Long Island's winter golf season is always a surprise -- those who view local golf as a 12-month sport rather than a six-month one just hope the surprise is a positive one. The Long Island offseason can be marked by tantalizing strings of warm, sunny days or it can be buried by snow and ice from the very beginning. It can be covered by vibrant green grass and smooth fairways for weeks, only to be covered for just as long by a passing blizzard or two. The way the last few winters have played out, Long Island's all-weather golfers are due for a playable offseason.
By now, Long Island's seasonal golf courses have closed, leaving the year-round facilities to field calls about frost delays and winter rates. Brand-new boxes of Pro-V1s, cold-weather golf fleeces and unblemished putters and wedges are burning holes in the golf bags of players who received them for Christmas and Hanukkah. All that's needed now is a place to play.
Luckily most of Long Island's public golf courses remain open all year. They welcome all players patient enough to wait out morning frost delays, resilient enough to keep a steady swing through biting winds, and determined enough to finish all 18 holes despite shoes that proved not to be waterproof after all. Winter rates have been in effect since November. New players or those looking to clean up their mechanics can count on quiet, pressure-free fairways and tees between now and March.
- See also: Winter Golf on Long Island overview
Golf On Long Island attempts to make winter golf easy to find by posting discount rates through the offseason. At some courses, winter rates can be as low as two bucks a hole. A few throw in lunch, too. Check back for updated specials throughout the winter months.
For a full primer on offseason golf, check out the Winter Golf on Long Island page, which includes some of this season's special rates and offers from previous years.
