There are so many great things to do in Lake Placid starting with kayaking Mirror Lake, or driving up Whiteface Mountain, or enjoying the Olympic Village. Golf may seem like an afterthought but there’s 81 holes here. It’s enough to be an underrated golf trip. These are my observations and opinions.
Lake Placid Club - Mountain Course
Lake Placid Club was established in 1895 by Melvin Dewey (Dewey Decimal System fame). It focused mainly on skiing and ice skating in the winter; hiking, fishing, and swimming in the summer. The club introduced golf in 1909 when Seymour Dunn designed the Links course. It added a second track in 1910 with Alex Findlay’s Mountain course and his subsequent executive length Pristine 9. Alister MacKenzie renovated the Mountain in 1931 when Rt 86 was converted from a horse trail to a road. The good doctor had to tinker with the routing and change some of the Par 3s into par 4s and vice versa. It has its own “amen corner” beginning at ten (631 yard par five), eleven (601 yard par five) and twelve (280 yard par three). For purists, it is a true authentic experience with no irrigation except for the greens. Combined with the Links, it’s a darn good 36 holes of golf.
(The Mountain may have one of the most picturesque opening tee shots in golf.)
Whiteface Club
Whiteface Club sits on Lake Placid and has transitioned from a lodge to a series of vacation homes and condos. Their golf course was designed in 1898 by John Van Kleek. His ability to rout eighteen holes over rugged terrain is well known as most of his work is found in the northeast. As I was driving in, much of the course could be seen from the entrance road. It looked tight to me with heavy woods lining both sides of the fairway. It looked to be in great shape. The clubhouse had that Adirondack rustic feel to it. I’m sure it’s the star of the club.
(Mounding with deep bunkers within gives Whiteface it’s classic look.)
(The picture flattens the rolling terrain that is characteristic of Whiteface. Still it’s a nice indication of what you’ll face.)
Craig Wood Golf Course
This was the course I wish I had a chance to play. It sits on an open rolling piece of property with a great view of the mountains. It was designed by Seymour Dunn in 1926. Unlike the LPC Links course, the bunkering is more traditional. They were large and flanged out. The concave greens encouraged running shots to work off the slopes. The course is named after local golf legend Craig Wood who won the 1941 Masters and 1941 U.S. Open.
(I like the playing corridors and the long views across the property.)
(Notice how the tee boxes are pushed up and flattened out. The fairway bunkers have a cop in them but has a manicured clean look.)
(This low profile green looks wonderful. I love the aiming sign with the hole number on it.)
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