Willow Creek Golf and Country Club in Mount Sinai will host its annual Charity Classic on Friday, November 19, a nine-hole outing to benefit nearby Stony Brook Children's Hospital. Format for the event is two-person scramble.
Entry fee is $100 per team, which covers green fees, motor cart and range balls, along with food, drinks and prizes. Shotgun tee time is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Space is limited, and teams can register online at Willow Creek's tournament page.
Willow Creek is a 2005 Stephen Kay course known for fast greens, intrusive water hazards and nearly 100 sand traps ranging from pot bunkers to large, lobed pits. For more on the Mount Sinai layout, check out the course flyover.
With the 2021 Ryder Cup at the forefront of the golf world this week, the host of the 2025 Ryder Cup made a tiny bit of news ahead of this year's competition, with Golf Digest releasing its list of America's 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses. The Black Course at Bethpage State Park, New York's only representative on the list, once again cracks the top tier at #8.
Pebble Beach retains its familiar spot at #1, and Whistling Straits, home of this year's Ryder Cup, stays at #3. The other courses ahead of the Black in the top ten are Pacific Dunes, Kiawah's Ocean Course, Shadow Creek, Pinehurst #2 and Bandon Dunes.
Bethpage Black is also Long Island's only public representative on Golf Digest's list of top New York State golf courses (released earlier this year). In all, Long Island courses make up nearly half of the top-40 list, including four of the top five (Shinnecock, National Golf Links, Fishers Island and Friar's Head). Bethpage Black comes in at #8, one spot behind Sebonack and two ahead of Garden City.
For the full lists of America's 100 Greatest and the state-by-state rankings, follow the above links.
Phil Young traces his love for the golf courses at Bethpage State Park to his early rounds as a teenager in the late 1960s, first on the Blue Course, then the famed Black. Like plenty that came before him and many more after, he was first staggered by the Black while looking through the trees beside #3 green out toward the distant glacier bunker on #4. (It was this same view that motivated the USGA's David Fay to fight for the Black Course to host a U.S. Open.) From that moment, Young was not only an intense Bethpage Black enthusiast but also a devoted follower of course designer A.W. Tillinghast.
So when Golf Digest during the lead-up to the 2002 U.S. Open published a feature by senior writer Ron Whitten that reassigned Tillinghast's Bethpage Black design credit to unknown park superintendent Joseph Burbeck, it inspired instant debate and research in the growing golf course architecture field and upended what many Tillinghast disciples, including Young, believed to be true.
In his latest book, "Bethpage State Park and the Three Geniuses Who Created It," Young elevates Burbeck to lofty heights beside Tillinghast and Robert Moses as one of the indispensable founders of the enormous park, golf complex and Depression-era public works project. Burbeck was responsible for the creation of the park, Young says, a "massive" task for someone who had to satisfy the powerful Moses and a panel of influential government officials.
"The fact that he could bring that building project to completion in two years, that alone puts him at the top of the top," Young says.
The hardcover book -- Young's third release devoted to Bethpage and one of many chronicling Tillinghast's life and design career -- includes a chapter outlining Burbeck's many responsibilities in transforming the 1,300-acre Benjamin Yoakum estate in Farmingdale into a vast New York State-owned recreation hub. Aside from answering to Moses and the Long Island State Parks Commission, Burbeck was tasked with, among other things, processing hundreds of federal relief workers, overseeing sports, course building and a caddy program, and supervising clubhouse construction and all park infrastructure.
"Burbeck had to run two offices," Young says. "One to maintain the records for federal and state government, and another to run all operations for the park."
What the Tillinghast biographer and historian for the Tillinghast Association does not list among Burbeck's many accomplishments, still, are the designs of the Black, Blue and Red golf courses. Design credits for those remain with Tillinghast.
Young makes his case over 80 pages that balance excerpts from newspapers and golf magazines with some personal anecdotes, all weaved between full-page photos and sketches. Chapters chronicle the conception of the park (for which Moses earns his title of "genius"), descriptions of the courses and the "grand" golf exhibitions hosted in the 1930s and '40s. The headliners, though, are the chapters devoted to Tillinghast's and Burbeck's intertwined roles during development of the golf courses and completion of the park as a whole.
Among the new evidence Young introduces here is a state employment card that lists the exact dates Tillinghast was on Bethpage grounds offering his services as "consulting architect." The government document refutes previous claims, including in Whitten's piece, that Tillinghast signed onto the job for a maximum of 15 days. In fact, he was paid for nearly double that time, and in Young's estimation, the dates line up with the routing, shaping and grow-in of golf courses built at a rapid pace by hundreds of relief workers.
Young also recounts a story first told in his 2004 book, "Golf's Finest Hour: The Open at Bethpage Black." Just weeks ahead of the 2002 Open, professional golfer and NBC commentator Roger Maltbie stood on the Black's fifth green and made his own contribution to the debate. "I can tell you one thing for certain," Maltbie declared. "No one named Burbeck ever designed that hole."
Who did he say that to? Phil Young, eyewitness to a foursome of Maltbie and three Bethpage regulars playing a taped round for part of the Open broadcast.
ORIGIN OF THE TILLY-BURBECK DEBATE
For nearly 70 years, three of the four "original" Bethpage courses were tied to Tillinghast without dispute. The new park absorbed the existing Lenox Hills Golf Club, later the Green Course, in 1932, then added his Red, Blue and Black in 1935 and 1936. A month shy of the highly anticipated, publicly hosted 2002 Open at Bethpage Black, Whitten turned that widely acknowledged history on its head with a finality that struck Young and other Tillinghast supporters. "[Burbeck] did design Bethpage Black," Written wrote. "The evidence always has been out there, if anyone had bothered to dig for it."
Whitten's revelation in Golf Digest hinged on the account of Joseph Burbeck Jr., who as a 4-year-old took part in the August 1935 clubhouse grand opening, his presence captured in photographs of a young boy unlocking the new structure with a ceremonial key. The younger Burbeck told Whitten he recalled long days watching his father pore over blueprints and drafts in the family's home on the park grounds and visiting construction crews hard at work on the new courses. His father's contributions had been overshadowed by a prominent figure who was barely on site, and so the name "Tillinghast" was not spoken in the Burbeck house, per mother's orders.
These memories formed the foundation of Whitten's argument, backed up by two supposedly smoking guns -- that the courses had already been laid out when Tillinghast was brought on as a 15-day consultant in December 1933, and that a 1959 "official history" published by the parks department says Bethpage's golf courses were "designed and constructed under the direction of Joseph H. Burbeck."
Of the two, the claim that design work had already been done prior to Tillinghast's arrival is the most significant, and would likely settle the debate once and for all. But that claim is not adequately supported say Whitten's critics. There is evidence that some pre-Tillinghast work might have been done on the Blue Course, but nobody knows precisely to what degree, and by whom.
Neither Tillinghast nor Burbeck were ever quoted with specific descriptions of what they performed or were hired to do on the golf courses. Only Tillinghast comes close. In 1937 he wrote, "It was my very good fortune to be selected by the Commission as its consultant course architect," then lauds Burbeck for his valuable support. Similar statements appear elsewhere, all of which open the door to other questions that researchers have sought to answer. What does "consultant" mean in the context of government-hired workers amid a global depression? What does the design term "laid out" mean when relayed by a 1930s news writer? Whose word carries more weight -- Tillinghast's, or a reporter speaking for Burbeck, as golf writer Lester Rice did in a 1937 feature?
And that's where the Tillinghast-Burbeck issue bogs down on a rough-covered slope shaped by hearsay, semantics and deconstructions of news reports and public-relations speak. Quotes culled from articles, golf magazine features and promotional pieces, plus sketches, models and anything bearing Tilly penmanship, have formed for nearly two decades the collective Zapruder film of the golf course architecture field. Both sides rely on historical evidence that by nature is open to interpretation.
Will the debate be settled by the time Bethpage hosts the Ryder Cup in 2025? "No," Young says. There likely is no document hidden away somewhere that will provide closure. (One set of design drawings supposedly exists in a government archive, though searches have turned up nothing.) Even if drawings were found somewhere, chances are they wouldn't have Tillinghast's signature on them anyway, Young says, because that's not always how he worked.
"This is all there is," according to Young.
BURBECK'S LEGACY
Over time Young's understanding of Burbeck's expansive role at Bethpage has led him to appreciate the longtime superintendent on a whole new level. "The purpose of this book is to really show what Burbeck did," he says.
When Whitten's piece came out in 2002, Young quickly became the go-to source for a discussion and defense of Tillinghast. He appeared on CNN, The Golf Channel and was approached by newspapers around the country. After all, his book, "Golf for the People: Bethpage and the Black," had just been published earlier that spring.
Needless to say, the relationship between Young and Whitten has had a Koepka/DeChambeau vibe. The two communicated briefly in the wake of Whitten's feature, but neither moved from their position. Seven years later, Whitten reaffirmed his stance with a second Golf Digest piece in advance of the 2009 Open at Bethpage. In it he references a 1936 New York Times article sent to him by a "Tillinghast proponent" -- Young -- that seemed to support him as the designer. "Does that one item convince us that Tillinghast deserves primary credit for Bethpage Black?" Written wrote. "Nope." [Whitten did not answer a request for comment from Golf On Long Island.]
What Golf Digest did to Burbeck was a "major injustice," Young writes in his book. "They ruined Burbeck's legacy. He was never the 'villain' in this story until 2002."
Young's passion for both Tillinghast and Burbeck is evident in Three Geniuses. So eager is the author, at times, to present his wealth of information that misidentified years or hole numbers occasionally sneak into the text. But it doesn't detract from the research.
Though the case will still be open when the Ryder Cup tees off in 2025, perhaps something else will be done by then, something that Bethpage has already done for Tillinghast and Rees Jones.
"I hope the park comes up with a way to honor Burbeck," Young says. Judging by his respect for Burbeck, it's likely Tillinghast would agree.
"Bethpage State Park and the Three Geniuses Who Created It" can be purchased online at the Golden Age Research website.
[PICTURED -- TOP: Joseph Burbeck; SECOND: A 1935 aerial of the Red, Blue and Black courses. A polo match is in progress on what is currently Black's first hole.; THIRD: A.W. Tillinghast; FOURTH: Plaques dedicated to Tillinghast and Rees Jones near the Black's first tee.]
[This schedule was updated on September 19, 2021]
September is aeration month at Long Island golf courses, and maintenance dates are good to know for local players planning their late-summer and fall rounds.
The following public golf courses will be closed for play (unless otherwise noted) while undergoing fairway and/or greens aeration:
Some golf courses have already aerated, so be aware that conditions might not be optimal.
For courses not listed, contact them directly for the latest maintenance schedule.
The Florida-based buyer who has offered more than $4 million to purchase Peninsula Golf Club in Massapequa told Newsday this week that he plans to keep the property a golf course and make improvements to the grounds and facilities upon acquisition of the site.
Holding up the sale, however, is Oyster Bay Town's own rumored plans to seize the golf course through eminent domain, a move town representatives claim would maintain the longtime covenants that protect the property from outside development.
Richard Schaub, Jr., owner of Great American Properties, told Newsday he is willing to to work with Oyster Bay to ensure the property remains a public golf course, but town officials are unwilling to discuss it. Schaub's vision for the public nine-hole course focuses on improved conditions, including "perfectly sculpted" sand traps, and a larger, modernized clubhouse that's attractive to the surrounding Nassau Shores community. Two holes would be adjusted to protect nearby homes.
[Schaub] said he also wants to invest a yet-to-be determined amount in expanding the clubhouse to be "a place where neighbors could come in for a hamburger and a beer" and watch a game on television.
In an Aug. 10 letter to the Oyster Bay Town Board, Schaub wrote he had been unable to comment on his plans previously due to a confidentiality agreement with the current owner, P.G.C. Holding Corp., but sought to reassure the board of his intentions.
"We are purchasing it as a golf course, and as a golf course only," Schaub wrote. Schaub said he received no response from the town. -- Ted Phillips, Newsday, 8/26/2021
Peninsula Golf Club was founded in 1946 on the site of the defunct Nassau Shores Country Club, and the deed between Nassau County and the club's ownership group included covenants that prohibit residential development, farming and any other uses other than a public golf course. Earlier this year, Peninsula's shareholders voted to sell the course to Schaub's firm for $4.4 million.
Oyster Bay then floated the possibility of eminent domain, saying an outside developer could theoretically get around the covenants and leave the property vulnerable to private development. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran has said Nassau will enforce the covenants upon sale of the property.
"That property is not going to be a housing subdivision," Schaub told Newsday. "That property should remain green."
Aeration season is set to get underway at Bethpage State Park, and first up for the hole-punch treatment is the Blue Course, which will close for fall maintenance on August 31 and September 1.
Its neighbor, the Yellow Course (pictured), will close for aeration September 2 and 3.
Bethpage's other three courses will close according to the following aeration schedule:
Be sure to call the Bethpage golf office at (516) 249-0700 for the latest info on course availability.
Huntington Town has renamed Crab Meadow Golf Course to honor the former town supervisor who played a key role in developing Huntington's parks system and two municipal golf courses.
Robert J. Flynn, Huntington supervisor from 1959 to 1965, was instrumental in the town's creation of municipal parks and recreational facilities in the early 1960s, preserving open space for public use rather than private development. The Northport golf course was rechristened Robert J. Flynn Crab Meadow Golf Course in a Friday ceremony with government officials and Flynn family members on hand, per Newsday.
Flynn's early vision of a town parks system eventually led to a 1962 referendum that paved the way for golf courses at Crab Meadow and Dix Hills Park. Crab Meadow was built on the grounds of the former Northport Country Club, a 1920s-era Devereux Emmet course that was abandoned for nearly two decades before Flynn's push for a new centerpiece golf course. William Mitchell designed the course, which opened in 1965.
From Newsday:
Flynn served as a supervisor until 1965. Along with revitalizing Crab Meadow, now named the Robert J. Flynn Crab Meadow Golf Course, Flynn adopted the first master plan of any town in New York State and a town ethics code.
Calling Flynn "the founding father" of the town’s park system, Supervisor Chad Lupinacci said the Bronx native’s vision for Huntington "ensured open space, protection of our environment and quality of life for future generations." -- Keldy Ortiz, Newsday, 8/13/21
Flynn passed away in 2013, and the town board passed a resolution to honor Flynn with the name change this past December.
Topgolf is not the only national golf and entertainment chain planting its first flag on Long Island this season.
California-based X-Golf, an industry leader in golf simulator technology with more than 20 indoor golf centers nationwide, will open a Westbury location this November at Samanea New York, formerly known as the Mall at The Source, according to Newsday. It will be the first X-Golf franchise in New York.
Its arrival will be followed in December by a second Long Island location slated to open in Commack.
X-Golf venues combine the company's state-of-the-art simulators with food and beverage service in a casual, beginner-friendly setting. Many offer league play, professional instruction and lounge-style amenities. X-Golf simulators feature advanced innovations like adjustable ground slope and automated ball retrieval.
The Westbury location will take over a 6,300-square-foot space previously occupied by David's Bridal in the Source Mall, a shopping center that has sat mostly empty for the past decade. (Golf Galaxy closed its site at the mall in 2015.) The center's renovation and rebranding as Samanea New York under new ownership includes attracting lifestyle- and experience-focused tenants. Another entertainment venue called Empire Adventure Park is scheduled to open there in 2022, per Newsday.
After years of rumors and government approvals followed by months of pandemic-related construction delays, an opening day for Topgolf Long Island is finally on the schedule.
Topgolf Holtsville, New York's first venue in the international golf, entertainment and nightlife chain, will open for business this Friday, July 30. The new facility stands tall as a distinctive landmark beside the Long Island Expressway just west of Nicolls Road (exit 62), its entrance located along the westbound service road.
Details of this week's opening remain vague, but what's more clear are the features and amenities that Topgolf Long Island will offer -- 102 climate-controlled hitting bays directing players toward computerized targets, along with free WiFi, more than 200 TVs and a rooftop terrace. A full-service restaurant and bar will turn out classic grill fare and comfort food (and kid-friendly options) to pair with seasonal cocktails and local beer (Great South Bay, Montauk, Blue Point and Long Ireland are listed among featured local breweries). Private event space and meeting rooms are expected to attract groups and area businesses.
Unlike traditional driving ranges, Topgolf offers pricing by the hour, and the bays are designed to accommodate groups of up to six players. Hourly prices range from $40 in the morning to $60 after 5:00 p.m., with all rates slashed by half on Tuesdays, and unlimited play available on weekday mornings. Topgolf also offers additional discounts to healthcare workers, teachers, first responders and military personnel.
Players can reserve bays in advance on the Topgolf website or through the Topgolf app, though only a small number of times are available for advance purchase.
Topgolf Long Island has been in the works since 2017, when Brookhaven Town approved zoning changes to a former Holtsville industrial site. The years-long process of community hearings and planning board meetings led to an initial target opening date of early 2021, but the pandemic halted construction for much of 2020 and pushed the opening back until this summer.
Check back for details on this week's opening.
SEE ALSO:
Topgolf Long Island now hiring as summer grand opening approaches
Topgolf Long Island moving quickly toward possible August opening
Progress at Topgolf site ahead of projected summer 2021 opening
Topgolf Long Island opening now expected for summer 2021
Long Island Topgolf taking shape in Holtsville
A New Decade of Long Island Golf, Part 1 -- A Changed Landscape, On and Off the Course
Topgolf inches closer to to first Long Island location with latest board approval
Spring Lake's junior golf special is back this summer, offering Long Island kids the opportunity to tag along with an adult for nine holes at no cost.
On Wednesdays and Thursdays in July and August, kids under the age of 14 play a free round with each paying adult. The special covers nine holes on Spring Lake's Sandpiper Course, home to the facility's namesake lake and signature hole.
Book online at the Spring Lake website or call the course at (631) 924-5115 for additional info and reservations. Cart fees are not included, proper attire is required.
For more information on Spring Lake's Sandpiper Course, check out the course flyover.
