Beer of the Week

The beer: Sauron's Nightlight

Brewed by: Brick & Feather Brewery, Turners Falls, Massachusetts

Description (from Untappd): "A (very) Robust Porter, packed with roasted malts. At 8% ABV, we taste tons of coffee, dark chocolate, and some dried fruits, complimented by a huge body."

Would I buy it again? "But they were, all of them, deceived, for another beer was made." I'm disappointed that this came from a random small little brewery 500 miles away, because this is honestly one of the best porters I've had. The malt taste is perfect, and there's a hint of chocolately sweetness, but not too much. Hopefully Sauron's beer doesn't have the same magical property as his ring, or I'm going to be doing my best Gollum impression very soon. It's the precious, and we wants it.

Uh oh.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Tropical Becky

Brewed by: Pondaseta Brewing Company, Amarillo, Texas

Description (from the website): "Tropical Becky is the early summer sister of our house Blonde Ale, Becky. It’s brewed with all local Texas malt from Maverick Malt House for a smooth bready base, and then refermented with pineapple puree and lime juice. It’s the perfect blend of easy-drinking beer and tropical fruit! It’s subtle, but boldly refreshing."

Would I buy it again? The lime is definitely more dominant than the pineapple in this beer, though you can taste both. Personally, I would have preferred the pineapple be more forward, so I'd probably give this one a pass in the future. It's good, but not quite what I was looking for.

Review: Jeffersonville Golf Club (Part 2)

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

The tenth hole is a shortish 350-yard par 4 with a pretty wide open fairway, though there is a bunker left that can catch longer drives. The green is more interesting; there are two bunkers, one front left and one right, and the green itself is heavily sloped up in the back left corner, while falling away in the back right section. It also has a small false front. A clever golfer can utilize the slope in the back right to stop approaches and bring them closer to the hole. Or, if you're like me and lack in execution, you can inadvertently thin a 60-yard pitch over the green and turn a potential birdie into a bogey.

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is a mid-length par 4 where, once again, the drive is pretty wide open. There's a couple of bunkers right of the fairway you'll want to stick close to in order to set up the best angle for the second, and while you can't see it from the tee, there's a tiny ditch crossing the fairway about 280 yards out which can catch otherwise perfectly decent drives. So long hitters should be wary of that. The second shot is a wedge or short iron to a very elevated, semiblind green that rather precariously slopes away at the back.

The eleventh hole.

Approaching the eleventh green.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is an excellent example of what one can do with flat, featureless land without going crazy with the bulldozer. The hole, a mid-length par 3, has just two bunkers, but it doesn't need any more. What it does have is a few mounds, one of which sits directly between the green and the tee, and a green that is perched maybe a foot or two above the surrounding fairway. The mounds ultimately don't take up much space, but their influence extends throughout most of the green. My tee shot ended up just short of the mound short of the green, with it directly between me and the flag. The resulting chip was not tremendously difficult, but there were so many options (flying a wedge over, bumping it into, going around, not to mention which club to use) that the shot couldn't help but be interesting. Everything here is subtle, but the end result is a fascinating hole.

The twelfth hole.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is a 430-yard par 4, with the fairway pinched by bunkers and trees on both sides. Not an easy drive, but not a tough one. The second shot is much more difficult; you'll need to hit a short or mid iron over a valley to a small green sharply sloped from back to front, set back amongst trees and long grass, with two deep bunkers short left and right. We're not talking about tremendous strategic decisions, but the second shot requires precision and commitment, and the green site does look quite good with the native grass and massive trees looming overhead.

The thirteenth hole.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is just 340 yards, but the drive is steeply uphill and plays to a semiblind fairway, with O.B. lurking close by on the left side. Two bunkers protect the left side from drives hit by long irons, while two bunkers further up on the right give those who use driver something extra to think about. The second will be a wedge (or half-wedge) to a partially blind green with bunkers on each side. The back of the green doesn't exactly fall away, but it's not sloped toward the fairway either, so you do have to be careful with overly zealous approaches.

The fourteenth hole.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is the final and longest of Jeffersonville's par 3s, playing 210 yards, though it is a bit downhill. The green's pretty big, but it slopes a lot in the front, and there are three pretty deep bunkers protecting the green, two right and one left. It's not the most compelling hole in the world, but I'm sure it doesn't give away too many birdies.

The fifteenth hole.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is home to a rather questionable tree. Located barely 100 yards off the back tee, it looms over the right portion of the hole, forcing you to either hit a massive fade, risking going straight through the fairway into bunkers or tall grass, or using a long iron to skirt around and remain short of the trouble left. At 390 yards, the hole's short enough that this works fine (I hit 3 iron then pitching wedge), and I understand the strategy, but that doesn't mean I'm a huge fan of it. The tree is just a big too close; 50 yards further away and the hole works better. If you lay up, the second is a short iron to a green nestled in a group of small mounds with a single bunker front right.

The sixteenth hole. If it looks like that tree is really in the way, that's because it is.

Approaching the sixteenth green.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole edges out the first for prize of longest par 4 at Jeffersonville, playing 452 yards (luckily mitigated for our round by a fresh downwind breeze). A cluster of three bunkers sit in the corner of the dogleg; these can be carried by a decent drive, leaving just a short iron or even wedge into the green. However, many will be drawn away from them, especially considering how open the left portion of the fairway is. Of course, bailing out left leaves you with a 200-yard second, turning this hole into a pseudo par 5. The green here is crowned, with bunkers front left and front right. I can tell you from experience that missing long is a bad idea; the green is elevated a few feet above the rear portion of fairway, making chips from beyond very delicate, as the green slopes away from you as well. Tough but rewarding to pull off, that is until you miss your par putt from 8 feet away. 

The seventeenth hole.

Approaching the seventeenth green.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole isn't the longest par 5 in the world, but at 545 yards (and no forward tees this time), it's no slouch either. The fairway snaps left about 225 yards from the tee, so if you want to hit driver, you need to flirt with the left tree line. The second shot, if you're laying up, is all about getting far enough down the fairway to get past a big pine tree in the corner of the double dogleg, squeezing between water left and a cluster of bunkers right. With that done, you'd think you could breathe easy, but no, this hole possesses one of the most diabolical greens you'll ever see. It's not particularly complicated or well guarded; there's only one greenside bunker off to the left, but the green slopes sharply from front left to back right, making it almost impossible to keep an approach from rolling out. The hole location we got, perched on a small shelf on the left-front corner, must be the toughest. I hit a good wedge that landed 15 feet left or so, but ended up with a 50-foot birdie putt, which I three putted (preventing me from breaking 80, by the way). At least if you miss the green left you've got a chance to get the fourth close to the hole; those who miss right are faced with the most delicate of chips to a green that slopes hard away from you. This may be a par 5, but it's honestly one of the toughest pars at Jeffersonville. 

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green, featuring a questionable pine tree to the right.

Even from 100-something yards away, you can see the green's significant tilt.

The eighteenth green.

Simply put, Jeffersonville is an excellent golf course. While it lacks the ambiance of Shennecossett, the design is just as good. There are some really good holes here, and no weak ones. When I was doing some research on the course ahead of time, I was led to believe that Jeffersonville was flat, and while it's got nothing on a course like Deerfield from last month, it's got enough topography to keep things interesting. Holes I particularly enjoyed were the first, the fourth, the fifth, the twelfth, and the seventeenth. That said, Jeffersonville does fall a bit short of George Wright in the design department. Those holes I mentioned have nothing on five through seven at George Wright, and in general everything Jeffersonville has, George Wright does a little bit better. It's even got Jeffersonville beat when it comes to over-the-top quirk; the eighteenth green here is silly, but George Wright has the twelfth, an entire hole devoted to silliness.

That's not to take anything away from this course. It's a fantastic place and definitely worth checking out if you're looking for a round in Philadelphia. The value is also hard to beat: $35 to walk on a Friday afternoon. The course is in good shape, or as good as one can hope for from a well-trodden muni, and you'll be treated to a full dose of classic Donald Ross. I wouldn't drive 2.5 hours to play there and only there, but I'd absolutely go again if I'm ever in the area with some time to kill.

UPDATE ON NOV. 15, 2022: So as it turns out, I actually recently played Jeffersonville for a second time. That doesn't happen too often on these course reviews, especially not one I literally only reviewed a month ago. So I thought I'd add in a few extra thoughts. First thing was that the conditions in late October were incredible. The course was running very firm and fast, much faster than in July. It made the greens a lot more threatening and interesting, and it was a lot tougher to get up and down. It's not a super long course, but it's got plenty to defend itself with, and there are very few easy holes. Also, the eighteenth is much easier to deal with when the hole is on the left side of the green. It's still a tough green, but it's at least possible to one or two putt. All in all, I'd say the second round definitely improved my opinion of Jeffersonville. It honestly might sneak into my top 10 at this point, and I think I do prefer it to Shennecossett.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Coconut Pie Face

Brewed by: Revision Brewing Company, Sparks, Nevada

Description (from the website): "Mountains of freshly toasted coconut, loads of cacao nibs and thousands of Madagascar vanilla beans on top of a rich imperial stout base round out this confectionary treat in a glass."

Would I buy it again? I'm not 100% sold on the mountains of coconut, but there's certainly plenty of chocolate and quite a bit of vanilla flavor to this beer. It's thick (duh) but smooth and not difficult to drink at all. Definitely a very good imperial stout, so yeah, I'd buy it again.

Review: Jeffersonville Golf Club (Part 1)

It's always nice getting back to a Donald Ross course. So long as the course even remotely resembles the original, you know you'll be getting a certain quality of design, and that's reassuring. That's why my brother and I decided to drive 2 and a half hours to a suburb outside Philadelphia to play Jeffersonville, a Donald Ross municipal course. Yes, another Ross muni in the Northeast. This one is at least slightly different; while it did open during the Great Depression, it wasn't initially built as a muni. It was bought by the city of Norristown in the 70s, all the while undergoing your typical benign neglect.

Luckily, Norristown recognized they have a genuinely good golf course in the late 90s and commissioned Ron Pritchard (the same person who renovated Bedford Springs) to restore and reenergize the course. Which it did; rounds per year went up by 33% or so. And work continues to this day on a smaller scale, which is absolutely fantastic. This is a course that is very well taken care of by people who care about the course. That should translate well, but let's find out just how good Jeffersonville is.

The first hole is not the sort of hole you like to see on a course without a driving range. At 450 yards, it is long, and the tee shot is not exactly easy. There's a group of three bunkers in the corner of the dogleg, which requires a drive of 225 yards or so to carry, with another group of bunkers just beyond if you don't cut off quite enough and go too far. A safe play out right almost turns the hole into a par 5, so that's not ideal. Assuming you hit an ideal drive, nicely cutting the corner, the second shot isn't exactly a walk in the park. It's a short or mid iron to a small, partially blind green with a decent amount of slope and undulation to it. There's only one small greenside bunker front left, but honestly? This hole doesn't need much in the way of greenside protection. It's a very tough opening hole, and not what you expect from a Donald Ross course.

The first hole.

Approaching the first green.

The first green.

The second hole is 100 yards shorter than the first and plays significantly downhill, with a big group of bunkers in the corner of the dogleg. You definitely don't want to hit driver here if you're a longer hitter, unless you want to risk either going through the fairway into O.B. long and left. A fairway wood or long iron is all you need. The second shot will be a wedge over a small stream to a slightly elevated green tucked into the corner of the property. The back hole location which we got is pretty tough; there's a small shelf back there, so it's difficult getting the ball all the way back, and you're asking for a bogey if you go over the green. 

The second hole.

Approaching the second green.

The second green. Not the most scenic view in the world.

The third hole is a short and potentially drivable par 4 at just 290 yards, though it is uphill. The green is fairly shallow and angled behind a greenside bunker, which makes it difficult to approach, especially from the right with a partial wedge. Obviously, most golfers don't have the length to get to this green, which means dealing with a group of five bunkers right of the fairway. The bunkers even narrow the fairway right where one might want to lay up; in addition, the green is more blind the further back down the fairway you go. A 250-yard plus drive down the left is the best play, leaving a simple pitch down the full length of the green.

The third hole.

Approaching the third green.

The third green.

The fourth hole is a tiny little 135-yard par 3 with an equally tiny green. The front half is barely 30 or 40 feet wide, which is a tough ask, even when you just have a wedge in hand. And if you miss the green on either side, a very likely scenario, you'll have a very tough second shot. There's just so little green to work with, and it's not like the green is flat either. If the hole is cut in the back, you'll have a bit more green, but still, this is a green that demands precision. Hit it and you've got a good chance at birdie, miss it and you'll struggle to make bogey. Just how a short par 3 should play.

The fourth hole.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole is a mid-length par 4 at 370 yards, playing to a wide fairway that's actually joined with the next hole. There are a couple of bunkers left, and the whole fairway slopes from left to right. Not a tough drive, but things get more interesting at the green. It's very wide and not particularly deep, with a very steep dropoff behind. Also, the green is separated into two sections by what isn't quite a tier, since the green is all at the same level at the front, but functions similar to one. While the right two-thirds of the green slope from back to front, the left third does the opposite; this results in a massive 3- or 4-foot difference by the back of the green. And when the flag is tucked in the back left corner, like it was for our round, good luck getting a putt from the right side close. That knob/slope down is nasty and very fast. This is a great example of how you don't need big, bold hazards to define a hole. A simple but well-placed elevation change can make all the difference, and turn an otherwise forgettable hole into something dramatic.

The fifth hole.

Approaching the fifth green.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is ostensibly the longest hole at Jeffersonville, weighing in at 575 yards from all the way back, but for whatever reason all the tees were forward, placed on what can generously be referred to as an elevated batch of dirt (I'm assuming they were growing grass, but the grass seemed pretty grown to me), so the hole was playing more like 450. That is still par 5 length for 90% of golfers, so we'll treat it as one. The hole bends right around O.B. and a line of bunkers, and you can cut off as much or as little as you'd like. As the hole played, I was able to cut enough off to have just an 8 iron into the green. If you are laying up with the second shot, you'll want to fully commit, leaving a full wedge into the green. There's a lot of bunkers scattered around between that point and the green, and you don't want to leave yourself with a 50-yard bunker shot. The green is somewhat crowned, especially at the back, with a big bunker protecting the right side.

The sixth hole.

Approaching the sixth green.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is 380 yards, with a drive playing steeply uphill to a partially blind fairway. The hole doglegs left, with a couple bunkers in the left corner. Carry those and you'll have a much shorter and easier second shot. The green is long and narrow, with three bunkers scattered around. There's a lot of back-to-front slope to the green as well. 

The seventh hole.

Approaching the seventh green. This is not an optimal location, but it worked for me.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is just under 200 yards and plays a bit downhill over a small pond, with a single bunker left. The green is pretty small and slopes sharply from back to front, but there's quite a bit of fairway around it. It's a typical Donald Ross move, leaving a decent amount of space between the water and the green. It's less dramatic, perhaps, but it's more lenient. The mere presence of that water is enough for most golfers, and this isn't a course that'll host any major tournaments. So why not make things a little easier for the person who can barely break 100? There's a lot more of them than people who break par every round. 

The eighth hole.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is 385 yards and doglegs to the right, with a pair of bunkers pinching the fairway about 240 yards out. You don't want to go too far left, otherwise you'll be blocked out by big trees. The green has a bunker right, is slightly elevated above the fairway, and is pretty much dead flat. There's also big dropoffs left and long to watch out for.

The ninth hole.

Approaching the ninth green.

The ninth green.

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