Golf on Long Island

Flyover: Long Island National Golf Club

Long Island's North Fork is renowned for its miles of wineries and vineyards, farm stands, waterside charm and rural setting.  As day-trippers and bachelorette-party limos make their way single file along Sound Avenue, most are unaware (or not interested) that the North Fork has some fantastic public golf as well.  Long Island National and the courses at Cherry Creek may fly into and out of passenger-side windows without a second glance, but LI golfers know they are there.

Long Island National, a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design, is simply a fantastic challenge for golfers, one that is well worth the journey to the eastern limits of Riverhead.  It is one of a dozen courses on the Island to receive four or more stars from Golf Digest in its 2008-09 Places To Play list, and is ranked fifth by Newsday behind only Bethpage Black and Red, Montauk Downs and Tallgrass.  According to Jones Jr.'s company website, the designer was so proud of LI National that he celebrated his 60th birthday there when it opened in 1999.

Rolling fairways, slick greens and a series of well-placed bunkers give a sharp bite to a course that, at just over 6,200 yards from the men's middle tees, doesn't rely on its distance for intimidation -- especially when the wind is whipping through the open layout.  Naturally, our lone experience at LI National came on one of the windiest days of the season.

LAYOUT:
The path to the first tee offers a brief preview of what's in store for the next four-plus hours as it passes behind the second green.  Looking out over the green back to the fairway in the distance, one can't help but notice the dropoff behind the putting surface, the deep rough and bunkers on the hole's left, and a fairway that seems to approach in waves.  The flag sits all alone in the middle, so it seems, but it is closely guarded.

Three medium-length par-4s get you on your way, all of which provide the rare opportunity to miss the fairway by a sizable distance and still not be in terrible shape.   In fact, #2 and #3 share a fairway, so hitters who keep the ball left will have a hard time finding trouble.  The first hole jukes left halfway up the fairway and leaves a large bunker in play in the center of your sight line while on the tee.

The two holes that follow are significantly less forgiving.  A slope of tall grass and brush cuts the bi-level fairway in two on the par-5 fourth and begs you to swat a drive right into the thick of it.  Short is safe, but who wants to play safe on the tee of a par-5?  Those who do take the safer route and then try to make up the yardage on their following shots will have to use caution -- small bunkers short of the green and a large trap behind it will punish carelessness.  A small, elevated green is the target on the par-4 fifth, but it'll be harder to get there if you miss left off the tee where the fairway drops off, leaving you to fight your way back up through the rough and a potential sidehill lie. 

Flyover: Rock Hill Golf Club

[This flyover was updated on January 19, 2012.]

Once you make your way out into the high-60s of the Long Island Expressway -- too far east even for the HOV lane -- you can take your pick of courses to play as you approach the Long Island public golf haven of Manorville.  A few turns away from the LIE on some quiet, rural roads will land you at Swan Lake Golf Club to the north, Pine Hills Country Club to the west or Rock Hill Golf Club to the east -- the Manorville Three.  Blow past exit 70 and the world of Riverhead golf awaits.

Rock Hill is a lengthy, challenging course that batters players with hilly, uneven terrain teamed up with heavy rough -- a combination for which the inaccurate shooter is ill-suited.  There is a bit of subtle deception playing a role in every round.  None of the holes at Rock Hill appear all that overwhelming from the tee, making it easy for players to let their guard down as they send a ball toward a buried lie.

Area golfers helped the course achieve some regional recognition in January 2012 when the Long Island Press announced the results of its annual "Best of LI" poll.  Rock Hill took second place in the "Best Golf Course" category, behind only Bethpage State Park.

LAYOUT:
In essence, it's a tale of two layouts at Rock Hill.  The front nine, which plays on the north side of the clubhouse, is carved into the woodlands surrounding the course.  Dense patches of trees line many of the fairways, and most holes play alongside the heavily wooded course perimeter.  Walking off the ninth green is like moving on to a different course.  The back nine begins on the opposite side of the clubhouse and is wide open in comparison.  Not that this makes it any easier, but with the exception of #12 and #18, trees are much lighter of a nuisance.

The end result is a par-71 that measures just over 7,000 yards from the back tees, nearly 6,465 from the middle.  Rock Hill opens with a rather standard par-4, followed by a 530-yard par-5 that features a gully full of brush between the tees and the fairway (pictured left).  Any poor drive that stays low to the ground is in danger of going in.  A sliced tee shot risks a bad sidehill lie on the slope next to the fifth green, and a thick line of trees can make the situation even worse.

The fifth hole, a 360-yard par-4, is Rock Hill's roughest.  From the tee it is not very imposing, but the fairway slopes from left to right and requires an uphill shot at a very narrow green.  Miss the green right and you fall off a severe slope.  A small pond off the right side of the fairway urges you to stay left.

There are two rather non-descript, medium-length par-3s on the front.  The fourth and seventh are 160 and 150 yards, respectively, and don't pose too hearty of a challenge.  But if your swing with the irons is a bit out of whack, don't expect any run-ups onto the greens -- the thick grass will gobble up your low liners after only a bounce or two.

Smithtown Landing a new GolfonLI fave

I got a call from Rob this afternoon asking for a suggestion on somewhere to play on his off day that didn't require an eastbound journey on the LIE.  I've been hearing and reading good things about Smithtown Landing and recommended that he check it out.

A few hours later Rob buzzed me with a text message...

"Hands down one of my favorite courses on the Island."

Looks like we'll be checking it out before the weather takes a turn toward frigid.

Island's End pitches new Mobile VIP program

The Island's End Golf Club finds itself in a unique situation that no other public course on Long Island, with the exception of Montauk Downs, is forced to handle.  Perched way out on the North Fork in Greenport, Island's End is far beyond a simple drive for most Long Islanders.  In terms of distance, Nassau golfers are closer to some Rockland and Orange County courses, even New Jersey and Connecticut courses, than they are to Island's End.  Travel-wise, the route coming or going, or both, will likely be clogged with Wine Country traffic.  A round at Island's End, for many, requires an overnight or a full weekend commitment.

With times tougher economically, the people at Island's End have come up with a rather innovative way to draw as many golfers as they can to their waterside course on the Sound.  Their new Mobile VIP program will keep prospective players updated, via text message, on special offers and discounts on greens fees and pro shop merchandise.  Some deals will be offered exclusively to Mobile VIP members.

Registering for the VIP program can be completed simply by text message, and those who join will receive a free golf cart seat when they play their next round at Island's End.  Members can opt out at any time.

For information regarding the program, call the course at (631) 477-0777, or e-mail.

Eisenhower Red joins list of 4-star courses

The Red Course at Eisenhower Park recently received a four-star rating from Golf Digest in its latest edition of the Best Places To Play for 2008-09, joining a handful of fellow Long Island courses rated four stars ("outstanding") and above.

Golf Digest notes the Red's value and great conditioning, specifically citing its "phenomenal big greens" and "beautiful walk in the park."  Newsday also ranks it as one of the best public courses on LI.

Its new four-star status is bright news for the Red, which has been the subject of somewhat negative press of late.  Last year Nassau County took a beating for making carts mandatory on the Red in an effort supposedly designed to speed up play, but the change was ripped apart by long-time walkers and those who saw the change as a transparent money grab.  The plan was quickly scrapped.  Then, as of this Summer, the future of the Commerce Bank Championship became a question mark due to sponsorship issues.

Though the Red, White and Blue at Eisenhower are the closest and most convenient courses for me to play, I usually prefer to head east where the crowds are thinner and the layouts are a little more creative.  Rounds at all three of the Eisenhower courses tend to move at a rather sluggish pace.

Twelve Long Island courses received four or more stars from Golf Digest in its latest Places To Play listing.  Bethpage Black is the lone five-star ("superb") layout, and Bethpage Red and Green, Montauk Downs and Harbor Links each received 4 1/2.  The Red joins Bethpage Blue and Yellow, Island's End, Long Island National, Mill Pond and Pine Hills as four-star selections, which the Digest describes as courses to "plan your next vacation around."

Flyover: Spring Lake - Sandpiper 9

The Sandpiper course at the Spring Lake Golf Club in Middle Island is the facility's nine-hole track, a mildly challenging layout that begins and ends with two par-5s and sticks a bunch of doglegged par-4s in between.  At 3,250 yards from the championship tees, and a touch over 3,000 from the whites, Sandpiper is a bit shorter than the nines that make up the 18-hole Thunderbird course, but it shares many traits with its bigger, longer neighbor. 

The greens, though not as tremendous, are just as challenging as Thunderbird's.  Many of the holes offer the same secluded yet open feel, where trees form a perimeter around nearly every fairway and green yet rarely encroach too closely for comfort.  Sandpiper though gets a big check-plus in one area in comparison to Thunderbird -- it has by far the most fun and interesting hole at Spring Lake.

LAYOUT:
The opening hole on the Sandpiper course is a bit of an anomaly.  Most of the holes at Spring Lake are rather straightforward -- lush, manicured fairways, lots of trees, strategically placed bunkers, and huge, undulating greens.  Only two or three have water influencing play at all.  The bottom line -- not too many frills.

Yet, when you make your way to the first at Sandpiper, you're met by a teebox that points you out to a large pond.  Look out over the water and you'll find that your second shot directs you toward a second pond.  For a no-frills course, Spring Lake touches your nerves with Sandpiper #1, a double-carry par-5 with a third pond off the green to the right and back.

From there, Sandpiper turns you back toward dry land, with the ponds only coming back to greet you once at #5.  The second hole is the first of several right doglegs with a large bunker (or bunkers) guarding the turn.  This one plays a little more uphill on the approach than the others and features a deeper green.

Longest and most unique of all the par-4s is #4.  Measuring 458 yards from the whites, the hole makes a sharp left turn at the 200-yard marker and plays downhill the rest of the way.  There is a slight dip in front of the green that keeps some run-up shots from making it to the massive putting surface, and a big bowl-shaped waste area right of the green will leave you with an uphill pitch to a fast, wavy green.

Reader Favorite: Timber Point Blue #5

AD of Valley Stream is a fan of the fifth hole at Timber Point's Blue course, another favored hole that is a member of Newsday's Dream 18.  The par-3, named "Gibraltar," is renowned for its treacherous wind conditions and view of the bay:

It overlooks Great South Bay and has bunkers in front on the left and the right.  Wind is a big factor here and is usually a one- to two-club change depending on the direction.  With water to the left and fescue to the right this hole is my favorite for the level of difficulty as well as the need for accuracy, which varies in my game from day to day.

Fall Special at Holbrook, Brentwood

The Holbrook and Brentwood Country Clubs are offering a special Internet rate for the Fall -- 2-for-1 greens fees from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., six days a week.  Reservations must be made for each player online and must include cart rental.  See the course websites for all conditions that apply.

Holbrook CC is a tight, tree-lined course that we played for the first time this Summer.  To borrow some tips from the starter, "Don't go left, and don't go right."