Beer of the Week

The beer: Caramel Cookie Bar

The brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood, New York

Description (from the website): "Satisfy your sweet tooth! Milk chocolate and gooey caramel wrap around sweet cookie for a smooth taste of your favorite candy bar. Take a break from ordinary and taste something so crave-worthy, one is never enough!"

Would I buy it again? Is it really a surprise that Southern Tier hit again with this imperial stout. They do such a good job making these beers feel distinct from each other. There's caramel here, but also some chocolate. But in terms of flavor, that's it; a lot of imperial stouts struggle with too many flavors, a problem which this beer avoids. I would definitely buy this beer again; just a warning though, at 10%, you probably don't want to have more than one in a night.

Beer of the Week

The beer: House Stout

Brewed by: Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, New York

Description (from the website): "House Stout is a seasonal expression crafted in harmony with the rhythms of upstate New York. This classic dry stout is light and smooth, with layers of roasted malt and a hint of smokiness, reminiscent of the classic sugar houses that populate the hills of the Adirondacks. Gently rounded by a touch of sweetness, a result of secondary conditioning using maple syrup sourced locally from the Upstate New York Maple Syrup Collective. House Stout pays tribute to the annual sugaring season, when sap is transformed into one of our region's most sought-after and cherished gifts. Maple conditioning adds nuance and depth, finishing with a lingering maple note that complements the stout’s roasty character. Ommegang House Stout is our ode to the forest, sugar shacks, and timeless craft that makes this season so special."

Would I buy it again? The maple finish adds a lot to this beer, giving a nice subtle bit of welcome sweetness to what would otherwise be a pretty dry and smoky stout. Not that I don't like that sort of beer, but the maple gives it a real drinkability that you don't always see. I would definitely but this beer again. 

Beer of the Week

The beer: Cheat Day

The brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood, New York

Description (from the website): "This decadent brew is a full-bodied dessert dream, crafted in collaboration with Perry’s Ice Cream to bring their indulgent flavors to life in beer form. Layers of brown sugar sweetness swirl with rich brownie batter, while brownie pieces and cookie dough add deep, doughy complexity to this Imperial Ale. Each sip tastes as good as diving spoon-first into your favorite pint after a long week—it’s Cheat Day! The ultimate pour for those who believe dessert should be savored, not skipped."

Would I buy it again? Does Southern Tier ever miss with their imperial ales? Certainly not with this one. It was very chocolatey and malty, feeling very much like a brownie in beer form. I would absolutely buy this beer again. I might even do it on a warm day. 

Beer of the Week

The beer: Life's a Peach Mexican Lager

The brewery: Flying Dog Brewery, Utica, New York

Description (from BeerAdvocate): "A Mexican-style lager made with Agave and Peach."

Would I buy it again? Of all the tales of woe when it comes to beer, few are sadder than the ignominious fate of Flying Dog. Long a Frederick staple, the brewery closed in 2023 after the owners sold the company to a larger brewery in New York. For all intents and purposes, Flying Dog no longer exists. As a result, I haven't bought Flying Dog–branded beer in nearly 3 years. But last summer (yeah, yeah, real timely review) my girlfriend and I were searching for something fruity that wasn't another wheat ale, and this was the only option. And it looked good too.

As someone who lived in Frederick, Maryland, for 8 years and can't stand how Flying Dog sold out, it is my unfortunate duty to report that this beer is very good. It's just nice to drink a fruity lager sometimes, and this beer hit the spot. If I ever see it again, I think I probably would buy it again. Both because its good and for the memories. Flying Dog was once so great; it's a shame that they've become a pale shadow of their former selves.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Cherry Pie Imperial Ale

The brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood, New York

Description (from the website): "Southern Tier is thrilled to partner for Year 3 with our WNY neighbor, Perry’s Ice Cream! Our newest Imperial Ale is inspired by one of Perry’s newest flavors: Cherry Pie. With notes of tart cherry, sweet vanilla, and rich, flakey crust, Southern Tier’s Cherry Pie brings all the deliciousness STBC is famous for!"

Would I buy it again? The balance on this particular beer is excellent. You get the tart cherry, but there's also a creamy vanilla taste as well as a bit of breadiness. Basically, this is another quality imperial ale from the experts in the field. I'd happily buy this again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Platter's Chocolate Hazelnut Porter

The brewery: Ellicottville Brewing Company, Little Valley, New York

Description (from the website): "Brewed with our friends at Platter's Chocolate Factory - a rich and elegant porter with creamy nutty sweetness, roasted malt, & waves of decadent chocolate."

Would I buy it again? Chocolate and hazelnut is a classic combo, and it only makes sense to mix them together in a beer. And surprise, surprise, it works really well in this beer. It's not too difficult to drink but still has plenty of flavor to it. And it's not hoppy at all. I'd happily drink this again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Chestnut Praline

The brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood, New York

Description (from the website): "As the holidays draw near and excitement grows for the first snowfall, gather together with Chestnut Praline Imperial Ale. With each sip, the warm butter flavor of toasted chestnuts glazed with sweet caramel will transform any wintry day into a cozy celebration of the season. From our Southern Tier family to yours, we wish you nothing but joy and sweetness this Holiday Season!"

Would I buy it again? I've reviewed quite a few of these heavy Southern Tier imperial ales in the past couple years; they seem to have found a niche in making varied and interesting imperial ales at a reasonable price. They mostly hit too, and this is no exception. It is buttery and nutty and excellent to drink, particularly as we head into the Christmas season. I would absolutely buy this again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Maple Warlock

The brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood, New York

Description (from Untappd): "The Dark Side just got a little sweeter! Maple Warlock lures you in with a magical dose of maple syrup to complement his dark and mysterious Imperial Stout base. Let Maple Warlock’s swirls of maple, pumpkin pie spice, and roasted malts enchant you sip by sip, casting an alluring spell you won’t want to break."

Would I buy it again? There may be beers more appropriate to the Halloween season than an imperial stout with both pumpkin and maple in it, but I'm having difficulty thinking of any. All Southern Tier had to do was not mess it up with too many hops, and I'm happy to report that they did not. This is a great beer, thick and maple-y with just the right amount of pumpkin spice to compliment. You can't do much better than this.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Tiramisu Imperial Stout

The brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood, New York

Description (from the website): "The Blackwater Series presents Tiramisu Imperial Stout in all its layered lusciousness! Toasted sweet malts come together with rich, dark coffee and a silky-smooth ­finish to recreate the delicate deliciousness of classic Tiramisu!"

Would I buy it again? I haven't had tiramisu before, so I can't speak to this beer's fidelity with the food that inspired it, but I can tell you that this is a very tasty beer nonetheless. Sweet, bready, malty, it was smooth and pleasant to drink. Heavy, of course, but it's absolutely a beer that I would drink again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Frosted Sugar Cookie 

The brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood, New York

Description (from the website): "Gather ‘round the fire with all of your closest friends and cozy up to this delicious spectacle of pure sweetness that is sure to sprinkle your wintry days with joy. You won’t believe it’s beer and not a tin full of iced confections. Our Frosted Sugar Cookie Ale is full of soft and airy vanilla and cake notes, iced to perfection. Happy Holidays from ours to yours."

Would I buy it again? This is one of those beers that it's tough not to like. It's got vanilla cake flavor with plenty of sugar on the initial taste. But while it's difficult to get a beer like this wrong, it's also tough to really stand out. It tastes good and sweet, and it's great for a cold winter day. But there's also nothing here you couldn't find in a hundred other dessert-y beers. I can't say I'd pick this one over any other similar beer. 

Beer of the Week

The beer: Everything Naughty

The brewery: Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, New York

Description (from the website): "The Naughty Elves were spotted in Cooperstown not long ago full of mischief and mayhem which left us, much to our delight, with an imperial blonde stout; Everything Naughty. A stout that confuses the eyes and tantalizes the taste buds. Anticipate notes of roasted coffee and white chocolate complete with a brilliant golden hue. This rich stout is smooth and velvety with classic stout flavors."

Would I buy it again? I didn't realize this was a golden (blonde, technically, but close enough) stout when I bought it; I saw Brewery Ommegang, I saw Christmas beer, and didn't think any further. I haven't had great experiences with golden stouts in the past, but happily, the people of Cooperstown know more than baseball. Maybe it's the imperial aspect making this beer stronger, but this golden stout works quite well. It threads the needle between being relatively light and drinkable while holding onto the strong chocolate and coffee flavors one would expect from a stout like this. This is a Christmas beer I would buy again.

Review: Schenectady Municipal Golf Course (Front Nine)

I could explain the whole sordid story as to why my brothers and I only played the front nine at Schenectady Municipal, but basically it came down to weather uncertainty and a late-afternoon league keeping us from playing the whole course. But new golf is new golf, even if it isn't the entire course. It's better than making the long journey to New York and reviewing no golf at all. 

And as it turns out, Schenectady Muni has a neat little bit of history behind it. Dating back to the 1930s, it was designed by Jim Thompson (the then-professional at Mohawk Golf Club, which is incidentally less than a mile from Schenectady Muni) and Arthur Knight. If you're read my review of Mohawk, then Arthur Knight's name should be familiar. But if not, he was the engineer who invented the infamous Schenectady putter, used by Walter Travis to such effect during the 1904 British Amateur that the R&A banned it.

Schenectady Muni is also noteworthy in that it's a Depression-era municipal golf course in the Northeast that wasn't designed by Donald Ross. It did happen on occasion.

The first hole is an unremarkable if quietly pleasant shortish par 4, playing 360 to a narrow, gently rolling fairway threaded between scattered clumps of large trees. That said, there's more room than it looks from the tee, so if you swing confidently with driver, you should be fine. A solid drive will leave just a little wedge into the green, which is sloped pretty significantly from back to front and has a single bunker right.

The first hole.

The first green.

The second hole is a 500-yard par 5 bending right around a group of dense trees. Naturally, the presence of those trees so close to the direct line of play will draw you out left, but bailing out will likely put the green out of range in two. Also, there's more room out to the right than it looks. The green is partially tucked behind a hillside covered in tall grass, which, once again, you'll be tempted to steer clear of. Playing safe is fine, so long as you commit to the lay-up, but be aware that there is a pond left of the fairway that can absolutely catch out shots that try to split the difference between a true lay-up and going for the green in two. The green here is bunkerless, small, and tilted from back right to front left.

The second hole.

Approaching the second green.

The second green.

The third hole is a modest par 3 at just 150 yards, playing gently uphill to a green tilted severely from back to front. There's a single bunker left, which gives you something extra to think about on the tee shot. Mostly though, you just want to be below the hole here. Miss the green long, and par will be a struggle.

The third hole.

The fourth hole is a mid-length par 4 – though it's the longest on the front nine by almost 50 yards – that plays dramatically downhill to an ever-narrowing fairway far below. It's always hard to resist hitting driver on holes like this, but you really don't need to. A 3 wood is more than enough, and it gives you more fairway to work with. That will leave a wedge or short iron back uphill to a wide semiblind green. There's a single bunker front right, and it is not a place you want to be. You're quite far below the level of the green there, which is never fun. 

The fourth hole.

Approaching the fourth green.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole is a short par 4 of the drive-and-pitch variety, playing 345 yards. The fairway is initially quite wide, but about 200-225 yards out, the hole bends right and squeezes between a dense treeline left and a cluster of large, less densely packed trees right. The tree right in the corner is especially big and wide; it certainly had a magnetic attraction for the golf balls of my brothers and I. Thankfully, it's not a pine tree, so it is possible to play underneath it. The smart play is a long iron out to the center of the fairway, leaving a full wedge into the green, which is perched partway up a hillside. While the green is bunkerless, there is another large tree front right, which does an excellent job of acting as an aerial bunker. Still, leave your tee shot in the right place and the second shot is quite simple.

The fifth hole.

Approaching the fifth green.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is a 180-yard par 3 where the strategy is simple: don't miss left. If you're lucky, you'll catch the front-left bunker. If not ... well, good luck. Naturally, with left being dead, the temptation is to bail out right. Now, if you're confident in your bunker play, being in that right-hand bunker is no problem at all. But for the average muni golfer who's apt to skulling greenside bunker shots 50 yards long, that simple bunker shot is a lot more intimidating. At the very least, the green's quite receptive, even to lower shots that are bounced on.

The sixth hole.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is kind of a shorter version of the fourth; it plays similarly downhill to a fairway that narrows the further along you go. But at 340 yards, the prospect of leaving just a little pitch into the green makes it much harder to ignore the driver. With tall grass on both sides, though, you need to be quite accurate with the driver to make it work. The smart choice, as painful as it is, is a long iron tee shot, which should leave a full wedge second shot. The green here is elevated, with a single bunker front right.

The seventh hole.

Approaching the seventh green.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is a 365-yard par 4 that plays downhill to a rolling fairway. The best place to leave your drive is at the top of the plateau, about 225-275 yards out from the tee. That should give you both a level stance and a clear view of the green. Driver is both unnecessary and unwise, as the hole is short and dense forest creeps in from the right; hitting driver reduces the margin for error way more than it's worth. A solid drive leaves a wedge second into a green, sloped sharply from back to front, that's tucked into a corner of a hill, with a single bunker left. Of the nine holes at Schenectady Muni I saw, I think this is my favorite.

The eighth hole.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is a short par 5 at just under 500 yards and is a great birdie or even eagle opportunity. The fairway is flat and pretty wide, so long as you don't go left. The green is bunkerless as well, though with forest left and long it's not quite as inviting a target. It's also sloped pretty heavily from back to front, so if you leave your second shot just short, it's not difficult at all to get up and down for birdie.

The ninth hole.

Approaching the ninth green.

The ninth green.

Before the round, Schenectady Muni was described to me as being "maybe a bit above average." And I think that's a pretty fair way to describe the nine I played. Definitely solid golf with some interesting land movement. Also, the course was in excellent shape for a municipal course. We played Mohawk the day before this, and dare I say it, the conditions at Schenectady Muni were no worse than the private course. Different, obviously, as the greens were much slower here, but overall, I think Schenectady Muni had more thorough grass coverage, particularly in the rough. I was surprised. And the price is reasonable here as well.

Overall, while I'm not in a hurry to see the other nine holes, I definitely wouldn't mind playing the full course the next time I'm in Albany. It's a solid addition to the Albany golf scene and I'd happily play there again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Black Chocolate Stout

The brewery: Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, New York

Description (from the website): "Originally our Brewmaster Garrett Oliver’s resume beer, Black Chocolate Stout is now a wintertime favorite among beer fans worldwide. Rich roasted malts come together to create an unmistakable dark chocolate flavor perfect for special occasions and late nights by the fire."

Would I buy it again? Not to question their description, but as a beer fan who lives a lot closer to Brooklyn than the average person and as someone who's spent a fair amount of time actually in Brooklyn, I'm not sure how legitimate their claim of this being "a wintertime favorite" for beer fans worldwide. I've never heard of it before buying it this year. Which is a shame, because this is a very good beer. Rich, chocolately but not overly sweet, well balanced, it's an excellent winter beer. I would definitely buy this again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Caramel Pumking Imperial Pumpkin Ale

The brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood, New York

Description (from the website): "The King’s magical court flourished with the alluring addition of Caramel Pumking. Savor the magical aroma of spiced pumpkin pie as it unites with the sweet enchantment of caramel in each sip. No matter how you celebrate the season, this brew is sure to leave you spellbound."

Would I buy it again? It feels a little early to bring out the pumpkin beers, but since they've been out for weeks already, I think I can square this in my conscience. At least I waited until September. Anyway, the beer ... it's great. Not much to say, really, it tastes pretty much how you'd expect. Thick, sweet, with lots of caramel and pumpkin. A beer to savor and enjoy. Yes, I'd get it again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: The Golden Squirrels

Brewed by: Kings County Brewers Collective, Brooklyn, New York

Description (from EmpireWine): "Pours peachy-yellow haze in the glass and oozing with tropical aromas & flavors of crushed mandarin oranges, pineapple upside down cake, and tangy passion fruit curd. Completely walloped with our hand-selected Citra & Mosaic, plus huge heaping handfuls of Simcoe & Australian-grown Eclipse hops. Melted-creamsicle mouthfeel from the wheat-heavy malt base and a soft, light finish."

Would I buy it again? This is one of those incredibly juicy-tasting IPAs that I actually kind of enjoy. It's also got that tropical fruitiness to it, but it's more sweet than bitter. It's pretty easy to drink, and I think it's a good choice as summer winds down. I'd buy it again.

Cider of the Week

The cider: 1911 Maple Bourbon Barrel Aged Hard Cider

The cidery: Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards, Lafayette, New York

Description (from Untappd): "Maple Bourbon Barrel Aged Hard Cider is the first limited release in our elevated Masters’ Series. Patient attention to detail was the key ingredient to creating truly unique flavor profiles in this line up of ciders. MBBAHC is a sweet cider that has been years in the making."

Would I buy it again? It may only be the first weekend in August, but the fall beers are already coming out. Of course, this isn't a beer, but you try to tell me that a maple-flavored hard cider isn't at least a little autumnal. 

Anyway, I'm glad I didn't wait any longer, because this thing is absolutely incredible. Quite possibly the best hard cider I've ever had. The maple hits instantly, and the sweet cider flavor follows it up perfectly. And best of all, since it's a cider and therefore relatively light, it doesn't even feel bad to drink it on a hot summer day. I really hope I can find more of this, because I'd buy more in a heartbeat.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Parrots of the Caribbean Stout

Brewed by: Kings County Brewers Collective, Brooklyn, New York

Description (from the can): "Pours jet black in the glass with a mocha colored head. Notes of palm sugar, English toffee, black treacle. Medium body, dry finish. Approachable and balanced. Not all beer is gold, mate."

Would I buy it again? The taste is quite similar to a Guinness, but since it's not nitrogenized, I actually like it better. It's definitely on the drier side, but not too much so. This isn't exactly a beer for the middle of summer, but I still enjoyed drinking it. And it's about time I reviewed something that isn't a wheat beer. 

Plus, I love the name. You can always win me over with a good pun. I'm not sure I'll be able to find this again, but if I can and it's a more appropriate season, I'd definitely buy this again.

Review: The Fairways of Halfmoon (Part 2)

It's time to take a look at the back nine at The Fairways of Halfmoon, go here to see the front nine.

The tenth hole is 420 yards, making it the longest par 4 on the course. The tee shot is very straightforward, with no hazards in play; however, I would probably favor the left side. The angle is marginally better going into the green, which is narrow and slightly angled left to right, but it's more because there's water left of the green, and if you're approaching from the right, you're aiming more at the water instead of away from it. So long as you don't hook the second shot into the pond, this isn't a tough hole.

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is a fairly short par 4 with a drive that plays across a valley (with the pond from the previous hole at the bottom) up to a gently curving fairway. While the drive is wide open, the green here actually presents some difficulty. It's got quite a few humps and a noticeable tier in the back, so a precision wedge shot is important.

The eleventh hole.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is a mid-length par 4 that plays noticeably shorter, as it's significantly downhill. The tee shot is to a blind fairway framed by forest, and while the fairway and playing corridor is fairly generous, it does narrow and curve off to the right the further you go. You can definitely run out of space if you stray left, so longer hitters may want to use less than driver. A solid drive will leave you a downhill 125-150 yards into the green, so just a wedge or short iron. The green itself is pretty straightforward, though it's guarded by two bunkers.

The twelfth hole.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is 160 yards, making it exactly the same length as the previous two par 3s. However, while they're the same length, they play very differently. The eighth plays 40 feet uphill, this hole plays several dozen feet downhill. So while the green is quite large and an inviting target, it's not quite as easy as it looks. You need to judge your distance well, which is a challenge in fairly strong, swirling winds; out of the four tries our group of generally competent golfers took at this green, we hit the green in regulation precisely none of those times. 

The thirteenth hole.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is a shortish par 4 squeezed down into the bottom of the property; much like 4, 5, and the start of 6, holes 12-15 have been squeezed into land not exactly ideal for golf. The flattish field the majority of the course sits on was definitely plenty for 9 holes, but not 18. That leaves several holes to deal with nonideal golf terrain. And while the elevation change isn't extreme like on the previous hole (or the next hole), the hole definitely feels way more cramped than any other hole other than 4. With a narrow fairway, O.B. left in the form of dense shrubbery and a railyard beyond that, and more native area and a whole paved hiking/biking trail left, you'd be crazy to hit driver here. Use a long iron, get into the fairway, and settle for a full wedge or short iron. The green is small, fairly narrow, and is separated into two tiers, with the back much higher than the front. While it's only 355 yards, this may be the toughest hole on the course.

The fourteenth hole. The elevanted paved hiking trail is at top left.

Approaching the fourteenth green.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is the reason why everyone takes a cart at this course. It's a very short par 5 (though 20 yards longer than the seventh, which plays over level terrain), but it effectively plays much longer, since you're quite literally climbing a mountain the whole way. Which make sense, you've come down the past few holes (particularly on 13), of course you have to go back up. And in a way, I'm sort of glad they do it all at once rather than spreading it out over more holes. This is more memorable, which is good because this hole is pretty unremarkable otherwise. No bunkers, no hazards beyond forest lining the fairway, a small, fairly flat green. Yes, it's a brutal climb, but I'd still choose to walk the course in the future, even knowing how bad the hike up this hole is. It's literally just one hole.

The fifteenth hole.

Approaching the fifteenth green.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is a driveable par 4 and by far the most interesting hole on the course. It's very reminiscent of the tenth of Riviera: While you can go straight at the green, doing so presents a lot of challenge. For one, there are four bunkers around the green (especially impressive, considering the course only has 18 bunkers in total), with one large bunker in front and three smaller ones behind. The green itself is shallow, angled to be best approached from the left side, not the tee. There's even a fairway bunker left of the fairway about 250 yards out, guarding the ideal landing spot to approach this green. That's the ideal way to play this hole, lay up just short of that fairway bunker, pitch down along the long axis of the green. This avoids having to pitch over any bunkers. But the green is so close and so tempting, it takes a lot to resist going straight at it. And if you can pull it off, great. If not, you're going to have to work to make par, let along birdie.

The sixteenth hole.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is a bit of a cliche, being a par 3 with a green perched partway out into a lake, but at least it's not a long hole, being just 155 yards. The green is sloped from left to right, so while the golfer is obviously going to be drawn away from the water, bailing out too far left and ending up in one of the two bunkers left of the green will result in an incredibly dicey second. Everyone loves bunker shots with water lurking behind the green. Not as interesting as the previous hole, but not too bad either.

The seventeenth hole.

The eighteenth hole is just under 400 yards and plays over the side of the same lake from the previous hole. It's about 225-250 yards to fully clear the lake from the back tees, so longer hitters will be able to swing away with driver without much concern. Shorter hitters will have a more interesting choice: Either play away from the pond, leaving a longer, tougher approach into a green protected by two bunkers, or challenge the water fully and giving yourself just a wedge or short iron second. A solid if not spectacular hole to end the round.

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

I didn't have much to say about Halfmoon before, and I still don't have much to say. Not to say I didn't enjoy the round, because the course is perfectly fine. Not difficult, with a few really quirky holes. The Fairways of Halfmoon is (are?) the perfect example of a whelming golf course. Not overwhelming, not underwhelming, right in the middle between them. I had expectations going in, and those expectations were met but not exceeded. It's a perfectly nice, occasionally fun, occasionally head-scratching golf course. It costs exactly what you'd expect a suburban public course in upstate New York. $40 to walk, $60 to ride. Not insane value, but not a ripoff either. 

Crucially, I think Halfmoon never pretends to be something it's not. It's pretty short, just 6,200 yards from all the way back, so it was never going to be a very tough course. And I think they've done a good job steering into that idea of just being a pleasant place to play. There aren't very many bunkers, and aside from the few holes routed through the forest, there aren't many trees either. They also introduced the more-claustrophobic holes early on, and then returned to it later in the round. Which I think is good from a routing/pacing perspective. Neither stretch from 3-6 or 12-15 really stuck out as not belonging on the course, even though the majority of the round happens in a basically open field.

Apparently I did have a bit to say after all. As to the question of whether or not I'd play here again, I mean, I wouldn't say no, but if I'm looking for a round at a public course in the Albany area, I'd go for Orchard Creek every time. Either that or take an hour to drive over to Copake. Halfmoon is fine and I'm sure you could do worse, but you could also do better.