Rambling with Russ: Golf Venues in the Capital Region and Elsewhere

Golf Venues in the Capital Region

This is another post that's not exactly "travel," but I thought I'd share some views of golf courses in the Albany "Capital Region" area, and a few beyond. I came back to golf when I retired after 30-some years away from the game and discovered that there are some beautiful public courses that offer diverse scenery, wildlife, and golfing challenges. Here's a selection.

First off is Western Turnpike, where I played the most the first couple of years on 3 9-hole courses at the western edge of Albany. It predates 1929, owned by the town since 2002. It's quite pretty in the spring.

and Fall.

In sunshine or in fog.

With water challenges

that contain geese, turtles,

and deer among other wildlife.

Probably my favorite course, further west and set below the Helderbergs among apple orchards, is appropriately named Orchard Creek voted “most scenic” in 2011; good lunches, a lovely wedding venue.

You may need to play around sprinklers in the morning

and play around apple trees that provide snacks in the Fall

when the course is especially pretty.

The Town of Colonie Golf Course has 4 different 9s, with lovely (and challenging) wetlands and plantings.

Frear Park in Troy began as 9 holes in 1931, to 18 in 1964, under some construction to improve when I 1st played it in 2022. Nice panoramic views.

To the north, the course in Saratoga Spa State Park, opened 1936, the park includes a concert venue, Gideon Putnam resort, and old bathhouses, with pines giving it a Northwoods ambience).

with pretty plantings ... and wildlife.

Nearby is Saratoga Lake Golf Club, with some scenic and tight fairways.

Pilgrim Hill GC is outside Ballston Spa

MacGregor Links Country Club, 100 years old in 2021, is also near Saratoga. Designer by Devereux Emmet, who also did famous Congressional and Bethpage courses.

Airway Meadows, between Saratoga and Glens Falls, is quite picturesque, plus a small plan landing strip in the middle of the course-- "out of bounds. do not retrieve balls on the runways!"

A bit further north is Brookhaven

with its own wildlife.

In between Albany and Saratoga are Eagle Crest, with its share of water and waterfowl

and some dramatic storm clouds, here just skirting the course,

Van Patten is nearby outside of Clifton Park

Fairways of Halfmoon

and Van Patten

Courses back around Albany include Capital Hills, the former "Albany Muni," especially pretty in the early morning,

Normanside is across Normanskill from Capital Hills. A difficult course, tho I managed a "net albatross" there!

and Stadium, built on the site of an old minor league ballpark in Schenectady, seen here in early Spring.

Schenectady Muni, one of the most beautiful courses in the area, was built in 1935 with funding from predecessors to the WPA.

Edison Club across the Mohawk (viewed here near the course entrance) in Rexford has 27 holes, opened 1926 by “legendary” designer Devereux Emmet.

Another course with pretty plantings & trees.

And lovely in the fall.

CC of Troy, by early course architect Walter Travis, opened in 1925, especially scenic with views to the Catskill.

Rolling Hills CC is just west of Amsterdam.

Amsterdam Muni has a distinctive history: built partly with WPA support by Robert Trent Jones, a famous course designer, the 1^st 4some in 1938 included the also very famous Gene Sarazon.

Briar Creek, W of Albany & Duanesburg, is a pretty course.

Hidden Meadows is an Executive 18-hole par-3 course south of Albany in Glenmont, with a variety of challenging holes.

Cobleskill Golf and Country Club, SW of Albany, is a very scenic course.

Fall colors are nice

and it had a clever way to left a lever of the flag to remove a ball from the cup during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

and resident snapping turtles

Mill Road Acres in Latham is also a pretty course, mostly par-3s plus a few short par-4s, a good place to work on iron play.

Marjorie walked along with me one outing and captured some "action" photos, including a birdie putt as it dropped into the hole!

To the East, Burden Lake CC in Averill Park offers an interesting mix of holes in a very scenic setting of hills, forest, and wetlands.

and a double green

picturesque in the rain

Winding Brook CC is Southeast in Valatie. Had my first eagle (3) here in 2020. Another scenic course with interesting holes.

I don't get to play much on country club courses. But I've had some rounds for charity events at championship-caliber Schuyler Meadows.

To the Northeast, Battenkill Country Club is a much less formal, more rustic venue with 9 holes along the Battenkill River.

Copake CC, south of Albany, is another pretty course

Also south of Albany is Olde Post Road Golf Club in Castleton-on-Hudson.

with a very short shot to an island green.

Leatherstocking Golf Course plays out from the Otesaga Resort in Cooperstown, west of Albany. It makes for a good combo with the Baseball Hall of Fame

Dinsmore Golf Course, in a state park south of Rhinebeck, is credited as the 3rd-oldest course in the course, dating to the 1890s. It offers sweeping views over the Hudson to the Catskills

and some wildlife.

Other courses in the Catskills region include Thunderhart, part of Sunny Hill Golf Resort in Freehold,

9-hole Mohonk Mountain Golf Course 1st laid out in 1897, at Mohonk Mountain House, a "historic Victorian castle resort,"

and Catskill Golf Club

To the north, Top of the World Golf Resort offers especially pretty scenery in the fall, including panoramas of Lake George.

Kingsbury is also north in Hudson Falls.

I've played Mohawk River Country Club in the early Spring,

sometimes with ice on the ponds,

or accompanied by turkeys.

and summer too.

I've joined some Mendelssohn Club brothers and friend Peter at Rainbow Golf Club outside Greenville near the Catskills. A friendly "family" atmosphere.

Even the tree were "safe" in the COVID-19 pandemic. And I put me tee shot 8' from the hole on the 13th island green - but the birdie putt lipped out.

In 2020 I joined a league for the first time: CARGO (Capital Area Retired Golfers Organization). My first round was at Hiland Park Country Club, a course south of Lake George that has been highly ranked by “Golf Advisor.”

I've enjoyed Fall rounds with former dentist Tom

Since this league moves around to different courses, I have a chance to try a number I hadn't played before.

Here's Pinehaven Country Club in Guilderland, carved thru the historic Pine Bush area

Windy Hills, near Schuylerville, is more rustic and less "manicured," but nicely scenic.

Until 2021 hadn't done any "golf vacations" per se, but I did take clubs along on a trip to KC and Branson with sister-in-law Mary and golfer husband Jeff. Jeff and I played Branson Hills Golf Club, named "the best you can play in Missouri" by a golf magazine. It was plenty challenging and scenic, though I wasn't "the best you can play"!

Back to KC where Jeff and I also played Overland Park Golf Club, also scenic, and not as punishing of poor shots.

A trip West gave me an opportunity to play Mountain Dell, a "mountain course" (at 6000') outside of Salt Lake City.

with wildlife ranging from ground squirrels and deer to a coyote!

2021 was my 1st "serious" golf vacation, joining 24 guys self-dubbed "Still Crazy" (a story in itself, related in its own post on this blog) in Pinehurst NC: 4 different courses in 4 days. Each course championship quality. The 1st was Seven Lakes.