Beer of the Week

The beer: PB & Jams

Brewed by: Abita Brewing Company, Covington, Louisiana

Description (from the website): "With aromas & flavors of strawberry and peanut butter, PB & Jams will immediately take you back to your favorite childhood snack - the peanut butter & jelly sandwich. The flavors meld perfectly resulting in a medium bodied brew with a subtle sweetness."

Would I buy it again?: I couldn't resist a PB&J beer. I just can't. Positive point: This is definitely the best peanut butter–flavored beer I've ever had. Of course, that's not a high bar; peanut butter just doesn't really work in beer, in my opinion. This isn't bad, and I'm glad I bought it, but I don't think I'd get it again.

Review: The Edison Club (Part 3)

And now, the time has come for the third part of my review of the Edison Club. The first two parts can be found here and here.

The nineteenth hole is a straightforward short par 4, though not a drivable one. The pond isn't an issue, meaning you can hit driver and get as close to the green as you can. That will leave a little wedge into the green, which is quite small and steeply sloped from back to front. There's also a couple of bunkers around the green.

The nineteenth hole.

Approaching the nineteenth green.

The nineteenth green.

The twentieth hole is about 400 yards and doglegs right around a group of trees, so this is one dogleg you won't want to try to shorten. Missing the fairway even a little right means being blocked out by a tree. The second shot is slightly uphill to a fairly flat and bunkerless green. 

The twentieth hole.

Approaching the twentieth green.

The twentieth green.

The twenty-first hole is the longest hole at Edison, playing 560 yards up and over a small hill to a gently downhill-sloping fairway. There aren't any fairway bunkers and the playing corridor is pretty wide, save for a few trees. The lay-up is also pretty simple, but the third shot is tough; it'll be a little wedge to a green surrounded by four small bunkers. If you've got some length, this is a definite birdie hole.

The twenty-first hole.

The twenty-first green.

The twenty-second hole is one of the toughest holes as Edison; it's a 450 yard par 4, blind from the tee, with a thick line of trees just right of the fairway. The fairway goes over a series of undulations, but at least there aren't any fairway bunkers. The second shot is also mostly blind, with just the top of the flag visible from the fairway. The green is bunkerless – the only bunkers on the hole flank the fairway about 50 yards short of the green – but it's a tough one. It slopes sharply from back left to front right, though the back left portion falls away dramatically. 

The twenty-second hole.

Approaching the twenty-second green.

The twenty-second green.

The twenty-third hole is 160 yards, making it the shortest hole at Edison. It also plays downhill, so it's functionally even shorter than the scorecard indicates. The bunkers cover the front of the green, so you don't want to miss short, but the green slopes from back to front and is fairly shallow, so missing long isn't great either. Still, it's a short hole, so it's not too tough.

The twenty-third hole.

The twenty-fourth hole is a 400 yard par 4 with quite a narrow fairway threaded between a line of trees left and a forest right. It's not a sharp dogleg to the right, but it's enough to make using driver not necessarily a great idea. Using a 3 wood means you'll have a short or mid iron into the green. This hole has a fairly complex green; it's long and has two tiers, and is flanked by a pair of small bunkers. It's not a masterpiece, but it's more interesting than most greens at Edison.

The twenty-fourth hole.

Approaching the twenty-fourth green.

The twenty-fourth green.

The twenty-fifth hole is a mid-length par 3 with a large bunker left of the green, which has a bit of a false front. Nothing extreme, since nothing at this course is particularly extreme, but it is sort of there. There's also some mounding right, but this is not a very difficult hole.

The twenty-fifth hole.

The twenty-sixth hole is a short par 5, coming in at just under 500 yards, but reaching it in two can be tricky. The issue is the dogleg, which doesn't come until about 300 yards out, and the trees inside the corner. If you want to go at the green, you need to either hit your drive 300 yards or hit a big slinging hook around the trees. Both are difficult tasks. You may need to lay back on the second for safety, which is a bit annoying, but a decent showcase for the value of trees as a hazard. Without them, this hole would be very easy. The green is small and has a fair amount of undulation, and a single bunker protects the right side. There's also a bunker left of the fairway, about 40 yards short of the green, which can catch second shots from overambitious people with cameras.

The twenty-sixth hole.

Approaching the twenty-sixth green.

The twenty-sixth green.

The twenty-seventh hole is a tough finisher, maybe as tough as the twenty-second hole despite being 20 yards shorter. It goes downhill at first, then swings left around a few large trees to go back up to the clubhouse. This is no small incline, the second shot climbs a good 20 or so. The landing area is fairly wide, though you can lose a ball if you hit a big slice (gee, wonder how I know that). The green is bunkerless and lies in a little punchbowl, though it's also pretty sharply sloped from back to front, so don't go thinking you'll have an easy time. It's a decent hole, though not the one I wanted to see after playing 26 holes before it.

The twenty-seventh hole.

Approaching the twenty-seventh green.

The twenty-seventh green.

As I said at the start, the Edison Club is not the best course in the world. It is, in fact, incredibly average. It bears some similarities with some old country clubs I played in junior golf tournaments in; courses that had a Golden Age heritage but had been heavily modified over the years. A century (or more, in Edison's case) of general messing about and natural growth can leave courses feeling bland, and that is exactly how I would describe Edison. As a golfing experience, the course is perfectly fine. It's fair, there's no big annoying hazards, it's an excellent place to play golf. You won't dislike your rounds here. But it doesn't stand out either. It's the generic image of parkland-style golf. There are some decent holes, but it had nothing that made me say "Wow!" or anything beyond "That's kind of interesting." Would I play this course again? Sure. Am I going to seek out another round here? Probably not. 

Beer of the Week

The beer: That'll Play

Brewed by: Cushwa Brewing Company, Williamsport, Maryland

Description (from Untappd): "Sky’s out limes out. That’s how the phrase goes, right? Just in time for hot weather, we bring to you That’ll Play. That’ll Play is a clean, crisp lager packed with refreshing lime flavor. This beer is a perfect warm weather crusher and will help you forget about every duck hook and duffed shot on the golf course."

Would I buy it again?: I can't resist the golf-themed beers. Taste wise, this is pretty simple, it's a lager with lime in it. It's very refreshing, though perhaps not the ideal beer for the winter. But hey, it was 60 degrees when I drank this and I had just played golf, so it worked. I'd buy this again.

Review: The Edison Club (Part 2)

It's time for the second nine at the Edison Club, go here to see the first nine.

The tenth hole is a 370 yard par 4 that plays slightly uphill to a fairway that slopes from right to left. There's a bunker left of the fairway you don't want to be in, but the right side is the better side to approach the green from anyway. The green is protected by a bunker front left and drops off significantly on the left and behind. It's also a fairly undulating green.

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is just under 200 yards and also plays a bit uphill. There are two bunkers short of the green, which slopes significantly from back to front. It's not easy, but it's not the most complicated hole in the world.

The eleventh green (forgot to take a picture from the tee).

The twelfth hole is a pretty short par 5, only 480 yards, so if you hit a good drive the green's pretty easy to reach in two. However, the drive is to a fairly narrow fairway, sloped from right to left, hemmed in by big trees on both sides. The hole then bends left to the green, which is pretty undulating – with a large knob in the back portion being particularly tricky to deal with – and falls off significantly on the left side. You don't want to miss on that side.

The twelfth hole.

Approaching the twelfth green.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is a 190 yard par 3 that plays a bit downhill to a reasonably large green with a noticeable back to front slope. There's a single bunker front right. Overall, a pretty simple hole.

The thirteenth hole.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is a mid-length par 4 that's a bit awkward on the tee shot. The fairway is gently undulating, going up and down in slow waves, but that's not the tricky part. The overhanging trees right of the fairway are. A fade is definitely the shot to hit off of this tee. That will leave a wedge or short iron into a shallow green fronted by two bunkers.

The fourteenth hole.

Approaching the fourteenth green.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is a short and potentially driveable par 4, and one of the better holes at Edison. If you're laying up, you'll definitely want to favor the left side; the green is pretty small and guarded by two bunkers on the right side. Of course, there's a bunker left of the fairway where many people would choose to lay up to, or where a decent drive would end up for the shorter hitters out there. It's definitely a birdie hole, but it can be tricky if you don't play it the right way.

The fifteenth hole.

Approaching the fifteenth green.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is a mid-length par 4 with a very wide open fairway. The only real obstacle is the presence of a few scattered trees. If you're in a decent position, the stream that cuts across the fairway about 50 yards short of the green is not a problem. The green is fairly large and also pretty open, with just one small bunker front left. The green does have a lot of subtle undulation to it, so it's not the easiest task making your putts. 

The sixteenth hole.

Approaching the sixteenth green.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is a short par 5 with a very similar tee shot to the previous hole. Pretty open fairway, semiblind, not a lot of trouble except for some trees. There are a few more trees on this one though. If you hit the fairway you can go for the green in two. The green has two small bunkers left and a larger one right and slopes from back to front.

The seventeenth hole.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is 380 yards but plays longer than that (though the back tees were closed for my round, so we played from the front tees), since it goes uphill the entire way. The fairway has no bunkers, though there is O.B. right. The second shot will be a wedge up to a smallish green sloped from back to front. There are three greenside bunkers, two left and one right.

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

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

Beer of the Week

The beer: Honey Bourbon

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

Description (from Untappd): "Our signature Honey Rye beer aged 4 months in a Bourbon barrel."

Would I buy it again?: As you might expect from a beer aged in a bourbon barrel, this is quite a heavy, thick beer. It tasted very good, with a pleasant amount of honey thrown in, so I would buy it again, but it's not the sort of beer you can throw down. I wouldn't buy it very often.

Review: The Edison Club (Part 1)

I'm knocking out the Devereux Emmet golf course early this year. Eventually the streak of reviewing Emmet courses will end, but it won't be 2022. Just don't expect anything on the same level as Leatherstocking though, or Copake. The Edison Club, located just outside Albany, was originally designed by Devereux Emmet, but I seriously doubt that the course as it is today bears much resemblance to that original design. A lot of years have gone by and people have changed things around. 

I'm never one to turn down playing a golf course I've never seen before, and since my brother works here, getting out here for a round was a no-brainer. Fair warning, this isn't going to be my best or most exciting review. Edison is a perfectly fine golf course, but it's not the most interesting one. It would have almost been better if it had been bad; at least then I'd have something to write about. But I took the pictures, so I'm going to document this course no matter what. Anyway, now that I've pulled you in with that incredible vote of confidence, let's take a look at Edison.

The first hole really does set the stage for the next 26 holes (oh yeah, Edison has 27 holes and you're going to see them all). It's a mid-length par 4 that plays gently uphill. The fairway isn't blind from the tee but the landing area is. A drive to the outside of the gentle dogleg is preferable, as the green is angled from right to left and the lone greenside bunker protects the left side. The green has plenty of subtle elevation and break to it. Not boring, but not anything to write home about either.

The first hole.

Approaching the first green.

The first green.

The second hole is 360 yards and doglegs right. The tee shot is complicated greatly by three bunkers scattered throughout the landing area. There's not a lot of room between them, so you either need to lay up short, leaving a long approach for a fairly short par 4, or hit a big fade with the driver around the trees to clear them. The second shot is to a shallow green protected by three small bunkers. This is not an easy hole, despite its modest length.

The second hole.

Approaching the second green.

The second green.

The third hole is a short par 4, only 340 yards, and it plays a bit downhill. Much like the previous hole, this one doglegs significantly off to the right, but in this case you really can't use driver. Trees protect the inside corner of the dogleg and can't be carried. That means hitting a wood or long iron out to the corner, leaving a wedge in. The green is sloped significantly from back to front, with a noticeable tier in the middle; there are three bunkers protecting the front of the green.

The third hole.

The third green.

The fourth hole is a short par 5 that plays basically dead straight along a road to the right. The fairway slopes slightly from right to left, but there's not a huge amount of trouble on the tee. If you hit a poor drive and need to lay up well back, there is a pond about 100-150 yards from the green. A good drive means you can go for the green in two. It won't be an easy task though, since the green is guarded by three bunkers, with two right and one front left.

The fourth hole.

Approaching the fourth green.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole is a fairly simple 165 yard par 3. The bunker in front of the green is actually 20 yards in front, despite all appearances, so you don't have to worry about that one too much. The bunkers left and right of the green are more of a concern.

The fifth hole.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is a fairly long par 4 at 430 yards and plays uphill to a mostly blind fairway. While there are no fairway bunkers, there are trees on both sides that you don't want to be in. Hit a good drive and you'll have a short to mid iron into a semiblind green. This hole has a fairly tough green; it slopes from back to front and is also domed in the middle. 

The sixth hole.

Approaching the sixth green.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is 185 yards and has a fairly small green sloped significantly from back to front. There are two bunkers left and right. Not much else to say about this hole.

The seventh hole.

The seventh green.

I do, however, have some things to say about the eighth hole. It's 550 yards, making it the second longest hole at Edison, and negotiates rolling terrain. There aren't very many flat lies here, and while there's a ton of room to work with on the drive, you'll definitely want to favor the right side. That's because there's a big giant tree about 150 yards from the green in the corner of the dogleg; if you're too far left you won't be able to get your second very close to the green. It's best to stay down the right side on the second shot as well, as there's a pond and small stream left protecting the last 100 yards of the hole. The green is small and there's water left, though at least there aren't any bunkers. This is not an easy par 5; par is a good score.

The eighth hole. Maybe it's just me, but that narrow little fairway looks kind of silly with so much extra space on each side.

Approaching the eighth green.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is a mid-length par 4 that goes downhill slightly at first, then turns left and heads up the hill. The drive needs to be threaded between a pair of fairway bunkers and some big trees. You can use driver, but it's probably not necessary. The second shot is pretty uphill, and the green is protected by a single bunker front left.

The ninth hole.

Approaching the ninth green.

The ninth green.

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