The Links

Golf is such a silly game. Hit a ball, chase it, hit it again, chase it again until you finally put it in a hole just a bit bigger than the 1.680” diameter ball. Yet people practice for hours a week mastering their swing, stance, and posture just to hit that crazy little ball better. They spend thousands of dollars on clubs, greens fees, shoes and apparel. According to the National Golf Foundation there were approximately 37.5 million people the age 6 and up smacking that ball around last year. I can admit I was one of those 37.5 million people. I do not identify as a golfer however I do play 3-4 times a year. I don’t know most of the rules and the only real lingo I know is bogey and in most cases double or triple bogey. But there is something special about the time spent on the golf course. It is a time to be with friends and family.

It’s a chance to talk, laugh and communicate with each other in person versus on an electronic device. For some, this is a weekly gathering but for others they base entire vacations on the game and the time they spend together. It is a place where people from all walks of life, any age or disability can enjoy hours outdoors together. For me it is far from a daily or even monthly ritual but when I do get out on the course it’s about time spent together with family. Every Father's Day for the last 5 years I've spent the morning on the golf course with my father. If I’m really lucky, one of my sons joins us as well. For the last two years we have spent our Father’s Day time together at the Trinity Golf Course in Norfolk, New York.

The old farm house and barn sit quietly upon a hill. It’s a reminder of an era gone by. An era of tough work and family sticking together to make a simple living. The brick house and decaying wooden barn could easily be a Norman Rockwell painting.

The blue skies and light breeze added to the quaint country scene. The temperature was in the low 60’s as we pulled in. No sooner did I put the truck in park and we were greeted in the parking lot with a “Happy Father’s Day!” from a course employee. He had brought us one of the newer electric golf carts that the course offers. When he saw three of us he ran off to grab another.

He offered to help us unload our clubs as we paid our greens fees not five feet from the truck. He was ready to scurry off and grab us score cards when he realized that there weren't any new ones on the carts. The hospitality met the old homestead feel, I thought to myself as I told him not to worry about that, we don’t keep score. He looked at me kinda puzzled as he wished us good luck. The three of us loaded our clubs on the cart and headed to the first tee.

The freshly mowed grass seemed to sprawl out for miles around us. Hole 1 a par 4 at 310 yards the sign told us. “Heck I bet I can do this in 6” I joked with my father. I set my shiny new golf ball on the tee and lined myself up. With a solid crack my ball shot off the tee, gaining elevation and speed. Instantly searching the horizon for my ball in the sky I found it. Just what I expected: a heavy slice off to the right well into the next fairway. “At least I’m consistent” I said to my father and son as my father stepped to the tee box. Once we had all made our less than stellar drives we divided up and headed out in search of our balls. We bounced back and forth along the fairway.

We laughed and talked about past golfing trips and good times spent together. Once we all made it to the green we all made out 3 putts and we were off to the next hole. Hole after hole we sliced, hooked, and whiffed our way around the course.

Laughing and poking fun at each other as we traveled along the not so typical cart paths of this links style course.

Balls in the woods, balls in the next fairway, none of us cared. We were spending time as a family outside taking in the country scenery and fresh air. We finished up our game and loaded the clubs back in the truck, trying to recall how many balls we had lost. Whether it was 6 balls or 20 balls it didn’t matter what mattered was three generations were able to get together and embrace some much needed time together.

About this location:

The Trinity Golf Course is located at 233 River Rd in the town of Norfolk NY. It sits right along the Raquette River.

This property was once the McQuaid dairy farm but is now home to a 9 hole links-style golf course. Links is a Scottish term referring to the terrain and landscape on which the course sits. I am far from a course expert but what I can tell you is that this course is just plain fun. From narrow fairways to the natural obstacles that love to consume your balls, it will challenge the best of golfers. If you are looking for a typical country club atmosphere it won't be found here. What you will find are rolling hills and natural barriers that may test your patience but will keep you wanting to come back for more. If you are a good golfer you may want to bring a few extra balls with you, if you are a terrible golfer like me you may want to bring a couple dozen extra balls with you. The majority of the holes are par 4’s with a couple of par 3’s and one par 5 according to their website.

The first six holes are located on the same side of the road as the club house. The last three you cross the road to the river side. There are several beautiful views of the river as you move along. The friendly staff here make you feel more like family than just another tee time. Like I said before, they came right to my truck with a cart and offered to help unload our clubs for us. The golf carts here are like new. They are battery operated with plenty of power. They are kept very clean and tidy. If you are a golfer looking to spend some time with family or friends I highly recommend you check out the Trinity Golf Course.

Golfing is not one of my typical adventures but any time I can get my father and son together with me and have a day together outside I’m willing to call it a great Northern NY Adventure.

Aaron Hardy

Northern NY Adventures