about

Located on a hilly property in the Upper Hudson Valley, the Country Club of Troy has an unassuming atmosphere and a world-class set of Walter Travis greens. Travis designed the course in 1925, more than 20 years after he won three of the first four U.S. Amateurs of the 20th century, and just two years before his death. (In fact, one of his final acts as a golf course architect was inspecting his work at Troy in the summer of 1927). Since 2009, Renaissance Golf Design’s Bruce Hepner has made modest improvements to the course, removing trees near fairways, restoring some bunker shapes, and installing a new irrigation system. Many of the characteristics that make the CC of Troy great, however—especially the eccentric contours of the greens—are not the result of restoration. They have simply been there, untouched, since 1925.

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Take Note…

Vibe, defined. When the Fried Egg team arrived for an afternoon round at the Country Club of Troy last September, head golf professional Mike Kucera was in the midst of fixing something outside of the pro shop. He shook our hands while holding a drill in his off-hand. In other words, the CC of Troy doesn’t put on airs. It’s not the type of fancy, big-budget club that you might find farther south on the Hudson River. It’s more of a local institution, with a membership concentrated in the Albany area and a friendly stance toward visitors but no particular desire to attract national attention.

A superior tee. The par-4 14th hole climbs to an elevated green, and the 15th green sits on the same ridge. The most-used tee for the par-3 15th hole, however, is all the way back down the hill. Basically, Nos. 14 and 15 require the same walk. It’s a clumsy piece of routing that, as we were surprised to discover when looking at a 1925 map in the clubhouse, was part of Walter Travis’s original design. A better solution already exists: a Hepner-installed tee just over the back of the 14th green, which turns the 15th hole into a short par 3 playing along the ridge instead of up it. The hole works well from that angle, and the walk is far more pleasant.

The original and added tees on the 15th hole at the Country Club of Troy

When a hike doesn’t feel like a hike. The CC of Troy isn’t an easy walk. The property is hilly, and the course doesn’t shy away from extreme slopes. But aside from the weird zigzag between Nos. 14 and 15, Travis’s routing makes the hike enjoyable and rewarding. One reason for this is that two of the most trying uphill treks—on Nos. 4 and 10—happen between a fairway landing zone and a green. In both cases, you’ve hit your drive and approach before you have to climb a hill. During the ascents, your legs may be burning, but you’re looking forward to something: seeing the green and finding your ball. The anticipation carries you through the walk, making it feel like an adventure rather than a pointless difficulty.

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