For Bethpage Black, Bethpage Red and Montauk Downs, earning a spot on Golfweek's annual Best Courses You Can Play listing has basically become a formality. All three state-park courses are mainstays on the magazine's list of the nation's top public-access courses alongside famed New York layouts like Leatherstocking in Cooperstown and Saratoga National.
Joining them for the first time since 2007 is the Tallgrass Country Club. Under new management, the Shoreham course found itself ranked #8 in New York State when Golfweek released its 2010 list in March. It vaulted both Bethpage Red (#9) and Montauk Downs (#14) on its way into the top 10. Bethpage Black, as expected, sits atop the leaderboard for (at least) the fourth year in a row.
Golfweek's list includes a quartet of Long Island courses for the second straight year. Tallgrass replaces Long Island National, which ranked 15th in 2009 but failed to crack the top tier in '10.
The honor continues a strong run of national exposure for Long Island's top golf destinations. Bethpage Black once again basked in the global golf spotlight last summer when it hosted the U.S. Open Championship. Montauk Downs, also ranked #38 in Golfweek's list of America's Best Municipal Courses, was featured by Golf Digest this past winter in the mag's "Long Drives" travel section. And Tallgrass designer Gil Hanse was named Architect of the Year in 2009 by Golf Magazine.
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