Shoreham's Tallgrass Golf Course is closed for good, ending a nearly two-decade run as not only one of New York State's most highly regarded public courses, but also as one consistently stalked by outside plans for development. The course will be converted into a 127-acre solar farm called Shoreham Solar Commons in the near future. (UPDATE: The solar farm is scheduled to break ground in April, per Newsday.)
Tallgrass persevered through years of development rumors, declaring it's "here to stay" as far back as 2008, and lingered for an unexpected 2016 season as plans for the solar farm took shape. Last fall, the course was operating on a "month-to-month basis."
Gil Hanse completed Tallgrass in 2000 in the midst of Long Island's most recent golf-course boom that also introduced new courses like Long Island National (now private), The Links at Shirley (closed), Stonebridge Golf Links and Great Rock, among others. Hanse, whose recent work includes the 2016 Olympic course in Brazil, designed the course on a former sod farm. Golfweek ranked Tallgrass as one of the "Best Courses You Can Play" in New York State every year since 2009.
For a review of the twists and turns in the two-year saga between Tallgrass and the Shoreham solar development that ultimately led to the course's closure, look back at this spring 2016 post.
RIP It was a fun walk while it lasted!
Posted by: john | March 23, 2017 at 03:49 PM
I will greatly miss Tall grass as I'm sure many others will too. It's a sad reality that its value as a golf course is less than its value as a "solar farm". A really unique and wonderful place to spend quality time is gone forever.
Posted by: Bill | March 23, 2017 at 09:37 PM
A big loss for GOLF.
Posted by: Paul L'Heureux | March 24, 2017 at 08:38 AM
I (for one) will be missing those 6:00am TT's and the sub-3hr rounds.
Posted by: Mike C | March 31, 2017 at 03:37 PM
A huge loss for golf. we truly enjoyed playing there.
Posted by: Frank Masella | April 13, 2017 at 01:38 PM
I will miss this course, one of the nicest on the Island and very friendly staff, thanks for the fun times Tallgrass and it's Staff
Posted by: robert mccrae | May 27, 2017 at 03:32 PM
Had some great times there. Beautiful course, and always kept up the pace of play. Was kid friendly too which i appreciated. Very sad
Posted by: Dave H | July 02, 2017 at 02:19 PM
I'll miss driving the 12th* 309 yds. green over the drainage ditch. Didn't do it much but it sure was fun.
Posted by: Bill's Friend Ed | July 28, 2017 at 07:52 AM