Review: Shaker Ridge Country Club (Part 2)

It's time to check out the back nine at Shaker Ridge, go here to see the front.

The tenth hole is a mid-length par 4 not much over 400 yards, but it does play significantly uphill, especially on the second shot. It's a pretty standard strategic hole; a bunker guards the left side of the green, meaning it's best approached from the right side of the fairway. Of course, there's a bunker right where one would want to hit their drive. Much like most of the greens at Shaker Ridge, this one has a fair amount of back-to-front tilt, so be wary if you hit your approach beyond the hole.

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is 380 yards, with the drive playing steeply downhill. There's not much to worry about on the tee shot save for trees, and while the fairway does end in a pond, it's far enough out that even the longest hitters can use driver. The second shot is a wedge over the pond to the green, which is not an easy shot. The green's got the usual back-to-front tilt, and since most people will tend to miss long, you'll either have a slippery downhill putt or an even trickier downhill chip. So, not a long hole, but definitely not an easy one.

The eleventh hole.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is a tough 225 yard par 3 with a small, two-tiered green and a big bunker front left. The green's in a little bit of an amphitheater, and you definitely don't want to miss long. It's a tough hole if you play it as a par 3, but it's pretty easy to make 4, which I like. Unlike the previous hole with its forced carry, this one is difficult for better players while being relatively easy for those of us who aren't so good.

The twelfth hole.

The twelfth green. Take note of the next hole in the background.

The thirteenth hole is the second and last par 5 at Shaker Ridge, and while it's not hugely long at 510 yards, the second half of the hole plays very steeply uphill. When the ground is soaked and the wind is unfavorable, it's a bit of a slog. The fairway is pretty wide, but there are bunkers on either side to threaten drives. Two more bunkers about 75-100 yards from the green complicate lay-up shots. There aren't any greenside bunkers at least, making this the only bunkerless green on the course. If you're long enough to go for the green in two, it's a pretty easy hole, but those of us who aren't long enough will have a tougher time.

Someone forgot to take useful pictures of the thirteenth hole. Oops

Having climbed up a big hill on the thirteenth, the fourteenth immediately drops right back down. At 326 yards from the tips, it's potentially driveable for the longest hitters, but most golfers will be better off laying back with a wood or long iron around the fairway bunker on the right. Doing so will give the best angle into the green, which has a bunker left and a stream/ditch a bit off to the right.

The fourteenth hole.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is a dead-straight mid-length par 4 with a wide-open fairway. There's no bunkers, no water, just O.B. in the form of dense forest left. There's plenty of space to avoid that though. The second shot will be a wedge or short iron to an elevated green with two flanking bunkers. There's a noticeable false front to the green as well.

The fifteenth hole.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is the final par 3 at Shaker Ridge, playing 190 yards over a pond that also curls around left of the green. It's not massively in play, but it is something to think about. There are two big bunkers left and right, and the green is sloped pretty severely from back right to front left. 

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is a very long par 4, playing 460 yards from the whole way back. If you've got any sort of headwind, good luck having anything less than a full mid or long iron into the green. You want to favor the left side, flirting with O.B. and a big fairway bunker, to set up the second shot. The green has a fairly deep bunker to the right. This is most decidedly not a birdie hole, but at least it's strategically sound and doesn't feature any truly severe hazards.

The seventeenth hole.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole finishes things off in a reasonably gentle manner. At just under 400 yards, it's not particularly long, and there's no much trouble. Like the previous hole, you want to favor the left side, as the green is protected by a big bunker to the right. The green has two tiers, so if you end up on the wrong level two putting is very difficult. That said, it's not a tough hole, and my brothers and I all managed to have pretty short birdie putts. We all missed, but that's because none of us can putt. It's a good finishing hole; not a pushover, but not really difficult.

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green. For the first time in many ages, my brothers and I all had reasonable putts for birdie.

Would I classify Shaker Ridge as a hidden gem? No. It's not anything really special. Is it better than the average golf course at least? Yes, I will give it that. Not by a wide margin, but it is a decent course that does make you think in quite a few places. It's a quiet, mild-mannered country club with a fairly mild-mannered course. The elevated greens do get a bit played out by the end of the round, but it was a conscious choice by the course designer to facilitate drainage back in the day when the technology was not so advanced. And it certainly worked; these greens were lightning fast and pretty firm. And considering how much rain Albany got in 2021 (it was a lot), that's honestly an impressive feat. I'm in no hurry to go back, but I wouldn't say no to another round.