pro shop  |  golf course  |  course tips  |  course architect

Get some insight on how to play from the back tees on one of the most picturesque and challenging golf courses in the Capital Region.

--- The Front 9 ---
Hole 1	Hole 1 - 393-yard Par 4 Take a look at number 9 on your way to the tee. It's a good idea to remember where the pin is located for that hole. A good drive up the right side of the fairway on the first hole sets you up for between a 7-iron and a wedge into the green which slopes from back to front and right to left. Stay below the hole and you should leave with a 4.
Hole 2	Hole 2 - 197-yard Par 3 A challenging Par 3 because of its length, two front guarding bunkers and trees if the tee box is on the left set of tees. Between a 4-iron and a 6-iron should set you up well and the green is relatively flat.
Hole 3	Hole 3 - 485-yard Par 5 While this is a short Par 5, the premium is definitely on getting a good tee shot out there. That doesn't necessarily mean long! While this is reachable in 2, the landing area for the tee shot is tight with sand on both sides of the fairway. But if you've got it in the short stuff here, you can take a shot at reaching this one in 2. Your second shot must carry a large bunker about 30-yards short of the green.This will usually be a 5-iron to a 3-wood if your driver is in play off the tee. The green here slopes severely from back-to-front and you would do well to keep the ball below the hole. Note however that anything on the front third of this green will likely roll back off the front of the green.
Hole 4	Hole 4 - 405-yard Par 4 A good drive hit with a "power fade" over the middle-left of the right-side fairway bunker can leave you with as little as a wedge to the green. That is a carry of between 230 and 240 yards. The water is in play in the line left of the trap only for the longer hitters. Too far right here though and you are in the avenue of the pines. The green here is relatively flat, but fast.
Hole 5	Hole 5 - 420-yard Par 4 The distance here is deceiving. If you hit a good drive, the fairway should yield some decent roll. Aim right of the left-side fairway bunkers for the optimum roll (there is lots of room to the right). Also - don't be fooled - there are 2-bunkers over there! The second one has had my name on it plenty of times. The green here is a double green shared with number 14. While it is 2-tiered, the second tier is more or less the 14th holes and usually not in the mix for a typical pin placement for number 5. The green here is not severely sloped.
Hole 6	Hole 6 - 559 -yard Par 5 This is Colonie's #1 handicap hole. This is generally not a birdie hole for me and if there's ever a time I try to play conservatively, it's here. A 3-wood hit with a slight draw off the tee will set you up optimally for your second shot. Right is OB if you carry it over there, and left is in another set of pines. Your second shot should be a lay-up just over the sand trap in the middle of the fairway (OK - I generally swing away with my 3-wood to get it to about 90-yards). The green here is relatively flat, sloping slightly from back-to-front.
Hole 7	Hole 7 - 210-yard Par 3 While the card says 221, it usually plays between 195 and 202. This is generally a 4 or 5-iron for me and played with the intent of hitting a little fade. This is optimal as the green generally slopes from back-to-front and right-to-left with the exception of the right side. Stay below the hole if you can off the tee.
Hole 8	Hole 8 - 316-yard Par 4 Here is a real shot at birdie. I generally birdie this about 1 in 4 times playing it. If you've got a fade in your driver - swing away here and you'll be rewarded with anywhere from a sand wedge or little chip onto the green, or even a putt! If not - break out your 200-yard club and play left of the big tree on the right side. You'll still be left with just a wedge or 9-iron into this green which slopes front-to-back and right-to-left. It is advantageous to come into this green with a high shot, unless it is a little chip/pitch. Lower trajectory landings tend to run off the back-left of the green.
Hole 9	Hole 9 - 383-yard Par 4 We go from a good shot at birdie on number 8 to one of the most challenging holes on the course. There is little trouble off the tee provided you stay right of the left-hand bunkers. But this green is a real challenge! It is a double green shared with 18 and 2-tiered AND slopes pretty well from back-to-front. The favored pin placement is about 2-paces off the ridge making it difficult to stay below the hole yet still be on the same tier. Remember to take note of the pin location to this one when you tee off number one.
--- The Back 9 ---
Hole 10	Hole 10 - 401-yard Par 4 Take a look at the pin placement for number 18 on your way to the tee for number 10. This is a nice hole to start up the back-9 after a refreshment in the clubhouse. A good drive down the middle of the fairway here can reward you with a wedge or 9-iron into this green. This green is rather difficult to read. I have found that it generally doesn't break as much as you think it will, unless the pin is over on the left side. If you've hit it in regulation you generally remember after over-reading your birdie putt and can tap in for par.
Hole 11	Hole 11 - 359-yard Par 4 This is a great risk-reward hole. For the daring - hit a 3-wood with a slight draw up the chute (left of the big tree on the left side of the fairway) and over the deep grass knoll. This can leave you with as little as a sand wedge into the green. If you play the hole the long way, you need to back off the tee shot a touch to keep it from running through the fairway/rough into the creek.... But you also need to hit it far enough to see into the green around the dog-leg (220-yards, or so). A hybrid is a decent play here. This green is slightly sloped back-to-front and left-to-right.
Hole 12	Hole 12 - 223-yard Par 3 This is a challenging par 3. Depending on the wind - you can hit anything from a 4-iron to a 3-wood from the tee. Err left off the tee as most anything right kicks into the water. The green slopes pretty good from back-to-front. Stay below the pin and this is a pretty easy green to 2-putt.
Hole 13	Hole 13 - 587-yard Par 5 This hole can be a monster but is absolutely a beautiful golf hole! When the tees are all the way back, it plays over 600 yards. When this is the case - the tee shot should be to the middle of the fairway. Played this way it is definitely a 3-shot hole to get on the green. But relatively safe. A 5 or 6-iron lay-up to 120-yards or so leaves a nice wedge or knock down 9-iron over the water to this dome-shaped green. When the tees are up, I like to try to go over the pond on the right. This leaves you with about 230 into the green. However - I have yet to hit this green in two - I've got a couple of balls under the bridge though...
Hole 14	Hole 14 - 445-yard Par 4 The architect was eating his Wheeties the day he designed 13 and 14! This par 4 usually leaves you with a blind second shot to the green as your tee shot is generally into the side of the hill. As such - even a decent drive will leave you about 180 to 200-yards out. Play your tee shot left of the sand trap. The green thankfully is pretty flat, unless you pull it left over towards number 5 (remember it is a huge double green). 4 is a good score here.
Hole 15	Hole 15 - 163-yard Par 3 This elevated tee generally allows you to drop a club and come in nice and high to this short Par 3. Of course that means I land a little less than half-way up this green and usually spin/roll all the way back off the front. This one is sloped back-to-front and slightly left-to-right. Shots left will often kick right, so it isn't a bad place to go if you're off by much. Not too many excuses can be found to not come away with a 3 on this hole. (not that I don't try!)
Hole 16	Hole 16 - 426-yard Par 4 Another great golf hole made much more challenging by the recent addition of 35 yards to the blue tees. While you used to be able to carry the top of the hill in most any condition and have a 9-iron or wedge into the green, now you're lucky to get over the hill. 35 additional yards has added 70-yards to the typical second shot. The middle of the fairway should be your goal. The green here is a challenge. Again, we have a dome-shaped green that slopes back-to-front and right-to-left especially. It pays to note the pin placement here before hitting your approach. Stay below the hole.
Hole 17	Hole 17 - 376-yard Par 4 One of my favorite holes. The best play here is a drive up the right side of the fairway. A 3-wood or 3-iron also plays nicely here. A good drive will leave you with little more than a wedge into the green or as much as a 6-iron if you played an iron off the tee. This green too is a tough one to read (must be its proximity to number 10) but I find it breaks more than I think it will here, rather than less.
Hole 18	Hole 18 - 499-yard Par 5 This hole is a realistic shot at eagle if you get your drive out there. "The shot" is to generally aim over the right-center of the left-hand bunker. If successful - you will have between 230 and 195 to the green. Even if not successful in carrying this bunker - a 7-iron out to the fairway will leave you an 8 or 9-iron into the green. If you've remembered to take a look at the pin here before teeing off on number 10, you'll know whether the pin is on the upper tier or the lower tier. If going at this one in 2, make sure you've got enough club as you have to carry almost all the way there due to the protecting bunkers in the front. While this green is also a monster double green shared with number 9, the severity of slope is much less for the 18th than the 9th and the tiers aren't quite as dramatic. A middle flagged pin is always on the lower tier.