#1 – 396-379-345-325-311yds; par 4; men’s handicap 13; A well-aimed, blind tee shot over the Right framing bunker could bound downhill to within putting distance, because the roll off the downhill directly in front of the green is true enough to putt, instead of chipping off a downhill lie to this back-to-front sloping green surrounded by 5 sand traps.

#2 – 425-408-391-375-359yds; par 4; men’s handicap 1; This dog-leg Left calls for a draw, to Left of a line from the tee to a small red tree on distant-Rightside of the generous fairway, which is framed by trees on the Right & a fairway bunker on the Left. The subtle, 2-tiered green is protected by a large, deep sand bunker on the Left, plus one on the Right & one behind the green.

#3 – 530-516-500-476-440yds; par 5; men’s handicap 5; Aim Left of the small tree which intrudes into the fairway, from the Right, behind right-to-left sloping foreground hill. You can run your ball onto this back-left to right sloping green, by threading it straight through four progressively placed sand traps on alternate approaching sides.

#4 – 378-364-349-335-324yds; par 4; men’s handicap 9; Drive to the Left of the prominent traps which appear to pinch the fairway from the Right. The green slopes from Back-Right to the Left & Front, with 2 sand traps Left and one on the Right. It may be better to fly your final shot to this green than to run it on.

#5 – 186-166-142-124-105yds; par 3; men’s handicap 15; An uphill tee shot to Figure-8 shape, Back-to-Front sloping green, must find 1 of 2 distinct putting levels, with 1 sand bunker in play on either side of the green.

#6 – 417-402-389-377-367yds; par 4; men’s handicap 11; This dogleg Left has a significant fairway sand trap at its apex, 3 green-guarding bunkers, and a narrow neck of fairway to run your ball onto a “reverse teardrop shaped” green, which tilts Left-to-Right.

#7 – 388-377-363-351-341yds; par 4; men’s handicap 7; Hit your tee shot Left of the imposing fairway bunkers. A shallow lies before the green which rises some 30’ above. The green is a bowl, which generally angles from Back-Right to Front-Left, with a sand trap on the Right to catch the errant approach shot.

#8 – 582-536-520-497-395yds; par 5; men’s handicap 3; A straight drive long down the middle of the wide fairway, with perhaps a slight draw Left, will leave a decision: lay up Left short of the water or go for the narrow green over the pond, a stone-facing & a bank angled back toward the pond. The green is narrow in the front, generally sloping Right-to-Left and Back-to-Front, with tricky Front-Right, Middle-Right, and Back-Left pin-placements possible. This may be the “signature hole” at Albany Country Club.

#9 – 170-157-144-126-114yds; par 2; men’s handicap 17; Watch the large American Flag atop the Clubhouse behind this lovely par-3 for help judging wind direction & speed so you can avoid the 3 sand bunkers, a hollow running across the middle of this green and a slope off its back. Short, tricky putts abound on this green.

#10 – 358-352-343-328-317yds; par 4; men’s handicap 14; A straight drive either long over, or short of, the twin, pinching fairway traps is best because the fairway narrows to about 15yards between them. The sand traps around the green should not be in play, except for a mis-hit shot. This fat, figure-8 shaped green tilts Left-to-Right off a side mound, making for some devilishly sneaky hole locations.

#11 – 581-542-530-505-476yds; par 5; men’s handicap 10; Your tee ball should draw Left off the large tree in the Right of fairway; the fairway sand trap on the Left is at the apex of the fairway’s long bend to Left. If your drive draws too far left, you’ll have significant tree trouble with your second shot, which (from the fairway) should be another draw to the Left of the small tree intruding into the fairway from the Right. This will leave you in a neck of fairway for a run-up onto the green. The bunkers Left & Right are not in play for a third shot, but would be dangerous if your drive enabled you to go for the green in two. The Back-to-Front-&-Right sloping green may seem receptive, but beware of difficult back-tucked pin placements & a subtle, almost “false-front” for any second shot run-up attempt.

#12 – 188-182-149-127-114yds; par 3; men’s handicap 16; 4 sand bunkers surround this bowl of a green, which pitches most shots toward the center & front. The fronting pond should not be in play unless the pin is very forward.

#13 – 413-413-398-387-307yds; par 4; men’s handicap 8; This is first of 3 doglegs Right in a row requires a fade off the fairway bunker on the Right. The somewhat elevated green may prevent any attempt to run your second shot onto the green through the narrow fairway slot in front, with sand Left and Right. This green tilts Right-to-Left.

#14 – 455-443-427-416-407yds; par 4; men’s handicap 2; The fairway of this Albany Country Club’s longest par-4 is generously wide to the Left of fairway trap at the apex. A drive pounded that way leaves a great angle to the green protected by 3 bunkers Right, 1 in Back and 2 in the mounds to the Left. There are deceptive mounds in Left-Center and Front-Right of this relative large green.

#15 – 426-416-405-394-385yds; par 4; men’s handicap 12; Drive Left of the prominent sand trap on the Rightside of fairway, because going over this trap or straying too far right will be dead wrong, with potential tree troubles there. The Left side leaves an open shot to the green with sand traps at 2, 4, 8 and 10 o’clock. When approaching this green, it may seem to go from Right-to-Left, but on the putting surface it rolls mostly Back-to-Front.

#16 – 180-172-162-127-115yds; par 3; men’s handicap 18; An elevated tee shot over not one, but two ponds (in Front & Left of the green) makes this pretty par-3 another candidate for ACC’s signature hole. The generally tilt of the green is from Back to Front and off to the Front & Left, but pick the right club, hit it flush and make an uphill putt for your birdie, and you should leave this hole smiling.

#17 – 413-394-381-371-361yds; par 4; men’s handicap 4; Pounding your drive straight along the Left tree line will still leave a tough 125yd shot, particularly if the pin is tucked behind the bunker on the Right. Right-to-Left mound in midst of this green make it one of the toughest to read.

#18 – 588-572-537-509-440yds; par 5; men’s handicap 6; This par-5 is ACC’s longest hole from the pro’s, men’s & ladies’ tees. Aim your tee shot at the small darker tree in the distant-Right fairway and hit it Right of the fairway trap. Position here is more important than power, because the fairway runs Left-to-Right and hard downhill to several thick stands of trees on the Right (before the 150yd stake, which is on the Leftside). Even the longest hitters will find it very difficult to carry a second shot all the way uphill to the Back-to-Front leaning green. This second or third shot is made more difficult by the optical illusion of the 35yd “false front” from the Front-Left bunker to the green.

Best of luck to all 67 golfers at 5-19-09 US Open Qualifier.

Special thanks to ACC member Todd Slingerland, College of St. Rose Head Basketball Coach Brian Breury, ACC’s Head Professional Glenn Davis, and 2nd Asst. Golf Professional Ryan Durnberg for their hard work, help and courtesies.

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