Bluff Point was created right as golf was becoming adapted from Ireland in the late 19th century. It was designed to be a high class resort hotel and golf course. The course opened under the name, Hotel Champlain. At this time, they held some of the best golfers around and were some of the first to develop a handicap system. In the mid 1930s, they held an invitational tournament with some of the biggest names around. One such person on the field was baseball legend, George Herman Ruth, better known as Babe Ruth. Ruth was also a golf enthusiast and shot a seventy (one under par) when he played. Aside from the great male golfers, Bluff Point was also one of the few courses that allowed female members to play as early as 1898. For those who don't think that is a huge accomplishment, there are still private courses today that don't allow female members or children to play.

Today, Bluff Point remains a public course and welcomes anyone who has an interest to come out and play. Measured at a modest 6,300 yards in length, it is short enough for golfers of all skill levels to enjoy.

I played the course toward the end of last season and found the course to be pretty easy after a summer of golfing down-state, on courses in the Putnam and Westchester area. It's pretty open off the tee-box, so you can spray the ball on your first shot and still move around the course all day pretty easily.

They also do a great deal for junior golf in the community. They allow their club to be the home course for Plattsburgh and Saranac High School. They also offer junior memberships for $399. Memberships at many other courses usually consist of an initiation fee followed by yearly fees that can become expensive. Director of operations, Tammy Izzo explained how the course has a wide variety of golfers varying in ages. “It used to be mostly the old-time members playing, but now it's a mix with members and nonmembers," she said.“We also help out junior golfers. If the course is busy, we'll try to let them out on the back nine, so they don't get rushed or feel pressured.”

“It used to be mostly the old-time members playing, but now it's a mix with members and nonmembers."

Aside from junior memberships, a clinic is also held for developing young golfers every summer. The clinic is a month long program that starts in late June and is ran by professional golfer, Donald Bainbridge. "The clinic is for all experience levels, and the kids always have fun," said Tammy. Events during the clinic include; daily driving range trips, putting competitions, a private scramble tournament, and pizza parties. The clinic leads the golfers up to the junior club championship so they can enter. From the balance of instruction and fun, the clinic is designed to attract junior golfers to enjoy the game of golf.

With the season already in full swing, if you have free time on your hands, you can golf on a course that can pretty much be classified as a historical landmark. Even if golf isn't exactly your cup of tea, the view of Lake Champlain just below the horizon on the first tee-box is well worth the short drive. Be sure to recognize the notation on the lower right hand corner of the scorecard where it says, “The Oldest Resort Course in the United States.”

Are you a golfer in the Plattsburgh area?

Handicaps:

A handicap is a number that represents a golfer's skill with a number. This number is made by recording all your scores into a system. The system records your scores and takes into account the difficulty of the courses you play. When enough scores are recorded, a number is given that represents an average number of strokes above par. For example, if someone has a fifteen handicap, he/she is most likely going to shoot that number over par on any given day. A scratch is a term used to describe a golfer who will go out and shoot even par on any day.

A Fun Golf Game:

Follow The Lady-

This game is fun when played with four guys. Have somebody buy a Flying Lady golf ball (preferably pink). After everybody plays the first hole, the golfer with the lowest score has to use the Flying Lady ball until they are not the lowest scorer on a hole. The person who ends up with the ball after the last hole is the loser and buying a round of drinks is considered to be appropriate. What makes the game interesting and why it's more fun with guys, is because of the Flying Lady. Since the ball is made for female golfers, the ball's compression is very soft, making it preferable for softer swings. When hit by a guy with a hard swing, you can be pretty sure he will spray the ball all over the course.