elevated). There's also a big dropoff behind the green, so I wouldn't recommend going long either.

The thirteenth hole.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is a very driveable par 4 at only 285 yards. There's a bunker in the fairway about 175 yards from the tee, so you'll want to use enough club to get over that if you're not going for the green. It's not a big target, but there's no significant trouble by the green so there's really no good reason to lay up. It's a great opportunity to make a birdie or even an eagle.

The fourteenth hole.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is another half-par hole, being a 460 yard par 5 that is easily reachable in two. The fairways is tilted from right to left, similar to the eleventh, but if you can stay on the right side, you can at least get a view of the flag. The green is hidden from view, huddled down in a punchbowl. There's O.B. left, a couple of bunkers, and the green isn't huge, but otherwise it's an inviting enough target. It's entirely possible to get through this and the previous hole with a pair of eagles, or a couple of birdies. I would, however, get rid of the line of trees behind the green. It wasn't such a big deal in early November, but those trees would ordinarily block out the view of the lake, and I think it's a mistake to limit those impressive sightlines.

The fifteenth hole.

Approaching the fifteenth green.

The fifteenth green, with its extra long flag.

You've got quite a vista when you step onto the sixteenth tee. The lake and the massive Otesaga Hotel are in the background, beyond the hole. The sixteenth is a par 4, playing just under 370 yards, that heads past a pond to the right toward the lake. If you'd like, you can lay back short of the pond, a simple enough shot, but you'll have 150 yards into the green, or you can hit a bigger club and take on the water and the two bunkers to the left. It's tough, but it's definitely easier to approach this green from 100 yards than from 150. It's not a big target, and there's still water right, plus a bunker left. At least the green is flat. 

The sixteenth hole.

Approaching the sixteenth green.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is 180 yards and has a fairly simple green that slopes gently from back to front, making it pretty easy to hit. And that's a good thing, considering the water short, right, and even beyond the green. The lake makes a very effective hazard, but there's not an unreasonably small amount of space out there, so I don't think the hole is too difficult, especially considering its place in the round.

The seventeenth hole.

The seventeenth green.

Another look at the seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is Leatherstocking's calling card. It is a par 5 of epic proportions, a hole that bends 515 yards around Otsego Lake to a green nestled between the lake and the hotel up on a hill. But that really only scrapes the surface of what's going on here. When you're on the seventeenth green, you may notice that there really isn't any land left. The path takes you out on a wooden bridge over the water, heading out in a direction not exactly toward land. That's when you come to the tee box, which is not actually on land. You tee off from a small island more than 100 feet from the lake shore, an artificial island built on top of sunken automobiles. Let me tell you, I have never been more aware of my grip on the golf club then when I was on that tee or so worried about accidently letting go of the driver and flinging it out into the lake. But anyway, the fairway bends constantly in a gentle curve, so you can cut off as much as you want. You could play wide right and keep the carry to a bit over 100 yards, but that will make the hole a definite three-shotter (or more). There's actually a small bump in the shore where things widen out, providing a decent place to land a driver if you can carry it 300 yards; if you make it, you'll have just a little wedge for your second shot. Hey, if you can carry it 350 (a feat that I suspect will become more common, not less), you could even try your luck and go for the green directly. Most people don't do all that, I'm assuming, and play the hole as a driver, a long iron, and then a wedge or short iron. The water is, of course, an omnipresent threat, but there's room to the right. The green is pretty big and has a large tier running through the middle. The hole may lack the grandeur of the Pacific Ocean, but otherwise it's a pretty similar proposition to the final hole at Pebble Beach. And that hole doesn't have a tee on an island. So yeah, I'd say this is a pretty unforgettable experience and a great way to finish the round.

The eighteenth from the seventh tee.

The eighteenth hole from the seventeenth tee.

Nothing but 350 yards of water between the eighteenth tee and green.

Approaching the eighteenth green. The bump in the shore I mentioned is in the middle left of the picture. It's not easy to get there with a driver, but it's possible.

The eighteenth green.

There's a big tier running through the final green..

Looking back at the eighteenth. The tee is just below and left of the white building.

As you can probably tell, I'm a big fan of Leatherstocking. It's an excellent golf course and a very distinctive one. The eighteenth is quite obviously an unforgettable hole, and it didn't disappoint, but I was really surprised by the eleventh and the par 5s in general. The eleventh is one of the best holes I've ever played, and all four par 5s were very good, something that most golf courses can't say. Par 5s are tough to get right. Since they're so long, very often one shot (or more) just ends up being a matter of hitting the ball as far as you can, especially if you can't go for the green in two. That's not the case at Leatherstocking, as all four par 5s make you think the entire way through. Plus there are some strong par 3s, especially the two across the road on the mountain. The par 4s are the weakest part, but that's hardly saying that they're boring. The use of elevation change to effectively add distance ensures that Leatherstocking doesn't suffer from the same problem Cape Arundel does. And that is a concern, since both courses have no long par 4s and both are on small properties with many parallel holes. Leatherstocking doesn't quite have the same quality of green complexes, but they're certainly not boring or easy, and the tee-to-green part is way better.

I do wholeheartedly recommend Leatherstocking if you're in upstate New York, however, it's not exactly great value. I paid $69 per person to play on a Saturday afternoon in November, and that's not cheap. Sure, it included a cart (another thing, you can't walk Leatherstocking on weekends unless you start after 2 p.m., and when it gets dark at 5, it's kind of hard to get 18 in), but still, you can play 18 holes in New York for a lot less. I do think it's worth the fairly steep price of admission though, this is an amazing golf course, and if you think about it, Pebble Beach costs $500 more, so if you want the experience of a dramatic par 5 that curves around a natural body of water, this is the value option. I'd certainly like to get another round in on a nice dry summer day, see how fun the greens are when they're running firm. That could be an interesting experience.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Stack of Flapjacks

Brewed by: Spring House Brewing Company, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Description (from the can): "Pancake Stout with Dr. Nikki's extra sticky maple syrup, agnostic cinnamon, and vanilla."

Would I buy it again?: I was really excited for this one. I love pancakes, and a pancake-flavored beer sounded delicious. Boy, was I disappointed. It's terrible, it doesn't taste anything like pancakes. It's thin and bitter, and it was an honest struggle to finish it. I have three more of these stupid things, and I'll have to save them for when I'm drunk and can't taste how bad they are.

Review: Leatherstocking Golf Course (Part 1)

Most people who visit Cooperstown, New York, are going to see the National Baseball Hall of Fame. It is the obvious reason to visit the town, which is otherwise kind of in the middle of nowhere. However, it isn't the only reason for the few people in the world who like golf but don't really get too much out of baseball.

Some very good non–baseball-related reasons to visit Cooperstown.

Leatherstocking Golf Course is associated with the Otesaga Hotel, which you can see in the background of the image above. It's quite an impressive building, perched up above Lake Otsego, source of the Susquehanna River. Why didn't they name the hotel after the lake? I don't know. Anyway, back to the golf course, which was designed by our old friend Devereux Emmet. Yes, old Devereux makes another appearance on the blog. Eventually I'll run out of public Emmet courses, but it won't be this year. Leatherstocking is most known for its finishing hole, which you can also see in the background of the image above, but we'll get to that later.

I'd also like to mention how lucky we were with the weather. Early November in upstate New York is a dicey time to be playing golf at the best of times. As a matter of fact, I'm reasonably sure there was snow covering the course just a few days before my brothers and I played there. But thanks to some record-setting heat, we had a nearly 70 degree day under clear skies to enjoy the course. Sure, some fall foliage would have been nice, but I won't complain too much. Even with bare trees Leatherstocking is still quite a sight.

The first hole is a pretty simple little drive and pitch par 4 and a nice way to ease into the round. It's 340 yards, so you can use anything from a driver down to a long iron off of the tee and you'll probably still have a wedge into the green. There's plenty of room for the drive, but the left side is probably preferable, especially if you use the driver. The green is tilted pretty severely from left to right, and there's a nasty bunker front right that you won't want to be in. When the hole is on the right side like it was for us, a drive down the left is absolutely the best option since you can aim at the middle of the green and run the ball down toward the hole. It's a neat little hole to start, not difficult but not incredibly easy either.

The first hole.

Approaching the first green.

The first green.

It was hard to resist taking some pictures looking down at the lake. And without leaves, you could actually see it.

The second hole is 390 yards, which actually makes it one of Leatherstocking's longest par 4s. However, the hole plays steeply uphill, which effectively adds 20-30 yards of distance, a neat little trick that we'll see multiple times at this course. There isn't a huge amount to do on the tee shot other than staying on the hole and getting as far as you can, but the second is a bit more interesting. The green is up the hill, of course, but there are steep drop-offs in front and to the right, and there's a deep bunker left. The green is sloped from back to front and has two definite sections to it. Considering the yardage, it's a tough second shot, but this is still not one of the course's better holes.

The second hole.

Approaching the second green.

The second green.

This won't happen on every hole.

The third hole is a par 3 of about 200 yards that I honestly can't believe exists in its current form. The green here is not large and wedged between two significant obstacles: a series of small bunkers right and a road to the left. That road is ridiculously close to the green – we're talking 10-15 feet. Even a fairly mild hook can clear that little stone wall and end up in the road. I would know: I did exactly that, and in the process did something I can't believe it took 20 years of golf for me to do. I hit a car and broke the windshield. So my recollection of this hole is a bit foggy because I was too busy being yelled at by an irate driver. Back when the course was first built I'm sure it was fine having the road so close, but now? It's a state route, the main way out of town. The fact that there's no netting or anything is baffling to me. The group in front of us saw what happened and said to me a hole later that plenty of people do exactly what I did. I can't believe the hotel hasn't been sued yet.

The third hole.

The third green.

The fourth hole is a fairly short par 5 with a blind tee shot. The fairway is a couple dozen feet below and runs alongside the road to the right. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the right side of the fairway is the better part to be in if you want to go for the green in two. A series of bunkers cut across the fairway 75-100 yards from the green, so even if you're laying up, you'll have to deal with those bunkers if you want the best angle into the green, which has six small bunkers protecting the left side. The green is not large and sloped pretty significantly from right to left.

The blind tee shot on 4.

The fourth hole.

Approaching the fourth green.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole is just under 400 yards that plays gently downhill and doglegs fairly significantly from right to left. The ideal tee shot is a draw that follows the turn of the fairway. The second shot crosses over a pair of bunkers that cut across the fairway 50 yards short of the green – a feature that doesn't really come into play anymore – to a long and fairly narrow green guarded by several bunkers that circle around the back half of the green.

The fifth hole.

Approaching the fifth green.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is an awkward little 360 yard par 4. The fairway swings from left to right, and there's a cluster of trees right where you'd want to aim a driver. You can go over them, but it's not an easy task doing so. Not everyone can get a driver that high. If you go out to the left though, the fairway runs out pretty quick and you'll have a fairly long second shot. And that's not something you'll want considering the green, which is very small, domed, and protected by five bunkers. The closer you are to the green, the better, but it's not an easy target to hit from any distance.

The sixth hole.

Approaching the sixth green.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is the only par 4 at Leatherstocking that exceeds 400 yards, though by only a few yards. Like the third, the hole goes uphill the whole way, making the hole play quite a bit longer than the scorecard suggests, and the drive is not the tricky part. The fairway is pretty wide and there's no trouble to speak of. The second shot is very tough though. While there are bunkers left and behind the green, the big issue is a pit left and short. It's a dozen feet deep and, while there's no sand, the depth is more than enough protection. The green isn't very big either, and has a fair amount of left to right slope.

The seventh hole.

Approaching the seventh green.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is a mid-length par 4 that doglegs right while going slightly downhill. You will probably be tempted to cut the dogleg and shorten the hole, but I think it's better to go down the left side. The green is very small and there are several bunkers to the right, not to mention the treat of overhanging trees. The shot from the left side of the fairway is a bit longer but the angle into the green is more favorable.

The eighth hole.

Approaching the eighth green.

The eighth green.

After crossing over the road, the ninth hole is the start of a four hole stretch that plays on the side of a small mountain. The ninth is a 185 yards par 3, though the tees were a bit forward when we played. The tee shot is very uphill to a semiblind green that's actually a bit of a reverse Redan. It's got a deep bunker front right and the green slopes from left to right. It's not an easy green to hit unless you hit a high fade that lands on the front left part 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.