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Hurricane Irene has come and gone, leaving behind a mess for many Long Islanders. At the Timber Point Golf Course in Great River, full recovery could take a while.
The White and Blue Courses at Timber Point are closed until further notice after Hurricane Irene flooded the highly vulnerable bayside nines over the weekend. The inland Red Course suffered some minor tree and limb damage and reopened for play today.
Timber Point White will be the next course to reopen. But the renowned Blue Course, only steps from Great South Bay in some spots, suffered considerable saltwater damage and exposure of the irrigation system. Part of the Blue's charm is its proximity to the bay, especially on #6 and #7, both of which have been left cluttered with storm debris.
Pictured: #6 fairway in spring 2009
It's only natural for golfers with a competitive streak to shoot for personal benchmarks when they're out on the course and playing above their standard. Breaking 80, touching 90, keeping it under 100 -- whatever the goal may be, usually somewhere around the turn, players in the midst of one of their finer rounds will start extrapolating. Just match that front-nine 41 on the back and it's a record low. Or something along those lines.
At the Lido Golf Club in Lido Beach, the back nine doesn't take too kindly to such simple math. Lido's 16th and 17th (a story for another day) stand in the way of new lows as watery hurdles that force players to earn their pars and bogeys before continuing on to the more accommodating 18th.
The 16th, popularly known simply as the "Island" or "Double Island" par-5, is a living tribute to C.B. Macdonald's "Channel Hole" at the original Lido, a links course once considered a jewel of early 20th-century golf design and a marvel of engineering. Though today's two-fairway hole is only a Robert Trent Jones replica of Macdonald's #4 (the original course was buried long ago), it maintains the same risk/reward theme -- a conservative route over some water, an aggressive route over a lot of water, and plenty of trouble in between.
From the tee, the view of the 487-/460-yard par-5 doesn't reveal any clues about the proper approach. Visible up ahead are landing areas, a lapping lagoon and a faint glimpse of a flagstick in the distance. Even Lido's repeat customers have a hard time deciphering #16's puzzle-piece fairways. If you're a first- or second-timer on the course, hope for an experienced playing partner. If you don't get one, just take your best swing and hope you don't hit it straight (it's the worst way to go).
[ABOVE RIGHT: #16 as seen from the tee. The left route begins just beyond the bridge. The right route is out of sight beyond the water. LEFT: The orientation of the first fairway becomes more clear once you reach the bridge (though by now it's too late to rethink your strategy).]
The two-pronged fairway -- shaped like the head of a wrench -- is the first stop. From there, the next target is a second fairway laid out diagonally from the first and surrounded by water. It ends at a channel-side green that can only be reached in two by a pair of expertly executed shots.
So which is the way to go? A tee shot to the left side offers a greater margin for error and requires no threatening water carry. You're more likely to stay dry on this side; the trade-off, however, is a less direct route that adds yardage to the hole. Going to the right side requires a water carry of up to 200 yards, depending on the tees and your aim. The reward is a slightly better chance of reaching the green in two, but the downside is a poor angle to the green and another long water carry on the second shot.
The wild card in all this: a straight tee shot could be lethal. That's because the gap between the fairway sections is filled with water and within reach of drivers, fairway woods and possibly hybrids. And you're not free of trouble even if center-line shots manage to stay dry. A small sand trap keeps balls from rolling into the lagoon, but it sets up awkward sideways recovery shots to either prong of the fairway.
[ABOVE LEFT: The view from the left side, with the flag barely noticeable next to the smokestack. RIGHT: Another lengthy water carry separates the right side from the farther fairway and green. BELOW: With a devious grin, this sliver of sand awaits the dreaded straight drive.]
Another wild card -- the wind. On a wide-open plot between Reynolds Channel and the Atlantic, Lido is one of the windiest courses on Long Island. Wind speed and direction can alter your strategy completely from one day to the next.
Save for a watery 25-yard gap in between, the second fairway leads to the green almost as an extension of the first fairway's left side. It is a narrow finger of land bordered on three sides by water. Players approaching from the left will almost always use this farther fairway to set up a third shot at the green. Lay up to your most comfortable distance -- once you're on the second fairway, the approach will be anywhere inside 130 yards.
From the right, players can bypass this second fairway altogether if they're within reach of the green, but the risk is great. An attack on the green requires a nearly full water carry. A left-to-right ball flight into the green can cut off some of the risk; meanwhile, position too far right will add distance. From a perfect spot at the edge of the fairway (about a 270-yard drive from the back), it's close to 180 to the center of the green. This yardage increases quickly as position becomes less ideal.
One final factor that raises the degree of difficulty of the hole is the lack of yard markers. Once you tee off on #16, you're on your own. There is a 100-yard marker on the second fairway, but that's about all. It's easy to get confused without prior experience.
The hole ends with another majestic view of the channel. Three rear bunkers prevent long shots from taking a swim to Merrick. Pulling the putter will be a relief. The green rolls from back to front.
GOLI's Rob Dimino has played Lido more than any other course on the Island:
"Even after so many rounds on that course, I'm still a little uncertain about the best way to play the 16th. What I've been doing lately is hitting 3-wood to the left side, which puts me in good position to lay up close to the 100-yard marker and leave a full wedge shot into the green. Unless you are absolutely sure about your distances, there are just too many things that could go wrong up the right side. You have to carry so much water, and it basically takes two perfect shots to reach the green. You could always bail out short of the green on the second shot, but you could have done the same thing up the left side with less risk."
For more on the Lido Golf Club, check out the course flyover.
PREVIOUS CLOSER LOOKS:
Stonebridge Golf Links #4 -- (7/29/2011)
See all Closer Look posts
Find a babysitter this Thursday afternoon -- there's a golf tournament to be won.
Cantiague Park will host a twilight golf tournament for mixed couples on Thursday, August 25, a nine-hole event that is open to all Nassau County residents. Couples will be paired up with other mixed duos to compete as four-person scramble teams, and individuals who wish to participate will be assigned a partner by the tournament committee. All players must have a valid county Leisure Pass.
The tourney will begin with a 4 p.m. shotgun start. A barbecue and awards ceremony will follow. Entry fee is $50 per person to walk or $60 to ride (carts are limited and will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis).
To register, download the tournament brochure from the Nassau County website and submit the completed entry form with Leisure Pass and proof of residency. For more information, call (516) 571-7061.
Cantiague Park is one of Nassau County's four beginner-friendly, nine-hole municipal courses. The 1,878-yard par-30 in Hicksville features three short par-4s and a half-dozen mid-length to long par-3s laid out over flat terrain. A driving range is located next to the course. For more on Cantiague, check out the course flyover.
Just a quick drive from Northport's Main Street and the 18-hole Crab Meadow Golf Course up near the Sound, the Northport Golf Course at the VA Medical Center rolls gently in residential quietude. Beginners, juniors, seniors and just about anyone looking to escape the daily rigors of Long Island living for even just an hour or two will find this hidden playground very appealing.
The 2,460-yard par-35 sits next door to the medical complex on an open slice of North Shore real estate. Its six par-4s -- topping out at 335 yards -- are joined by a reachable-in-two par-5 and a pair of short-iron par-3s. If a light crowd allows, players can drop a few balls around the course to brush up on iron play, practice drives from the par-5's elevated tee or blast out from a handful of sand traps.
LAYOUT:
Northport offers a fair amount of variety for a nine-holer. Doglegs turn left and right. Holes climb and descend small hills. A steeper challenge can be found at longer nine-hole layouts on the Island, but even with its laid-back vibe and abbreviated distances, Northport will keep you interested. The 265-yard first is a straight-forward par-4 rising gently uphill. Parallelogram fans will appreciate the square green and rectangular bunkers in front. Next, the slightly longer 295-yard second rolls down the same hill until it meets an undersized green, this one mostly unprotected.
The farther half of the third fairway is hard to see through an intrusion of tall trees on the right side, but a high-trajectory drive will fly the treeline and find a sweeping target area. Safe plays are up the middle toward the fairway's sharp turn. An elevated tee awaits at #4, Northport's only par-5 that, despite the 450-yard distance, will make you work for birdies. Its elevated green -- tilted from front to back -- is wedged between a frontside bunker and a rear upslope that can set up some awkward chip shots. Misses long or left are prone to fly into the woods.
The fifth is a fun, downhill par-4 that ends at a slippery, two-level putting surface. If the pin is in the back, you'll want to catch the downslope on your approach. Otherwise you'll have to putt down the hill -- and unlike your local mini-golf course, there's no chute up top to slide your ball down to the bottom level. No matter the club, a solid tee shot on #6 should leave a short-iron second shot, but a wide bunker serves as a sandy moat closely guarding another diminutive green. The 145-yard seventh and 240-yard eighth are straight holes with enough breathing room to put even the most prolific scattershots at ease.
A pond rippling between the tee and green on Northport's final hole jazzes up an otherwise standard 130-yard par-3 and brings the round to a fun and attractive close.
CONDITIONS:
Northport is, very simply, a pleasant setting for nine holes of golf. Judging by their lush good looks, the fairways receive the same careful treatment as the meticulously manicured flower beds that are present around the course. Greens are small and a little more grown-in than many golfers are accustomed to, but the ball still moves where you expect over the surfaces with a bump or two here and there.
The course is easy to walk -- in fact, the toughest stretch might be the 300-yard stroll from the clubhouse to the first tee. Make sure you head in the right direction once you finish up on the fourth green, as #5 and #8 share a teebox.
Water makes its lone appearance on the par-3 ninth.
HOLE(S) TO REMEMBER:
Water-carry par-3s are generally uncommon sights at local nine-holers, but Northport's closer is an exception that sets up for fun and exciting finishes. The water only extends about 50 yards from the tee, so it's not exactly the 17th at Sawgrass that we're talking about here. It's more of a distraction than a true obstacle, as only mishits should find their way into the drink. Nevertheless, it's an enjoyable hole with a green that's hard to see from the tee, a large right-side trap and trees hanging over the left side. And it's even better if you're an amateur horticulturist as well as an amateur golfer. The hazard is surrounded and partially filled with an array of colorful flowers and aquatic plants.
AREA(S) TO AVOID:
Trouble is hard to find at Northport. But if you get a little overzealous and hook a drive on the par-5 fourth, you could send your ball on a nature hike in the woods from which it likely will not return.
NEARBY COURSES:
Crab Meadow (3 miles)
Sunken Meadow - Red/Blue/Green (4 miles)
Smithtown Landing (6 miles)
CONTACT:
79 Middleville Rd., Northport 11768
(631) 261-8000
Nearly 2,000 golf holes at 100 courses across 27 states will be in play next week as part of the "World's Largest Golf Outing," and 18 of those holes are right here on Long Island.
Pine Ridge Golf Club in Coram will host one leg of the outing, a multi-course event run by Billy Casper Golf that's designed to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project and make a run at a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records at the same time. All golfers are welcome to be a part of history and register for the event, which will tee off with a 1 p.m. shotgun start on Thursday, August 18. Entry fee is $54 and includes cart, practice balls, lunch and an awards reception.
Format for the outing is a four-person scramble. Register online, sponsor a team or donate directly to the Wounded Warrior Project by visiting the World's Largest Golf Outing website.
Golf On Long Island visited Pine Ridge earlier this summer and took note of the new bunker layout on the par-5 11th. For a closer look at the entire course, check out the Pine Ridge flyover.
And for more information on the Wounded Warrior Project, visit the organization's website.
