THE TRAIL

Saranac Lake GC is an unassuming 9-hole golf course on Route 86 in Ray Brook with a tremendous history… Built on a former dairy farm in 1920 by Alex Finley & Scott North, Saranac Lake GC was home to New York Golf Hall of Fame member Richard “Hike” Tyrell. Hike grew up in the Adirondacks and was made head professional in 1926 during the same year he won 11 out of 13 tournaments on the Adirondack golf circuit. Hike was a renowned teacher of the game and even hosted eventual 9-time Major champion and World Golf Hall of Fame member Ben Hogan during the summer of 1929 who came to the Adirondacks to train alongside Hike.

One of three courses at the Lake Placid Club, the Mountain Course was built by Alex Finley in 1910 and later re-designed in 1931 by world famous golf course architect Alister McKinzie who would later build Augusta National Golf Club, home of The Masters. With arguably some of the best views in the Adirondacks, including the Sentinel Range, High Peaks, Olympic Ski Jumping Complex and Whiteface Mountain, the Mountain Course will hold your attention with blind shots, elevation changes and tree lined holes. When you step up to the 631-yard, par 5 10th hole pretend you are 18-time Major golf champion Jack Nicklaus… it’s his favorite hole on the course.

The Pristine 9 is one of the most unique courses on the Adirondack Golf Trail. With 7 par 3s and 2 reachable par 4s, this course is prime territory for friendly wagers with close friends or an easy going round of golf for the whole family. Built in 1910 by Alex Finley, the Pristine 9 is located on the same plot of land as the Mountain Course and offers many of the same views of the Lake Placid area. Lake Placid Club was about a century ahead of the modern-day trend of offering a “short course” nine-hole option for visitors to indulge in an end-of-day nine holes of fun. No need to travel to Bandon Dunes in Oregon, Sand Valley in Wisconsin, create your own “Miracle” ending to an Adirondack day in the same town Team USA won the hockey gold medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics.

Originally known as the Champlain Country Club, Harmony was built in 1912 by Channing Floyd and William Sussdorf on the shores of Lake Champlain just a short distance from the very busy Port Kent ferry dock and the famous Ausable Chasm (“The Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks”). After the financial crisis of the 1930s the course was let go until the 1960s when Richard Harmon took ownership and re-built 9 holes of the layout as Port Kent Golf Club. Kim Marsha and Steve Fuller took ownership and renaming the course in 2007 expanding to the current 14-hole count making Harmony the only 14-hole golf course in the Adirondack Park and perhaps the entire Northeast! The original clubhouse is still on site and one of the best places to have a post round drink with friends and watch the summer sunset over Lake Champlain and the Champlain Valley.

Built in 1896, Cobble Hill is one of the oldest courses on the Adirondack Golf Trail and has no doubt stood the test of time. Nestled at the heart of Elizabethtown, the 9-hole par 35 layout routes through enormous White Pines and beautiful surrounding mountains of “Pleasant Valley.” In the late 1890s, Elizabethtown was well on its way to becoming a summer resort community and the Cobble Hill golf links became a centerpiece of summer recreation at the famous Windsor Hotel. Today, Elizabethtown continues the outdoor recreation vibes with the Blueberry Hill Trial system which was developed in the 1990s for winter (snowmobile, cross country ski, snowshoe) and summer (horseback, mountain bike, hiking) activities with incredible views of the Giant Mountain Wilderness Area.

The Westport Country Club was originally built in 1898 as a 6-hole course and later re-designed and expanded in 1928 to 18 holes by Thomas Winton. While the golf course used to have clear views of Lake Champlain and Green Mountains of Vermont, there are still plenty of pleasurable vistas on the property which sits on the rolling terrain of the Champlain Valley. With a sheep in the logo and two pens of sheep, goats and ponies on the course, Westport Country Club pays homage to its past when greenskeeper Thomas Lee’s sheep were used to keep the grass closely cropped. Overall, Westport Country Club is one of the finest courses inside the Blue Line that has stood the test of modern golf technology to provide a memorable (and challenging) golf experience on fairways walked by baseball greats Babe Ruth and “Stan the Man” Musial as well as silent film superstar Harry Carey.

Built in 1900 and one of the oldest courses on the Adirondack Trail, Moriah Country Club offers a great 9 holes of golf on rolling terrain in the foothills of the Adirondacks close to Lake Champlain. Comprised of five par 4s and four par 3s, the par 32 course was originally commissioned by Mrs. Frank W. Witherbee and was a central part of the thriving iron-ore producing Port Henry community. Moriah Country Club is in the town of Port Henry on the Lake Champlain coast which is rumored to be the home to the legendary lake monster “Champ.” A roadside installment commemorating the nearly 300 Champ sightings can be found on Route 9N as you head south towards the Crown Point State Historic Site where you can walk through the ruins of French built Fort Saint-Frédéric and British built Fort Crown Point which were active during the Seven Years’ War (French & Indian War) and the American Revolutionary War.

Ticonderoga Golf Club broke ground in 1926 as a 9-hole course expanding to 18 holes in 1932 under famous Adirondack golf course designer Seymour Dunn. The course sits in the Lord Howe Valley offering picture perfect views of the surrounding mountains and hosted many exhibition matches including one with Masters Champion and World Golf Hall of Fame member Gene Sarazen. Prior to its life as a golf course, the land hosted a skirmish during The French and Indian War in January 1757 known as the “Snowshoe Battle” which is commemorated by a plaque on the current 3rd hole. In 2014, the course began expansive renovations to tee boxes, fairways and green complexes and in 2019 broke ground on a new clubhouse that offers one of the best 19th hole views on the Adirondack Golf Trail. A trip to Ticonderoga, NY must include a stop at Fort Ticonderoga which sits on a bluff overlooking the LaChute River connecting Lake Champlain to Lake George. Originally called Fort Carillon and built by 1755 by French settlers, Fort Ticonderoga changed into British hands in 1759 before being seized by Benedict Arnold, Ethan Allen and The Green Mountain Boys from Vermont serving as the first rebel victory in the Revolutionary War in 1775. Another fun Ticonderoga connection to tallying golf scores is through the well-known Ticonderoga pencil which was started in 1815 when a local entrepreneur filed a patent for the lead pencil after ore was discovered on Lead Mountain.

The only Adirondack Golf Trail course accessible by boat, Hulett’s Landing 9-hole layout is as simple as a lazy summer afternoon on Lake George. Built in 1901, the par 30 course was an integral part of the summer scene on Hulett’s Landing where city goers came to fully unplug in this lakeside summer community. It is suspected that the founder of Hulett’s Landing, David Hulett, was granted the land in lieu of wages for his service in the American Revolutionary War where he fought in many New York battles including the famous Battle of Saratoga.

One of two golf courses on the Adirondack Golf Trail built on the banks of the Hudson River, Cronin’s Golf Resort was constructed over the span of nearly 40 years with an eye towards great Adirondack mountain views. The first nine holes at Cronin’s Golf Resort were built in 1930 by Mark Cassidy and Guy Wilkinson when the course was known as The Queen Village Golf Club while the second nine was built in 1969 by new owner and golf professional Robert Cronin who changed the course to his namesake at the same time. The Cronin family are sure to make you feel at home during your visit and even offer onsite lodging if you are looking for a relaxing weekend getaway with family or a group of friends.

The Queensbury Country Club is an 18-hole par 70 layout designed and built in 1954 by Mark Cassidy and Glen Shattuck that sits between two Adirondack mountain ranges just south of Dunham Bay Marsh wetlands. The Queensbury Patent was granted by King George III of England in 1762 and named in honor of wife Princess Charlotte of Macklenburgh Strelitz. Given its strategic location between Albany and Montreal, Queensbury played a critical role in both the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War causing settlers to be displaced as the tides of war ebbed and flowed. Thinking back on those volatile times will make that final putt of the day for a win against your playing partners a little less nerve wracking.

The 9-hole Sacandaga Golf Club was built in 1898 as an addition to a well-established summer cottage community in Great Sacandaga Lake which drew large summer crowds via the railroad. Originally built as a 4-hole course then expanded two years later to 9 holes, the Sacandaga Golf Club has been a central point of the community since inception through its many owners. In 2018 the course was purchased by Augustin Insernia who not only revitalized the golf course and clubhouse, but also brought in Northville native Scott Fraiser as head golf pro who has significant teaching experience for golfers of all ages. While bringing many famous entertainers including W.C. Fields and Houdini to Sacandaga may have been a short-term boost to the community in the late 1890s, Sacandaga Golf Club now seeks to play the long game with its focus on being a family friendly and community driven focal point of Sacandaga Lake.

Lake Pleasant Golf Club was established in 1923 just off Route 8 between Lake Pleasant and Sacandaga Lake as a part of the Hotel Morley Complex and known as the Hamilton County Adirondack Club at Lake Pleasant. The first tee shot of this 9-hole, par 35 layout is most appealing hitting down into the course towards the West Canada Lake Wilderness area and Sacandaga Lake. Sharing similar ties to the current Schroon Lake Golf Course, the Lake Pleasant Golf Club is recognized by the Donald Ross Society as being designed by renowned golf architect Donald Ross in 1922. Lake Pleasant Golf Club is just down the road from Speculator, NY which is known as the “All Season Vacationland” offering a tremendous snowmobile sledding scene in the winter when it’s time to hang up your golf spikes.

Inlet Golf Club is located just south of Sixth Lake in the Fulton Chain of Lakes and offers 18 challenging holes of golf in one of the most picturesque areas of the Adirondack Park. Built in 1926 by one of Donald Ross’ associates, Inlet Golf Club is a unique par 70 with no par 5s on the front nine. Unlike many courses on the Adirondack Golf Trail who rely on mother nature’s rainfall to keep things green, Inlet Golf Club has an irrigation system that keeps the course in top shape all season long. The Inlet area is also well known for white-tail deer and black bears who are known to frequent the course on their way to their next scavenged snack. If you prefer a canoe to a golf cart, be sure to investigate the “90 Miler” canoe race, also known as the Adirondack Canoe Classic, which starts just down the road in Old Forge making its way through the Fulton Chain of Lakes, Raquette Lake, Blue Mountain Lake, Long Lake and Upper/Lower Saranac Lake before ending in Lake Flower in downtown Saranac Lake three days later.

Brantingham Golf Club started as a 9-hole course built in 1910 by Leon Graves and expanded to 18-holes over 50 years later when ownership changed hands to Fred Rhone. The course offers golfers many risk-reward opportunities including on your first shot of the day on the reachable 235-yard par 4 first where the same teeing ground was used long ago for boxing matches on late summer evenings. The front nine has more room for error than the newer back nine which is carved through the hardwood forest featuring dramatic doglegs that are very scorable with accurate tee shots. Like many towns in the Adirondack Park, Brantingham has a multi-generational feel with many old friends coming back year after year with their growing families to relax in the nostalgia of simpler times while making new memories bound to last for years to come.

Built in 1932 by famous golf course architect Donald Ross, Tupper Lake Country Club shares a mountainside with the former Big Tupper Ski Area and offers glimpses of Big Tupper Lake throughout the round. The Tupper Lake Country Club hosts the annual Tupper Lake Open, which has been running for over 70 years and won by well-known professionals such as Lee Elder who was the first Black player to qualify and play in The Masters Golf Tournament. The first nine holes at Tupper Lake Country Club mainly run across the mountain offering many sidehill lies as you weave through the Adirondack forest. The second nine plays down and back up the mountain demanding precise yardages as you play up and downhill shots to well protected greens. In addition to offering one of the most challenging courses on the Adirondack Golf Trail, Tupper Lake is known to have some of the darkest skies in the Northeast which are perfect for stargazing from the Adirondack Sky Center just north of the golf course.