Golf

Where I played: A hidden Rees Jones classic, Olde Kinderhook Golf Club


Welcome to our “Where I played…” series, in which a resident GOLF staffer runs through a recent day at a course you might play in your future. Today, we’ve got Olde Kinderhook Golf Club in Kinderhook, N.Y.

Olde Kinderhook Golf Club is a place you couldn’t find on accident. The 1999 Rees Jones design is tucked away on a hidden swath of land in the rural town of Kinderhook, N.Y., roughly a half hour drive from Albany. Founded in 1999 as a private course, OKGC has since expanded to “semi-private,” offering public play for large stretches of the season.

What you’ll find at Olde Kinderhook isn’t much by way of glamour (more on that later). Rather, the course is a master class in charming, thought-provoking, brilliantly routed golf in a gorgeous setting. OKGC proves a worthy test for any foursome — so long as you’re willing to put the effort in to find it.

Course: Olde Kinderhook Golf Club, Kinderhook, N.Y. (not to be confused with Old Kinderhook, a golf resort in Missouri)

My tee time: 8 a.m., Aug. 29, 2019

Course type: Semi-Private/Public (tee times must be booked a day in advance, per course rules)

Price: $60 (includes cart fee)

Difficulty: OKGC is, in typical Rees Jones fashion, long, withering and tactical. Depending on the direction of the wind, Olde Kinderhook can feel like it’s playing half (or double) the 7,300 yards listed on the scorecard from the back tees.

Scoring well usually requires two things: consistent tee shots and smart elevation play. Several holes demand long carries to safely find fairways, while many others can only be parred by hitting hybrid or long-iron off the tee to elevated perches. If you prioritize elevation, you’ll find easy approaches into yawning greens with manageable pin locations.

There’s some water at OKGC, which is surprising for a course nestled between the Catskill and Berkshire mountain ranges, but the majority of the course’s difficulty comes from its length.  There are four sets of men’s tees and two sets of women’s tees to suit players of all abilities.

How to get there: Kinderhook is only a 30-minute drive from the Albany airport, on Rt. 203. We’d recommend using your phone’s GPS to navigate, as your chances of finding the club’s unpretentious entrance (along a winding country road) are rather inauspicious.


Fast facts: Despite its obscurity, Olde Kinderhook holds a unique connection to American history. Its name is derived from the town of Kinderhook’s prodigal son, America’s ninth President, Martin Van Buren. Throughout his life, Van Buren was referred to by the nickname “Old Kinderhook,” which his friends eventually shortened to “OK.” Historians credit Van Buren (and Kinderhook) for the popularization of the phrase “OK” in the English language.


Notable/favorite holes: The 16th hole, a 180-yard par-3, is OKGC at its best. A well-struck tee shot over the water gives easy access to a gaping, three-tiered green. Your birdie chances are directly tied to landing on the same shelf as the day’s hole location, but any tee shot on the green should result in an easy par.



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