Golf on Long Island

Jerry Kremer and Montauk Downs: How New York State saved a cherished golf course from extinction

The arrival of summer signals the departure of local Long Islanders and visiting tourists headed eastbound for weekends of relaxation across the South Fork.  Montauk, the last stop on the Route 27 line, has grown from a quiet fishing village to a quaint, family-friendly vacation spot to, more recently, an increasingly hip alternative to the Hamptons.  While the personality of "The End" varies by the season, Montauk remains a draw, and much of the attraction has to do with Montauk Downs State Park and its popular golf course.

"There's no question that the success of Montauk has to do with having a world-class golf course," Jerry Kremer told Golf On Long Island last week.  "It was the perfect addition to Montauk."

Kremer is one of thousands of golfers who visit Montauk and challenge the course each year.  His perspective on the Downs, however, is a unique one.  Thirty-five years ago, Kremer, the former New York State assemblyman and ex-chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, helped the state purchase Montauk Downs as it teetered on the brink of private development.

His memoir, "Winning Albany: Untold Stories About the Famous and Not So Famous," describes his role at Montauk Downs in addition to his accomplishments in state government beginning in 1966 as an assemblyman from the south shore of Nassau County.

By 1979, the property -- situated on rolling terrain between the Atlantic Ocean, Lake Montauk and Fort Pond Bay -- had been home to golf for more than 50 years.  But the private owners were bankrupt, and developers eyed the scenic site for housing at a bargain rate.  One bid included plans for 220 houses, and another called for 185, Kremer said.  Former Assembly Speaker and prominent Montauk figure Perry Duryea asked Kremer and the state for help in saving the course.

"A week later I was in Albany, and I told [Duryea] that I think I have $3.9 million," recalled Kremer, who had been to the course before and noted its classic layout, natural setting and picturesque views.  The state's bid turned out to be higher than the developers', and Montauk Downs was public property.

Though Montauk is a far crawl from Albany and the rest of New York State, Kremer encountered little resistance from government colleagues and counterparts in directing money from a recreation fund to a small park isolated way out near the tip of Long Island.

"They took me at my word that this was an important purchase that would make money for the state," Kremer said.  "The Suffolk delegation agreed that it was very important."

Years later, Montauk Downs is considered one of the finest municipal golf courses in the country and one of the most challenging layouts -- public or private -- in New York.  After Rees Jones refurbished the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in preparation for the U.S. Open in 2002, the noted course architect headed east to do some touch-up work at Montauk Downs.  The project had special meaning to Jones -- his father, Robert Trent Jones, had remodeled Montauk Downs with Rees's assistance back in 1968, a decade before Kremer's rescue.  A handful of diagrams and hole sketches penned by Rees Jones are on display in the clubhouse corridor.

"We never dreamt at the time that the golf course would become as classic and as highly regarded as it is today," Kremer said.  "I think the state would have been heavily criticized if it wasn't kept as a public facility."

Kremer plays the course a few times each season.  In addition to the natural charm of the golf course, he enjoys the constantly changing weather patterns -- "one hole it's foggy, then it's sunny and hot, then it's cloudy again" -- and the fact that scratch players come away impressed with its challenging character.

All proceeds from Kremer's book are donated to the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America and to Alzheimer's research.  Find it online at Buffalo Heritage Press, Amazon and Barnes and Noble, or at bookstores across Long Island.

And for more on Montauk Downs, visit the course flyover.

Closer Look: Mill Pond Golf Course #5

[UPDATE:  Mill Pond made a number of cosmetic and safety modifications around the course in 2014.  This hole now features hedges near the tee to discourage attempts at driving the green.]

On the heels of our overview of a long par-3 fashioned out of a once-short par-4, we take a detailed look now at a similar par-4, one that presents a green within a driver's reach and coaxes you to pull the big stick and get yourself into trouble.

Where #6 at Tallgrass Golf Course used to encourage for-the-glory drives to a visible, elevated green that would often roll off a backside slope or simply fly out of bounds toward the neighbor's yard (which ultimately led to the hole's par-3 conversion), #5 at Mill Pond Golf Course in Medford ups the risk and the reward because the green is out of sight from the tee.  Though a drive toward the green is a rather careless play, fantasies about rounding the bend and finding your ball 10 feet from the pin for eagle do exist. 

Mill Pond #5 -- formerly the 14th hole, before the course's 2009 reconfiguration -- is a 322-/308-yard dogleg that makes a near-90-degree right turn toward an open green.  A firmly struck long iron or hybrid sets up a short pitch to a putting surface that might as well have a welcome mat on the front apron.  The only significant concerns from the tee are the presence of out-of-bounds down the left side and a rough- and sand-strewn berm on the right.  From prime position in the fairway, the target is a large, round green with a single bunker.

The wild card for some macho drivers, of course, is that the direct flight to the green is shorter than the conventional route and considerably more fun.  Golf On Long Island contributor Anthony Dimino has walked from the white tees to the green and estimates a straight-line distance of 275 yards.  Aerial imagery indicates the distance is around 270 yards from the white tees, 290 from the tips.

But not only is this a blind shot, it's one following a path disrupted by thick, tangled rough, buried lies and sand.  And that's just short of the green. 

The berm up the entire right side of the hole frames #5's fairway and, no matter the tee shot, its rough is heavy enough for balls to be lost or buried and second shots to be severely impeded.  It acts as a large, rough-covered hurdle for those willing to go for the flag.  Atop the berm, players prepare to tee off on #2 under the protection of a strand of short trees.  On the far side of the hill, though the green is not far ahead, the ground is severely sloped with more coarse rough.

[ABOVE LEFT (click to enlarge): The short approach to #5 green, with a new bunker hugging the right edge.  ABOVE RIGHT: From the tee, a narrow fairway eventually widens between heavy rough (and OB) on the left and a berm on the right.  LEFT: A view of the green from the top of the berm.  BELOW RIGHT: The recently added, high-lipped bunker is the last line of defense against ultra-aggressive tee shots.]

Drives that clear the hill and all its rough can still find problems.  Mill Pond recently modified its right-side bunker and strengthened its role as a shield against drive-the-green attempts.  Previously the trap was laid out along the front apron; now, it's been relocated closer to the green, with a high lip pressed up close along the entire length of the surface.

On the far side of the green, the short grass quickly gives way to thick rough and mounding.  Keep in mind, these are the hazards that come into play on dead-straight tee shots that are merely short or long.  Any aggressive drive gone astray can slice as far off as the first hole.

Still, despite all the reasons not to tee it up with visions of an eagle putt, some will point their driver toward the top of the hill and hope for the best.  Good luck with that -- we'll be aiming a hybrid to the far end of the fairway (and probably pushing it into the side of the berm anyway).

For more on Mill Pond, check out the course flyover.

PREVIOUS CLOSER LOOKS:
Tallgrass #8 -- (3/13/2013)
Bethpage Red #13 -- (8/14/2012)
Great Rock Golf Club #11 -- (5/31/2012)
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

Observations: Tallgrass Golf Course #6

There is no shortage of interesting par-4s at Tallgrass Golf Course in Shoreham, but the gradual conversion of the sixth hole from a strategic par-4 to a long, uphill par-3 -- as documented here in 2012 and again last spring -- still feels like a significant loss.

What had previously been a 295-yard par-4 with risk/reward potential is now an approximately 190-yard par-3 with a shallow green not designed to accommodate lengthy iron or hybrid shots.  The reason for the change: a high frequency of overzealous drive-the-green attempts hooked far off the property and into adjacent homes and yards.

In 2012, former general manager Phil Tita said the goal was to keep #6 as a par-4, even if the lack of space made that a challenge.  By last spring, those plans were scrapped, signaled by the addition of a new par-3 teeing area.  Golf On Long Island visited Tallgrass last week and played the course for the first time as a par-70 (though scorecards and hole signage have yet to be updated to reflect the change).

Results on #6 were a mixed bag.  One long-hitting member of the GOLI twosome held the green with a middle iron; the other lifted a high-arcing tee shot that landed on the rain-softened front apron and stuck a few paces short of the green.  Another member of the group -- a senior player with limited distance -- needed a fairway wood to get up the hill and, as a result, his shot rolled off the back of the green and down the steep embankment. 

When the hole was a par-4 ranging from 295 at the tips to 214 from the forward tees, the deep descent behind the green was the red flag dissuading aggressive runs at the pin.  Long hitters could throw caution to the wind and envision short eagle putts with an understanding that seemingly great shots might run hot through the green and down the slope.  The smart play was to the right side of the fairway, away from the big sand trap on the left.  In between cautious and heroic, players could challenge the big bunker and try to gain strong position on the far side of the sand, just short of the putting surface.

Now with the hole playing as a par-3, the safe shot is simply leaving the ball short, then chipping or putting on.  Long irons or more needed to cover the distance and the climb will need some spin, finesse or luck to hold what is one of the shallowest greens on the course.  The drop off the rear edge is prominently involved on all shots.  Meanwhile, the hole's other notable feature -- the huge sand trap up the left side -- rarely comes into play.

[TOP LEFT: The hole as seen from the front of the tee.  ABOVE RIGHT: One of Tallgrass's shallowest greens falls straight down off the back edge.  LEFT: Looking back over the less intrusive sand complex.]

County legislature votes to raise fees at Nassau's municipal golf courses

The Nassau County legislature approved fee increases for a wide range of county services on Monday, including rates at the county's five municipal golf facilities, according to Newsday.  County Executive Ed Mangano proposed the fee increases last month in an effort to bring Nassau $15 million in revenue to offset labor and maintenance expenses and unpaid traffic tickets.

Fee hikes will affect golfers at Nassau's 54-hole Eisenhower Park complex, as well as nine-hole courses at North Woodmere Park, Bay Park, Cantiague Park and Christopher Morley Park.  Among the fee increases, according to Newsday, are $4 jumps in weekend resident rates at Eisenhower Park ($36 to $40) and $2 jumps in weekend resident rates at the nine-hole courses ($17 to $19).

Those opposed to the bill argue that the rate increases act as a hidden tax and penalize county residents who use the impacted facilities, which also include Nickerson Beach and Old Bethpage Village Restoration.

Mangano is expected to sign the bill, Newsday says.

Annual Scleroderma Charity Golf Outing set for June 25 at Cherry Creek

Cherry Creek's annual Scleroderma Charity Golf Outing will tee off later this month, as part of a battle against a little-known but debilitating skin disease.  Proceeds from the event, which will be held on the Links Course on Wednesday, June 25, benefit the Scleroderma Foundation and Scleroderma Research Foundation to help find a cure.

Shotgun start is scheduled for 8 a.m.  The $100 entry fee covers golf, cart, range balls, breakfast before the round, on-course refreshments and a barbecue at the conclusion of play.  There will also be an open bar, plus contests on the course, a 50/50 cash drawing and a variety of raffle prizes.  To sign up for the event, visit the Cherry Creek Links pro shop in Riverhead or call (631) 369-6500 ext. 1.

The Links Course at Cherry Creek is best known for its par-6, 644-yard 18th, the only hole of its kind on the Island.  At 7,187 yards from the tips, the course is a driver-friendly layout that's second only to Bethpage Black in length among Long Island's public courses.  For more on the Links at Cherry Creek, check out the course flyover.

And for information on the other Cherry Creek layout located right across the street, visit the Woods Course flyover.

No name change at the "new" Great Rock Golf Club

For a while it appeared that the tremendous rock that sat beside the 10th green of the former Great Rock Golf Club would live on as just another boulder on hilly ground on Suffolk County's north shore.  But it turns out the rock will continue to be the namesake feature at the Wading River course, which is open again for play and will retain the Great Rock name under new owners.

Great Rock reopened on June 2, roughly six months after the course abruptly closed for business.  Much of the staff, including general manager Brian Curtin and course superintendent Dan Wolf, is back at the club.  Ownership and management considered renaming the course but ultimately decided to build on the existing brand rather than start from scratch.

Currently, the course website is limited while undergoing a redesign.  Tee times can be made by calling the pro shop's new number -- (631) 886-2700.

Kids play free with Dad on Father's Day weekend at Pine Ridge

Dad probably wants to be out on the course on Father's Day, and if the kids are able to tag along for free, all the better for everyone.

At Pine Ridge Golf Club in Coram, kids play free all Father's Day weekend (June 14 and 15) when accompanied by Dad.  The kids' special is valid after 3 p.m. for one child per paying adult.  Reserve a time online or call (631) 331-7930.

Both Dad and guest will need accuracy to stay between the namesake pines at the Coram course.  And distance will help too, particularly on a grueling four-hole stretch on the back nine.  For more on Pine Ridge, check out the course flyover.

Father's Day clinic and 'cue at Spring Lake

Help Dad shore up his short game and feed him a burger while you're at it by treating him to Spring Lake Golf Club's Father's Day clinic and BBQ on June 15.

For $40, one father and one son/daughter can take part in a 45-minute golf clinic beginning at 11 a.m.  After the clinic, both guests receive a burger, hot dog and either a tap beer or soda.  Sign up for the clinic by calling (631) 924-5115.

If you and Dad are in the mood for more golf, head for the first tee on either the Thunderbird or Sandpiper courses at Spring Lake.  Click the links for the course flyovers.