Monday, July 28, 2008

PLAY IT AS IT LIES


PATRIOT HILLS GOLF CLUB: 4.5 stars
19 Clubhouse Lane
Stony Point, New York 10980
Website: http://patriothillsgolfclub.com/
845-947-7085

By Jeff Louis

Morning just comes way too fast these days! My 4a.m. alarm reminded me, “it’s time for golf.” So, why does it feel like I’m travelling when I’m only going 69 minutes from home?

Today, I played a course I had no knowledge of until a company outing opened my eyes to it- Patriot Hills Golf Course ("PHGC"). It is located a mere 10 minutes south of Bear Mountain State Park and the West Point Military Academy in Stony Point, NY. I immediately noticed the tranquility and Civil War stone buildings as I drove through this Stony Point community.

Patriot Hills is a mountain style course, meaning it was literally designed to route through some severe hilly terrain. PHGC plays downhill as well as uphill. Here is an example: on the 11th hole, the gold (championship) tee box has a 225 foot drop in elevation to the fairway. And, once you leave the 12th green heading to the 13th tee box, it’s a ¼ mile uphill winding ride. Nevertheless, Rick Jacobsen Design (course architect), took safety into consideration. The cart paths wind down to its lowest points in a serpentine fashion. This is reminiscent of Lombard St. in San Francisco, CA - "The worlds’ most Crookedest Street (that’s how it’s marketed)." From the courses’ highest points, the vistas are dramatic. You can look across the Hudson River and see the majesty of Bear Mountain from several holes.

This is definitely a challenging layout to play. The course has four -to- seven tee boxes available on every hole to make sure everyone has a good time and a chance at a fair examination of their golf game. And, despite its relatively short-listed 6502 yardage, PHGC plays a lot longer than that. Most of the greens’ approach shots from 150 yards in and are of an uphill variety. Plan on hitting 1-2 more clubs longer than you think you’ll need. Once you arrive on the greens, you’ll have a lot of fun reading the breaks and undulations. Don’t get me wrong, this course may take a bite out of you, at least the first time you play it.

One almost feels the actual presence of George Washington while playing this course. I swear I smelled cannon powder. Seriously though, there is an arsenal further up the road. So when traveling in New York State, stop by and visit Patriot Hills. When you’re done, you’ll probably salute the course. And, if you happen to find a cannon ball in the fairway, remember, play it as it lies.


Additional Info:
Current Price: Week $90 Weekend $120
Par 72, Slope 70.7, Rating 131, Yardage 6502

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