I believe architects should take a subdued approach when building in a spectacular setting. Let the player breathe in the beauty and tranquility of being outdoors. In a game that allows participation far into our advanced years, the calm that arises from making an athletic move is best appreciated when the surroundings are the main character.
(The 466/416 yard opening hole is a pause and reflect moment as you take in the grand view of the Adirondack mountain range. The hole’s length, creasing fairway, and treacherous green begin the round with an emphatic thump…
…guarding the left side is this doozy of a bunker. The island of grass and wildflowers will gobble up any ball that runs too far. One should take note as there will be more villainous bunkers than this.)
Seymour Dunn designed the Links course in 1909. It was one of his first attempts in the United States and shows off an architectural style that is not common. While routing the course using a horse and plow, he stacked the rocks in large piles and covered them in dirt. A narrow strip of sand circles them. Long grass, wildflowers, and thyme all grow on these huge dirt rock piles making them a unique and scintillating hazard. The random lie and stance of the player makes for a wild experience. On some holes, both sides of the fairway have them guarding the green almost like bumper rails at a bowling alley.
(This is the feared cop bunker with its serpentine shape weaving in and out. Note how quickly the fairway extends out to the sand. I reckon they can cut it straight to the hazard…
…this is the 581/526 yard par five fifth. Note the green straight ahead with the cop bunkers on both sides of the fairway and even behind the green. The shepherd’s crook feature on the left can wreak havoc with a wild assortment of recovery shots.)
(The 459/407 yard par four sixth has a Lawsonia like green with a distinct falloff to the right. Note the chocolate drops on the left and the depth of the pot bunker with the maintenance worker in it…
…this deep little trap is surrounded by rough and capable of producing some gnarly predicaments. A four will be a good score.)
Seymour Dunn remained in Lake Placid for a number of years as the golf pro and also established himself as a club maker. His 1922 book Golf Fundamentals: Orthodoxy of Style was a historic instruction book that influenced golf greats such as Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, and Ben Hogan. To say he was knowledgeable about every facet of golf would be an understatement. This leads me to believe the Links course exhibits all the qualities he believed to be great.
(The 183/152 yard par three eleventh is all carry across a valley to a green that slopes to front right corner. A cop bunker left and hillside right demand a well executed shot. A wooden walking bridge makes this their signature photo.)
(This is one of the few water hazards on the course as it protects the second shot on the 618/556 yard par five fifteenth. It takes three quality shots to reach this in regulation.)
(This view looking back at the tee boxes of the 380/346 yard par four sixteenth shows off the texture and beauty of Adirondack landscape…
…while just a short iron approach, the green is well bunkered in front and has a prominent right to left slope. Any ball above the cup is very fast and three putting is a real concern.)
The 6-10 stretch is the meat of the routing as you tackle four long par fours with a short par three at nine. Six has a cool boxcar looking green with a deep bunker guarding the left; Seven has cop bunkers on both sides of the fairway. Their serpentine nature tends to block out the green unless you’re in the center of the fairway; Eight is a faint dogleg right with a copse of trees emphasizing the turn. It was here where I noticed the 30’ story towers used for ski jumping; Ten is the longest par four on the course and features a blind drive over a slight rise. More cop bunkers squeeze the approach making this play like a par five.
The five par threes are an eclectic group. Most will remember the second and picturesque eleventh but the other three are less memorable. Nine is the shortest and gives one a little breather while playing the 6-10 holes. The par fives are lengthy and require three well struck shots.
(The 361/235 yard par four seventeenth is your best chance to secure a birdie, or an eagle. The difference between the tips and the next tee is a realistic barometer of what is a driveable par four for pros and amateurs.)
The Links is a true yesteryear course that provides a unique experience here in the States. Seymour Dunn hailed from North Berwick, Scotland and brought old world design to upstate New York. Architecture aficionados would do well to put this on their list of places to see. I give it a 7 (great)(worth driving 3-4 hours to visit).
(I played the 6,328 yard tees. I had a very good round bolstered by two birdies and playing the five par threes in even par. That’s seven 3s on the card! Besides the birdies, I bogeyed all the other par fours except twelve. Thankfully the wind was calm 7 am. The cost was $109.)
(The 404/381 yard par four eighteenth plays uphill to a green perched above a shallow valley. Beautiful land movement! Beautiful views! One great day of golf!)
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Here’s a few other photos.
