Golf in Glens Falls

Framed by the distant peaks of the Helderberg Mountains, Western Turnpike Golf Course’s 27-hole layout blankets 250 acres of scenic terrain stitched by pine trees. Though the three nines connect to form three distinct 18-hole courses, the presence of multiple ponds, streams, and small, well-fortified greens act as a unifying feature across the entire grassy labyrinth. The horticultural haven is also peppered by a relatively sparse population of 37 sand bunkers, their scarcity due to the abundance of water hazards and previous issues with disoriented sunbathers. With three courses offering various levels of difficulty and five tee options on each course, Western Turnpike presents a sound golf challenge for bona fide aces, mid-handicappers, and those trying to play with a croquet mallet.

Not every golf course can boast a visit from two of the game’s titans, but Saratoga Spa Golf is one of them. In the late 1950s – some 20 years after the founding of the course – Arnold Palmer and Gary Player strolled among the majestic pine trees during a round to commemorate a major design overhaul. Fast forward to today, and players can walk in their footsteps and scuba dive for their waterlogged golf balls as they take on the 18-hole championship course. Stretching for a mighty 7,145 yards through Saratoga Spa State Park, the course was listed among the country’s ten best courses under $55, according to the July 2012 issue of Golf Digest. Meanwhile, a nine-hole, par 3 course beckons to clubbers looking to hone their short game, and a driving range with grass hitting stalls fosters improvement and grass-eating competitions. Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Total length of 7,145 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 74.4 from the back tees
• Course slope of 130 from the back tees
• Five sets of tees per hole

In continuous operation since 1945, Murphy's Golf Range and Mini Golf hosts off-course clubbing with a driving range and mini-golf course set amid fragrant flowerbeds. Windmills whir above the 18-hole putter's circuit, where balls must circumvent whitewashed wagon wheels, squeeze between equestrian starting gates, and power through loopty-loops without succumbing to motion sickness. At the driving range, players can choose to hit off artificial-turf mats or separate grass hitting bays as they send Srixon range balls into the stratosphere, raining down on targets labeled with their yardages from the hitting gallery.

Golf courses are designed to compound players’ mistakes. An errant tee shot winds up buried in the rough, on a side-hill lie, or shut out behind a tree—where golfers may not be able to take a full swing, let alone concentrate on how to correct their mechanics. In golf, the driving range is the only safe haven. Saratoga Springs Golf Range’s all-grass hitting bays provide a smooth, flat surface that lets golfers concentrate on improving their swings and grants amnesty for past swing transgressions in the form of range balls and a course notary who expunges all mulligans from players’ official records.

Saratoga Springs Golf Range helps swings enter into a harmonious relationship with their sticks through custom club fitting, loft and lie adjustments, and regripping services. The range’s club technicians also offer various repair services for snapped club shafts and emotionally distraught drivers.