Beer of the Week

The beer: Mimosa Saison

The brewery: Boulevard Brewing Company, Kansas City, Missouri

Description (from the website): "This French oak cask-aged blood orange Mimosa Saison makes it easy to bring that carefree brunch energy anywhere. Bright blood orange meets the lively character of a Belgian-style saison, creating a bubbly, citrus-kissed celebration in a glass. Wherever you raise it—noon, midnight, or somewhere deliciously in-between—it’s brunch."

Would I buy it again? So, what we have here is a beer that I can tell is very well made and quite good, but just isn't quite for me. There's a lot of orange flavor, it's relatively light and easy to drink, but the citrus comes in a little strong. Unfortunately, I'm just not that much into citrus. So, I would pass in the future, but if you like the taste of orange and mimosa, this beer will be right up your alley.

Review: Coudersport Golf Club (Part 1)

In October last year, my girlfriend and I took a trip to northern Pennsylvania so we could spend a night out at Cherry Springs State Park, home of the darkest skies on the East Coast. We've been wanting to do this pretty much since we first met, and it was an awe-inspiring experience to sit underneath so many stars on a dark, moonless night. You really can see so much, including the span of the Milky Way itself. I don't have any pictures of that, but I think we would definitely like to go again, this time with a telescope that actually functions.

The thing with stargazing, of course, is that you need the sky to be cloud-free. That means you need to allocate a few days waiting for clear skies, and since nearby Coudersport is a town of just 2,000 people and has very little to do, I had some free time for a round at the local golf course (the only golf course within an hour of town, as a matter of fact; northern Pennsylvania is very sparsely populated). Coudersport Golf Club dates back to the 1930s, with an additional nine holes being added in 1992. The course was built by local people and squeezed into a narrow valley, much like the town itself a few miles up the road.  It's often very rugged, and while all that has its downsides, it can also present some interesting opportunities. 

The first hole is a short drive-and-pitch par 4 at 345 yards, and is about as plain as a golf hole can get. Generous fairway, dead-flat land, no hazards beyond the trees lining the playing corridor. The green has some subtle undulation, but there's no getting around it: this is a very uninteresting hole. Naturally, I made a double bogey. Literal easiest hole in the world, and I make a double. Classic.

The first hole. Hard to believe these pictures were taken a month and a half before my North Carolina trip. Winter comes quick to northern Pennsylvania.

The first green.

The second hole is just a hundred yards, but it plays sharply uphill to a green carved out of the hillside. It's a small green as well, with significant back-to-front slope. There are no bunkers, but missing the green will present you with a thoroughly awkward chip from a decidedly not-level stance. It's a fun little hole, and a definite step up from the previous hole.

The second hole.

The third hole is by far the most interesting hole at Coudersport, and one that could fit quite comfortably at any high-brow Golden Age country club. At just 320 yards, this is not a long hole, but the fairway is not wide and sharply canted from right to left as it negotiates the side of the ridge. The hole also bends left and gets increasingly narrow as it goes, quite effectively taking driver out of play while never officially doing so. A long iron is by far the best choice on the tee, leaving yourself a wedge off a hanging lie to a thoroughly unique green complex. I don't know if the original architect knew what a Biarritz was, but that signature deep swale is here, dividing a very narrow green in two. There's even a little pot bunker left, further pinching the green. Considering the steep falloff, you're actually fortunate if you end up in that bunker over any alternative. Right is of course the safer miss, but if your ball gets hung up in that rough, good luck on keeping the chip shot on the green. And of course, if you find the wrong half of the green, two putting is quite the challenge. 

Overall, this is just a great hole, and this alone made the round more than worthwhile.

The third hole.

Approaching the third green.

The third green.

The fourth hole is 370 yards and plays alongside the same hillside as the last hole. That means the fairway is severely tilted, though here at least you have space to hit driver. A draw will run down the hill a long way and leave you with just a little wedge for the second shot. A single bunker guards the front-left corner of the green, which is medium sized (for this golf course, at least) and mildly domed, with subtle but noticeable undulations throughout, making it more challenging to putt than you might think.

The fourth hole.

Approaching the fourth green.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole, a 345-yard par 4, was unfortunately being worked on during my round, so I don't actually know how it plays. Here's what the Coudersport Golf Club website says: "The tee shot is fairly open with out-of-bounds up the right side again.  An ideal tee shot is 230 to 240 yards up the right center of the fairway.  From the tee long hitters can reach the hazard right of the green and half-shots are difficult to stop on this green, so it's prudent to lay back a little bit.  The green is the most severely sloped on the course leaning from left to right."

The fifth hole.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is a fairly short par 3, though at 150 yards it's 50 yards longer than the second hole. This hole is a lot more conventional, though not particularly easy. A former bunker protects the right half of the green, which slopes pretty hard from right to left. Left is definitely the better place to miss; it's going to be very difficult to get a chip close when the green falls away from you. I'm also not sure when the bunker was grassed over, as the website still says that there's a bunker there. This won't be the only time the website presents outdated information.

The sixth hole.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is just over 400 yards and plays straight ahead to a wide fairway with a moderate left-to-right slope. A good drive will leave a wedge or short iron second to a small, undulating green with a pretty severe left-to-right slop tucked behind a tiny pond and dense trees to the right. For a bunkerless hole that's so open on the tee shot, the seventh is no pushover.

The seventh hole.

Approaching the seventh green.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is a little silly. The scorecard says 300 yards and has a steeply downhill tee shot, but this hole is a 90-degree dogleg with forest covering the entire right side. The bend comes quickly too; all you need is to hit a long iron a couple hundred yards. You don't want to go too far, or trees will obstruct the second shot. Not like if you fail to reach the dogleg, of course, but still not ideal. The approach will be a full wedge to a relatively large green carved from dense forest. Definitely an awkward hole here.

The eighth hole.

Approaching the eighth green.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is the first par 5 at Coudersport, playing about 500 yards from an elevated tee box to a flat and wide fairway. With no bunkers and not much to the green either, making this a great opportunity for eagle if you've got the length for it. Otherwise, there's really not much to this hole other than the downhill tee shot.

The ninth hole.

Approaching the ninth green.

The ninth green.

That's it for this week, next week we'll check out the back nine.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Framinghammer

The brewery: Jack's Abby Craft Lagers, Framingham, Massachusetts

Description (from Beer Advocate): "Savor the decadence of 'Gingerbread Framinghammer,' an imperial Baltic Porter that's pure dessert indulgence. This lager is a luxurious blend of cozy spices and sweetness, recreating a holiday favorite in liquid form. Immerse yourself in the opulence of flavors and elevate your lager experience."

Would I buy it again? This is a really good beer. It's got some really good sweet and spicy flavor to it, so it does come off as quite sugar cookie-like. And since it's a Baltic porter, it's still got a lot of strong beer flavor as well. So not too sweet. It would be a great beer for the winter. Too bad I'm drinking it in July. If I can find it again in November, then I'll definitely buy this again. For now, probably not.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Whooo-Berry

The brewery: Rusty Rail Brewing Company, Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania

Description (from Instagram): "Crisp lager. Smooth blueberry. Light body. Clean finish."

Would I buy it again? I haven't been the biggest fan of blueberry-flavored beer in the past, and this particular example didn't change my tune. The initial taste was okay, but the finishing note was weak and watery, at least to me. It just felt like this beer was missing something. Not terrible, but I wouldn't buy it again.

Review: Southern Pines Golf Club (Part 2)

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

The tenth hole is a shortish 365-yard par 4 that presents a classic strategic dilemma. The green is protected by a large and deep bunker to the right, meaning it's best approached from the left side of the fairway. However, the fairway is tilted from left to right, and there's a lot of exposed sand on the left side. The right side, while providing a much worse angle into the green, is much easier to access on the tee shot. The green itself is perched up, so if you miss you're going to have a difficult time recovering. Not a revolutionary hole, but certainly very solid.

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is Southern Pines' classic hole. A short, potentially drivable par 4, it bends right around the course's central pond, but crucially is far enough away from the fairway and green that it doesn't overwhelm the golfer. Of greater concern is the ever-narrowing fairway pinched in on both sides by elaborate bunkering. The more aggressive you are with your tee shot, the less margin for error you have. However, the green itself is relatively bunker free, giving the golfers out there with enough length to reach it plenty of temptation to go for it. That's part of what makes this hole so good; it encourages you to be more aggressive than you should be.

As for the green, it's just as compelling as the rest of the hole. Situated out on a small promontory, it falls away on three sides while also sloping from front left to back right. You need to be very careful with your approach shot here, as anything that flies too far will run out and go over the green, leaving yourself with a tough recovery. Also, this green is plenty undulating with numerous dips and bumps. Finding the green is no guarantee of two putting. I think it's also worth mentioning that this green is tilted so that, if you're hitting driver straight at it, the slopes will actually slow the ball down. This further adds to the temptation to go for the green. 

Simply put, this is an incredible hole and certainly the best one I played during this Sandhills excursion.

The eleventh hole.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is a mid-length par 4 that plays over pretty much level ground. Bunkers that pinch in from the left, along with a cross-bunker about 300 yards out, make driver a poor choice; a fairway wood will leave you in the widest part of the fairway with a short iron second shot. The green, while not lacking interest, lacks some of the wilder contours other greens at Southern Pines possesses. It's protected by a single large bunker right, meaning it's best approached from the left. It's not a bad hole, but considering the rest of the course, particularly the previous hole, it is kind of a let-down.

The twelfth hole.

Approaching the twelfth green.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is a very long par 4 at nearly 470 yards. The first 300 yards or so are flat, with the fairway eventually reaching a hillside leading down to the central pond. To get a view of the green, you need to hit driver, which is not an unreasonable task considering how wide this fairway is. That's not the tricky part of this hole. The difficulty comes at the green, which from above appears extremely undefended. But like the eleventh, it slopes from front to back, and a small knob placed directly in front of the green complicates matters greatly. A ball that lands there could bounce anywhere, and it's so directly in play that you pretty much have to deal with it. It really goes to show how much small features can affect a hole, so long as they're intelligently placed. 

The thirteenth hole.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is the final par 3 at Southern Pines, playing nearly 200 yards as the hole hops from one hill to another. The hole favors a fade, which helps you avoid two deep bunkers right; the green is also sloped from left to right, further encouraging you to aim away from those big bunkers. I will say, while the par 3s here are solid, the lack of variety in distance is a bit disappointing. A sub-150 yard par 3 would be most appreciated.

The fourteenth hole.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is a short par 5 (and the only one on the back nine), playing 495 yards to a flat fairway well below the tee. A fade is favored on the tee shot; this will work between the bunkers short right and long left. Like the two par 5s on the front nine, a set of cross bunkers cuts the fairway off about 75 yards short of the green, giving people who are laying up something extra to think about. The green is elevated and the approach uphill; there are bunkers on both sides that are slightly separated from the green itself, serving more as a hazard for people going for it in two than those who have laid up and have a wedge in hand. 

The fifteenth hole.

Approaching the fifteenth green.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is about the same length as the eleventh at 315 yards and plays downhill, making it potentially reachable for longer hitters. However, the fairway narrows the further up you go; if you lay back, you'll have plenty of space to find the fairway, but if you use driver, there's only 20 yards or so to work with between bunkers. The green is long and narrow and has some left-to-right tilt to it (along with the usual undulation) that make recovery from the greenside bunker quite difficult.

The sixteenth hole.

The sixteenth green.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is on the longer side at 430 yards and plays to a fairway significantly tilted from right to left. Bunkers flank both sides, and while you can lay up short of them, that will leave a very long second. The ideal play here is a fade hard up the right to stay on the high side of the fairway; this leaves the best angle for the second shot. The green is open in front and to the right but sand is everywhere left and long. The left bunker is especially easy to find, as the right-to-left slope of the fairway means the golfer is encouraged to hit a draw. Still, since this green is on the flatter side and you can quite easily get up and down from just right of it, this hole isn't too incredibly difficult.

The seventeenth hole.

Approaching the seventeenth green.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is not an especially fearsome closer, playing just over 350 yards (though admittedly it is uphill the whole way). This is a hole where precision and caution beats raw power. The hole bends left around a large bunker, but the fairway is tilted left to right. A bunker on the far side of the dogleg will catch any driver that isn't aimed basically directly over the inner bunker near the left tree line. A fairway wood or long iron starting down the left side is all you really need here and will still get you in wedge or short iron distance. The second shot is of course quite uphill to a semiblind green that seems to be engulfed in sand. In reality, much of the back two-thirds of the green is surrounded by fairway, so the second shot isn't quite as tough as it looks. Still, people do like to underclub on uphill approaches, and the green is no picnic either. This may not be a particularly long or challenging hole, but I'm sure it doesn't yield too many birdies either. 

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green. This particular angle is less than ideal.

The eighteenth green.

Something I wish I'd taken a picture of but didn't notice until after the round (when it was basically dark) is that Southern Pines has a massive putting green filled with wild undulations; something in the spirit of St. Andrews' Himalayas. My brothers and I were putting around it for the better part of an hour, not leaving until well after it was fully and completely dark out. Between this and Pine Needles' activity-filled lodge, the extra-curriculars at some of these Donald Ross courses were almost as fun as the courses themselves.

Anyway, the golf course; obviously, it's extremely good. I saved the best for last. Tee to green, Southern Pines is every bit as good, if not better, than Mid Pines and is decidedly superior to Pine Needles. But it's the greens themselves where Southern Pines stands out. Southern Pines' siblings simply cannot compare to Southern Pines' greens. Honestly, neither can Tot Hill Farm and Tobacco Road. Those courses feature wild and memorable greens, but at a certain point wild and crazy can give way to tedium. I would never get tired of Southern Pines. Also, the eighth and eleventh holes are instant classics to me. I will say, much like Pine Needles, the finish here is on the weaker side — not as bad, but I don't think anyone will come away from a round raving over the stretch from 15 to 17. 

Also, I'm not sure what the difference was, but the grass here was far faster and firmer than at Mid Pines and Pine Needles. Tee shots actually ran out some here, which was honestly very nice.

And there's more good news: the difference is technically minimal, but of the Donald Ross non-Pinehurst triumvirate, Southern Pines is the cheapest. And since it's also the best, a round here is a no-brainer. I might even be willing to play this course again at full price — or at the very least, the mildly discounted summer price ($175). 

To sum things up, Southern Pines is comfortably a top five golf course for me, and I'm very glad my brothers and I finally made the trek down to North Carolina to play all these Sandhills courses. This was pretty clearly the best trip we've done from a golf quality perspective, and I would love to come back.