This is one of the better daily fee golf courses that I have played at nationally tstoto

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This is one of the better daily fee golf courses that I have played at nationally. When you consider that for $42 dollars, I played 18 holes with a cart, and had a $4 coupon for the restaurant at the turn, this might be the best value in public golf anywhere. Living in Boston, a course like this would be a $100 type of course. The food in the restaurant was even really good. Orchard Creek is literally an orchard, so the terrain has some very nice up and down, but also open enough that you don't feel like you are driving through a chute at any point. I would call it Orchard Links.

Customer Service

Nice guys in the pro shop, very helpful people at the bar and in the restaurant.

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Pinehills, Shaker Hills, Red Tail

This is one of the best public courses in the NY Capital District. The greens are fast & true, each hole is very different from the next (not your typical back & forth park-land type course) and there are significant elevation changes. You get a great work-out walking this one.

The downside is this year all tee times before 10am on the weekend must go out with a cart ($60 total fee). Pretty pricey for this region.

There are some great holes, many with risk reward features. The first hole is a par 5, reachable in two, but you can easily lose a ball if you pull it left. The 5th & 14th are driveable par 4s. The 7th is a long downhill par 4 to a green that slopes front to back. Tricky to get a par here. The par 5 16th is the signature hole with a drive over a marsh and ultimately an approach shot over a creek (554yd white, 587yd Blues).

I really like this course for its shot variety, risk/reward (3 of 4 par 5s are reachable in two plus two potentially drivable par 4s), elevation changes and great greens. Plus the views are great (especially in the fall). Not to mention the apples in the still working apple orchard.

Some complain about the blind shots. From the tee you can't see the flag on #1 (par 5), #2 (par 4, the approach is steep uphill often to a blind pin), #3 (par 5), #7 (par 4), #9 (par 4), #13 (long par 4), #18 (par 5). I generally don't expect to see the flag on par 5s and the blind shots don't bother me at all (I've played here at least a dozen times). Some also mention the large hump in the middle of the green on # 6 (par 3).

Overall, a great course for this region.

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Private: Albany CC, Mohawk CC, Schuyler Meadows CC, Wolferts Roost CC, Olde Kinderhook GC, Edison CC, Normanside CC, Glens Falls CC, Sagamoure GC, Colonie CC,
Van Schaick Island CC, MacGregor CC

Public: Saratoga National, Albany Muni (Capital Hills), Western Turnpike, Saratoga Spa State Park, Evergreen CC, Town of Colonie, Frear Park, Eagle Crest, Saratoga Lake, Mohawk River, Van Patten.

I play a 9 hole league here on Thursday afternoons. OC is a nice course with a lot of visual intimidations. If you let the visuals dictate your play you will get hurt. It is a shot makers course. If you can play to certain yardages and are not afraid to go for pins when the situation dictates, you will be rewarded with the oportunity to one put on fairly fast greens. (the greens are the best part of this course) Your course management skills will be tested here. Many shots can be thown away by taking too much risk. Good golfers with enjoy this course, Mid to high handicapers will be a little frustrated here. Now that the course has had a chance to mature (2005), the fairways are in much better shape than in years past. Stay out of the orchards (big penalties here). You will love the greens, they are normally fast and true. Some sand and water hazards keep things interesting. For the money it's a good time.

Customer Service

Acceptable. Although our league has not received the most courteous attention from OC management. The general operating staff are very friendly and accomodating. Pro shop is somewhat limited and the food is good at the clubhouse. Try the ribs, they're great. The prices are a little on the high side. Jake the bartender is super nice.

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Many Northeastern courses. My favorite is Taconic in Williamstown, MA.

Nice lay out and can grab an apple or two in the orchards on an errant shot

not so good greens to hard must work on these

A prett good course for only being about 3 years old still maturing but pretty difficult alot of blind shots to the green very tough greens because they are hard as a rock chipping and putting is very quick hard to jude speeds, but not a bad place hard to score well or else you play there alot

Customer Service

pretty good but true they tell you about dress code but dont enforce it, also its alittle pricey compared to other public courses in the area via Town of Colonie, Eagle creast or Van Patten

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nice bar and food but pricey for a public course

Greens were great, and man they can be tricky. Like I said, if you want to score well, you'll have needed to see the greens before or play with someone who knows. Elevation changes were fun too, but too many up shots and not enough down- might as well enjoy it if there is going to be so much change.

Poor (yardage)markings, drainage, slowly maturing grass/trees/flowers, blind greens could use a bell or something to indicate that the green is clear (ala British golf). Lax enforcement of dress and play code (if you're going to tell me about it on the phone, enforce it while I'm there).

Played on a really rainy week. we stayed dry for all but two holes. Te course needs more time to develop as far as trees and grass is concerned, and it needs to seriously look at the drainage issues that they've got. Do not expect to score well on your first visit. Make sure you get very good directions out to the course, if you miss the turn off from route 20, you could end up in Coopestown. I'll be back when the weather is better and the trees have leaves and apples on them. Fall is probably a great time to come and play.

Customer Service

tee times were easy to get, no starter to be seen (which could be blamed on the weather, but there were enough people out there to require one). No rangers which caused a slow front, kudos for the group ahead of us for letting us play through- played the back in less than half the time it took for the front(this doesn't happen with a dilligent ranger).

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pro shop was a pleasant suprise. no food or beverages out on the course was a little disappointing. No hole diagrams available(except on scorecard)- why pay for a nice headstone if you're just going to advertise for some local bait shop? Put a diagram on it.

No plain holes - each one has interest. Definitely not a driver, short-iron layout. You'll probably use every club in your bag. Risk/reward choices on many holes.

There are some wet spots (but I understand new drainage has been installed on several holes). Fairways need to mature in spots. Could use some cosmetics (flowers, shrubs, paving). Can be tough on higher handicappers seeing it for the first time.

First full year of operation in 2000 so it still has some maturing to do. Interesting mix of holes and elevation changes, especially in tough stretch from 13 through 17. Several blind shots off tees and to greens. More than other local public courses, requires sound shot selection and execution. Rough is nasty in spots. Good dose of well placed hazards. Large, smooth, quick greens. Fun and challenging - especially when the wind blows down the nearby Helderberg escarpment.

Customer Service

Service is fine.

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Range is nice. Pro shop is typical. Restaurant offers excellent, reasonably priced food. Short game facility slated to be built in 2001.

Good distance on most of the holes making medium iron play
accuracy important.

Some holes really need more grass.

Very Good and tough...medium fast greens with several having
levels and large area for landing those short irons.

Customer Service

Friendly staf

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