Review: Mohawk Golf Club (Part 2)

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

The tenth hole is 366 yards and plays slightly uphill to a fairway tilted significantly from right to left. There's a line of trees (and O.B) right, which is the preferable side to be on, since you get a better view on your second shot. The green is tilted from back right to front left, and there's a bunker left and a smaller one front right.

The tenth hole.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is the longest par 4 on the course, playing 440 yards with O.B. very close to the right. It's not a very inviting drive, with the landing area completely blind and trees on both sides. But it does open up a bit, so you can use driver. You actually want to favor the left side anyway; an approach from that side avoids the two bunkers right of the green, and the one left isn't the most significant hazard in the world. The green slopes significantly from back right to front left, and putts from above the hole are very slippery.

The eleventh hole.

Approaching the eleventh green.

The eleventh green.

After eight par 4s in a row, I'd be inclined to look favorably on any hole that breaks the streak. Not that there's a bad hole in the bunch, but I like a bit of variety. Fortunately, the twelfth hole, a 185-yard par 3, is one of Mohawk's best (and toughest) holes. The green is elevated and protected by six bunkers, two left and four clustered together front right. In case it wasn't hard enough to hit already, the green is also rather small and filled with plenty of undulation. There's a particularly nasty runoff on the back left corner that is really something to avoid. This is the toughest par at Mohawk, and even bogey isn't the worst thing in the world.

The twelfth hole.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is the second and final par 5 at Mohawk. From the back tees it's 515 yards, meaning it's reachable in two for most, especially if you can hit your drive long enough to catch a downslope. That extra bit of roll helps. If you can go for it, you'll need to hit a draw in, carrying a bunker about 20 yards short and skirting around a deep bunker front left. If you're laying up, you'll want to favor the right side, making sure to avoid a fairway bunker 100 yards short, placed right where you'd want to go. The green is two-tiered, with the back higher than the front. It's not a difficult hole, but it's definitely not one where you can slug two big shots and have no issues making birdie.

The thirteenth hole.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is a short par 4 of the drive and pitch variety, playing 340 yards. The fairway is initially quite wide, but is narrowed significantly by bunkers about 200 yards out. So you can play risk free on the drive, but that will leave 150 yards for the second, and on a hole this short, with a green as well defended as this, that's not exactly ideal. You will probably want to take on the bunkers in some capacity, but the further you go, the narrower it gets. Whatever club gets you to 100 yards is probably the best choice. The green is small and protected by sand on three sides, and is ideally approached from the right side, which perhaps not coincidentally is where the majority of the fairway bunkers are. Funny how that works out.

The fourteenth hole.

Approaching the fourteenth green.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is Mohawk's signature hole (their words, not mine), a short par 3 playing over a pond to a small green surrounded by a tiara (again, their word, not mine) of 11 small bunkers. It's referred to as a Punchbowl, but it shares little in common with the Macdonald/Raynor Punchbowl. This is its own hole, a short but challenging little par 3 with a green severely sloped from back to front. Missing the green means having to work for par, hitting the green means you have a great chance at birdie. It's a good hole, and I love short par 3s, but I think I prefer the twelfth.

The fifteenth hole.

Mohawk finishes off with a stretch of three mid-length par 4s, all playing back in the same direction back toward the clubhouse. The sixteenth plays along the side of a hill, with the fairway sloping pretty significantly from right to left. For most, that means the second shot will be a wedge or short iron with the ball above your feet. The green is protected by three bunkers, one left and two right, and there's a ridge running through the middle.

The sixteenth hole.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole has a pretty open fairway, though there is a small ditch and high grass left, along with a pair of small fairway bunkers. The fairway is tilted from right to left, though not as much as the previous hole. The green is on the larger side, with a bunker left and a small bunker back right. It's not the most interesting hole in the world, which is a little odd considering its place in the round.

The seventeenth hole.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole does present a decent challenge. Like the previous two holes, the fairway slopes from right to left, and is squeezed between clusters of trees. It may not be the greatest idea to use driver, but of course, laying back will leave a much longer approach into the green, and this green is very tricky. There are six bunkers around it, four left and two right, and the green is sloped sharply from back right to front left. Of course, with the clubhouse close behind, you don't want to go over the green either. You need a precise iron, which I think befits a closing hole. If you want to finish with a birdie or par, you can do that, but you have to earn it.

The eighteenth hole

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

There is a lot to like about Mohawk. It's a very good course. There are a few weaker holes, ones that aren't exactly spectacular, but there are as many strong holes to make up for that. All three par 3s in particular are very good. The short par 4s are also quite good (especially the fourth). But Mohawk also suffers the same issue that I had with Rock Spring, in that there are just too many par 4s. Death by par 4, my brother likes to call it. Two par 5s and three par 3s means that Mohawk has 13 par 4s, and you really notice that in the middle of the round, when Mohawk strings eight par 4s in a row. The stretch of 6 to 10 is especially egregious; the longest of those five holes is 394 and the shortest is 366. Less than 30 yards of difference. I think even the best architect in the world would struggle to avoid a certain repetitiveness, and while Devereux Emmet was a capable architect, he couldn't avoid the trap. Not entirely. 

Another drawback is the finish. While 18 is fine, 16 and 17 are on the weaker side, and it does kind of  feel like that the round is essentially over after 15. Mohawk's given you its best by that point, and the last three holes are simply there to get you back to the clubhouse. I exaggerate, but I think 16 and 17 would be better served if they were 350 and 450, rather than both being 400 yards. 

Something else that isn't a huge deal but nevertheless should be mentioned are the conditions. You expect a certain standard from a rather private country club, and Mohawk did not meet that. There were noticeable bare spots in the green and in portions of the fairways. Now, obviously they're not going to make what happened public knowledge, and the most we heard was that it was a rough winter, but other courses in the area didn't have the same issues in late May, so there was probably some greenkeeping mishap. Mohawk wouldn't be the first course to accidentally fry their own greens. It happens, and like I said, it wasn't the biggest deal. The greens were still puttable. If I'm lucky enough to get another chance to play here again, I'd happily go. Mohawk has a few drawbacks, but it's still a very worthwhile round.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Blueberry Braggot Honey Ale

The brewery: Flying Fish Brewing Company, Somerdale, New Jersey

Description (from the website): "Exit 3 is the gateway to a lot of farmland, so we’re using one the state’s favorite crops– blueberries. Braggot is an ancient style– written about since the 12th century. This Braggot features local blueberries and honey, a very limited amount of hops and is fermented with Belgian-style yeast. The result is a straw-colored beer with blueberry highlights. On the first sip you will note a light sweetness along with citrus notes followed by a well-rounded malt character. The beer has a medium-full body."

Would I buy it again? This is a really interesting beer. When I first tasted it, I was strongly reminded of a mead. This beer is 12%, so it's way more alcoholic than a beer, but about right for a mead. And as it turns out, the Braggot style of beer is basically a mix of mead and beer. It's also delicious. The honey and blueberries mix very well together, and neither overpower the other. You don't want to drink it like a beer, more like a wine (or mead obviously), but as long as you're sipping slowly at it, it's a great drinking experience. I would definitely buy this again. 

Review: Mohawk Golf Club (Part 1)

Another year, another Devereux Emmet course. The streak continues. And unlike 2022, we have a well-preserved example. Mohawk Golf Club, located in Schenectady, New York, just outside Albany, has a rather interesting place in golf history. While the Emmet version of the course was built in 1904, the club was incorporated in 1898, and included as one of its members a certain A.F. Knight. Now, that name is not going to be familiar to anyone, but Mr. Knight is responsible for the creation of a unique golf club: the Schenectady putter. He used this putter to great effect, and great ridicule, since most believed it to be goofy and ridiculous. In 1902, however, Mr. Knight was introduced to Walter Travis, famed amateur player and golf course designer, who took one look at this putter and was intrigued by the possibilities. He had one built for himself, promptly finished second in that year's U.S. Open, and 2 years later became the first non-British person to win the British Amateur, almost entirely due to his stellar putting (Travis was a very short hitter, but made virtually everything). This so scandalized the R&A that they banned the so-called Schenectady putter for nearly 50 years.

That has very little to do with the golf course at Mohawk, but it's a neat little tidbit of information, and I'm glad I dug that up. Anyway, the course. The initial Emmet design was actually a par 74, whereas the current layout is a par 70. That said, other than the eighth hole losing over 150 yards to become a fairly short par 4 instead of a mid-length par 5 and some general lengthening, the routing hasn't really changed much. Mohawk's also had some restoration work done in the past few years, namely to remove trees from the interior sections. And it really does help; obviously, this is no great beauty of a golf course, being in the middle of suburbia, but those long sightlines to multiple holes in the distance really does give Mohawk a pleasant connectness that many courses lack. 

The first hole is not a gentle handshake sort of opening hole. At 430 yards from the back tees, it's the second-longest par 4 at Mohawk. The tee shot isn't exactly difficult, but neither is it easy, as the fairway isn't excessively wide. It's the second shot that's tricky. There are two bunkers on each side of the green, and the green itself is rather undulating, being especially high on the left middle portion and falling away on either side of that high point. You need precise iron play here, and that's something you'll see throughout the round.

The first hole.

The first green.

The second hole isn't most Redan hole to ever Redan, but that's basically the hole we're dealing with. The green is tilted 45 degrees away and sloped from right to left, meaning the best play is a draw. The bunkers front left are especially hazardous on this hole, being 10 feet deep. Not quite as extreme as the bunkers at Keney Park's Redan, but still really not someplace to be. And missing right isn't much better either, since the green slopes away right into those deep bunkers. You can very easily run right through and be in a 10-foot deep bunker on your third shot rather than your second. Definitely not speaking from experience there.

The second hole.

The second green.

The third hole is the first of just two par 5s at Mohawk, and if you're crazy enough to play it from all the way back, you'll be confronted with a 620 yard hole negotiating rolling terrain. It's a much more reasonable 530 from the next tee up, which is probably where most golfers should be playing. While there are a few trees right and an O.B. line left, the biggest issue on the drive is the shallow valley cutting across the fairway at about the point where a drive would end up. Go in that and you'll have an awkward stance for your second. Long hitters can carry it, however, and if you do that, the green is reachable in two. It's not an easy shot, hitting a long iron or fairway wood into a fairly small green guarded by three bunkers as well as a significant dropoff left, but it can be done. For most, however, this is pretty safely a three-shot hole.

The third hole.

Approaching the third green.

The third green.

Hopefully you're a fan of par 4s, because starting now, we'll be seeing eight in a row. The first of this impressively long streak, the fourth, is just over 300 yards and definitely drivable for the long hitters out there. If you can't quite do that, you have a few options. If you're feeling especially safe, you can hit a mid iron into the first section of fairway, which is wide open but will leave a full wedge second. Use a longer club and the fairway bunkers come into play, but you will obviously have an easier second, especially if you favor the right side. The green is protected by a small bunker front left and a larger one right, but that's not its primary defense. The green is highest on the front left section and falls away from there, making it extremely tough to keep any shot from the left close unless you are extremely precise and get a decent amount of spin. There is definitely something to be said for laying up off the tee so you can get the spin you need, but on the other hand, it is a small green, and the further you are, the more inaccurate you'll be. This is really a very deceiving hole: You see a 300-yard par 4, you expect to have a good shot at birdie, but instead you're happy to walk away with par. 

The fourth hole.

Approaching the fourth green.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole is a 420-yard par 4 playing to a mostly blind fairway. It's not an especially wide fairway, especially with dense trees lurking to the right, but there are no bunkers, so it's more open and inviting than it looks from the tee. A good drive will leave a short iron into the green, which is sloped from right to left and guarded by three bunkers.

The fifth hole.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is a mid-length par 4 playing uphill to a fairly narrow fairway flanked by two bunkers about 230 yards from the tee. How big an issue these are depend on how long you are. This is one of those holes where you can definitely see the age of the course. 230 yards used to be a big issue back in the early 1900s, and while the bunkers still are in play for many golfers, they're not really in play for even moderately long hitters. That said, there is a plateau at that distance, providing a flat stance for a wedge or short iron. If you go past that, you'll have a downhill lie to a green sloping from right to left protected by bunkers on each side.

The sixth hole.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is slightly longer than the previous hole, but it plays downhill (and parallel to the sixth), so it's effectively the same length, or even slightly shorter. The tee shot is blind, but the fairway is completely wide open, so feel free to use driver, favoring the right side. That will leave you the best angle for a wedge or short iron approach. The green is slightly domed and protected by two bunkers on each side.

The seventh hole.

Approaching the seventh green.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is 370 yards and plays over essentially flat land. Without natural topography to provide interest, clever design has to take over. The hole doglegs significantly about 250 yards from the tee, so some restraint is necessary off of the tee. But not too much, and it's important not to stray too far right as well. You'll be blocked off by trees. Of course, the same thing happens if you go too far through the fairway. The green has one bunker right and two left, and also possesses a rather significant false front. When the flag is located just over that false front, like it was for our round, putts from above the hole are quite nerve-wracking.

The eighth hole.

Approaching the eighth green.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is the fourth sub–400-yard par 4 in the row, this one 380 yards and playing slightly downhill. It's a tricky drive, with the landing area pinched by a couple of bunkers left and O.B. in the form of the course's driving range right. In addition, the fairway is tilted from left to right, which is especially tricky from the back tees, which are offset to the left. You have to hit a draw, be extremely precise, or play conservatively to hit this fairway. The second shot will be a wedge or short iron to a green sloped pretty sharply from back to front and fronted by four small bunkers.

The ninth hole.

The ninth green.

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

Beer of the Week

The beer: American Blonde Ale

The brewery: Aldus Brewing Company, Hanover, Pennsylvania

Description (from the bottle): "American Blonde is smooth, easy drinking and well balanced with a clean finish. Born of German yeast, English malt, and American hops, it is the quintessential American brew. This versatile beer drinks well; whether tailgating or sitting down for a gourmet meal. We refined American Blonde over the last few years to be the perfect stepping stone into the world of craft beer. Cheers!"

Would I buy it again? It's not quite as good as the last beer I had from Aldus, but it's definitely a very solid beer. Tasty, easy to drink, not too hoppy. I really need to get up to that brewery at some point, because I've enjoyed both of their beers that I've had. I would definitely buy this again.

What's The Best State For Public Golf Accessibility?

Good news for South Dakotans: Your state officially has the best public golf course to golfer ratio in the United States. At just 633 golfers per golf course (the U.S average is 2,200 per course), South Dakotans have lots of public golf (95% of courses are public) to choose from. Is any of it any good? Well ... I know absolutely nothing about golf in South Dakota, which doesn't exactly speak well, but hey, an empty golf course is an empty golf course. And that's better than what I'm dealing with here in Maryland.

This is the real reason I'm making this post. Okay, technically Maryland isn't the worst state for public golf accessibility. New Jersey is officially the worst, crowding nearly 5,000 golfers onto each public course (courtesy of nearly half its courses being private). But Maryland isn't far behind at 4,400 per course. So, if you're ever wondering why I go so far afield to review golf courses – like my current sojourn up to Albany – this is why. Okay, it's not the only reason, but Maryland is really, really bad when it comes to public golf. Even with Atlantic City Country Club going fully private, New Jersey still has Rock Spring, which beats any of Maryland's public golf options. There are other public-access Golden Age–era designs floating around New Jersey (like Brigantine and Seaview), which Maryland lacks. So while Maryland courses are slightly less busy, the quality is worse, and I think we have a compelling argument for worst public golf in the country. Good job Maryland!

Beer of the Week

The beer: Öö XO

The brewery: Põhjala Brewery, Tallinn, Estonia

Description (from Untappd): "A special version of the Öö, aged for months in Cognac barrels. Taste: A silky smooth texture of dark malts, red fruits, cognac, liquorice, and honey. Hints of molasses mix with those of rich dark chocolate, all balanced with elegant tannins cleansing the palate. Appearance: Pitch black - as dark as the night sky, with an opaque brown head. Nose: Dark fruits, plums, raisins, cranberries, and grapes - a rich forest fruit jamminess hits the nose first with some espresso notes and dark sugar. Cherries, cognac, tannins and hints of spice linger in the background."

Would I buy it again? What an incredible beer this is. So many tastes, yet you never forget that you're drinking a beer. It tastes like a beer. But you can taste the various other things. The honey, the fruit, the cognac. It's all there. If I ever see it again, I will buy it again, but Estonia isn't exactly right next door. 

Review: Pinehaven Country Club (Part 2)

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

The tenth hole is 390 yards and plays slightly uphill, with the fairway routed through a valley. Everything falls in toward the middle of the fairway, which also means that flat stances are rare. The green is elevated, bunkerless, and not especially undulating, making this a pretty simple hole, pretty similar to the first.

The tenth hole.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is a very long par 3, playing 230 yards (though significantly downhill). The green isn't exactly a wide-open target either; there are two bunkers, one on each side, and the green itself is quite small and tilted from left to right. 

The eleventh hole.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is a short par 4, playing 340 yards over some of the hilliest terrain at Pinehaven. The fairway reaches a plateau about 225 yards out then drops into a valley before shooting back up to the green, so if you want a flat stance for the second, you'll want to lay up. The green has no bunkers, but what it does have is a pair of pine trees stranding about 10 yards short left of the green. That obviously makes second shots tricky from almost anywhere, even the right portion of the fairway. You have to keep it low, which is not something you often have to do on short par 4s. In this case, rather than aiming for the flat stance, it's likely better to get as far on the drive as you can. A 75-yard pitch shot won't have nearly as much issue with overhanging limbs as a full wedge. This isn't the first or last time trees have figured into the design, but this is by far the most aggressive Pinehaven gets with it.

The twelfth hole.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is a mid-length par 4 that plays significantly downhill to a fairway that's a bit wider than it looks from the tee. You will want to favor the right side on the drive, despite the four bunkers protecting the right side of the green. That's because there's a big pine tree lurking front left of the green, blocking out shots that come from too far left. It was an issue during our round, and my brothers and I had a reasonably neutral hole location in the middle of the green. Left-side hole locations would be very nasty unless you skirt the O.B. right.

The thirteenth hole.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is the shortest hole on the course at 145 yards, but since it plays straight uphill, you do need an extra club or two. The green is tiny, and there are bunkers on each side. Unlike most of the greens, this one is not sloped from back to front, more right to left, which means it's not particularly accepting of approach shots. I won't say that this hole or the ninth are tougher than the par 3 that's 80 yards longer, but neither are breather holes.

The fourteenth hole.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is a very short par 5, less than 470 yards. That naturally brings birdie or even eagle into the mind of the golfer, especially considering the relatively open tee shot. The playing corridor is pretty generous by Pinehaven standards, and there are no bunkers. The fairway is quite undulating, however, so it's unlikely you'll have a level stance for the second. That makes the uphill second shot quite tricky, and it brings the bunker 20 yards short of the green very much into play. I bet that bunker catches a lot of overly ambitious second shots that come in too low. The green isn't too complicated, with one bunker to the right and one behind. Obviously, this is a great birdie opportunity, but the hole has enough challenge to it that you can't take a good score for granted.

The fifteenth hole.

Approaching the fifteenth green.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole isn't the longest par 4 on the course, but it is likely the toughest. At 420 yards, it's no slouch, especially considering how little room there is to work with on the tee shot. Trees overhang the right side of the fairway, which slopes from right to left as well. If you can hit a fade, then you're mostly okay, but if you hit any sort of draw, you either have to be incredibly precise or lay far enough back to avoid running out into the trees. Plus, you'll have a worse angle into the green, which is tucked behind a pond. At the very least, the green is on the bigger and flatter side and there aren't any bunkers, so if you do hit the green in regulation, there's a good chance you'll be rewarded.

The sixteenth hole.

Approaching the sixteenth green.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is the third and final par 5 at Pinehaven, playing 500 yards and doglegging significantly to the left. The pond in front of the tee isn't an issue, but the tee shot should stick close to the left tree line, otherwise you'll run out of fairway pretty quick. The green is elevated and there are two bunkers in front, leaving a very small gap to run long second shots in, so it may be prudent to lay up unless you've got a mid iron in hand.

The seventeenth hole.

Approaching the seventeenth green.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is the same length as the sixteenth, but is noticeably easier. The fairway is pinched by three bunkers, two right and one left, but the playing corridor is fairly wide, so there is some room to breathe. A solid drive will leave a short or mid iron into a small green protected by three more bunkers, one right and two left and behind. This isn't the toughest hole in the world, but it's far from the easiest, which is good for a finishing hole.

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

Pinehaven was never going to be my favorite course in the world. There's just too many trees for me to love the place. Some of us just aren't very accurate, though funnily enough the entire day the trees were being extraordinarily generous with their bounces. My brothers and I hit into the trees many times, but we only had bad luck with the ricochets once or twice. So that helped.

Personal bias aside, this is a good course. Not great, but I would certainly classify it as better than average. It's got some good elevation change, the greens are fairly interesting, there's a decent amount of strategy, and there aren't any really weak holes. The tree planting is a bit suspect in places, but the twelfth at least would lose a lot of quirky charm if the tree in front of the green was a bunker instead. I'd remove a lot of trees, but I wouldn't actually get rid of that one. It wouldn't be my first choice for a replay, but I wouldn't mind playing Pinehaven again.