Golf on Long Island

Closer Look: Great Rock #11

On a course renowned for its speedy greens, the fastest of the fast surfaces should linger in a golfer's memory, likely associated with a birdie chip gone bad or a par opportunity turned sour.  But at the Great Rock Golf Club in Wading River, the most severe green is easy to overlook.  It arrives at the end of a benign dogleg par-4, which itself follows the course's signature hole, a par-4 touted by Golfing Magazine and Newsday.  Even standing directly in front of the green, it's hard to tell what steep slopes lay within.

Great Rock's 11th hole is a 351-/316-yard par-4 and the first of six hard-turning doglegs on the course's back nine.  After the uphill 10th and a meeting with the track's namesake rock, #11 is simple by comparison.  The tee shot is slightly downhill to a wide landing area.  A solid clout with a driver or hybrid will fly over a right-side bunker and settle into the fat part of the fairway.   

The trouble awaits between the front and back fringe, though you wouldn't know it based on your first or second glance.  Unlike surfaces elsewhere with slopes that can be clearly seen from the middle of the fairway, this deceptive green appears fairly flat even from up close, but it features a nasty tilt from left to right and front to back.  Seemingly straight putts make 90-degree turns away from the cup.  Others stop on a dime.  If you don't believe your eyes, believe your feet -- you can feel the slope in your steps. 

 

The real work begins with the second shot, a short-iron or wedge approach if the tee shot goes according to plan.  Anything landing on the green with some heat on it will likely run quickly off the right.  Miss left in rough that's propped up slightly above the green, or in the short-left bunker, and it will take a great effort to hold the green near a center or back pin, and a tremendous effort to get up and down. 

[UPDATE: A renovation in November 2012 raised the back of the green and softened the distinct front-to-back slope.  See this Observations post for more on the redesign.]

As seen in the videos above and below, only a few inches can make the difference between a perfect chip and a shot that bounds clear off the opposite end of the green.  (And this on a wet afternoon with the greens playing "slow.")

 

PREVIOUS CLOSER LOOKS:
Bethpage Yellow #12 -- (1/5/2012)
Stonebridge Golf Links #7 -- (9/15/2011)
Lido Golf Club #16 -- (8/25/2011)
Stonebridge Golf Links #4 -- (7/29/2011)
Great Rock Golf Club's new 12th green -- (6/6/2011)
See all Closer Look posts

Visit Great Rock for Father's Day brunch and give Dad the gift of free golf

There's an easy way to treat Dad to a free round of golf -- all you have to do is eat. 

Reserve a foursome, er, table of four or more for a Father's Day brunch buffet on Sunday, June 17 at the Great Rock Golf Club's Blackwells Restaurant and receive one future round on the house.  The holiday brunch is $34.95 per person ($14.95 for kids under 12) and includes omelet and carving stations, plus a variety of meats, pasta and pastries.  For every four full-price guests, Great Rock will treat one person to 18 holes.  Free rounds can be played anytime after 10:00 a.m. Monday through Thursday.  Call (631) 929-1800 to make a Father's Day brunch reservation.

Blackwells is a Zagat-rated steakhouse located in the Great Rock clubhouse.  Golfing Magazine selected Blackwells as the official restaurant of its 2009 Dream Golf Club.  For more on Blackwells, the clubhouse and the Wading River course, check out the Great Rock flyover.

Bring Dad to Mill Pond for "Friday Before Father's Day" golf

Father's Day is for the formal celebration of Dad -- think a hot grill, frozen mugs and a flat-screen tuned to the U.S. Open.  For the second straight year, Mill Pond Golf Course is the place for an even more casual celebration, where the golf clubs are in hand, not on TV.  And it's a few days early to boot. 

Mill Pond's "Friday Before Father's Day" scramble tournament will tee off at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, June 15.  The outing includes cart, range balls, breakfast, BBQ lunch and a chance to win team and individual prizes.  Fathers, grandfathers, sons, daughters, cousins and the rest of the crew will also be in the running to bag raffle goodies like irons, club fittings and more.  Entry fee is $99 per player, and the deadline to register is Friday, June 8.  Sign up by calling the pro shop at (631) 732-8249 or download an outing registration form on the Mill Pond website.

The open fairways at Medford's Mill Pond Golf Course are gifts for Dad (and your nasty hook) all their own.  For more on Mill Pond, check out the course flyover.

Golf On Long Island featured in Networking magazine

Special thanks to Sally Gilhooley, Miranda Gatewood and the rest of the staff at Networking® magazine, which profiled Golf On Long Island in the golf section of its May 2012 issue.  The feature includes a description of our site plus some course photography and a general overview of Long Island's public golf scene.  To view the feature on the magazine's website, click here.

Based in Remsenburg, Networking® is a monthly magazine that's been a "Who's Who, What's What for Enterprising Executives" on Long Island and in the New York metropolitan area for more than two decades.  Among its 50,000 readers are business associates, professionals, CEOs, senior-level business executives and entrepreneurs who are positioned to connect corporations with small businesses, sponsors and philanthropists with charities, and so on.  By showcasing local companies, the magazine helps expand business networks and bring like-minded professionals together.  Networking® is available by subscription and is also distributed at many local charity events, including golf outings.

For more on Networking®, check out the magazine's website -- NetworkingMagazineUSA.com.  And be on the lookout for monthly Golf On Long Island columns throughout the golf season.

Al Borghard Memorial Golf Outing slated for June 1 at Pine Hills CC

Help support the Riverhead Crew Team and the Land and Sea Sports Club -- a non-profit charity organization dedicated to children on the autism spectrum -- by participating in the Al Borghard Memorial Golf Outing on Friday, June 1 at the Pine Hills Country Club in Manorville.  Registration is $160 per golfer and includes a one-year subscription to Golf Digest.

In addition to the magazine, players also receive barbecue lunch and range balls before the 1:00 p.m. shotgun start.  Format for the event is four-person scramble.  There will be beverages and snacks during the round, plus challenges and contests at several holes, including a $25,000 hole-in-one grand prize.  After the round, enjoy dinner, open bar, awards and auctions.  Interested golfers can register online.

The Riverhead Crew Team will honor its late coach by donating proceeds from the event to Land and Sea Sports Club.  The mission of this non-profit charity organization is to give children on the autism spectrum and with other developmental disabilities the opportunity to participate in land and sea sports programs in an inclusive setting. To read more about this organization, visit the Land and Sea Sports Club website.

Pine Hills Country Club is a 7,132-yard par-73.  From the tips, only Bethpage Black and the Links Course at Cherry Creek are longer.  The relatively roomy fairways make Pine Hills a fun course for big drivers.  For more on Pine Hills, check out the course flyover.

Bethpage Black open on Memorial Day

The Black Course at Bethpage State Park is closed on Mondays for maintenance, but it will be open for play on Monday, May 28 -- Memorial Day.  Instead the Black will go dark for maintenance on Tuesday, May 29.  Call the park for the latest course information.

Timber Point to host Rev. Msgr. Thaddeus Rooney Memorial Golf Outing on June 7

Timber Point Golf Course in Great River will once again host the Rev. Msgr. Thaddeus Rooney Ss. Cyril & Methodius Golf Outing, sponsored by Mangano Funeral Home, Inc. of Deer Park.  This year's event is scheduled for Thursday, June 7 with a 2:30 p.m. shotgun start.

Golfers can arrive early and enjoy a barbecue lunch beginning at 12:30.  At the end of the round, the festivities will continue with dinner and cocktails.  The $150 registration fee includes all food, drinks and golf, plus players can receive prizes in closest-to-pin and long-drive contests.  Non-golfers can take part in the dinner and cocktail hour for $55.

To register for the event or inquire about sponsorship, print and submit the outing sign-up sheet or contact Deacon Phil Mills at (631) 667-4044, ext. 110. 

And to learn more about historic Timber Point, check out the Blue, Red and White course flyovers.

Knights of Columbus Golf Outing to support Wounded Warrior Project, May 18 at Cherry Creek

Knights of Columbus Council #5817 will hold its annual golf outing this Friday, May 18, with proceeds supporting the Wounded Warrior Project, as well as the Lieutenant Michael O'Shea Memorial Service Award Fund and the Sergeant Jonathan Keller Memorial Scholarship Fund.  The outing tees off at 8:30 a.m. at Cherry Creek's Woods Course in Riverhead.

Contribute to these patriotic causes and enjoy pre-Memorial Day golf all at once.  Registration fee is $140 per golfer, and all players receive a one-year subscription to Golf Digest.  The day will include breakfast, barbecue lunch during the round and a cocktail hour and dinner once the final putt has dropped.  Stick around for prizes and raffles.  Visit the Wounded Warrior Project website for details or to register for the outing.

The Wounded Warrior Project is a not-for-profit organization that provides programs, services and assistance to servicemen and servicewomen returning home from battle with physical, mental and financial challenges ahead of them.  It also raises awareness and informs the public about these challenges.  To learn more about the Wounded Warrior Project, visit the organization's website.

USSSA Junior Golf Tour heads to Smithtown Landing on May 19-20

The USSSA Junior Golf Tour will stop along Suffolk's North Shore next weekend with berths to this summer's national championships at stake.  Boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 18 are invited to participate in the Tour's May event at the Smithtown Landing Country Club on May 19 and 20.  Winners from each age group will compete in the USSSA Junior Golf National Championships in Florida this July.

Registration is open in three age groups (9-11, 12-14 and 15-18) for the two-day event.  Entry fee is $140 for the 12-14 and 15-18 age groups (36-hole event) and $85 for the 9-11 group (18-hole event).  All players receive a USSSA wind shirt.

Winners from all qualifying events will compete against the best of the best in their age group at ChampionsGate Golf Club near Florida's Walt Disney World Resort on July 27-29.  But players don't need to make it to Florida to receive star treatment.  All local events will have professional photographers and videographers on site to follow the junior participants, with footage and interviews streamed online at the Global Recreation Network website.

For more information about the Tour and individual events, contact Ray Coyne at (631) 482-3264, ext. 701, or e-mail [email protected].  Event registration is also available online at globalrec.net.

USSSA, a leading national sports association best known for slow-pitch softball, gives amateur athletes the chance to compete in local and national championships in a growing number of sports.  USSSA's Junior Golf Championship Tour is one of the association's newest offerings.  Based in Mount Sinai, Global Recreation Network runs USSSA events and tournaments on Long Island, including adult softball, youth baseball and junior golf.

SEE ALSO:
2012 USSSA Junior Golf Championship Tour open for registration

Next week at Tallgrass: Moms play free, midweek shotgun

If Mom happens to be a golfer, replace the flowers with a 4-iron and celebrate her greatness at Tallgrass Golf Course in Shoreham, where moms play free on Mothers Day, May 13, after 12 noon with a paid greens fee.

Later in the week, celebrate Wednesday and treat yourself to reduced-rate golf as part of the course's Super Saver Shotgun.  On May 16, Tallgrass will send registered players out together at 7:00 a.m. for only $35 with cart.  Call the course at (631) 209-9359 to sign up or book the shotgun tee time at the Tallgrass website.

Tallgrass is one of Golfweek's Best Courses You Can Play in New York for the third straight year, and is ranked second among Long Island courses behind only Bethpage Black.  In March, Tallgrass architect Gil Hanse was selected to design the 2016 Olympic golf course in Rio de Janeiro.  For more on Tallgrass, check out the course flyover.