Gone are the sounds of hammering construction and the roar of heavy machinery. In their place, in a pristine golf and residential complex in Setauket, are the soft whispers of fairway sprinklers and quiet music drifting from an apartment terrace.
Soon those sounds will be joined by the echoes of a purely struck iron and the cheers from a well-deserved par.
Spy Ring Golf Club, Long Island's newest public course and arguably the most ambitious public-golf project on the Island in a quarter century, is steadily progressing toward a soft opening this fall. Designed by Tyler Rae, Spy Ring is a modern nine-hole course featuring big, uniquely contoured greens, hefty bunkers and a startling amount of elevation change. The course plays around newly built Heatherwood residences on a property that for nearly 60 years was the site of Heatherwood Golf Club, an executive-length 18.
Jimmi Conway, the longtime golf director and now vice president of golf operations at both Spy Ring and Pine Hills in Manorville, says the Spy Ring team is taking the opening slow to make sure the grounds are fully prepared for the rigors of play. Even though the course looks like a finished product, Conway and Heatherwood president Chris Capece say they have the luxury of time to let the course mature ahead of its unveiling to the public.
"We want to do this the right way," Conway says. "We don't want the course to get beat up before it's ready."
Still, to the naked eye that sees nothing but smooth fairways, freshly cut rough and rippling greens, it's hard to put aside the urge to drop a few balls and give the course a test run. The par-3 seventh is the looker, a 145-yard shot over a row of four surprisingly large sand traps. Rae built "fun" greens with plenty of pinnable space, and here on #7, a front-right tongue and a rear plateau set up some very interesting pin positions.
From #7 tee the entire back half of the course is in view -- the downhill par-3 fifth, the punchbowl-style green on #6, the elevated green on #8 and the down-then-up par-5 closer. Many of the greens feature broad entrances that allow for running and bounding approaches, a rarity for Long Island publics. And the sandy base will allow the course to play firm.
A small patio overlooks the first tee and a huge, sloped practice green. A practice bunker is nearby as well. Conway loves the intimacy of the pro-shop setup, where he's close enough to the first tee to applaud someone who opens their day with a perfect drive -- or razz someone who needs to take an early mulligan. Inside, the pro shop offers a small collection of Spy Ring apparel and features a black-and-white mural depicting Heatherwood's original grand opening in the early 1960s.
As for the site's 2023 opening, growing conditions this summer and early fall will ultimately determine when the course sends its first groups out for limited play. As of yet there is no determination on green fees.
For more on Spy Ring and its design, check out our GOLI feature from last May:
Coming Soon: Heritage Spy Ring GC, Long Island's first shot at the Sweetens Cove model
Golf participation remains at a high level following the Covid spike, meaning spots at local junior golf camps are still in elevated demand. Junior golfers of all ages and skill levels have a wealth of options at Long Island's public golf courses for learning the fundamentals of the game, from swing to etiquette, and making a smooth entrance into the sport.
Many public courses in Nassau and Suffolk feature summer camp programs that school young players in golf's key fundamentals, the various types of swings and strokes, as well as rules, etiquette and course safety. Kids work closely with teaching pros on the course, at the range and around practice greens and bunkers; in some cases, the pros working with your young golfer have been recognized nationally for their work as junior instructors. Campers leave each session with skills and knowledge in place for lifelong enjoyment on the course and as overall fans of golf.
The following is a general overview of 2023 summer golf camps offered at various public golf courses around Long Island. For more information, follow the links below to the course websites and junior camp pages.
(Please note this list only includes camp programs hosted at public golf courses. This does not include golf programs held at general summer camps or any type of private instruction.)
Bergen Point (West Babylon): Weekly sessions run from Monday to Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 12 noon, and are open to kids age 7 to 17. Instruction includes short-game practice, driving range, on-course play and daily contests and competition. Cost is $320 per session. Sign-up forms are available on the Bergen Point website.
Bethpage State Park (Farmingdale): Bethpage's Summer Junior Golf Program is open to players of all skill levels from age 6 to 17. Half-day programs are geared toward younger players, while full-day camps are designed for intermediate and advanced players with on-course experience. A monthly program with tournament play is also available for competitive juniors. All programs feature a combination of skills development and performance-related training and fitness. Sessions begin the week of June 26. Register for full-day ($775) and half-day ($500) sessions at the Bethpage / Golf Channel Academy website.
Cedars Golf Club (Cutchogue): The Cutchogue course offers two separate month-long sessions with start dates of June 28 and July 31. Campers age 5 to 13 meet Mondays and Wednesdays for four weeks. All participants receive a Cedars camp shirt, a full-season Junior Pass and daily pizza lunch. Cost is $700 per session. Register in person or e-mail [email protected], and check the Cedars website or for full details.
Cherry Creek (Riverhead): Cherry Creek camp programs will be available in July and August. Specific 2023 program details to follow. Call (631) 506-0777 for the latest information.
Eisenhower Park (East Meadow): PGA Junior Golf operates a series of camps for all ability levels, including advanced camps for competitive juniors. The program includes full-day camps for players age 11 to 17, modified full-day camps for experienced players age 8 to 12, and half-day camps for beginners and intermediates age 7 to 11. There is also a special 90-minute session for "Wee Ones" age 6 to 8. All regular camps include hours of hands-on instruction led by certified PGA professionals. Full-day camps include on-course play and teaching. Weekly sessions for all programs begin June 26, and discounts are available for Nassau County residents and First Tee participants. Visit the PGA Junior Golf Camp site for full information on pricing, session dates and available discounts.
Glen Cove Golf Club (Glen Cove): From the last week of June through the end of August, Glen Cove is offering ten weekly sessions designed for juniors age 8 to 16. Camps run Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and cover all parts of the swing, plus rules and etiquette. Cost is $425 per camper. Sign up at the Glen Cove Golf Camps website.
Harbor Links Golf Course (Port Washington): Harbor Links offers a wide variety of programs led by teachers all named U.S. Kids Golf Certified Instructors. Camps begin the week of June 26, with sessions available through August. Weekly programs for kids age 6 to 9 run Tuesday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and include games and drills that help develop important skills and fundamentals, in addition to a skills competition and gift packet. Separate programs for teens age 10 to 16 are split into four-hour AM and PM sessions and run Monday to Friday. These cover the full swing, short game, course management, rules and etiquette, and conclude with a two-day "Junior Scramble" team tournament. A "Birdie Program" is also available for advanced juniors looking to improve for competition. Rates vary based on age group and time of sign-up. For all program information, schedules and registration forms, visit the Harbor Links website.
Indian Island Country Club (Riverhead): Indian Island's annual golf camp consists of week-long sessions that include lessons, lunch, golf gear and on-course competition. Camps are open to boys and girls of all skill levels between the ages of 7 and 16. Week-long sessions run from late June through the end of August. Each session ends with a five-hole scramble competition on Friday afternoon. See the Indian Island website or call (631) 727-7776 for details.
Long Island Golf Camps / Mike Reilly Golf Academy (Massapequa, Deer Park, Hauppauge): Long Island Golf Camps runs programs at three public courses -- Peninsula Golf Club (Massapequa), Heartland Golf Park (Deer Park) and Wind Watch Golf & Country Club (Hauppauge). The Peninsula and Wind Watch camps are week-long, full-day programs (9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.) with sessions beginning in late June. They include instruction on different aspects of the swing, on-course play and daily lunch. The Deer Park camp sessions run Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Instruction takes place on the course, at the driving range and in the short-game area. Enrollment is $695 for Peninsula, $745 for Wind Watch and $369 for Heartland, with discounts available before May 1. For schedules and registration, visit the Long Island Golf Camps website.
Middle Bay (Oceanside): Six full-week sessions begin on July 10. Campers meet Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m and receive instruction on the range and the course, with snack and lunch included. Registration is $519 per week with discounts available for siblings and multiple sessions. Call (516) 766-1880 for pricing, program details and additional information.
Mill Pond (Medford): Camps are available in 4-day and 2-day sessions beginning July 3. The longer programs are designed for teen golfers age 12 to 16 and focus on all aspects of swing technique and fundamentals, plus course management, rules and etiquette. Each session concludes with a Friday team competition held at the Rolling Oaks Golf Course in Miller Place. Shorter programs meet Tuesday and Wednesday and are geared toward beginners age 6 to 11 with a focus on swing fundamentals. Discounts for Town of Brookhaven residents are available. Visit the Mill Pond website or call (631) 732-8249 for info on registration, pricing, schedules and program format.
Pine Hills (Manorville): Pine Hills is offering two separate camp sessions that meet on Tuesday evenings in June and July. Each session meets from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on three consecutive Tuesdays and covers the swing, etiquette, short-game skills and more. The camp is open to juniors age 6 to 16 and includes pizza and snacks on the final day. Sessions are $345 each or $595 for both. Email [email protected] for details or registration.
Poxabogue Golf Center (Sagaponack): A total of ten sessions run from the week of June 19 to the week of August 21. Sessions are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 noon, and are open to boys and girls from age 7 to 16. Campers will learn basics of the full swing, short game, course management, rules and etiquette, and will receive golf gear, snacks and giveaways. Cost is $659 per session. Visit the Poxabogue website for info and registration.
Smithtown Landing (Smithtown): Smithwon Landing's 2023 camps will meet once a week for six consecutive weeks beginning at the end of June. Campers meet for one hour at select times on Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Registration is $275 per session. Visit the camp website or call (631) 979-6534 for 2022 information.
Sunken Meadow (Kings Park): PGA Junior Golf operates half-day camps for players of all skill levels from age 7 to 13, and modified full-day camps for juniors age 10 to 16. In each camp, players are divided into groups based on experience and receive hands-on instruction led by certified PGA professionals. Weekly sessions meet Tuesday through Friday beginning June 26. Cost is $375 per half-day session and $550 for full-day. Visit the PGA Junior Camps site for complete information.
Town of Oyster Bay Golf Course (Woodbury): Oyster Bay's Lucas Golf Center offers full-day camp for juniors age 10 to 16 and half-day camps for boys and girls age 6 to 10. Teaching pros cover the full swing, chipping, putting, rules and etiquette, and instruction takes place on and off the course. Sessions run Tuesday to Friday beginning June 27. Call (516) 364-3600 or visit TOB's Lucas Golf Center website for information and registration.
West Sayville Golf Course (West Sayville): West Sayville offers five sessions that meet Monday to Thursday from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. during the weeks of June 26, July 10, July 17, July 24 and July 31. Sessions are open to new and experienced juniors age 8 to 14. Under lead instructor Sean McLaughlin, head golf coach at Sayville High School, campers learn all aspects of the swing, plus rules and etiquette, and practice on the golf course daily. Visit the West Sayville junior camp page for info and registration.
The annual AHEPA Chapters of Long Island Golf Outing will be held on Monday, May 22 at The Golf Club at Middle Bay in Oceanside. Proceeds from the event will support AHEPA's philanthropic and educational efforts in the region's Greek community and the broader Long Island community as a whole.
Entry fee is $175 per player and includes breakfast, hot lunch, beer and other beverages. On Middle Bay's waterfront par-3 10th, players will have the opportunity to ace the hole for a $25,000 grand prize. There will also be cash prizes for longest drive and closest to the pin. Shotgun start is scheduled for 10:30 a.m.
Registration info and sponsorship opportunities are detailed online at the outing website.
To learn more about AHEPA and its philanthropic work across Long Island, visit the local chapter website. For more information about Middle Bay, check out the course flyover.
The Long Island Golf Junkies players group, one of the largest and most active groups in the region, will hold one of its social golf outings on Monday, June 5 at the private Inwood Country Club. The event tees off at 12 noon and is open to all local players.
Entry fee is $250 per golfer. All outing participants get breakfast, drinks and a BBQ lunch at the turn. Spots can be reserved for singles and groups at the LIGJ website. It is an individual stroke play event with contests for closest to the pin and longest drive. Visit the LIGJ website for full registration details.
Inwood is a private club originally built in 1901 as a nine-hole course. It's best known for hosting the 1923 U.S. Open in which amateur Bobby Jones prevailed in a Sunday playoff against professional Bobby Cruickshank. Jones hit a second-shot 2-iron to eight feet on the 18th hole to secure the win. Inwood also hosted the 1921 PGA Championship won by Walter Hagen.
LIGJ hosts several formal outings, casual rounds and social meet-ups each season at both public courses and private clubs. Interested local golfers can become members via the Long Island Golf Junkies Facebook group.
Last Chance Animal Rescue will hold its ninth annual golf outing on Monday, July 31 at Stonebridge Golf Links in Smithtown. All proceeds from the event benefit the non-profit organization's efforts to rescue animals from inhumane kill shelters and relocate them to safe facilities and foster homes.
This year's main attraction is former New York Mets outfielder and World Series champion Mookie Wilson, who will be on hand at Stonebridge for a meet and greet. The Last Chance outing will once again include a $10,000 hole-in-one contest. Entry fee is $250 per player and includes golf, cart and range balls along with lunch, dinner and open bar. Contests, prizes and raffles will be part of the festivities as well. Format for the outing is team scramble, with shotgun start scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
Registration info and sponsorship opportunities are detailed online at the outing website.
To learn more about Last Chance Animal Rescue, including information on adoption, fostering and volunteering, visit the organization's website at www.lcarescue.org. And for information on Stonebridge, check out the course flyover.
The golf courses at Bethpage State Park are fully open for the 2023 season, but there are some upcoming spring aeration dates to be aware of before making plans for tee times.
Bethpage Yellow will be the first to close for maintenance next week on April 24 and 25. The Black Course was already aerated prior to opening.
Here is the full aeration schedule for the park's non-Black courses:
Be sure to call the Bethpage golf office at (516) 249-0700 for the latest info on course availability.
Rounds at Bergen Point Golf Course will have a different feel starting this season, especially as each nine comes to a close.
The Suffolk County municipal course in West Babylon made significant changes to two of its holes during the offseason, trimming its par-4 ninth hole to a mid-range par-3 and stretching its closing hole to play as a reachable par-5. The modified ninth is using a temporary tee (pictured) while a new box grows in.
The changes at Bergen Point likely stem from safety concerns. For years the ninth hole, a short and straight par-4 that tops out at just 356 yards, has been at the center of disputes between the golf course and its neighbors. The tall netting that runs along the course boundary is no match for high hooks and slices from players trying to overpower the hole. CBS ran a news feature several years ago about complaints from neighbors that golf balls were damaging their homes.
When complete, the new ninth will play in the range of 150 to 170 yards. Currently the temporary tee is set up around 20 yards shorter.
Meanwhile #18 at Bergen Point no longer ranks among one of Long Island's most grueling public par-4s and demanding closing holes. To balance the change at #9, the 18th added a slightly longer back tee, which transforms the hole from a daunting 461-yard par-4 (440 from the middle) to the course's shortest par-5. Instead of hanging on for dear life at the end of the round, players now have a scoring opportunity on #18 and can try to reach the green for eagle if the wind allows. The deep bunker in front and dramatic falloff over the back set the stage for closing-hole drama.
For more on Bergen Point and its interesting backstory along Great South Bay, check out the course flyover.
It won't take long for Bethpage golfers to catch a glimpse of something new when they return to the course for the first time in 2023. One of the main offseason renovations at the park -- carried out with the 2025 Ryder Cup in mind -- took place right behind the clubhouse near the start of the Black Course.
It's a subtle change, but one that is designed to bolster the already raucous atmosphere at the Ryder Cup's start and finish. A simple reshaping of the mounding between the first tee and 18th green has opened up the sight lines to allow the Black's future spectators to see every shot.
"The first tee at the Ryder Cup is one of the best experiences a golf fan can enjoy, and the crowd at Bethpage should be epic," says Andrew Wilson, Bethpage's longtime superintendent and director of agronomy. "The work done means fans will be able to see the first tee and 18th green from every seat in the grandstand."
Whether or not that epic scene will include rolled-back golf balls and players on the LIV Tour...well, uhh, let's not get into that.
Local players will begin to see the offseason course work for themselves when Bethpage Green opens for 2023 play tomorrow, March 18, followed by the Red Course on April 1. But for the most startling change of all, visitors will have to wait until the Black Course officially reopens on April 15. That's when players will work their way toward the farthest reaches of the Black and find that one of its landmark hazards -- the overhanging oak tree right of #8 green -- is now a thing of the past.
Wilson says the tree was dying and unable to be salvaged, despite his crew's best efforts to save it. "It had become a safety issue for players and employees," Wilson says. "It was sad to see it go."
Its departure means the right side of the green can offer pin placements that simply weren't possible while the tree loomed overhead, another positive when looking ahead to Ryder Cup week.
Elsewhere on the Black Course, maintenance crews renovated about a dozen bunkers with new sod edging. "That's no small undertaking considering the size of the Black's bunkers," Wilson says.
Crews completed similar sodding projects around sand traps and in areas with soil compaction on the Red and Green courses.
Meanwhile the Blue and Yellow courses saw plenty of action over the winter, not from work crews, but from players. The two courses have already hosted close to 10,000 rounds, Wilson says, thanks to mild temperatures and zero snowfall. The staff has been able to do some minor renovation work amid all that play, though multiyear projects like the continued renovation of bunkers on Yellow #14 have been kept on hiatus until next offseason.
When players prepare to tee off on the Black Course next month, they'll also notice one other significant addition -- a new forward tee on Black's opener. Wilson says the idea to add a forward tee came as a byproduct of the reshaping work done nearby.
"There's a good chance this new tee will be used during the Ryder Cup as well," Wilson says.
[PICTURED: TOP -- Newly reshaped grounds between #1 tee and #18 green on the Black Course. BOTTOM -- The oak tree on Black #8, as seen during the 2019 PGA Championship.]
After a mild Long Island offseason where roughly zero snowflakes found their way from the sky to the ground, Old Man Winter teamed up with the golf gods to make sure March -- the month of golf's local reopening -- began with a coating of slush. Go figure.
Unless you were banking on checking out the rebranded Sandy Pond Links on its opening day (postponed), this year's one light dusting of snow won't impact the reopening season that is set to kick off in a little over a week. From the lead-up to St. Patrick's Day through mid-April, all of Long Island's seasonal golf courses will get back up to speed and welcome local players back to the first tee.
The following is a list of tentative 2023 opening dates for Long Island's seasonal golf courses. (Year-round courses remain open as the weather allows and are not included in this list.) Courses will be added or updated as information becomes available. Be sure to check back through March for the latest info.
*All dates listed below are subject to change. Call the courses directly for updated dates and times.
2023 GOLF COURSE REOPENINGS:
[This post was updated on April 3, 2023.]
The new operators of Eisenhower Park's restaurant and catering facility are focused on bringing professional golf back to the Red Course and are spending millions of dollars on upgrades to make that a reality, according to Newsday's James Madore.
The group, EGB Hospitality LLC, plans to reopen the facility on May 1 following $5.5 million in improvements "necessary to bring national golf events" back to the park, per Newsday. Formerly The Carltun, the new venue will be called The Grand Lannin in tribute to Joseph Lannin, the man behind what was originally the massive five-course Salisbury Golf Club. In an additional nod to history, EGB plans to name its golf-course concessions after famed architect Devereux Emmet, designer of the Salisbury courses, including the current Red Course.
EGB has applied for sales-tax exemptions with the Nassau County IDA and made a presentation to the agency earlier this month.
"We're changing the former Carltun into a tourist destination that's going to pull people from all five boroughs [of New York City] and from New Jersey," [EGB's Elias] Trahanas said in an interview. "By revamping this iconic facility in this iconic park, we're going to attract more than just golf tournaments. We're going to attract many events, from corporate [functions] to charity [galas]," he said. -- James Madore, Newsday, 1/27/23
Eisenhower Park's most historic tournament was played in 1926 when the Red Course -- then known as Salisbury #4 -- hosted the PGA Championship, won by Walter Hagen. A sign commemorating the event hangs over the entrance to the park's golf building.
Decades later, after the Northville Long Island Classic (later the Lightpath Classic) left the Meadow Brook Club in Jericho, it relocated to Eisenhower Red and became known as the Commerce Bank Championship, part of the Champions Tour. The last tournament was played there in 2008.
[PICTURED RIGHT: A tournament badge from the 2004 event, the first one to be sponsored by Commerce Bank following the move to Eisenhower Park.]
