The Adirondack mountains are home to a great span of golf courses, most of which were built during a long-passed era. A number of courses were designed for tournament play, while others were built for resort play. Two courses designed by respected architects are Tupper Lake and Saranac Inn, both situated in towns bearing their names. Each course benefits from the heaving land found in a mountainous region and both are fortunate to have been built with optimal green sites as focal points.
Both Tupper and Saranac possess excellent fairway routings, which invariably leave guests and members with a sense of appreciation and challenge. Unfortunately for both, many trees were built years ago, when well-meaning club memebers were convinced that plentiful tree plantings were the backbone of proper USA golf courses. Instead of providing benefit, trees block sunlight and impede wind exchange. Both of these negatives lead to poor grass quality and growth in the immediate area, in addition to invasive roots. Unlike Teugega (see this article) where a successful tree management plan was enacted, neither Tupper nor Saranac has yet been able to decrease the number of unnecessary trees that line their fairways. Vistas would be opened and playing corridors would be improved if this became the case.
Both courses benefit from vertical movement (in the form of drop-shot and elevated approaches) that leaves flatlanders’ mouths agape as they attempt to calculate how much more or less club they will need to reach the putting surface. Speaking of the flat stick and rolling the ball, both Tupper and Saranac possess memorable and challenging putting greens that demand the highest skill and concentration to achieve a one- or two-putt. There is a proper amount of quirk and curiosity in evidence at each course, making Tupper Lake and Saranac Inn valuable and memorable stops along your Adirondack golfing path.
Tupper Lake Photo Gallery
Saranac Inn Photo Gallery
