Review: Great Cove Golf Club (Part 2)

It's time to take a look at Great Cove's back nine, go here to see the front.

The tenth hole is, much like the first hole on the other side of the driving range, a 420-yard par 4. The tee shot is significantly downhill with very little in the way of hazards. It's normally a great opportunity to blast driver, but that opportunity was somewhat diminished during our round, as my brother and I played this hole into a pretty strong headwind. That made the second shot fairly challenging, as we had mid irons into the green. Really, the place you don't want to miss this green is left, as the bunker guarding the green is both large and deep. The green's also got some pretty significant slope to it, maybe the most on the entire course. 

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole presents a little bit of a mystery. Today, this hole is a short par 5, playing 470 yards and involving a 200-yard walk in the wrong direction to get to the back tees. While neither my brother or I can remember for certain (and we don't have any old scorecards on hand to prove otherwise), we're fairly certain this hole did not originally play as a par 5. It used to be a shortish par 4, and it's kind of interesting that they changed it. The way it is now, pretty much any tee shot that the people who frequent a course like this can hit (ie, not very long) will leave a blind second shot. This was not an issue before the change. Oh well.

Anyway, provided you hit a solid drive, you can get to this green in two, just be sure not to miss left. If you're lucky, you'll catch the bunker. If not ... well, your golf ball's probably gone. Right is a safe place to bail out, or you could just aim to lay up just a little short, leaving a pretty simple uphill pitch into the green.

The eleventh hole.

Approaching the eleventh green.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is a short par 3, playing 155 yards downhill to a slightly elevated green with moderating mounding all around. And that's about it. Really a very simple hole, as usually short par 3s have some element of danger to compensate for the lack of length. But not here. It does have a pretty nice view of the mountains, at the very least.

The twelfth hole.

The thirteenth hole is the first in a three-hole stretch of mildly awkward short par 4s. The designer clearly routed themselves into a corner, and while it doesn't show so much here, it will soon. This particular short par 4 is 325 yards that plays to a fairway that's eventually pinched by trees left and a small pond right. Any drive hit more than 250 yards is entering the danger zone, so a fairway wood or long iron is the best choice off of this tee. That will leave a little wedge into the green, which has a decent amount of slope to it and is protected by two small bunkers left.

The thirteenth hole.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is just 300 yards, which technically puts the green within reach for longer hitters. However, the hole bends left significantly, and with numerous tall trees guarding the corner, you'd either need to hit a giant hook or hoist a driver very high to reach the green. Further complicating matters is the pond lining the right side of the hole. Not only is it very close and in play even if you lay up, the fairway tilts heavily from left to right, encouraging big bounces right in the direction of the water. You need to be careful on this tee shot; fortunately, it's a short hole, so even teeing off with a mid iron will leave you with a wedge second. The green is sloped significantly from back to front, and while it's bunkerless, there's forest long and a lone tree guards the left side, complicating drives that stay too far away from the pond. I'll give the fourteenth this much: It's definitely not mindless.

The fourteenth hole.

Approaching the fourteenth green.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is 310 yards, and it's everyone's favorite design: the 90-degree dogleg. Like the previous hole, the green is technically reachable, but with about a thousand trees between the tee and the green, you'd need supreme confidence in your abilities to try. For most people, this is a long iron followed by a little wedge up the hill to a small green tucked into the forest, with a single bunker left. No need to complicate anything.

The fifteenth hole.

Approaching the fifteenth green.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is a mid-length par 3 playing ever so slightly downhill to a narrow green flanked by sand. It's not a terrible hole, but it's hardly the most inspired thing in the world.

The sixteenth hole.

For the first sixteen holes, Great Cove does not present much of a challenge. This is not a difficult golf course. However, once you step onto the seventeenth tee, things take a turn. At 550 yards, the seventeenth may not seem all that long on paper, but this is a true three-shot hole. It plays uphill the entire way, gently but endlessly. And with dense trees hemming in the narrow fairway, there's precious little room to maneuver or recover should your drive stray offline. And the fairway only gets narrower as you go. The smart play is to accept this as a three-shotter and hit a 3 wood off the tee (or even a long iron), followed up by another fairway wood or long iron. That should leave you with a wedge third, but don't think the challenge ends there. This green slopes very sharply from back to front, and while the greens aren't fast, I've watched someone six putt this green back in the day. Par is a victory here. Honestly, even bogey is fine. Just avoid the dreaded other and move on.

The seventeenth hole.

Approaching the seventeenth green.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is by far the longest of Great Cove's par 4s, playing nearly 460 yards. Admittedly, that is mitigated by the steeply downhill tee shot, but in order to access the fairway, you must first thread your drive through a narrow chute of trees. Hitting a draw will work very well for you here. Provided you do make it through, the hole opens up tremendously. A good drive will leave a mid iron into the green, which gently slopes from back to front and is protected by bunkers on both sides. Not an easy shot, but way less difficult than the drive. Still, this is not a gentle finishing hole.

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

So, does Great Cove have any secret hidden depths to it? Uh, no. It's definitely not the worst course in the world, but neither is it good in any real sense of the word. It's a pretty average golf course, tending toward the basic. And that's reflected in the price: $25 to play 18 holes is really not too bad. For that, I can excuse quite a bit. So, while I wish the course was better, I think you definitely get out of Great Cove what you put into it. I wouldn't say no to another round there.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Roadsmary's Baby

The brewery: Two Roads Brewing Company, Stratford, Connecticut

Description (from the website): "Roadsmary’s Baby is a scary good pumpkin ale with a Two Roads spin, it’s aged in rum barrels for added complexity and depth of flavor. The result is a smooth drinking ale with notes of pumpkin, spices, vanilla, oak and a touch of rum."

Would I buy it again? This is a very mellow yet thick beer. You definitely get the vanilla and pumpkin, but they're pleasant notes rather than overpowering. Usually, barrel-aged beers are quite strong, but at 6.8% this beer is definitely not excessively alcoholic. Which is nice, actually, drinking a hefty beer like this without the unmistakable taste of alcohol itself. Honestly, not a bad choice for Halloween itself; I'd probably buy this again.

Review: Great Cove Golf Club (Part 1)

It's time for another rousing entry in my occasional series: "Returning to golf courses I played in my junior golf days." This month, we're visiting Great Cove Golf Club in McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania, located in one of the state's numerous long, narrow valleys. I won't say I'm intimately familiar with it, since it has been something like 13 years since I played it, but I do know the course reasonably well. Partly because I have played it multiple times, and partly because there's not much to it. At least, that's how I remembered it. Who knows, maybe the years have been kind to Great Cove? Let's find out.

The first hole isn't exactly a long par 4, but at 420 yards, it's not really a short opener either. On the face of it, this is a classic simple strategic hole. Flirt with the right-hand fairway bunker to obtain a better view of the green. This is slightly complicated, however, by the presence of the course's driving range just left of the fairway. It's not the worst thing in the world – the driving range has to go somewhere – but it does lessen the strategic potential of the hole. Better to be in the bunker than reloading on the tee.

The first hole.

Approaching the first green.

The first green.

The second hole is a mid-length par 4 that doglegs right pretty significantly around a cluster of trees. The fairway is mostly blind and tilted from right to left, which makes going through the fairway into the trees beyond quite easy to do if you don't take an aggressive enough line on the tee shot. You can hit driver up over the trees right if you've got the length, and doing so leaves just a little partial wedge. For most, however, a driver or 3 wood just left of the fairway bunker is the ideal line, and will leave a full wedge second into a small green protected by three bunkers.

The second hole.

Approaching the second green.

The second green.

The third hole is 420 yards, the same as the first, though this one plays dead straight and lacks any fairway bunkers. What it does have is a 10-foot-deep dip taking up the right side of the fairway, exactly where a good drive might end up. Obviously, this is best avoided by favoring the left side. Unfortunately, the green isn't exactly set up to reward this behavior, featuring two flanking bunkers (technically three, but I doubt the back left bunker sees much action) and a not particularly interesting green.

The third hole.

Approaching the third green.

The third green.

The fourth hole is a 190-yard par 3 that plays slightly downhill to a small, well-defended green. If you're going to miss this one, short left is the place to do it; that leaves you a very simple chip and a great chance to get up and down. The green itself is slightly domed and a little bit trickier than the past three, but by and large Great Cove doesn't present much challenge on the greens.

The fourth hole.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole is a short par 5 at just 490 yards, with a fairway playing slightly right to left over pleasantly rolling terrain. Ideally, the drive favors the left side, as this shortens the hole and gives you a better angle to go for the green in two. If you're not a long hitter, be aware that the fairway slopes pretty hard from left to right in the general vicinity of a hundred yards out, so if you want a flat stance for the third, you either need to get quite close (inconvenient considering the shallow nature of the green and the bunkers front right) or leave more than 125 yards in. And that's not much fun on a hole less than 500 yards.

The fifth hole.

Approaching the fifth green.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole isn't particularly long at 160 yards, but it plays slightly uphill and it's all carry. Three bunkers line the front of the green, making an aerial approach a necessity. Beyond that, though, there isn't much to this hole. Just avoid the sand and you should be okay.

The sixth hole.

The seventh hole is 430 yards and plays straight away to a fairway with a distinct right-to-left tilt. There's no fairway bunkers, but the left side – definitely the better place to approach the green – has several pine trees creeping in quite close. It doesn't take much of a miss to be blocked out. The right side is safer but gives you a worse angle into the green, which is reasonable large and has bunkers front right and left.

The seventh hole.

Approaching the seventh green.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole isn't quite a 90-degree dogleg, but it's not too far away. The fairway bends sharply left about 205 yards out (if that), meaning you really can't hit driver unless you've got a big hook on command. Hitting 3 wood is the safe play, but the second shot will be quite long (the hole is 420 yards), uphill, and semi-blind. And while the green itself is receptive enough, two bunkers closely guard it front left and front right. It is not an easy second shot here.

The eighth hole.

Approaching the eighth green.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is 515 yards, making it 25 yards longer than the fifth, but with a tee shot that plays significantly downhill (and very downwind for our round), I think this hole is potentially more reachable. That said, if you do want to be aggressive on the second, you need to stay left. Go too far down the right side and trees will block you out. There's a bunker about 100 yards out to give people laying up something to think about, and the green is flanked by bunkers as well.

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.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Devious Imperial Pumpkin

The brewery: Fegley's Brew Works, Pittston, Pennsylvania

Description (from Untappd): "Amber-hued and expertly brewed with real pumpkin, pale, Munich, and caramel malts, this ale pours a frothy dark ruby color with enchanting aromas of pumpkin pie, spiced cookies, and nutmeg. A harmonious blend of ginger, cinnamon, clove, and allspice balances natural pumpkin sweetness, revealing rich undertones of toffee, squash, and clove. Finished with unique notes of spiced pumpkin seeds and blood orange marmalade, this full-bodied ale offers a sophisticated and delightful taste of the season, crafted with unmatched passion and quality."

Would I buy it again? I'm not sure this is what they meant when they named this beer "devious," but the taste profile of this beer is surprisingly restrained. I was expecting an explosion of flavors, but this beer is surprisingly drinkable and moderate on the pumpkin flavor. Not light, definitely not, but you can take a big swig and not be completely overwhelmed. But while I like this beer, I didn't buy an expensive imperial ale for a moderate amount of pumpkin and malt. So I would probably pass on this in the future.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Pretzel Bier

The brewery: Victory Brewing Company, Downington, Pennsylvania

Description (from the website): "ROASTY, MALTY, & SLIGHTLY SALTY. Here at Victory Brewing Co., we love putting creative twists on traditional beer styles. Speaking of twists...our newest release, Pretzel Bier, delivers notes of warm, freshly baked pretzels with a toasted, slightly sweet finish. Using natural sea salt and a robust caramel malt, this 7.5% Toasted Ale takes all that’s special about a traditional Strong Ale and cranks it up a notch."

Would I buy it again? This is a tricky one for me, because in a vacuum this is a very good beer. Malty, kind of sweet, with a faint bit of saltiness. It's good and I enjoy drinking it. But when the Aldus pretzel beer exists, you really have to bring your A game, and this just doesn't compare. This tastes a bit like a pretzel, and while it's good, it isn't good enough. I'd take Aldus's pretzel beer every time.

Review: Sly Fox Golf Club (Part 2)

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

The tenth hole is about 500 yards, so initially you're probably thinking about going for the green in two. It's not a long par 5, it definitely feels like it could be reachable, especially considering the lack of hazards on the tee shot. But the scorecard doesn't tell the full story, as this hole plays like the eighth hole on steroids. The landing area is blind, but beyond 275 yards out the fairway dips down 30 feet into a valley – which means solid drives will end up on a precarious hanging slope. Kind of tough to hit a solid long iron or fairway wood when the ball is a foot below your feet. The fairway does rise up onto a plateau again, which is where you'd ideally lay up, but keep in mind that it dips down again more than a hundred yards from the green, and that level of restraint is not easy. The alternative, of course, is a less-than-full wedge from another hanging lie up a big hill into the green. The green is at least fairly long and large, but the bunker left does complicate approaches. This is definitely a hole where you need to think about every shot; mindlessly slugging away will only cause you issues further along.

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The tenth green from behind, highlighting the severe rolls in the fairway.

The eleventh hole is a dramatic mid-length par 3 playing about 50 feet downhill to a green guarded by water both in front and to the left. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, this is by far the most severe green on the course; there's got to be something like 4 or 5 feet of height difference between the front and back edges. The greens aren't too terribly fast, though, so missing long isn't necessarily grounds for an instant three putt. Even so, this is one of those par 3s where you really just want to hit a good tee shot and get out without too much damage to your scorecard.

The eleventh hole.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is not a long par 4 at just 350 yards, but you'd have to be absolutely crazy to hit driver on this one. The fairway is offset about 45 degrees from the tee (so it's functionally a dogleg) and narrows the whole way, wedged between a steep slope left and a falloff into bushes and scrub right. Also, the fairway ends at a narrow, deep valley about a hundred yards from the green, and while you can hit out of it, you wouldn't want to. The play here is a safe wood or long iron into the heart of the fairway, leaving a short iron or wedge into the green, which is perched on the edge of the course, peering precariously over dense forest just to the right. 

The twelfth hole.

Approaching the twelfth green.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is a very short par 5 at 480 yards, but before you think of getting home in two with just a mid iron, there's a couple things to consider. One, there's a gigantic valley cutting across the fairway about 275 yards from the tee; I did not realize this and hit my best drive of the day straight into it, leaving a horrific hanging lie that I could not solidly hit. If you've got a 300-yard driver in you, using 3 wood is probably the better option here. Two, and this is just as important, this green is not meant for long approaches. It is tiny, and with water left and a massive hillside right, there is precious little room to work with. So, despite the hole's modest length, discretion really is the smart choice. Hit the fairway, lay up to a hundred yards, hit the green with a wedge, two putt for par. 

The thirteenth hole.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is a mid-length par 4 playing uphill to a blind fairway, so initially it really doesn't seem like much. Since the hole bends right, and considering the lack of trees or hazards, you'll likely be tempted to take the direct line straight at the green. This is not a good idea. The green here is tilted sharply from right to left, and considering how firm Sly Fox's greens are, it is next to impossible to keep an approach shot from the right side on the green. Seriously, if it lands on the green, it's automatically way off the left side. Approach the green from the left, and suddenly you have a lot more space to work with and a much friendlier angle of attack. It's actually a really neat and fun green, and that makes the entire hole a lot more interesting than you'd initially expect.

The fourteenth hole.

Approaching the fourteenth green.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is ostensibly 320 yards, but the tees were up for our round, so the hole was actually playing a meager 265. Something I wish I'd realized, as the 3 wood I hit for safety sailed into the woods left. I still think laying up is the smart play on this hole, as long as you do it properly. Obviously, at 265 yards this hole is reachable from the tee by a decent number of people, but the green is tucked in amongst trees and O.B., with precious little room for error as it falls away on every side. Miss by even a little and you'll bounce someplace you really don't want to be. You may not make eagle if you lay up, but you can least guarantee you don't make a big number.

The fifteenth hole.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is the final par 3 on the course, playing 160 yards down a massive hill to a green carved into the side of the ravine wall. With forest left and a big hillside right, the green is not an inviting target. You've also got to keep in mind how far downhill the tee shot is and adjust the club selection accordingly. At the very least, if you do hit a good shot, the green is pretty flat, so birdie is definitely possible. 

The sixteenth hole.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is another driveable par 4, this one playing 290 to a plateau-style fairway that falls away on both sides. If you don't have the length to reach the green, a precision lay-up is extremely important, as the falloffs lead into unplayable scrub and brush on both sides. This green is friendlier than the fifteenth though, at least when it comes to attempting to drive it. Actually, if anything you have more room for error using driver than you do laying up with a long iron, so if you're even close to being long enough, going for this green is actually the smarter play. 

The seventeenth hole.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is the longest par 4 at Sly Fox, playing 435 yards to a mostly blind fairway on the far side of a small hill. There's really no trouble to worry about save the driving range very far to the right, so feel free to swing away with driver. The second shot will be a mid or short iron into a medium-sized green that's bunkerless but mostly surrounded by mounding and filled with little humps and bumps to keep any putt of significant length from being too easy. Not an especially difficult finishing hole, but not a terrible one either.

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

Can a golf course both exceed and fail to meet expectations? Because Sly Fox manages to do both of those things. I was hoping for a quirky, offbeat golf course like Westminster National, and while the roller-coaster par 5s are fun, that is kind of the only trick they have. And by the time 13 rolls around and you hit your best drive in months straight into a ravine you couldn't see, the charm of the thing is kind of lost. At least in the moment.

That said, while Sly Fox wasn't the quirk-fest I was hoping for, it made up for it by being kind of actually a good course. Nothing crazy, but solidly above average. The round starts off slow, but once you hit the seventh hole you're in for a surprisingly good time. The greens are much more interesting than I was expecting, with numerous falloffs ensuring that you can't just mindlessly pitch golf balls in and have them stop. You need to think about where you're landing your golf ball, and you need to account for rollout. The fourteenth is a particularly fun example of this, and it's definitely the best green on the course.

As for value, Sly Fox isn't exactly a bargain, costing $55 to ride in the middle of the week, but it's not absurdly expensive. It is kind of annoying that you can't walk the course before 2 p.m., but this would be a pretty tough walk. There's a long way between 16 and 17 in particular, and a lot of elevation change too. Conditions were pretty solid though, with the course playing very firm and fast, even in early May, when golf courses should be at their most lush. I'm sure some people would complain, but I'm very much not one of them. Overall then, of all the various golf courses I've played near Front Royal, Sly Fox is definitely the best, and I'd definitely choose this one if I'm ever in the area and looking for a round.