ALBANY – Charities from throughout the region are raising money through the Turning Stone ResortChampionship’s “Tickets for Charity” program. This is the fourth year of the initiative, administered by the Upstate New York Empowerment Fund, which is the regional charitable component of the PGA Tour event scheduled for Aug. 2-8 at Atunyote Golf Club.

Last year, 65 charities from eight counties participated. This year, more than 90 charities from 11 counties are involved.

The Addictions Care Center of Albany (ACCA), an Albany-based non-profit dedicated to the treatment and prevention of substance abuse, is the only Capital Region charity selling advance tickets to the tournament. ACCA will receive 100% of the face value of all tickets sold.

According to Keith Stack, ACCA Executive Director, “Selling tickets to this popular golf event allows ACCA to spread awareness of our good work, as well as raise much-needed funds. The monies raised will be usedto provide critical substance abuse treatment and prevention services to the Capital District. This is an excellent opportunity to help our cause and see some of the best professional golfers in the world play at a nationally-recognized, local course.”

The “Tickets for Charity” program raised nearly $750,000 during its first three years. The event will host 132 players from around the world competing for a $4 million purse. In past years, the fundraiser has been part of the PGA Tour’s Fall Series. This year the championship will take place during the mid-summer FedExCup regular season. Past champions include Matt Kuchar, Dustin Johnson and Steve Flesch.

“Good Any Day” tickets, priced at $25, can be used any day during tournament week from Wednesdaythrough Sunday. Those same tickets will cost $35 at the gate. Tickets for charity will run through July 30. Tickets can be obtained by contacting the Addictions Care Center of Albany at (518) 465-5829 or email fsinkoff@theacca.net, as well as stopping by the office at 90 McCarty Avenue in Albany weekdays from 9:00AM-4:00PM.

About ACCA: The Addictions Care Center of Albany empowers individuals, families and communities to advance beyond addiction and overcome barriers to healing through an array of quality, compassionate care and prevention programs. ACCA respects each individual’s unique journey through recovery and believes the disease ofaddiction is both preventable and treatable. Among ACCA’s services are a chemical dependency crisis center, community residences, outpatient clinic and intensive day treatment programs, substance abuse prevention programs, and professional training and development programs. ACCA’s vision is to heal the hearts of everyone touched by addiction.

While the Capital Region was struggling to keep cool during the recent heat wave, the husband and I were out in Arizona where 95-degrees is a break from the heat. So, playing golf means an early tee time, which we were lucky to snag at Tucson’s Starr Pass at the JW Marriott Resort. While an in-season round can top $180 per person this time of year, thanks to Golfnow we paid $45pp with cart, plus a $3.98 service charge for the booking.

There are three, 9-hole courses at Starr Pass: Rattler – 3,490 yards from the tips; Roadrunner – 3,217 yards from the tips; and Coyote – a whopping 3,512 yards from the tips. We played Rattler and Roadrunner and, as the husband, who plays to a 12HC, was trying to figure out which tees to play from, the starter said: “Forget about the yardage, don’t play anything longer than the silver, it’ll be plenty challenging.”

Then he explained that the pros left this course because it was so challenging. In fact, Roadrunner has been redesigned since the ‘90′s to eliminate many of the blind shots. It’s now an Arnold Palmer design. And yes, all the ‘biggies’ in golf have competed here. Okay then.

Of course, I’d be playing the red tees. BTW, if you’re up for a little of this, a little of that, there’s a Men’s Hybrid you can play that’s a mixture of tees – on Rattler, you’ll be playing 3,250 yards, 3,109 on Roadrunner, 3,250 on Coyote. But what I’d really suggest is finding a local to join your foursome. More on that in a moment.

THE LEGEND

Legend has it that Richard Starr cut a trail through the rugged Tuscon Mountains more than 120 years ago. Today, the 6th hole on Coyote marks a section of that trail and is the signature hole, here. (We will have to return another day to check that out.) What I can tell you is that this is a rolling course that you HAVE to drive, unless, of course, you’re a billy goat – a billy goat with a pick water tank. Remember, this is the desert and it’s a desert course.

Smartly there is water every other hole. If you play here, fill up frequently. And if you lose a ball, consider it a donation to the golf gods. There are rattlesnakes out here along with bobcats. Hey, how often do you see a coy dog in the parking lot of a golf course?

PLAYING & EATING

We were paired with a lovely, local family. Mom, who didn’t play, rode with their college-age son who crushed the ball and dad’s a 3HC. Perfect. After the 2nd hole, when the dad realized we were strangers in paradise, he supplied just enough detail to keep us out of trouble. Of course an errant tee shot can’t be helped by any amount of suggestion!

The fairways are relatively tight and for the men, you’re clearing brush on almost every hole. (see left)

But even a big ball hitter isn’t home free here. Many of the holes require careful course management because even a hair short on your approach shot and you could end up hitting the wall – literally! (see left) 

While you won’t find any water hazards there’s plenty of well placed sand. Thankfully, it’s that nice, soft stuff. The greens were a little sticky during our round, probably because of the heat they’re leaving them a bit high. I also thought the tee boxes could have used a little trimming, but again, probably the heat.

One thing you’ll always have at Starr Pass is an incredible view, especially on the Roadrunner course. You have the sense you’re playing right into the Catalina Mountains. (see left)

Both the husband and I found the second nine on Roadrunner easier to score on. Not sure if it really was a BIT less challenging or we just got into the rhythm of the course. In either case, we’re both eager for a repeat visit. And if you’re hungry afterwards, stop by the grill: FAB salads and decent prices. As for service, these folks deserve gold stars – from the guy who takes your clubs to the wait staff – you’re treated like a favored guest.

Take eight women with handicaps ranging from 3-to-32, book a deal for $335 that gives you two condos and three rounds of golf, mix in a few libations, and you’ve got one heck of a fabulous weekend.

What could make it even better? Adding another night and a round of golf at the famed Pinehurst #2 course.

Okay, let me start at the beginning. It’s been six years since some in this group gathered for a similar outing. Schedules and lives prevented a repeat until now.

The first outing included a round at Pinehurst #8 which, we were told, was most similar in design to #2 than the other Pinehurst courses (there are 8 courses at Pinehurst). We paid our greens fees and had a spectacular time on a gorgeous, challenging course. But his time we decided to go for the real deal.

So, ignoring the notice that #2 is undergoing renovations, we opted for the championship course that’s hosted the 1936 PGA Championship, the 1951 Ryder Cup Matches, the 1962 and 2008 U.S. Amateur Championships, the World Open, the 1989 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, the 1991-92 TOUR Championships, the 1994 U.S. Senior Open Championship, the 1999 and 2005 U.S. Open Championships, and will host the 2014 U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open Championship.

We started on the back nine. I don’t care where I start, but it’s the back nine that’s currently seeing the most work. It’s not pretty. The forward tee boxes were in the middle of the fairway so we often played from the white tees. Since the carts are not equipped with GPS – for what it costs to play here they should be, although you can hire a caddie – we were often searching for distance markers which rarely obvious.

It’s clear this is a course designed to host hoards of people as the area adjacent to the rough is wide. It’s also a course that tests your putting prowess. I think all the greens are domed. However, perhaps because of the reconstruction, the greens were slow.

The front nine, while visually prettier, played the same: tee boxes in the fairway. I know this will sound like heresy, but none of us was thrilled by the Pinehurst experience. I know it’s the “Mecca,” the center, the king, but in talking with others who’ve played it, I got a similar response: it’s overrated. I suspect, because it’s steeped in history it’s earned the reputation, but for my money, I’d play #8 again and again. As for #2, it’s off my “Bucket List.”

If you want to follow the progress of the renovations, click here. By the way, the course will close in November and reopen in March so they can complete the work.

But there’s always something fun to find, even when the golf isn’t the best. We crossed paths with a greenskeeper who hails from Maine. Shortly after she and her husband relocated to the Pinehurst area, she sought out a job at the course complex and was hired as the first woman greenskeeper, ever. When the economic downturn forced a layoff, she was rehired, this time to mow – again, the first woman to do so. As she tells the story, she climbed aboard that honking machine and mowed the practice tees till you could practically skate on them. You go girl!

MOVING TO HYLAND

Our next stop was a sweet, old course about 10 miles from Pinehurst, Hyland Golf Club, formerly known as Hyland Hills. Designed by Tom Jackson, a golf Hall of Fame member in the Carolinas, it had fallen on hard times. The new owner bought it at a fire sale. He owns a course in Texas and is determined to bring this place back to its former glory. His grit and personality alone are sure to restore this course.

Golf Digest has given it 4-stars and when you land on the greens you know why: they are quick and undulating. It’s a picturesque course that, like many resort courses, is very short from the forward tees, just 4,784 yards.

Because we had so many big hitters in our group, we played the white tees. It was a bit of a stretch for me, but my home club, Shaker Ridge CC is 5,420 yards for women so it just meant more 3- & 5-woods in the fairway. Put this course on your list.

THE PIT WAS ANYTHING BUT

The final course on our itinerary is “The Pit.” We had played this the last time at Pinehurst and were eager to return. Every four or five holes feels as if you’re playing a new course. Just wait until you hit the string of water holes.

Add to the water, the wind whipping and it was a delightful challenge. We were happy to hit the final four holes that require straight, long drives. If you hiccup you’ll be searching the woods, which isn’t always a good idea because of the critters that call it home. Yes, we did see a snake on #18.

When you find a golf course that you really enjoy you just have to go back and play it again. For the husband and me, that’s the case with Pinehills Golf Club in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

We played there about four years ago and had a delightful time. So, last summer, when we were guests at a wedding nearby, along came the sticks. As fate would have it, the same scenario presented itself recently, so back to the links we went.

NOT DISSAPOINTED

There are two courses at Pinehills – a Jack Nicklaus and a Rees Jones design. We’ve always played the Nicklaus and weren’t disappointed on this return trip. As always, the curving fairways are lush and beautifully groomed.

This course doesn’t give you many straight ahead shots. Most are gentle doglegs, predominantly to the left. The starter told us he likes playing the Nicklaus course because he scores better there.  That’s because the fairways are wide and somewhat forgiving making your second shot the one needing a little more thought.

The greens were in great shape but putting was confounding. The starter told us not to read as much break into the putts as we thought we’d see. Heeding his advice kept us close but, dang, if every putt didn’t break off about an inch from the cup. Even the husband, who’s a great putter, was having trouble getting putts to drop.

There’s not much water to deal with here but plenty of sand. Hey, you’re just about on Cape Cod. And these are no sissy sand traps. Most greenside bunkers have a nasty face to clear. Let’s just say I got a reminder about keeping my head down and not decelerating my club!

LOVE THE LADIES

By about the third hole I was feeling mighty proud of my driving. Yes, I was wielding my new Cobra driver well, but the real key is the advantage given the ladies. I don’t think there’s one hole where the red tees were less than 50-yards in front of the blues.

For the most part, Pinehills does a good job of keeping the hole interesting despite the advantage, with one exception. There’s a long par-3 on the back, #15. From all the other tees you’ve got to cover lots of real estate including a swath of high growing bushes. For the women, nada. And while it’s easy to play, it’s not too interesting.

BRING MONEY

Billed as New England’s premiere daily fee golf course, and created to rival the “country’s most prestigious golf clubs” (7,243 yards from the tips), this is not a cheap round of golf at $110 with cart.

You can walk but it’s a haul between the holes. The website still has last year’s rate of $100 and another website notes $80. Frankly, for a “C-note” + $10, I think they should give you more than a bottle of water. How about tossing a towel in the cart and some tees? (I found those in the pro shop after the round).

We splurged on playing here a third time because, well, our hosts that evening were paying for dinner and sometimes you’ve just got to live a little. If you don’t mind playing late in the day they have a $45 rate after 4:00PM.

The carts are not GPS equipped but the course has more yardage markers than I think I’ve ever seen. There’s a snack cart on the course if you’re hungry, and a sweet, little snack shack at #10. Once you’re out you don’t see the clubhouse again until #18.

Would I return? Not to the Nicklaus course. Been there, done that. But if you’re in the area and feeling flush, you won’t be disappointed.

One footnote: maybe they were having a bad day but aside from the helpful starter, the pro shop crew was a bunch of sour pusses. Lighten up, it’s golf and we come to have fun.

Bette Midler made that line famous – “Oh, you gotta have friends” – in one of her early songs. But it sure holds today when it comes to golf. You gotta have friends who invite you play at their home course, especially when it’s a spot you’d never seek out on your own. This Father’s Day was case in point.

A fellow who’s been pals with my husband for more than 20 years finally got us to head south to Walden, NY to play at his club, Osiris Country Club. It’s a little gem you’d never find without an invite and your Garmin.

It’s about 20 minutes off Exit 18 of the NYS Thruway. You travel through New Paltz and turn left onto Route 208. You’ll pass a host of ice cream and fruit stands that will be tempting, but save them for the return trip. Golf beckons.

Built as a nine-hole course in 1927, another nine was added in 1965. Designed by Francis Duane, who built the Sycamore Golf Course in Ravena as well as the Sea Pines CC in Hilton Head, it’s now a par-72, 6,373 yards from the tips.

The original nine holes are pretty straightforward and give you plenty of room. But when you make the turn, you enter into a different world. Snug fairways, undulating greens which don’t have as much break as you THINK they do, and spectacular views of the Mohawk Mountains.

The name “Osiris” is that of an Egyptian god – usually considered the god of the dead. Have no fear, none of the holes is a killer. In fact, the twosome we played with walked the entire 18. There’s very little water to contend with but the course is smartly trapped. Thankfully, it’s that soft, beach-like sand and few of the traps I entered had nasty lips. Most were easily exited, though.

As for the greens: straightforward on the front, on the back, however, they are often tiered and tilted. While not lightening fast, you don’t need much elbow grease to get the ball rolling.

And be sure to leave time to stop in New Paltz for a late lunch or early dinner. The college town has quite a collection of funky eateries. For my credit card, I highly recommend Rock Da Pasta. Besides a fabulous, creative menu all the dishes can be done with gluten free pasta or rice and vegan.

“It’s a beautiful facility,” Leadbetter said of Golf University. “I was really looking forward to coming up.”

“We’re really testing the waters here with this event. I think it has great potential with a ready made clientele and hopefully we can add to that and the great amenities Stratton already has.”

The Festival of Golf was a collaboration between Golf University and the David Leadbetter Golf Academy, featuring a weekend-long series of clinics, demos from the leading golf manufacturers and is capped off tomorrow afternoon with a tournament on the Stratton Golf Course.

“This is a celebration of the game, one that can be enjoyed for a lifetime,” said Robin Rasch, Director of Stratton’s Golf University. “There is a tremendous tradition with this place and some of the sport’s best, from Arnold Palmer, who founded Golf University, to the LPGA Tour, which held an annual event here during the 1990’s.”

“This event is a continuation of that tradition and our ability to provide golf programs for all ages and abilities.”

For more information on Stratton’s Golf University, the David Leadbetter Golf Academy at Stratton, or Stratton Mountain Resort visit  or call 1.800.STRATTON.

Leadbetter Q & A

Q: What do you know of this facility and of this course?

A: It is a beautiful facility. I was really looking forward to coming up here. We’re really testing the waters here with this event. I think it has great potential with a ready made clientele and hopefully we can add to that and the great amenities Stratton has. I heard about the golf course years ago when one of the girls that I taught actually won the LPGA event here. So I heard all about it, how pretty the area was and the things that go on here. We’re really pleased to be here and mingle with some of the members and show them what we do.

Q: Obviously it is tough to play all year round in Vermont, how does one overcome that obstacle?

A: That is a tough thing having such a short season here. Speaking to one of the gentleman here and he actually said he has a simulator in his house, which is great if you can do that, but you know, unfortunately, it is one of those games where you need to play it fairly often to keep up at a reasonable skill level. You can do little things, even in the winter, like keeping yourself fit, even swinging a club a couple of times a week. Maybe swinging a heavier club, or doing some form of yoga, just to keep the body limber and flexible. It makes a huge difference when you come back to the game after the weather turns.

Q: How has the golf industry changed since you started teaching?

A: It is more of an industry now. In the old days, the club professional would do his shop duties, play and teach. There is still a little bit of that around now, but certainly the teaching has become a real specialized art where you’re learning all sorts of new things about anatomy and how the brain works and so on and so forth, trying to increase our own knowledge so we can help the average golfer and their game.

Q: Talk about last weekend’s U.S. Open and perhaps why players were complaining about the course conditions?

A: I think it goes to show you how tough Pebble Beach was. They normally play a regular tour event there and it was a totally different set of circumstances. It’s so difficult, it really is, the course just penalizes you at every turn, not just the fact that there’s more rough and that the fairways are narrower, but around the greens too. The greens are firm, hard and run off into areas where you’ve got to know how to hit little delicate shots. You could see it with the scoring, especially on Sunday, because it wasn’t that good. It was just a real tough test. As a matter of fact, if the pros had to play a golf course the way the USGA set up the U.S. Open every week, their careers would last three or four years because it is so mentally taxing with the concentration level needed on every single shot. There is no letup. That’s what the U.S. Open is all about.

Q: What must an average golfer know before hitting a new course for the first time?

A: For the average golfer, I think all of them can think their way around the course. It may be easier to say, ‘look, I am a 20 handicap, I may want to hit a three-wood off the tee so I don’t get caught in certain bunkers.’ If those players play a par 72 course, like it is a par 90, to think of a par three as a par four, par fours as par fives, par fives as par sixes and make it their goal to shoot those scores on those holes. It makes golf less taxing because you aren’t creating impossible situations. You play within your own expectations and to play within yourself.

The gate at Pebble Beach Golf Links

By John Craig 

I know it’s taboo on a golf course to break out the cell phone and start yakking away.  I frown on it, that’s for sure.  But heck, I was by myself on Pebble Beach, and I wanted to share the experience with someone who might appreciate it, and who I knew would answer the phone. On the 12th tee, I called my parents. 

My mother answered and even though she’s not a golfer, she was glad for me and understood the significance of the place and that the U.S. Open is being held there and that her son was playing the course. She then told me dad was taking a nap. Oh well.  That was one of two or three times when I was able to just look around and drink in the fact that I was playing Pebble Beach Golf Links for a moment. 

The second was on the 15th when I rolled in a 42-foot putt. But I’m getting ahead of myself.   

‘COMING FAST AND FURIOUS’  

The 110th U.S. Open is being contested there this week. On June 1, I got a “first club” look at what fans will see and where players will walk, the famed venue for the 2010 National Championship. 

It’s coming fast and furious,” said Paul Spengler, Executive Vice President of Pebble Beach Company since 2004. He’s been there 20 years. “It’s going great. All of the facilities set up are ahead of schedule. The golf course is ready.” 

Typically, the United States Golf Association closes its course several weeks in advance of their U.S. Open to protect it, keep it fresh for practice rounds, and make sure that every blade of grass is where it should be and, in some cases, as long as it should be. There are exceptions when the USGA comes to a public facility like last year at Bethpage Black on Long Island and this year at Pebble Beach.  The course was open for public play up until Friday, June 11. Now, it’s ready for the players. 

“It has given us a good spike as far as people are curious and inquisitive and want to come and play and we have access to the golf course,” Spengler told me during an interview in his office, complete with an Arnold Palmer bobblehead doll on his desk. 

I got to see Pebble and play Pebble the day after Memorial Day. First, there was work, though. I was set up with several interviews and took some photos and video too. Some of that accompanies this account. Then I was off to play. 

THE DRIVE DOWN 

My day began at 7:00AM with a 2 ½ hour drive from San Francisco down to the Monterey Peninsula and Carmel Bay. The highway leads to Route 1, which winds down through Pacific Grove and Monterey. The road at the peninsula is famed 17-Mile Drive, which snakes through a spot discovered by Spanish explorers in 1602. The cost to make the drive is $9.50. It takes you past Poppy Hills Golf Course, The Links at Spanish Bay, Seal Rock, Spyglass Hill Golf Course, Cypress Point Lookout, Ghost Tree, the Peter Hay Golf Course and then Pebble Beach, which is built around Stillwater Cove. 

The peninsula was fogged in a bit and it was 55 degrees, but at points you come out and can see into the sea and you just say, “Wow.” I stopped a couple of times to take in the view, including The Lone Cypress, which is the symbol for Pebble Beach – that cypress tree out on a rock. There, I found Jeanne Smith painting her version of the Lone Cypress for her art landscape class. Most of the other students were at Seal Rock that sports “a vibrant mix of marine and bird life” according to the brochure. I would have liked to have seen that but I was on a deadline and that tree was my mission. 

Up around the bend, I also stopped at “Ghost Tree,” which has a trunk bleached white from wind that “has a sinister silhouette.” It did. By 10:30, I made it to the pro shop for my interviews. 

“We’re excited. The electricity, it’s an 11,” said Chuck Dunbar, the Head Golf Professional, doing an English accent and paraphrasing the movie “This is Spinal Tap” when 10 on the dial just wouldn’t do. It wouldn’t do for me either. My waiting to play was “an 11” too. 

“Not some much calm but excited and enthusiastic about what’s kind of imminent here in the next two weeks,” said Golf Course Superintendent Chris Dalhamer, who has worked at Pebble for five years, but volunteered the last time the Open was held here, in 2000. Now, he’s in charge of every blade of grass and every drop of piped in water. 

“We’re going to make it firm and fast and just right to the USGA specifications,” Dalhamer said. “Any golfer can understand right there that your ball’s not going to plug, stop, not roll. You’re going to have balls rolling out onto the fairways, the greens are going to have a couple bounces to them.” 

NO WARM UP AND FROM THE TIPS 

Around 1:00PM, I got to play. By myself. With limited play, all caddies had been spoken for or gone home. After finishing my work, no warm up, I was standing on the first tee. I played it from the tips, more than 6,740 yards. 

The first couple holes, I had a hard time keeping my heart in my chest. Maybe that’s what contributed to my combined 16. 

I took a cart but would have preferred to walk. However, with rental clubs, two cameras, a dozen balls and all the rest, a cart was easier. It was cart path only, though, so I did plenty of walking, including back to the third tee. I mean back. 

When I got there at the par-4, 404-yard hard dogleg left, I looked over the other tee boxes and high grass and thought, “How am I going to carry that after what I just did in the first two holes?” 

Using the Callaway Diablo driver, I took a breath and a nice, easy swing and striped it, almost willing it to “just get to the edge of the fairway.” I think I actually yelled, “Go!” It landed right where you want it to. A sigh of relief. 

I got to the second shot and poked a five-iron to just in front. From there, bogey felt like par. 

PEBBLE’S PERILS 

The USGA’s Mike Davis, the General Chairman of the 2010 Open R.J. Harper and Arnold Palmer “have really strategically changed this golf course like it’s never been before for a U.S. Open basically by bringing in the water into play,” Spengler said. “The fairway alignments on the 4th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 18th holes are all cut to the water, close to the water and there’s no rough on the water side so any shots hit through the fairway towards the water will, most likely, go in the water. 

“Pebble Beach has never been what you would call a really difficult golf course but it certainly is a challenging U.S. Open golf course because the greens are the smallest, probably, in major championship play,” Spengler said. “And when they get firm and have the four or five inch rough around the greens, that’s where the real difficulty comes in as far as scoring at Pebble, plus the fact that we do need the climate. We need the wind conditions to be there so it doesn’t play as benign. 

BIRDS RATHER THAN BIRDIES 

A bad chip led to another lost ball at the fourth. On the fifth, I took too much club and flew the green on the par-3. That’s also where my battle with the birds began. I bought a sandwich and spent more time protecting it from the birds than my ball from the sea. I lost four balls in the next three holes. 

I made a rookie mistake. Instead of eating before I got on the course, I bought a sandwich when the guy came around near the fifth tee box.  Some advice: when you’re playing Pebble or any other course that might have a large population of birds, eat before you go out on the course. Otherwise, you can lose your lunch, and not the way you might think. 

At the fifth tee, a very nice man who raised his family in Northern California, drove up in the snack cart. I was hungry. (Backstory: I woke up at 6:30AM after going to bed at 2:00AM, drove 2 ½ hours down from San Francisco, where my wife and I were staying. She was spending the day with a college friend. With some fog rolling in and out, I then spent 45 minutes on 17-Mile Drive, did interviews and shopped a bit before getting on the tee. There was no time to eat. So when the cart came rolling up around 2:00PM, he was a sight for sore eyes and an empty stomach.) 

I bought a turkey sandwich, Powerade and banana for $18. Before he drove off, I remarked that there was a big (really, really big) crow eying me. He said, “Oh, yea, don’t leave that sandwich alone in your cart. It will be gone. They’ll take it.” 

I listened, thank goodness, and hoped other birds weren’t paying attention. But they were. So I carried the sandwich in its plastic snap-cover with me around the 5th green and 6th tee. I tried to open it and eat half on my way to the second shot but a couple of seagulls hovered about six feet over my head, literally, for the rest of the 6th and famous 7th hole. 

Teeing off on the 8th, I tore it in half and scarfed as much as I could before my second shot. I jammed the half-eaten half in my pocket and hit my second shot right into the abyss. Birds were still hovering, and hopping in the cart, looking for more, or if I was dumb enough to leave the other half. I didn’t. 

I putted out at the 8th and as I went to the 9th I noticed a seagull over in the thick rough with something. I figured it was a worm or something. I had gulped down my whole sandwich by now. But I soon found out what the bird had – my banana. 

“Yup, they’re taking bananas this year. They’re really aggressive,” said my snack cart friend when I saw him later on the 13th and relayed my story that was indeed, for the birds. He gave me a free banana. 

‘CLIFFS OF DOOM’ 

My best hole on the front nine came at the ninth. I smacked two great shots and bogeyed, feeling pretty good. 

“8, 9 and 10 are kind of the cliffs of doom,” Dalhamer said, referring to the set up that takes away any protection from land to sea so if you slice, and I do, you’re in trouble. But for whatever reason, I played 9 and 10 pretty well. 

“I’ve always said it’s seven holes of offense and 11 holes of defense,” said Dunbar. “There’s a couple scoring holes on that back stretch but nonetheless, you’ve basically got to get a good start in the first seven holes…if the wind is blowing, then they are all hard.” 

Maybe it was my battle with the birds, the fact that I reminded myself I was just playing golf, or that I called my parents more than 3,000 miles away, but I played better. My only par came at the 15th: that 42-footer from the front of the green. As it tracked closer to the hole, I raised my putter in triumph when it dropped, but there was no one around. 16 was a disaster and then came the famed 17th.  

17 & 18 

A “classic” that the USGA has not changed, is how the USGA describes 17. It’s where Tom Watson made that jaw-dropping chipshot in 1982 to vault him to victory; where Jack Nicklaus hit a one-iron into the wind in 1972 and smacked it off the stick. 

With some wind, I took a five-iron from 178-yards and came up just short, but it bounced. I got some help from some tourists who were taking pictures nearby to help me locate the ball. Then, I opened up a pitching wedge and flopped a shot that skirted the edge of the hole – almost a birdie. It rolled past and I two-putted. Then came 18. 

“Just don’t hit it left,” I actually said out loud just before drawing back the driver. It went right down the middle. Off in the distance there was a couple taking a stroll. As I got close, the guy said, “nice shot.” Cool. 

I stood over that shot and hit a bullet over the two trees in the middle of the fairway to about 120-yards. For that third shot, again I talked to myself, “One good 9-iron,” I muttered, and it took a nap in the right greenside bunker. I stepped into the bunker, having had some sand trouble, but blasted it out to about six-feet and two-putted. I finished bogey-bogey for my 112. 

“I can’t wait for the week to be here,” Dunbar said. “You do all the preparation stuff and all the anticipation and we all want to enjoy the fruits of our labor and see the whole thing come together.” “It’s an honor and a privilege for us to host an Open,” said Spengler. “We look at it that way, we treat it that way.” 

I lost seven golf balls and as I drove off the property, I called my father. He was up from his nap.

I know. I just played three of its courses over five days.

But not before a tune-up in the Sunshine State started with a visit to friends at “The Villages.” You’ve seen the commercials during golf telecasts – it’s a sprawling retirement community about an hour and a half north of Disney. There are more than a dozen courses on that property.

We played “Virginia” and “Amelia.” Both were lovely, not too challenging. It got us ready to see what Mickey Mouse had in store for us. (I should note my husband is an 11 handicap and I’m a 30 but I’ve broken 100 and if I get out more I hope to shoot that more often than my regular 108.)

A ‘BLAST’ OF A TRIP

After watching the shuttle Discovery blast off, we did the same and headed to Disney World. Along with the theme parks, the entertainment mecca boasts four, 18-hole courses.
Our first stop: “The Palm.” We were greeted by a garrulous starter who plied us with tees, ball markers and one of those divot fixers, all with the Disney logo, of course. He made sure to snap a shot of us on the first tee because, if you look closely, you’ll see the markers are balloons, the logo of the “Children’s Miracle Network.” “The Palm” hosts that event PGA Tour event. In fact, at each tee there’s a plaque with trivia about that event.

After a few more jokes and well wishes, we were off to play the course. The first few holes run along a busy roadway so it’s a bit noisy, but by the fourth hole it’s all wind in the trees and birds chirping. Since Disney is known for challenging its visitors but always letting them win, I wondered if the courses would reflect that. The answer is “yes and no.”
Don’t let the wide, lush fairways, forgiving rough, and soft sand fool you. “The Palm” has numerous elevated greens and it is a well trapped course with plenty of trees and golf ball-eating palms. I spent enough time hitting out of bunkers to wonder if I hadn’t combined a day at the beach with a day on the links. (Who knew that after watching the shuttle, I would be “blasting” out of so many bunkers?)

The greens are large and not too fast, which took some getting used to as our home course, Shaker Ridge CC in Latham, has greens that are like a skating pond. Because this was early in the season, the husband played from the yellow tees – 6,006 yards, 69.2/118 – and, as usual, I played from the red tees: 5,262 yards 70.5/126. We had the course to ourselves and played it in three and a half hours.

No surprise, “Golf Digest” gives this a four-star rating. (BTW, never saw a ‘gator in or near the many mini-lakes or nine water holes on the course. Then again, this IS Disney so I don’t think they allow the critters on the course.)

OSPREY RIDGE: SERENITY NOW

Our next stop, two days later, was “Osprey Ridge.” Hands down, it’s my favorite. The Tom Fazio designed course is tucked into the Disney property and is very serene. In fact, the course website notes it’s recognized as a certified Audubon Cooperative Wildlife Sanctuary. I also found this to be the most challenging of the trio we played.
From the tips, it’s 7,101 yards/par 72.  The husband hit from the whites – 6,629 yards, 71.7/124 – and, as always, I opted for the reds – 5,283 yards, 70.3/124. Thank you Disney: a wonderful advantage for women.

At first, I thought the advantage took some of the fun out of the course, by the 5th or 6th hole I backed off that notion. Again, there was plenty of sand and trees to contend with.  For those of you who are “grass” experts, all the courses are Bermuda grass. They cover the courses in winter rye which is just about grown out this time of the year.
For the most part, the greens wintered well, despite the nasty cold Florida had to contend with. We noted some winter damage but I’m sure within a few weeks you’d never know they had a cold, miserable winter. “Golf Digest” gives this course a 4 ½-star rating.

SO CLOSE AT BUENA VISTA

The third course: “Lake Buena Vista.”  Hey, we had to play this course because it’s tucked into the “Saratoga” resort. It also boasts the best clubhouse/restaurant of the three courses. Make sure you have time for lunch or dinner here and if you like salmon, they have a fabulous spiced salmon salad which we tried the day before our round.

“Lake Buena Vista” was my husband’s favorite. Hitting from the white tees, it’s 6,264 yards, 70./129. For me, from the reds, 5,204 yards, 69/9/122. It’s just as pristinely manicured as the other two courses we played. The course website notes this Joe Lee designed course is one of the few courses that have hosted PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and USGA events.

Water and sand are perfectly placed so you have to think about your club selection. Note: the cart’s onboard GPS helps, but only if you’re hitting from the men’s tees. The onboard computer also provides a little quiz show along the way, asking you golf questions. It was fun to have this extra competition.

My claim to fame on this course was coming within inches of my first hole-in-one on what’s billed as the toughest par-3 on the course, the 16th-hole. And yes, I MADE the putt!

TIME TO GO

There are two other courses, “The Magnolia,” which I have fond memories of playing years ago, remembering how picturesque it is. The other course is a par-36, which you can walk. Trust me, you’re not walking any of the 18-hole courses, just too much ground to cover. For cost and other details: www.Golf.Reservations@disney.com.

Would I play these courses again? Darn tootin’! Maybe next time I’ll get that hole-in-one!  Hey, it’s Disney, you never know.

When the City of Albany decided to remake Albany Municipal in the late 1980’s, they gave birth to one heck of a gem. The Capital Hills Golf Course, aptly named for its rolling hills, has grown over the years to a solid test of golf from the back blue tees and an enjoyable test of golf for all playing abilities from the white, gold, and front red tees.

With the addition of numerous sand traps both bordering fairway landing areas and previously unprotected greens, the engineers have added difficulty and the opportunity to work on all aspects of your sand game. Water also comes into play on the course on holes five and six.

If your second shot to the first hole, a par 5 measuring 513 yards finds one of those new bunkers on the left or right side of the fairway, hitting the narrow, long and elevated green will challenge everyone from the low handicapper to the weekend player. The hole is called “The Old One” as it is the only hole on the course that retained its original place and feel from the old Municipal that used to cross the ravine in the center of the property far too often.

Now the course routing is much improved and many holes border the Normanskill Creek. You might still want to rent a cart, because after you’ve made your way through the not too penal front side and its 3 par threes and a par of 35, your game will be facing ever increasing demands from the back nine and its more difficult par of 36.

The back also starts with a par 5 and the “Thruway Run” is wide but plays long. Don’t hit your approach long or you’ll be looking for your ball in the woods and brush. The course starts to get interesting as the 11th , called “The Valley” has you teeing from well above the lowest point of the fairway that slopes up further and further the longer you drill your tee shot down the middle. If you navigate the tee shot the hole shouldn’t give you much trouble.

The Heart of Capital Hills begins on hole 15, “Creek Side”. It plays very long from the back tee for a par four at 420 yards. The wind always seems to be in your face on these finishing holes. Bunkers on the front left and right side guard the green and you’ll most likely be hitting a long iron or hybrid to a green that slopes right to left and back to front. All of the greens play hard and firm if conditions are normal. Their firmness helps to keep the ball rolling true on putts and stands up well to the heavy traffic of municipal play.

Hole 16 from the back tees is a par three that is listed at 197 yards but you can’t be short or the front side buttress of a hill will eat up your tee shot. From the other tees the hole plays much shorter and is a short break from the difficulty of 15 and the two hole finish to come. If you’ve been walking, the challenge of the hike around the back side is starting to take its toll. The 17th fairway used to be the toughest tee shot on the course but a widening of the fairway to the right has taken some of the bite out. Still, a 406 yard par four from the blue tees with an uphill approach and bunkers guarding the best entry point to the green will challenge you to the fullest of your ability.

The walk from the 17th green to the 18th tee will take your breath away, literally. It has to be one of the steepest climbs to the last tee in golf. If you can catch your breath, keep your tee shot away from the woods on the right, they’re the only real trouble from the tee. Your approach to 18 is probably 2 clubs more than you would normally hit if you are more than 135 yards out after the tee shot. Again the green and the flag are protected by a steep incline fronting the green and you must carry the ball to the putting surface to be on in regulation. This green is not a sure two putt either as many a round has been soured by its back to front slope.

If you’ve traversed the entire 18 carrying your bag you have gotten in some good cardio exercise. One way or the other, this course will tax you from the heart.