A bit of a "Before and After" for this week's Metro Golf Report. In part one, the "before" segment, NY1’s Adam Balkin takes us to a course that you'll only be able to play as is for about the next year and a half.

It's already one of the most naturally beautiful and enjoyable public golf courses in the New York area, but owners want more. So before they begin their $700 million to $800 million renovation next year, we figured it was time to show you Silo Ridge Country Club up in Dutchess County now, in case you want to be able to tell people you played it back in its original form.

“It was the old Murphy Farm way back when and a man named John Segalla bought the property — he owned a sand and gravel business in town and he was trying to get into some of the local private clubs and had a hard time getting in, so he decided to build his own golf course,” says Robert Caeners of Silo Ridge Country Club.

It’s a course that actually plays like two. The front and back are definitely fraternal, not identical.

“We have a lot of beautiful rock and trees and things in the back. Actually our one pond in the back there is about 110 feet deep,” says Caeners. “It’s an old oar bed and it's got springs on different levels, so we always have a nice green golf course no matter what the conditions. There's a lot more elevation changes, a lot of dog legs, a lot of elevated tees, elevated greens. Every hole is different. The front nine is a little more like a links course, more wide open, a little flatter, but a little more rolling also, but very nice.”

Some quick quirky history associated with the most memorable hole, the par three, 11th island green, which wasn't originally here. The second course owner changed the name from Segalla to Island Green because of plans to create this hole. He ran into trouble though before it came to fruition, so it wasn't until the third owners that the island green was finally completed at which point they changed the name to Silo Ridge.

The current owner decided to go with Silo Ridge in honor of the last two silos on the property — the last remnants of the original farm that once stood here

“Some of the guys that work on my maintenance crew used to jump out of those as kids and all that, so yeah they're actually a pretty historical part of the property and the town,” says Caeners.

After about a two hour ride from the city, a weekday tee time with cart will run you $57. It’s $76 on the weekend. Tee times can be made ten days in advance online or seven by phone. The course does have a driving range, club rentals and lessons.

For more information or to book a tee time either call 845-373-9200 or log on to SiloRidge.com.

— Adam Balkin