Golf on Long Island

Still time to vote for Island's "Best Golf Course" in annual LI Press poll

The voting period for the 2011 "Best of LI" poll, brought to you annually by the Long Island Press, will come to an end on Wednesday, December 15.  That leaves two weeks for Long Island golfers to cast their vote for one of 12 public facilities and three private clubs among this year's "Best Golf Course" nominees.

Bethpage State Park won top honors for the third straight year in 2010, followed by runners-up Eisenhower Park and Montauk Downs.  The defending champ and both runners-up return as nominees in 2011, along with these public courses:

• Calverton Links
• Crab Meadow
• Glen Cove
• Great Rock
• Harbor Links
• Pine Hills Country Club
• Smithtown Landing
• Town of Oyster Bay GC
• West Sayville

Vote until December 15 at www.longislandpress.com.  Winners will likely be announced in January.

Bethpage: Black goes dark, Red to close for the season on December 5

The Black Course at Bethpage State Park still had plenty of golf cleats and pushcart wheels traversing its fairways as we looked on last week from the Red Course's fourth green.  But after squeezing in two bonus weeks of golf beyond its original November 14 closing date, the Black is now officially in hibernation until spring 2011.

Long Island golfers can still take in the majestic view of the Black's final holes from atop Red #4, but only for another week.  The Red Course will close for the season on Sunday, December 5.

Observations: Swan Lake Golf Club

Golf On Long Island took part in last week's Swan Lake Scramble under a gorgeous blue sky and unseasonably warm November breezes.  The course, serene and secluded in the Manorville pines, remains in fantastic shape two months into the autumn season.

Swan Lake's huge greens played a bit firmer and faster than usual and have responded well to a recent aeration.  It appears that the maintenance staff may be in the process of filling in parts of the two greenside traps on the 337-yard fourth hole.  Or perhaps the bunkers are just under repair.

One of the pleasures of autumn golf is the contrast of rich natural colors on and around the course.  On the par-5 11th, the shallow midday sun lit up the trees along the western border of the course and cast a fiery red-orange glow over the lush green fairway.  It turned out to be a bad day to forget the camera at home.

The outing ran smoothly with 11 groups in the clubhouse by 4 p.m. for a buffet dinner and open bar.  The best gross score was reportedly a 12-under-par 60.  Golf On Long Island's foursome got stuck on an overly long string of pars and turned in a six-under 66.

Pictured above, the 13th green in September 2009.  For more on Swan Lake, check out the course flyover.

Black Friday deal at Long Island National

There's a Black Friday bargain waiting for area golfers at the end of the Long Island Expressway in Riverhead, and it's not at the Tanger Outlets. 

While the rest of the Island either shops or sleeps in, golfers with a tolerance for whipping, late-autumn winds on the North Fork can find a decent deal at the Long Island National Golf Club.  The Robert Trent Jones Jr. layout is offering 18 holes and lunch for $59 on Friday, November 26. 

A links-style course that opened for play in 1999, Long Island National has a four-star rating from Golf Digest, and its par-4 12th hole was selected in 2008 to Golfing Magazine's Long Island Dream Golf Club.

For more on Long Island National, check out the course flyover.

Holiday shotgun at Brentwood CC

The Brentwood Country Club will host a Thanksgiving Day shotgun this Thursday, November 25, at 8:00 a.m.  Unlike other holiday golf events that offer food, drink and contests along the way, Brentwood's Thanksgiving outing is all business -- 18 holes and cart for $42.

Spots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.  Call the pro shop at (631) 436-6060 to register, and take a look at the course flyover for more information on the layout.

"Blind Bogey" Turkey Shoot at Timber Point on Thanksgiving

The Timber Point Golf Course in Great River will host a Thanksgiving Day Turkey Shoot of its own this holiday.  Unlike most other Thanksgiving outings, however, this one will be nine holes in "blind bogey" format.

What is blind bogey?  As Timber Point's Andy Carracino puts it, blind bogey "is a great way to handicap the unhandicapped."  It combines golf talent, forecasting skills and luck in lotteries.  All players submit a number before the round, which they will later deduct from their gross nine-hole score.  In order to qualify, players must finish with a net score between 31 and 35 (gross score minus blind bogey number).  Those who finish in that range qualify for a final drawing.  The last of five cards drawn (numbered 1 to 5) determines the "winning" score (31 to 35) for the tournament.  All players with that score win a prize.

Entry fee for the tournament is $45.  Cart, range balls, bagel breakfast, mimosas and prizes for various contests are included.  Check-in for the tourney begins at 8:00 with a shotgun start scheduled for 9:00.

To register, send an e-mail to [email protected] or call (631) 581-2401.

Observations: Harbor Links Golf Course

Written by Rob Dimino

Eighteen holes for $20 or less is always a bargain.  Eighteen holes on the Championship Course at Harbor Links in Port Washington for $20 -- made possible by Golfing Magazine's "Free Golf" certificate -- is an outright steal.  Even when the back nine is closed and the course is in the middle of aerating its greens, like it was this Tuesday, November 16.

Thanks to dark clouds that hovered over the north shore and putting greens so sandy that they could be mistaken for bunkers from 150 yards out, the crowds stayed away from the gorgeous Hempstead Harbor-side course, allowing management to basically hand over the keys to the front nine.  Despite the sand and plug holes on the greens, putts rolled as though aeration began 24 days, not 24 hours, ago.  Of course, they were much slower than normal.

The rest of the Championship Course was in typically great shape.  Not only is it one of the most difficult challenges on Long Island's public-course roster, it's also one of the nicest to look at.  This includes the double-fairway, par-5 sixth, a member of Golfing Magazine's 2009 Dream Golf Club.  Round one with this behemoth ended with a par.  Later, on the second loop around the front nine, driver and a booming hybrid got me on the green in two, and I managed to fell the beast with a ten-footer for eagle.

Like a $20 round, that's hard to beat.

Following up on our previous observations from Harbor Links, carts now include GPS monitors -- though they weren't in use on Tuesday.

Pictured right, the par-5 sixth in June 2009.  For more on Harbor Links, check out the course flyover.

Update: Bethpage Black to remain open indefinitely

Originally slated to close for the 2010 season on Sunday, November 14, the Black Course at Bethpage State Park will instead remain open into the second half of November and possibly beyond.  Considering last weekend's warm weather and the favorable conditions still present at area courses, the Black still has plenty of fair and challenging golf to offer this fall.

The decision to extend the season or close the curtain will be made by Bethpage management on a weekly basis.

Great Rock's 12th green to be regraded this offseason, will be ready for spring

Following the exhausting uphill 10th and a wicked 11th green, the par-3 12th hole at the Great Rock Golf Club, from the tee, looks like a pleasant spot for a deep breath of fresh Wading River air.  From any spot on the green that's above the hole, it looks like a nightmare in living color. 

Anybody who plays Great Rock knows to expect fast putts, but the speed and severe slope of the 123-yard 12th leave many golfers reaching desperately for a brake pedal that doesn't exist.  Often, a three-putt is a best-case scenario.  That is why Great Rock will spend this offseason regrading the 12th green and creating more pin-placement options for superintendent Dan Wolf.  A temporary green is currently in use.

"While I love the 12th hole, most golfers feel that the grade and slope is unfair," said Great Rock general manager Brian Curtin.  "Our dedication and motivation to become an elite semi-private club hinges on our golf course being tough yet fair for all levels and abilities."

Despite #12's shortage of playable hole locations, Curtin said that in years past, "superintendents would place the pin virtually anywhere on the green."  As a result, the course occasionally penalized even the most well-executed approaches to such a slippery green.  Players who set themselves up with putts from below the hole would sometimes watch helplessly as balls that missed wide of the cup rolled back down to their feet. 

Curtin said the new 12th green will be ready to debut in April.  Both he and Wolf arrived at Great Rock after working at the prestigious Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton.  The two were featured together in Newsday earlier this year.  "We are very excited for the coming season," said Curtin, who took over as general manager in 2008.  "Dan has had a full year to get to know the ins and outs of the course, and I'm proud of the job he has done in the small amount of time he's been with us."

Meanwhile, for the general manager, the softening of #12's slopes will be a bittersweet occasion.  The short par-3 is the site of Curtin's first career ace.

Thankfully he didn't have to putt.

Registration open for Crab Meadow's annual Thanksgiving Day Turkey Shoot

The Crab Meadow Golf Course, a scenic 18 on the rolling, waterside hills of Northport, will host its annual Turkey Shoot Scramble on Thanksgiving morning, November 25.  Shotgun start is scheduled for 8:30 with free beer and appetizers to follow the round.  Arrive early for continental breakfast and unlimited practice balls on the range.

Registration for the event -- a four-person scramble -- is $70 per golfer.  All participants will receive door prizes and a chance to take home additional rewards for close-to-the-pin and long-drive competitions.  Stick a 6-iron to within five feet of the cup and arm yourself with some fascinating conversation topics over mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce.

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.

For more information on Crab Meadow, check out the course flyover.