Review: Sagamore Golf Club (Part 2)

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

The tenth hole is a long par 4 playing downhill. There aren't any fairway bunkers, but if you use a driver you'll likely end up on a steep downslope. If you want a flat lie, you'll need to lay back with a 3 wood. Of course, that also means you'll have a pretty long second shot. The green is backed up against the forest and is sloped severely from back to front. 

The tenth hole.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is the shortest hole at Sagamore, playing 175 yards. The green is not a large target; while it's medium sized there's trouble all around. The three bunkers protecting the front half of the green are not great places to be, with the one right being quite deep. There's a big dropoff behind the green as well, which is also not someplace you want to be. The green has the gentle rolls on the edges that many Donald Ross greens have. 

The eleventh hole.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is a mid-length par 4 that I'm not overly fond of. Obviously, Sagamore is routed through dense forest, but up until this point the playing corridors have been decently wide. Maybe not generous, but enough. This hole, wedged between forest left and wetland (also with forest) right, is too narrow for my taste. Thirty yards, maybe a little more. With the penalty for missing being so severe, this hole really becomes an exercise in not missing the fairway. And that's not much fun. After a probably conservative tee shot, the second will be a short or mid iron up the hill to a green protected by bunkers left and right.

The twelfth hole.

 

Approaching the twelfth green.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is a long par 4 at nearly 450 yards, and it plays even longer than that, thanks to the narrow fairway and the pond that splits the hole in two about 275 yards from the tee. That means using a 3 wood or long iron off of the tee. The hole is bunkerless, but the fairway is very undulating so there are few flat lies. Plus you'll be using a mid iron at least to go at the green, so bunkers really aren't necessary. The green is slightly elevated and is also fairly undulating. This is probably the toughest hole at Sagamore. Long, narrow, and punishing if you stray off of the fairway.

The thirteenth hole.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is 220 yards, making it quite a long par 3, but that distance is mitigated somewhat by the 50 foot drop from tee to green. The green is sharply sloped from back left to front right, especially in the back left corner, so while that front right bunker is quite deep, it's actually not a bad place to miss. Missing left (or long) represents a much bigger challenge. The green is pretty small, so if you don't want to risk missing left, this hole can be played as a very short par 4, something I always like to see from long par 3s. Options are good.

The fourteenth hole.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is a fun hole poorly placed. The tee shot on this 435 yard par 4 is blind, with only a tiny sliver of fairway and an aiming flag visible from the tee. The fairway bends sharply left down a big hill, so if you want to hit a driver, you need to hit a big giant draw around trees and a small stream. Most people will opt for a fairway wood or long iron. It's still beneficial to hit a draw, of course, and because of the hill you can get surprisingly close to the green. Still a mid iron, but on the shorter end. A 7 iron instead of a 5 iron, for example. The second shot is to a green, narrow at the front and wide at the back, protected by two deep bunkers on either side. I like the hole, it's one of the best at Sagamore, but it's in the middle of a stretch of awkward par 4s squeezed into the forest, so the fun of the tee shot is lost. It just ends up feeling like another lay-up on a back nine full of them.

The fifteenth hole.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is a fairly short par 4 at 365 yards, and once again, you have to lay up off of the tee. This is a requirement; the fairway ends at the tree line about 275 yards from the tee, and there's a big native area within a small ravine left of the fairway that the green sits behind. After the lay-up, the second shot is a wedge over the ravine to the green, which is not large, protected by two bunkers, and has a decent amount of undulation. It's actually beneficial not to go too far or too far right on the drive, otherwise the second shot will be over the right-hand bunker.

The sixteenth hole.

Approaching the sixteenth green.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is a short par 5 that's definitely reachable in two so long as you're willing to hit driver down the admittedly not-wide fairway. The hole is dead straight, but the fairway is sort of domed, with it falling away slightly on both sides. It's very much not an easy tee shot, so while the hole is under 500 yards, you can't necessarily count on reaching it in two. The green isn't large and is slightly elevated over its surrounds, with a single small, deep bunker left.

The seventeenth hole.

Approaching the seventeenth green.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is 430 yards and doglegs slightly right around a line of trees. This is a hole that basically requires a fade; if you draw the ball you're going to run out of fairway pretty quick. Despite the trees close to the tee, the fairway is more open than anything the golfer has seen in a while, so you can use driver here. A good one will leave a wedge or short iron into the green, which is protected by a single bunker right. 

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

I like the front nine at Sagamore quite a lot. There are plenty of trees around, yes, but there's space to maneuver on most holes, especially the ones in the middle of the nine out in the meadow. Then there's the seventh, which is quirky in all the best ways. If the back nine was on the same quality, this would be a pretty good course. Not quite at George Wright level, but I'd like it as much as Shennecossett. But there are so many trees so close to the fairways, it just isn't very fun. If there were 10 yards of extra space on each side, things would be improved so much. The driver is just taken out of the player's hand too much as the course stands right now. While I think it's a bit better than courses like Mark Twain or Triggs, it's not on the upper echelon of Ross courses. 

There's also the matter of cost. Thanks to my brother, we were able to play the course for free. Naturally, pretty much any course is worth it if you're playing it for free, but without those connections, it can cost as much as $180 for a round. Even the twilight rate in the shoulder/off seasons is $100 if you're walking. Needless to say, Sagamore is not worth that price. Not even close. $50, maybe $60, that's the most I would pay. So, my advice if you're looking for a classic golf course at an old resort in upstate New York, go to Leatherstocking. It's a much better course, and it's cheaper.

Review: Sagamore Golf Club (Part 1)

Sometimes it feels like you can't go anywhere without tripping over an old Donald Ross course. Seriously, there are so many, and upstate New York is no exception. Sagamore Golf Club is part of Sagamore Resort, and is located deep within dense forest just west of Lake George. Let me tell you, there are few better places to spend an August afternoon than in the Adirondacks. Mid afternoon and it was barely 70 degrees. Despite the mild climate, the course actually fell on hard times in the 60s and experienced a restoration in the 1980s and 90s, bringing back the Ross design. So, how does this one stack up with the other Donald Ross courses I've played?

The first hole presents the golfer with quite an epic tableau of Lake George and the mountain beyond. It's a fairly long par 4 at 435 yards, but the tee shot is nearly 100 feet downhill, so you can get some pretty impressive distance. That means you'll probably only need a wedge or short iron for the admittedly uphill second shot. The green is sloped fairly steeply from back to front, and there are two large, deep bunkers defending it, one on each side. This is actually a fairly common Donald Ross par 4 with a downhill tee shot and an uphill second, though this one has an admittedly impressive view and particularly rugged topography.

The first hole and its rather impressive view

Approaching the first green.

The first green.

The second hole is 375 yards and also features a significantly downhill tee shot. The fairway isn't exactly narrow, but since there's dense forest on both sides there's very little room to miss it. This is something Sagamore struggles with, especially on the back nine, but this hole isn't the worst offender. The hole doglegs significantly to the right, so if the forest wasn't enough, the design of the hole really encourages you to lay back with a wood or long iron. That leaves a wedge or short iron to the green, which is gently undulating and has a deep bunker to the right.

The second hole.

Approaching the second green.

The second green.

The third hole is about 200 yards, but it plays a bit uphill, emerging out into a meadow that the next few holes continue through. The green is tilted from back left to front right, and while both bunkers are quite deep, the one short right is especially threatening. Go down there and you're at least 10 feet below the level of the green. You may be tempted to bail out a bit left, but just remember the slope of the green. Chip shots from the left side aren't easy. It's not the longest par 3 in the world, but it's a tough one.

The third hole.

The third green.

The fourth hole is quite a long par 4, especially considering this is a Donald Ross course. 460 yards is a lot, so while I don't know for sure, considering Sagamore is a par 70, I wouldn't be surprised at all if this was originally a short par 5. The hole is straight with a wide fairway, though a road and O.B. lurk just to the right. That leaves a mid iron to the green, which is pretty open except for on the right side. That front-right bunker is separated from the green by a few yards. The green itself is gently undulating, not an easy green to putt but not a difficult one either.

The fourth hole.

Approaching the fourth green.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole is a mid-length par 4 with three large bunkers dominating the view such that you can't even really see the fairway. There is one out there, though it's not very big. Wide but short, wedged between those bunkers and a small pond that cuts into the hole about 100-125 yards from the green. That means a lay-up off of the tee. You're best off favoring the left side, as that will give you the best angle into the green, which is small, elevated, and protected by a deep bunker front right.

The fifth hole.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is the longest hole at Sagamore, playing 545 yards over flat, fairly marshy terrain. There are multiple ponds, one in play on the drive and one fairly close but not quite bordering the green. The hole is otherwise basically flat and also completely bunkerless. Now, I don't like water as a hazard much, but natural water hazards are just fine, and the water lining nearly the entire right side does a great job of giving a hole without the advantage of topography plenty of strategic interest. Lay-ups are especially tricky since the pond by the green narrows the fairway for nearly 100 yards, so you'll probably have a decently long third into the green, which is the most undulating one so far on the course.

The sixth hole.

Approaching the sixth green.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is my favorite hole on the course. After the brief foray in the meadow the golfer is returned to the hills and the trees in abrupt fashion. The hole is 425 yards, which is fairly long to begin with, but about halfway through the fairway rises abruptly and turns left, making driver a very poor choice unless you can hit a big slinging hook. That means hitting a fairway wood or long iron off of the tee, leaving a very long second shot up the hill to a semiblind green. You'll want to favor the left side of the fairway, as difficult as that is, because the green is guarded front right by a deep bunker. When my brother and I stepped onto the tee here, we all had roughly the same question: "What are we looking at here?" It's a funky, quirky hole, a hole that isn't actually all that difficult but looks like it is just because it asks some weird questions. It's got a sense of humor, and that makes it really memorable in my opinion.

The seventh hole.

Approaching the seventh green.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is a mid-length par 3 that plays significantly uphill to a small green that's a bit crowned and slopes away at the back. There are a couple of bunkers right and one left placed into a big sideslope. You really don't want to miss the green left, since the ball will bounce down into the forest. The cart path placement really doesn't help, since that also goes down the left side. 

The eighth hole.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole isn't the most compelling 410 yard par 4 in the world. The fairway is on the narrow side but not extremely so, and there's a bunker guarding the right side. The second shot is a wedge or short iron into a green with bunkers right and front left; the green has a fairly noticeable right to left tilt, so it's not the easiest to hit, but it's not the most difficult in the world either.

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.

Review: Omni Bedford Springs Resort (Part 2)

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

The tenth hole is about as short a par 3 you'll see on any full-size golf course, coming in at a miniscule 124 yards, and it's an event from start to finish. The golf course has been very flat for the past few holes, and when you finish the ninth, the walk to the tenth is up a long, spiraling path ascending up a 50-foot hill. From the tee, you're greeted with a little wedge over a deep valley to a green on the other side, with massive falloffs both short and right. Going long isn't much better, since you'll be left with an incredibly delicate downhill chip to a green that slopes pretty significantly from back to front. So even if you hit the green, it's not necessarily an easy two putt. So yes, this hole is really short, but that doesn't mean it's easy.

The tenth hole. Missing short or right would be a very bad idea.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is by far the longest par 4 at Bedford Springs at 465 yards, but it does play pretty far downhill, which does mitigate the length somewhat. It's a pretty wide fairway, with the only real trouble being the road about 10-15 yards right. So feel free to pull the driver and get as far as you can. The second shot will be a short or mid iron into a fairly small green closely guarded by two bunkers. This is a long hole, but it's not really that tough.

The eleventh hole.

Approaching the eleventh hole.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is 410 yards, making it the second longest par 4 at Bedford Springs. This course doesn't have very long par 4s despite being almost 6,800 yards from the back tees. The hole is pretty much dead flat, and there's O.B. right and two fairway bunkers left. The second shot is a wedge or short iron to a green guarded by a series of mounds right and bunkers left and long. 

The twelfth hole.

Approaching the twelfth green.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is 615 yards, and yes, this is the longest hole on the course. Finally. The hole is flat, just like the previous hole, and the road continues down the entire right side, so it's constantly in your mind. The tendency is going to be to bail out left on this dogleg right, lengthening a hole that really doesn't need to be any longer. Provided you hit two solid shots, the third will be a wedge or short iron into a green with a fair amount of back to front slope and protected by three bunkers. 

The thirteenth hole, with the resort in the background.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

Not only does Bedford Springs have one par 3 under 150 yards, it actually has two: the tenth and the fourteenth. This is slightly longer than the tenth at 135 yards, but it plays significantly downhill. This hole is quite a bit easier as well, despite the abundance of hazards. There's water short and four bunkers going around the back of the green, but it's still less threatening then the big hill on the tenth. The green is flatter as well. I do like the hole, and it's nice to have a little wedge off of the tee after slogging through the thirteenth.

The fourteenth hole.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is a 360 yard par 4 with one defining feature: a big tree right where you'd want to aim your drive. I suppose the stronger hitters could try to go over, but for most, you'll either have to go right and leave a very long second – you could easily have 150 yards or more – or slot a long fade in between the lone tree and the line of trees by the fairway and leave a more reasonable wedge. A cluster of three bunkers behind the lone tree further complicates matters. The second shot is to a bunkerless, undulating green. I'm not sure about that tree, I imagine it's a polarizing feature among regulars, but I'll say this, it definitely makes the hole more memorable.

The fifteenth hole.

Approaching the fifteenth green.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is the fourth and final really long par 5 at Bedford Springs, coming in at 593 yards. The fairway slopes from left to right, and there's O.B. left. It's not too threatening, and in general the drive is pretty open. The second shot is more challenging. You'll be naturally drawn away from the road and the big fairway bunkers, but if you stray right of the fairway at all, your third shot will be blocked out by a small group of trees. And the space between the trees and the road isn't super generous either. Provided you do get into a good lay-up position, the third shot is to a fairly narrow green with a bunker left and two bunkers and a steep dropoff right.

The sixteenth hole.

Approaching the sixteenth green.

The sixteenth green.

I'm not sure if the seventeenth hole (and the eighteenth) are restorations of former holes or entirely new, but I do know that they weren't around 15 years ago. This was the driving range, which has been moved out beyond the fifteenth green where a hole (or maybe two) used to be. While at 175 yards it's a bit shorter than a typical Redan, it does play pretty similarly to one. There's the deep front left bunkers, a green sloping gently from right to left, and a distinct benefit to hitting a draw off of the tee. It's not a shining example, but it's still a good hole.

The seventeenth hole.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is the sort of finishing hole I like. At 355 yards, it's not overly punishing and it's definitely reasonable to finish with a birdie. However, it requires some thought and consideration. The fairway meanders between three bunkers left and one right, and long hitters need to be wary of the cross bunkers about 300 yards from the tee. The prudent play for many is to lay up on the tee short of the right bunker, but that will leave a tougher second shot with a poor angle over a greenside bunker. The green is elevated and reasonably flat with a dropoff right. Precision is the most important thing on this hole, and if you hit two patient shots, you can definitely end with a birdie.

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

Let there be no question, Bedford Springs is a very good golf course, and the restoration has done a lot of good. It looked good and it played well, even in the middle of December. The course also has a very good set of par 3s, probably the best that I've ever played. It's worth seeing Bedford Springs just for those. The second is the worst of the five, and that's still a good hole. Then there's the fourth. There may come a day when I've played enough great golf courses that Bedford Springs' Volcano will fall off of my personal top 10 favorite holes, but I don't think that day will come anytime soon. It's long, it's ridiculous, it's incredibly difficult and punishing, and I love it. It's a hole with a sense of humor. Yes, it's insane, but whoever put the hole there knew that, and they did it anyway. They stuck a flag up at the top of a hill, put a tee an unreasonable distance away, and said: "Figure it out." Crucially though, they kept the hole simple and relatively hazard free. If there was any sort of water or long grass anywhere close to the green, it wouldn't work. It would be too punishing. If you triple it, it'll be because you took six shots, not because you dumped a golf ball in a pond or lost it in unreasonably high grass. 

Unfortunately, the same quality does not extend to the rest of the course. Not that they're bad, not by a long shot. However, Bedford Springs does occasionally suffer from the same issue as Cape Arundel, in that there's just too much space to miss. Despite being wedged into a narrow valley, the property is pretty flat (the par 3s are an exception, which is probably why they're so good), and it's also very open. You have a ton of room to use driver and get away with wayward shots, since there's very little punishment for it. That leads me into my second issue: The length of the course is poorly balanced. Bedford Springs is 6,800 yards from the back tees, which is perfectly fine, but that length is reached in a weird way. Of the eight par 4s, only three are more than 360 yards, and only one is over 410. I like short par 4s, but aside from the first and maybe the last, there isn't anything terribly special about the ones here. Then there's the par 5s. Leaving aside the ninth, the other four average over 600 yards, which is a lot. And like I said before, there's not much to do on them other than hit the ball as far as possible. 

Now, if this course cost at most $50 to play, I'd be a lot more lenient with my criticism. Bedford Springs has a lot of good things going for it, and I do think it's a very good golf course. But I treat these high-tier courses with big greens fees a bit harsher, and for $150 or whatever they charge in season, Bedford Springs just doesn't offer enough to be worth that price. I think you should go and play it because the par 3s really are special, but don't go in the summer. November or April, that's when you should go.