Golf on Long Island: Flyover: Bergen Point Golf Course

[This flyover was updated on November 8, 2020.]

Bergen Point Golf Course in West Babylon is one of four 18-hole courses -- all on or near the major water bodies of eastern Long Island -- operated by Suffolk County. It does not share the same majestic water views as its Great South Bay neighbor farther east at Timber Point, but like its sister course in West Sayville, Bergen Point provides golfers with a similar wind-blown, pond-hopping style of play.

Creeks and inlets weave through the Bergen Point layout and join forces with constant bay winds to form the strongest line of defense against low scores at this 6,722-yard par-71 (6,354 from the middle blues, 6,096 from the golds). Beginners will enjoy the generous amounts of space; skilled players can test their mettle on challenging par-4s into the wind and around lurking water hazards. Small trees are scattered around the property and have limited effect on play. Most holes feature a fairway bunker and one or two small traps around the green. It is a basic layout suitable for all types of players, and in recent years improved conditions have made it an attractive outlet for south shore residents.

LAYOUT:
A round at Bergen Point begins with a 342-yard (blue) par-4 with a left-side pond well within driver's reach and a messy patch of trees and brush on the right. The green is unprotected but small ledges within the surface make work with the putter a little trickier than expected. A crosswind threatens to carry tee shots away from the flag on the 190-yard second. There is plenty of room to miss on the right side of the back-to-front green, but a blast over the surface will flirt with a pond sitting behind.

The 493-yard fourth makes an abrupt right turn on the far side of a fairway bunker in position to gobble up short drives. The wind will help carry your approach on this par-5 and set up a putt for birdie or better. Playing back into the wind, the 405-yard fifth softly bends to the left between two fairway traps. Aggressive approaches may have trouble sticking on a green that funnels balls through its center and downhill off the back.

Stay below the hole on #6, a 187-yard par-3 with a deceptively wide green that is pitched from right to left. Clearing the front bunker will get you to the hidden half of the diagonal surface, but it nets a downhill putt to a center or left-side pin. The sand trap guarding the entrance to the fairway on the 389-yard seventh is too close to the tee to be a major nuisance. More problematic is mounding and sand that teams up to form a gnarly waste area in the right rough. The front nine ends with a prime scoring opportunity -- a 328-yard par-4 with a water hazard partially hidden from view. Its fairway narrows around a small trap, but as long as the tee shot stays dry and away from the sand, a short approach will set up a possible birdie putt.

Catch a few glimpses of the bay early in the back nine before the course leads you back inland. The best views are from the elevated tenth green and #12 tee. A treatment plant blocks any further visual access to the water. To reach the #10 green, send a soaring draw down the fairway of this 410-yard par-4. The right side is wide open for those who lack a right-to-left ball flight. The wind will assist you on the 340-yard 12th, another par-4 that is ripe for the taking. Just don't miss too far down the right side, where tall reeds can block any view of the green on the approach.

Similar to the par-5 fourth, the 486-yard 13th jukes hard to the right on the far side of a fairway bunker. This time the distant half of the fairway is obscured by a hill that houses the seventh green. High mounds penalize approach shots that stray into the right rough. The putting surface is one of the few on the course where balls cannot run off the sides. Instead, more mounding creates a miniature stadium-green effect.

If you've failed to correct an erratic driver by the 14th tee, the final stretch of holes will inflict some damage on the scorecard. Water stalks the fairways of Bergen Point's final five holes, though accurate players can instead focus their attention on earning birdie opportunities on a trio of medium-length par-4s. A pond down the left side of both the 382-yard 14th and 374-yard 15th will punish hooks and pulls. Miss on the roomier right sides, where you can still reach the greens in regulation from a decent lie. There is trouble on both sides of the 16th fairway, but even a conservative play will leave you in position to fire at the green on this 360-yarder. Fittingly, Bergen Point ends with a grueling par-4 into the strong wind. At 440 yards, the 18th hole is a nasty finishing hole that requires two mighty clouts to get anywhere near the putting surface when the wind is whipping.

CONDITIONS:
Bergen has come a long way over the past decade or so in terms of ground conditions. Greens are smooth and actually roll a bit on the fast side. Expect some movement on your putts, especially from the edges of the surface. Very few of the greens are flat. Some, like #1, feature small ledges, while others have elevated sides that funnel toward the center.

Players who rely on extra roll on their tee shots will probably not get as much as desired on the course's soft fairways. The course will forever be locked in a battle with severe bayside drainage issues, but many of the hardpan landing areas and swampy boundaries between holes have been alleviated.

There is internal out-of-bounds on the two dogleg par-5s -- #4 and #13.

For walkers, the course plays a few hundred yards longer than listed thanks to several hikes between holes. Try to hitch a ride to the 10th or 13th tee, if possible.

The course's original routing took golfers much closer to the bay than it does today. Suffolk County hired William Mitchell in the 1960s to design the county's new municipal golf courses, and his work at Bergen Point was supposed to open to the public in 1969. But before the course's debut, county officials determined they needed more land for the proposed sewage treatment plant adjacent to the course. Bergen Point's three southernmost holes were destroyed, requiring a revision to the course layout and a delayed opening until 1972.

HOLE(S) TO REMEMBER:
Bergen Point's finishing hole is a true challenge, a 440-yard par-4 that normally plays into a stiff wind. The hole favors those with a draw, so players with a natural fade or slice will have even more distance to cover. An uphill approach leads to an amphitheater green whose right half is shielded by a deep trap. Most players will need at least three shots before they reach for the putter. High mounds prevent balls from venturing too far beyond the green, but if you somehow manage to breach the backside mounding, the steep downhill slide to the roadway below will destroy your final hole of the day.

AREA(S) TO AVOID:
Cutting the sharp doglegs on #4 and #13 can have bad consequences if not properly executed. The par-5 fourth curves around the outside of the fifth fairway, and interior out-of-bounds beginning in the right rough keeps players on the correct hole. On #13, white stakes prevent aggressive players from taking a shortcut over the heads of players putting out on the seventh green.

Speaking of #7, avoid misses to the right side, where a line of sandy mounding runs through the rough and invites hideous lies.

WHERE TO GRAB A BITE AND A BEER:
Luckily for the hungry, Bergen Point is not only on the doorstep of just about any quick-serve restaurant one can think of, but is also wedged between the busy stretch of downtown Babylon to the east and the up-and-coming main street in Lindenhurst to the west. If you can think of a fast-food bite, you'll likely find it around the strip malls near the course, but for German comfort food and beer, there's the Village Lanterne in Lindenhurst, and Hermanas Kitchen & Cocktails for tacos and mojitos.

The recent explosion of South Shore breweries means you aren't far from craft beer, either. The closest is 27A Brewing in Lindenhurst, though others like Great South Bay and Destination Unknown in Bay Shore are a short drive away.

NEARBY COURSES:
Peninsula Golf Club (6 miles)
Bethpage - Black/Blue/Green/Red/Yellow (8 miles)

SIMILAR COURSES:
West Sayville Country Club
Lido Golf Club

CONTACT:
69 Bergen Ave., West Babylon 11704
(631) 661-8282
www.bergenpointgolf.com

Have thoughts and opinions on Bergen Point? Share them with other Golf On Long Island readers by posting in the comments section below.