Golf on Long Island

Sixth annual Pink Rock Classic, October 11 at Great Rock Golf Club

"Take a swing in the fight against breast cancer" on Thursday, October 11, when the Great Rock Golf Club in Wading River hosts the sixth annual Pink Rock Classic.  All proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Fund For Uninsured Women at the Fortunato Breast Health Center at Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson.

Entry fee for the Pink Rock Classic is $275 for an individual and $1,000 for a foursome.  Registration, lunch and practice on the range will begin at 11:30 a.m., followed by a 1 p.m. shotgun start.  At the conclusion of the tournament, there will be an open bar with live music and silent auction, followed by a grand buffet dinner.  Non-golfers can join the festivities for dinner and cocktails for $125 per person.

Those who can't make it to Great Rock for the annual event can still contribute through sponsorships or donations.  In its half-decade as a golf fundraiser, the Pink Rock Classic has generated more than $267,000 for breast cancer patients and their families.  Register as a player or sponsor at the Pink Rock Classic website or call (631) 476-2723.  The rain date for the event is Wednesday, October 17.

Great Rock requires precision and accuracy over the twists and turns of its fairways and fast greens.  Its 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.   Golf On Long Island highlighted the redesigned 12th green and the dangerous 11th in recent "Closer Look" features.

For more information on Great Rock, check out the course flyover.

Mangano's proposed 2013 budget includes rate increases at county golf courses

Rates will increase at Nassau's seven municipal golf courses under the $2.79 billion budget for 2013 proposed last week by County Executive Ed Mangano, according to Newsday.

Golfers at Eisenhower Park and the nine-hole courses at North Woodmere, Bay Park, Christopher Morley and Cantiague will shell out a few more dollars to tee off under Mangano's 2013 budget plan as the county executive focuses on improving Nassau's financial situation without raising property taxes.  Newsday reported Wednesday that higher fees at county parks, along with spending cuts in various departments and introduction of new business licenses, are a significant part of Mangano's proposal.

New two-year licenses for small-business owners, including scrap metal processors and secondhand precious metal and gem dealers, would bring in $1.6 million in new revenue over two years, officials said.

Parks users also would pay higher fees to play golf and set up campers at county facilities.

"This budget reflects the tough decisions made over the past two years to cut spending and keep Nassau on the path to fiscal stability," Mangano, a Republican, said. -- Robert Brodsky and Sid Cassese, Newsday, 9/19/2012

Greens fees for Nassau residents would jump $2 on weekends and holidays at each of the seven courses, according to the Newsday report.  Nine-hole course rates would increase to $17, and rates at Eisenhower Park's Blue, White and Red courses would rise to $36, $38 and $43, respectively. 

Eisenhower Red was in the news in 2007 when Nassau County banned walking and made all golfers use motor carts on the course.  The rule was quickly pulled after an uproar from players over additional mandatory costs and the inability to walk for recreational and health reasons.  In 2010, New York State increased golf rates at all its parks, most notably for seniors, with some fees rising as much as 42%.

Pictured above: #1 at Eisenhower Red

MacArthur Business Alliance golf outing to support The Morgan Center, October 3 at Swan Lake

Manorville's Swan Lake Golf Club will host the MacArthur Business Alliance's seventh annual golf outing on Wednesday, October 3.  Former New York Met and current Long Island Ducks co-owner and coach Bud Harrelson will be on hand at this year's outing, which will support The Morgan Center, an organization that works with preschool-age children undergoing treatment for cancer.

Tee time for the event is 1 p.m.  Sign-in and lunch begins at 11 a.m., and a dinner with awards, raffles and an auction will follow the golf portion of the day.  Entry fee is $185 per golfer and $75 for those who wish to attend the dinner only.  Deadline to register is October 2.  Contact Matt Miller at (631) 484-9729 to sign up or call (631) 952-8600 x17 to donate prizes and auction items.

The Morgan Center is a not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to providing preschool-age children who are undergoing treatment for cancer the opportunity to interact and socialize in a safe environment that stimulates cognitive and social development.  For more information, visit The Morgan Center's website.

And to prepare for the round, check out the Swan Lake flyover.

Aeration special next week at Pine Hills CC

Pine Hills Country Club in Manorville is aerating next week beginning Monday, September 24.  Visit anytime Monday through Thursday, September 28 and take advantage of an aeration special that includes 18 holes, cart and range balls for $45 before noon and $35 after.

While you're there, take note of Pine Hills' new #5 green, though it might be bumpier than usual.  The hole was being prepped for renovation during our last visit in 2011.

For more on Pine Hills, check out the course flyover.

Flyover: Sandy Pond Golf Course

[This flyover was updated on December 20, 2022.]

[UPDATE:  Beginning in March 2023, Sandy Pond will go by the new name Sandy Pond Links and feature changes to the layout and facilities.  Further information can be found here.  This flyover will be updated after the course's reopening.]

The nine holes that make up the Sandy Pond Golf Course are only a short jaunt from Riverhead's busy Route 58 commercial corridor, but you wouldn't know it standing beside one of the course's rustling willows.  Sandy Pond's par-3 layout hides amid houses and open fields, with few clues tipping off passers-by to its existence other than a fleeting glimpse of fairway behind a dirt road and tiny clubhouse shack.

New owners took over the course in the 2012 season, but Sandy Pond remains old school.  At the end of the dusty driveway, ground rules are carved into wood boards hanging near the front door.  Inside, all-time holes-in-one are archived in lists scrawled across the walls.  The "homespun" feel is so strong that, as Newsday's Mark Herrmann wrote in 2009, players are asked to kindly leave their green fees in an envelope outside when the clubhouse is unattended.

From opening tee to final green, Sandy Pond is a 1,070-yard breath of fresh East End air.  Holes ranging from 85 to 160 yards lead beginners, seniors, families and iron tuners toward recently enlarged and refurbished greens.  Owners Ken Weinstein and Chris Wahlers, profiled by the Riverhead News-Review in June 2012, have gradually improved conditions at the course since taking over, beginning with the installation of a new irrigation system, maintenance of the course's three ponds and repair of the facility's dwindling greens.

LAYOUT:
Opening play is a basic 105-yard hole without any frills.  Your official introduction to the course won't arrive until the 110-yard second, where the first of three namesake hazards ripples behind a friendly "Welcome to Sandy Pond" sign.  Offline shots to the right, unfortunately, receive a more personal welcome that will cost you two strokes. 

Cross the bridge to the 120-yard third, which plays up a fairly steep hill.  The fourth plays back down the hill, and with only 85 yards separating tee from green, it's a fun shot that you don't often encounter.  Another pond just off the green's right side adds a dangerous element.  The fifth is a simple 120-yarder with a green tilted right to left and front to back.

Trees frame the shot on the 160-yard sixth, a hole that would hold its own if suddenly transplanted down the road onto a course like Cherry Creek or Indian Island.  The overhanging leaves and limbs, along with a pond underneath, create a three-sided threat that's ultimately just a distraction.  Split the trees and there's plenty of room short of and around the green.  

Equally long but situated downhill is #8.  The round comes to a relaxed conclusion with the flat 90-yard ninth.

CONDITIONS:
New management at Sandy Pond has worked to clean and clear the namesake water hazards and integrate them more effectively into the park-like setting.  Refurbished greens and ongoing beautification projects around the course have yielded positive remarks from longtime visitors and have even drawn the attention of the area's more experienced and skilled players.

Greens, which in some cases had shrunk by 40% by the time the new owners arrived, have been restored to original size and roll smooth.  Tees show off the typical wear and tear of a par-3 course.  Newly planted fescue grass and garden beds add aesthetic appeal.

HOLE(S) TO REMEMBER:
Firing a shot over water and between overhanging trees is fun whether you're on a $13 par-3 course or a $130 resort course.  Consider the first five holes at Sandy Pond a warm-up for the tee shot on #6, which is the toughest you'll find all day.  Though it's really just a standard 160-yard shot with more bark than bite, pull or push it a little too much and you might find yourself in hot -- more like lukewarm -- pond water. 

AREA(S) TO AVOID:
Other than the trio of ponds and the out-of-bounds course perimeter, there's nowhere to find trouble.  Keep your head on a swivel when walking around the course since many holes play back and forth in close proximity to one another.  The walk from #8 green to #9 tee crosses in front of the sixth tee.  Avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

NEARBY COURSES:
Cherry Creek - Links/Woods (2 miles)
Indian Island CC (4 miles)

WHERE TO GRAB A BITE AND A BEER:
Sandy Pond is a short ride from chain-heavy Old Country Road, where casual bar/grills and fast-food staples are plentiful.  In downtown Riverhead, a relatively new spot that offers just about everything a foursome could want -- bar snacks, draft beer, a spacious patio, and so on -- is Peconic County Brewing.  Old reliable Long Ireland is still around for those who want to keep the focus on the microbrews.  Head east toward Aquebogue and The All-Star, a tiered sports grill with a huge TV wall and a bowling alley.

CONTACT:
1495 Roanoke Ave., Riverhead 11901
(631) 727-0909
www.sandypondgolf.com

SEE ALSO:
Improvements continue at Sandy Pond's nine-hole course in Riverhead
Sandy Pond's fresh look drawing a mix of first-timers and skilled players
Riverhead's nine-hole Sandy Pond Golf Course thirivng under new owners
New owners continue upgrades in second season at Sandy Pond

Eighth annual Massapequa Mustangs Golf Outing at Town of Oyster Bay GC, September 24

The Massapequa Mustangs Football Foundation will hold its eighth annual golf outing on Monday, September 24 at the Town of Oyster Bay Golf Course in Woodbury.  Former coaches and organization board members Steve Krolikowski, Kurt Roocke and Tom Melia will be honored at the event.

Proceeds from the outing will support the Massapequa Mustangs football program, currently one of the largest and most recognizable youth football organizations on Long Island.  The program strives to provide all of its members with the best training, equipment and facilities. 

The outing is limited to 120 participants and includes breakfast, lunch, buffet dinner, cocktail hour, open bar, golf cart and range balls.  Registration will begin at 9:00 a.m. with a shotgun start scheduled for 11:00.  Entry fee for the outing is $190 per person, and the deadline to register is September 17. 

To sign up as a participant or an event sponsor, download the outing brochure at www.mustangpride.com or contact Joe Gillespie at (516) 799-5422.

The Town of Oyster Bay Golf Course is a municipal course designed by Tom Fazio.  Its front nine runs over hilly, tree-lined terrain that gives way to a flatter and more forgiving back half.  For more on the course, check out the Oyster Bay flyover.

Wind Watch G&CC to host Fred Breithut and Kieran Finlay memorial golf outings this month

Registration is open for a pair of memorial golf tournaments to be held later this month at Wind Watch Golf & Country Club in Hauppauge.  The third annual Fred Breithut Memorial Golf Outing is scheduled for Thursday, September 20, followed by the inaugural Kieran Finlay Memorial Golf Outing -- raising money for multiple myeloma cancer research - on Tuesday, September 25.

The Fred Breithut Memorial Outing will raise money for School-Business Partnerships of Long Island (SBPLI), an organization that Breithut founded in 1984.  SBPLI helps Long Island students pursue careers in science, technology, mathematics and engineering through partnerships between schools, businesses, government and community groups.  The outing tees off at 1:30 p.m. on September 20 and is followed by a reception and dinner.  Entry fee is $250 per golfer or $900 for a foursome.  To register, or for more information on the outing or the organization, visit the SBPLI website.

The inaugural Kieran Finlay Memorial Golf Outing begins at 7:30 a.m. on September 25.  All funds raised through this event will be donated to the fight against multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood that took the life of Kieran Finlay earlier this year.  The $187.50 entry fee includes golf, cart, beverages on the course, open bar after the round, reception and dinner.  The scramble tournament will also include on-course contests and chances to win auctions and raffles at the reception.  Visit Shandon Court's website for outing details and registration.

Wind Watch reordered its layout earlier this season.  For more on the course and its recent changes, check out the Wind Watch flyover.

Fall aeration this week at Timber Point

Greens will be aerated this week on the three nines at the Timber Point Golf Course in Great River.

Timber Point's Blue Course will be aerated on Tuesday, September 11, followed by the White on September 12 and the Red on September 13.

For more information on the three Timber Point layouts, check out the Blue, White and Red course flyovers.

Sign up today for USSSA Junior Golf's "Back To School" event this weekend at Smithtown Landing

The USSSA Junior Golf Tour returns to Smithtown Landing Country Club this weekend and will once again be offering young players the opportunity to show off their skills on television and earn a spot in a national championship.  Boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 18 are invited to participate in the Tour's September "Back To School" event on September 8 and 9.  Winners from each of the three age groups will compete in the USSSA Junior Golf National Championships in Florida in the summer of 2013.

Register today for a spot in one of the available age groups (9-11, 12-14 and 15-18) for the two-day event.  Visit the Global Recreation Network website or call (631) 482-3264 ext. 701 for additional details and registration information.

Junior players on Long Island's USSSA Junior Golf Tour are given star treatment whether or not they qualify for the national championship.  Photographers and videographers follow players and groups around the course, stream the events online and round out the coverage with analysis and interviews.  Coverage from previous USSSA events can be found on the GRN website.

Winners from all qualifying events -- including another tournament at Mill Pond Golf Course later this month -- will compete against the best of the best in their age group at the 2013 USSSA Junior Golf National Championship in Florida.  For more information about the Tour and individual events, contact Ray Coyne at (631) 482-3264, ext. 701, or e-mail [email protected]. 

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

Aeration and fall specials at Great Rock

The Great Rock Golf Club in Wading River will be aerated on Tuesday, September 4 and Wednesday, September 5, but you can save a few bucks this week by taking advantage of a $49 aeration special on morning tee times, with cart.  After 2 p.m. the rate drops to $39; after 4 p.m., $29.

Over the weekend, Great Rock's AM rate is $69 with cart, dropping to $49 after noon and $29 after 4 p.m.  

Regular fall rates go into effect next Monday, September 10.  Weekday prices are the same as above.  On weekends, it's $79 for early-morning play, $69 after 10 a.m., $49 after 2 p.m. and $29 after 4 p.m.

Golf On Long Island was at Great Rock earlier this season for a Closer Look at the course's notorious 11th green.  For more on Great Rock, check out the course flyover.