Golf on Long Island

Flyover: Bergen Point Golf Course

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

SEE ALSO:
Origins: Bergen Point Golf Course

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

SEE ALSO:
Origins: Bergen Point Golf Course
Long Island Dream Club: Bergen Point GC #7

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

Holiday Turkey Trot at Lido Golf Club

Get out of the house early and begin your holiday morning with 18 holes of seaside golf on Nassau's south shore.  The Lido Golf Club is holding its annual Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning, November 26, and all Long Islanders are free to participate.

For $85, the Turkey Trot includes cart, range balls, breakfast and a Lido GC winter hat by Under Armour.  There will also be competitions on the course for longest drive, most accurate drive and closest to the pin. 

Shotgun start is scheduled for 8:00 a.m., but arrive early for breakfast and registration.  To reserve a spot in the event, contact the Lido pro shop at (516) 889-8181.

The Lido Golf Club is located alongside Reynolds Channel in Lido Beach.  Players at this windy layout only a few hundred feet from the Atlantic must contend with the channel and a series of ponds and inlets throughout most of the back nine.  The course was selected by Newsday as one of the Island's best public courses in 2008, and its double-carry 16th hole is part of Newsday's Long Island Dream 18.

Turkey Shoot Scramble at Great Rock GC

The Great Rock Golf Club will host a holiday scramble of its own on Thanksgiving morning, November 26.  Great Rock's Turkey Shoot pits two-person teams against one another in a morning of friendly tournament golf before your holiday festivities kick off later in the afternoon.

Registration for the event is $49 for non-members ($20 for Great Rock members) and covers cart, continental breakfast and prizes.  Shotgun start is scheduled for 9:00 a.m.  Call the pro shop at (631) 929-1200 for reservations and additional information.

Great Rock in Wading River is one of Long Island's newest courses and among its toughest challenges.  It is a hilly course on Suffolk County's north shore, with tight fairways and sharp doglegs that turn a relatively short layout (6,254 from the tips) into a playground for pinpoint shotmakers.  Great Rock also features some of the fastest greens of any public course on the Island.  The tenth hole, a par-4 with an uphill climb nearly 450 yards long, is rated among Long Island's finest holes by both Newsday and Golfing Magazine.

Crab Meadow to host Turkey Day Scramble

The Crab Meadow Golf Course will host its annual Turkey Shoot Scramble on Thanksgiving morning, November 26.  The scenic course on the rolling, waterside hills of Northport will load you up with golf and pre-turkey appetizers before sending you home to your Thanksgiving feast.  Shotgun start is scheduled for 8:30.  Arrive early for continental breakfast and unlimited practice balls on the range.

Registration for the scramble is $70 per golfer and also includes beer and snacks after the round.  All participants will receive door prizes and a chance to take home additional prizes for close-to-the-pin and long-drive competitions.  Tune up your driver before the round and tell the tale of your long-drive victory over turkey and stuffing at the family dinner table.

Singles and pairs can register and will be placed into four-person scramble teams.  Call (631) 757-8800 to reserve a spot.

The eighth hole at Crab Meadow, which greets you upon arrival at the course, is a member of Newsday's Dream 18.  It is a relatively short par-5 with out-of-bounds pinching close to the fairway on both sides, and a pond in front of the green.

Thanksgiving Day Scramble at Mill Pond

Bring a playing partner out to Medford and spend part of your holiday with fellow golfers at the Mill Pond Golf Course, which will host its annual "Turkey Shootout" tournament on Thanksgiving morning, November 26.  The Shootout pits two-man teams against one another in scramble format and wraps up early enough for you to grab your seat at Thanksgiving dinner.

Shotgun start is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. but arrive early for food and practice.  The $49 entry fee covers cart, range balls, breakfast and prizes for the top three finishers.  Rob and I represented Golf On Long Island in the Shootout last year and had a great time, carding a -1 on a chilly holiday morning.  The winning score, if I recall correctly, was -7.  The folks at Mill Pond did a great job getting everyone out and making sure all participants enjoyed their time on the course.

For information or to reserve a spot in the tournament, call Mill Pond at (631) 732-8249.

Mill Pond is a shade under 6,300 yards from the tips and features sprawling fairways and wonderfully maintained grounds.  It's a great destination on a day when you have the urge to swing the driver without a care.  Well-placed bunkers and a couple of ponds on the back nine work to keep you on your toes.

Offseason rates at Manorville courses

November is an underrated golfing month on Long Island, and if you still haven't packed the clubs away for the season, it's time to take advantage of plummeting green fees, thinning crowds and course conditions that will only remain favorable for a few more weeks.  The three courses in Manorville -- Rock Hill, Pine Hills and Swan Lake -- are currently offering 18 holes for winter rates.

Rock Hill, one of Long Island's longest and most difficult (by slope) public courses, is pitching 18 holes with a cart for $45 on weekdays and $49 on weekends.  Walk the course for $32 and $36.  All weekday rates include lunch.

Pine Hills is a 7,100-yard par-73 with water on half its holes.  Ride on weekdays for $45 and weekends for $55, or walk instead for $35 and $45.  After 12 noon, twilight rates knock $10 off the peak fee.

At Swan Lake, home of the Island's largest putting greens, the $49 weekday and $58 weekend riding rates include breakfast or lunch ($39 and $44 to walk).  Twilight rates begin at 1:00 p.m. but do not include food.

Check the course websites for updated rates and specials.  

Flyover: Timber Point - Blue Course

[This flyover was updated on December 9, 2021.]

Remnants of a classic American golf course dating back to the Roaring Twenties and the golden age of golf design are alive and well -- and unprotected by the exclusions of a private club -- along Suffolk's south shore in Great River.  Timber Point, today a 27-hole facility owned and operated by Suffolk County, was once an 18-hole (and ultra-exclusive) gem regarded as one of the finest courses in the country.  Six of its holes -- a stretch that made up most of the original back nine -- exist today in evolved form as part of Timber Point's Blue Course, the bayside layout that features one of Long Island's best and most breathtaking par-3s. 

The Blue Course is the marquee attraction at Timber Point.  Though the inland Red Course includes another half-dozen holes from the original, Timber Point's memorable ones are all on the Blue.  Area golfers recognize that Timber Point Blue is one of the finest nine-hole stretches on Long Island and line up to wait at the course's first tee.  When the sun shines bright over Great South Bay, a round here can be hard to come by. 

At 3,341 yards from the back tees, it is the longest of the three courses at Timber Point.  Water, either in the form of ponds or Atlantic bay, is present on six holes.  The famous "Gibraltar" par-3 was selected to Golfing Magazine's Long Island Dream Club and Newsday's Dream 18, and is part of the reason followers of historical golf architecture and design have dreamed about Timber Point returning to its Golden Age roots.  In December 2021, The Fried Egg, a prominent golf architecture website, named Timber Point one of 16 American golf courses "we'd love to see restored to [its] original glory."

LAYOUT:
Stiff winds can dominate a round at Timber Point, especially along the water, and holes can play unpredictably from one day to the next.  The opening par-5, at 460 yards from the middle tees and 484 from the tips, is impossible to reach in two if the wind is blowing back in your face.  A pond lurks to the right of the already narrow fairway, and the flat green is guarded by two wide bunkers.

Holes #2 through #7 made up the 12th through 17th on the original, a challenging stretch that must have made for an exhilarating finish.  Today's second is the excellent "Harbor" par-3 (right), where tee shots aim at a thumb of land surrounded on three sides by water.  From the elevated tee, enjoy the view of the expansive property and Gibraltar in the distance.  Then focus your attention on this downhill 134-yard shot at the mercy of bay breezes.  The receptive green slopes back to front.  Stay to the right side of the fairway on the 365-yard third.  A good drive in this direction will set up a nice angle to the green and negate the center-to-right pitch of the surface.  Diagonal bunkers protect the front end of the #4 fairway but are too close to the tee to be much of a distraction on this 418-yard par-4.  More troubling is the opportunity for lost balls on both sides of the fairway.

Perched high over the bay, which laps against the shore only a few yards behind its green, Gibraltar #5 is the jewel of the Blue Course and one of Long Island's standout par-3s.  Uphill and 207 yards at its greatest distance, the hole challenges all comers, no matter their skill level.  If the swirling wind doesn't blow away your dreams of par or birdie, the pitched green will certainly try.  No matter the outcome on the scorecard, there are few spots on any Long Island course -- public or private -- that can match the view from the middle of Gibraltar's green.

The scenery is just as awesome on the sixth and seventh.  Both par-4s play along the bay, which dominates each hole's left side.  It takes some fearlessness to set the aim of your driver out over the water, but when the gusts blow in off the ocean, it's a necessity.  The green on the 346-yard sixth is elevated behind two spacious traps, and the flat surface quickly drops off the left side into messy rough.  Conversely, approaches on the 395-yard seventh are downhill to a larger green.  Its entrance is open for running shots down the fairway's slope, and a thin bunker around the left side helps keep balls from swimming to Fire Island.

A roomy fairway on the par-5 eighth is hidden from the tee by tall reeds that surround an adjacent pond, but well-struck shots should find plenty of open space.  More careful aim is required on the 413-yard ninth, where the fairway slinks to the right around another pond.  It subtly curves back to the left toward an elevated green.  Stay to the fairway's right side for the best shot at the flag.  Anything to the left not only risks a splash landing, but also sets up a partially obstructed or blind approach with a large greenside trap in play.

CONDITIONS:
The course has been renovated several times to help alleviate chronic flooding problems.  In recent years, the fairways on the sixth and seventh bayside par-4s and the tees on #2 were raised to improve drainage.  But the course remains vulnerable to coastal flooding and major storm damage.  It sustained considerable saltwater damage and exposure of its irrigation system during Hurricane Irene in August 2011, underwent repairs that fall, and was then damaged again by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012.

Wind and water are the biggest roadblocks to a good score, especially in the middle section of the course.  Once on the greens, the path to the bottom of the cup is typically flat and slow.  Some greens have a soft slope -- #5, pitched back to front and right to left, is the exception -- but undulations within the surfaces are minimal. 

HOLE(S) TO REMEMBER:
It takes a smart and perfectly executed shot to find the green on the Gibraltar par-3.  While the distance and the climb to the green (207 from the tips, 188 from the middle) are enough on their own to intimidate shaky long-iron or hybrid hitters, the fierce wind can carry most shots wherever it pleases.  Typically that leaves balls short or, worse, left, where a bunker sits far below the green.  The only spot with ample room to miss is right of the green, but this presents problems of its own.  Margin of error on pitches or sand shots is razor thin, since the sloped green runs quickly from right to left and back to front.  It might be tempting to beat the wind from the tee by pulling out the heavy artillery, but only about 20 feet of rough behind the green separates the course from some unplayable growth and Great South Bay.   

AREA(S) TO AVOID:
Don't get too cute on the downhill par-3 second.  Though it seems like you can reach out and pull the pin while standing at the tee, take care not to play a club too short.  Missing the green on the short side will leave a miserable lie on trampled grass and dirt.  From here you'll be below the surface, and elevating the ball from this filthy lie will not be pleasant.  If your ball settles close to the hazard, you may be playing this shot from weeds or rocks. 

NEARBY COURSES:
Timber Point -- Red/White (on site)
West Sayville Golf Course (6 miles)
Brentwood Country Club (9 miles)

CONTACT:
150 River Road, Great River 11739
(631) 581-2401
www.timberpointgolfcourse.com

SEE ALSO:
Long Island Dream Club: Timber Point Blue #6
Long Island Dream Club: Timber Point Blue #5
Reader Favorite: Timber Point Blue #5
"America's Linksland: A Century of Long Island Golf" -- by William Quirin

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

Winter rates in effect at Pine Ridge GC

Offseason rates kicked in this week at the Pine Ridge Golf Club in Coram.  It costs $45 to play this tree-lined par-70 before noon on weekdays and $50 on weekends.  After noon, green fees drop to $30 and $35.  All offseason rates include cart fees.

Pine Ridge is one of the newest public courses on Long Island.  It blends the area's native pines into a pleasant layout that is playable for golfers of any skill level.  A rugged stretch of par-4s and par-5s on the back nine challenges even the strongest players.