Golf on Long Island

Junior "SNAG" clinic next week at Spring Lake

Just because it's the middle of winter doesn't mean junior golfers can't get a little professional guidance.  If the sparsely crowded courses dotting Long Island's winter golf scene are too chilly for you and the kid golfer in your family, take them indoors at the Spring Lake Golf Club.

Cristy Jurgens, director of golf and teaching pro at the 27-hole facility in Middle Island, will run an indoor "SNAG" clinic for juniors on Saturday, February 4 at 11:00 a.m.  SNAG (Starting New At Golf) is a comprehensive system that simplifies golf instruction for kids and provides them the opportunity to effectively transition into the game.

The hour-long clinic is open to kids aged 4 to 7 and costs $20 per child.  For more information or to register for the program, call (631) 924-5115.

Off-Course Destinations: 1st Tee Fitness & Performance, St. James

Bethpage Black slipped into its annual winter hibernation earlier this month, but inside a small St. James strip mall, the fairway leading up to the Black's famous fourth-hole glacier bunker is still a deep, healthy green and the air is a May-like 72 degrees.

Conditions are the same at Pebble Beach, Pinehurst and more than a dozen other renowned golf courses available for virtual play in the High Definition Golf simulator at the new 1st Tee Fitness & Performance facility in St. James, where brothers Jason and Richard Greco hope to make indoor golf -- including leagues, tournaments, lessons and physical therapy -- a healthy and recreational outlet for Long Island golfers.  Jason and Richard are golf fitness instructors certified through the Titleist Performance Institute with more than 25 combined years of experience working with and rehabilitating patients.  (Their primary office, Greco Physical Therapy and Sports Performance, PLLC, is located in Greenvale.)

At 1st Tee Fitness -- which opened in December 2011 -- the Grecos use much of the space to exercise and rehabilitate the muscles and joints that work together to swing the golf club, while the rest is reserved for the swing itself.  In the back of the facility, a two-person practice net is available for simulator warm-ups and private lessons conducted by professionals from several area courses, including nearby Smithtown Landing.

But the main attraction is up front, where the High Definition Golf simulator leads frost-delayed Long Island golfers on a virtual excursion to nearly 20 world-class golf courses.  At its most basic level, the simulator simply recreates the local driving range.  It offers a technical breakdown of each swing with recordings of club and ball speeds, launch angle, swing path, clubface position, spin and more -- all useful information for the on-site professionals to translate into real-world results for their students.

League play and tournaments will be scheduled throughout the winter months to hold eager Long Island golfers over until they can push a peg into an actual teebox.  Players can take part in leagues run by 1st Tee, or create their own group of family and friends, compete at their leisure and set their own rules and prizes.

"It takes about an hour for two people to play nine holes," Jason says.  "We envision a scenario where players book their simulator tee times online, arrive early to warm up in the practice net, play for as long as they wish and have their results recorded in the league and available online."

Jason says simulator tournaments range from 18 to 72 holes and can include contests like closest to the pin and longest drive.  "The simulator tracks everything," he says.

Indoor league and tournament information is announced by e-mail and at www.grecopt.com.  The simulator is open for general and league play until 9 p.m. during the week and 4 p.m. on weekends.  Rates vary based on length and time of play.

For more information, visit the First Tee website or call (631) 686-6600.  You can also follow First Tee on Facebook and Twitter.  The St. James facility is located at 430-7 North Country Road, about five minutes east of the public Smithtown Landing Golf Course.

Spring Lake Golf Club to hold indoor clinic for juniors

Cristy Grzymala, director of golf at the Spring Lake Golf Club in Middle Island, will run an indoor "SNAG" clinic for juniors on Saturday, February 19 at 11:00 a.m. in the facility's catering hall.  SNAG (Starting New At Golf) is a comprehensive system that simplifies golf instruction for kids and provides them the opportunity to effectively transition into the game.

The hour-long clinic is open to kids aged 4 to 7 and costs $20 per child.  For more information or to register for the program, e-mail Cristy.Grzymala@lpgapro.com or call (631) 924-5115.  You can also look at pictures of previous SNAG clinics on the Spring Lake website.

Golf Etc. at The Arches -- Tanger Outlets, Deer Park

Bob Misa is a man with a plan -- a two-year plan, to be exact.  The owner of Golf Etc. at the Arches is determined to make his store a success within his 24-month time frame, whether or not the economy will cooperate.  Four months since he opened for business inside the new Tanger Outlets Center in Deer Park, Misa has no doubts about his vision.

"This is going to be big," he says.  "I know it."

Golf Etc. at The Arches became the first sponsor of Golf On Long Island last week, fitting in that both are start-ups, with optimistic outlooks, looking to grab the attention of area players.  Between the two, however, Misa has the advantage when it comes to attracting eyes, thanks to a pair of Full Swing Golf simulators that stop passers-by in their tracks as they approach his storefront.  A typical day at Golf Etc., Misa says, includes Tanger shoppers pressed up against the front windows to follow the action on Full Swing's virtual driving range or any of over 60 classic courses available to players.

More importantly, in a time when the reeling economy is battering the American shopping mall, the simulators -- plus the selection of apparel and equipment -- have drawn plenty of customers past the storefront and through the doors.  Weekend "tee times" have become increasingly popular as the new season quickly approaches, and the Golf Etc. staff makes sure to accommodate players who call in for reservations or shoppers eager to take a few hacks.  When weekend temperatures hit the 60-degree mark in February, the store stayed abuzz from morning to night.

And with the economy struggling, Misa says, companies with tightened budgets are looking for alternatives to the classic corporate golf outing.  So Golf Etc. is stepping in, promoting the simulators as a unique destination for businesses who want to put clubs in the hands of employees and clients but without the expense.  Companies can host outings on classic courses, while players enjoy food, drinks and flat-screen TVs between shots.

"It's becoming harder for businesses to bring an entire group out to a course for a round," he says.  "These in-store outings offer something that's different but still a lot of fun."

Leagues and clinics receive similar treatment.  Players can sign up for Golf Etc. match-play leagues, with head-to-head competition and refreshments each week, plus contests and prizes at the end of the season.  A variety of clinics are available to all types of players, with time in the simulators supplemented by staff demonstrations and PowerPoint analysis in the store's lounge area.

Golf Etc. even offers something to shoppers who don't know the first thing about the sport.  The store's Golfer Registry enables players to record their equipment and apparel preferences into a database that the Golf Etc. staff can refer to in seconds.

"If someone comes in and says their husband has a registry and needs a new wedge," Misa says, "we can look up his equipment from his wish list and know exactly what he's looking for."

Misa is pleased with the reception his store has gotten since it opened inside Tanger last fall.  He made sure to lock down a prime location near the Nike and Reebok stores, next to one of the center's main entryways at Neiman Marcus.  Misa and his wife Colleen, a member of the Executive Women's Golf Association, place high emphasis on customer service and properly fitting the golfer to his or her equipment.  There are PGA pros on staff to analyze swings in the store's Flight Scope launch monitors, provide custom fittings, give lessons, and modify clubs in the workshop.

Meanwhile, the store itself continues to grow and find a natural fit within its space.  It carries a wide selection of Callaway, Ping, Nike, TaylorMade, Adidas, Adams, Mizuno and Wilson apparel and equipment, among others.  The store's putting green will soon be enhanced by a large mural, another sight sure to catch the eyes of passing Tanger shoppers.

And Misa's plans, though still on the drawing board, include taking Golf Etc. outdoors in the warm weather.  He envisions an interactive setup in the heart of Tanger where patrons can step up and hit a few balls, with the opportunity to win prizes, but more importantly, to have fun and add a little more enjoyment to a day of shopping.

Off-Course Destinations: Full Swing Golf at Baseball Plus, Freeport

Most visitors to Baseball Plus on February weekends are there to hone their swings for upcoming baseball and softball seasons.  For the past year, however, golfers have had a practice area for their own swing work, where the crack of a 5-iron and the thud of a simulator screen join the chorus of aluminum bat pings and pitching machine thumps.

Baseball Plus, just south of Merrick Road on Henry Street, brought Full Swing Golf to Freeport last year and jumped into the indoor golf world.  I took note of the simulator last winter when limbering up for softball season but it took a year for me to make it back with my Cleveland Launcher instead of my Worth Supercell.

Full Swing Golf simulators allow golfers to practice or virtually play some of the world's greatest courses in a system that impresses with its fast reaction time and sharp detail.  At Baseball Plus, spend a half-hour in the simulator for $20 or a full hour for $35.  Eighteen holes at Pinehurst No. 2 took me just under an hour.

There is a lot to take in when you face down your first virtual golf hole -- including wind speed, distance, yardage to landing areas, lie, and more -- but the realistic graphics stand out.  Pinehurst's famous crowned greens are clearly displayed in the distance as you set up an approach.  Shots hit the large screen and continue without interruption.  Strong shots and mishits all translate accurately.  Chip shots struck too thin skitter across the green.  Each swing concludes with a brief overview that includes shot distance, ball speed, launch angle, and yardage to pin.

It takes time to get the hang of some of the technology, especially putting.  There is a steep learning curve for the short game, an aspect of real golf dependent on feel and instinct.  But who cares?  You're playing Pinehurst No. 2 for 35 bucks, and your chips would probably roll off those greens in the real world anyway.

As the name indicates, Baseball Plus is strictly baseball -- there are no secondary comforts like TVs, lounges or refreshments like at other indoor golf centers.  Still, the staff is helpful and interested in your thoughts on the Full Swing system.