Sure, our scores were higher than normal this week. But this time we have an excuse: par was higher than normal, too.

Not to mention the high temperatures. And the high altitudes. And the high winds....

There isn't much room for excuses at Camillus Country Club, though. At more than 6,300 yards, it's a long haul, but it's usually your own fault if you aren't making par - even we combined for nine pars on the day. Out of 36 holes between the two of us, that's swinging like the Yankees' Jason Giambi (.250)

But we digress.

On some holes, however, you might wish you were a Bronx Bomber - like the mammoth 567-yard 12th hole, one of three par-5s on the par-37 back nine.

Yet the par 4s are generally short - the longest is 380 from the whites - and there's even one that measures just 295 yards (No. 10). The four par 3s range from 121 yards up to 199.

But when length isn't a challenge, the hills usually are.

The course is generally straight, with only a few doglegs here and there. It's the ups and downs that can throw you off. Especially if you tend to duff wedge shots. There's a chance your ball could end up farther from the green than when you started. Yea, it's that steep - especially on No. 15.

But what goes up must come down, and the rewards are reaped on No. 16 - a 488-yard downhill plunge. If you clear the first ridge, your ball will roll for miles - or at least 300 yards or so, which is about as good a drive as we can ever ask for.

For all its hills, though, it's surprisingly level once you're on the putting surface. Don't worry, we still had plenty of three-putts, but the greens aren't as sloped as you might think upon first glance at the course. They hold well and were slightly fast the day we played - a dry, arid morning.

Speaking of dry, most of the course is water-hazard free. There's a pond guarding the ninth green, but that's the only time water really comes into play. Sand is another story.

Six holes offer a chance to beach your ball, and twice there are bunkers in the fairways.

But there is some good news for the not-so-straight-hitting golfer.

There's plenty of room for error on most holes. Even a wicked slice can leave you with a shot at the green most of the time. And the rough isn't at all formidable.

Camillus Country Club is by no means an easy course, but the great course conditions will make you feel like a pro - plus there's a starter, and we even had a crowd of onlookers for our opening tee shots.

In the end we left with something more than just our high scores: some high hopes for next round.