Golf on Long Island

Plans in place to bring Long Island's first Topgolf location to Holtsville

Topgolf, the 21st-century driving range, nightlife and entertainment center that's popular across the Midwest and South, is one step closer to bringing its first facility to Long Island after Brookhaven Town approved zoning changes this week on an industrial site in Holtsville.

The town board voted 6-0 in favor of approving special permits and rezoning the site -- located just west of exit 62 of the Long Island Expressway -- to commercial recreation at a Tuesday hearing where community members voiced support for and concern over the plan.  Proponents cited Topgolf's entertainment value while nearby residents complained that noise and traffic will be a disruption that could devalue their homes, according to Newsday.

Topgolf facilities are similar in size and layout to standard driving ranges, but include high-tech features like microchipped golf balls and arcade-style target areas for computer-scored games and contests.  Much of the appeal centers around dining and lounge-style amenities, making Topgolf venues popular for nightlife and entertainment.  Climate-controlled hitting bays are rented by the hour and typically include televisions, WiFi and access to food and drinks.  Standard range features like lessons and clinics are also included.

Dallas-based Topgolf has been slowly moving into the Northeast in recent years, reaching as close to Long Island as Edison, New Jersey (pictured).  There are currently 36 venues around the country, plus more than a dozen under construction in and outside the United States.

Brookhaven Town has been active over the past year-plus in shaping the golf landscape in central Suffolk County.  In 2016 the town board approved zoning changes that paved the way for Shoreham Solar Commons to replace Tallgrass Golf Course.  Earlier this year, Brookhaven created a new zoning category called "golf course district" that is designed to protect existing courses from housing and other non-golf development.

[Photos courtesy of Topgolf]

Timber Point to close for winter on December 31

New Year's Eve is the last day to play at Timber Point Golf Course before the facility closes for winter hibernation.

The 27-hole Great River muni will shut down the Blue, Red and White courses for the season at the end of play on December 31.  Look for at least a partial reopening in early March, just in time for the course's annual St. Patrick's Day scramble.

Until then, read about Timber Point by checking out the Red, White and Blue flyovers.

Winter Golf on Long Island: 2017-18 Edition

If you have no problem spending an hour-plus in the clubhouse waiting out a frost delay, if you get excited for a sunny 45-degree weather forecast, and if your golf wardrobe includes multiple pairs of cold-weather golf gloves, chances are you're a seasoned Long Island winter golfer.

The majority of local golfers put the finishing touches on their playing season when tee times are only delayed by rain, but to the rest -- the frost-resistant -- a brisk January afternoon might as well be July 4th under the hot summer sun.  For them, the offseason months are worth the cold extremities and watery hot chocolates at the turn if it means wide-open fairways and greens at sharply reduced rates.  It's an ideal time to tune up on the course without pressure or introduce a youngster to on-course play.  And until the first major snow of the winter, there's typically little, if any, fall-off in ground conditions.

With a chilly forecast ahead, it's time to consider golf under the reign of Old Man Winter.  He's hard to predict from one season to the next, which is why we've been pelted with hail on one New Year's Eve afternoon at North Woodmere, and years later sat five groups deep at the first tee at Bethpage Yellow during a 65-degree heat wave on New Year's Day.  Every now and then the old man drops a holiday-season blizzard that puts the squash on much of the fun.

See also: Winter Golf on Long Island overview

All but a handful of Long Island's public courses keep the lights on through the winter, and since we consider golf a 12-month sport, Golf On Long Island attempts to accommodate the like-minded by posting available discount rates and specials through the offseason.  At some courses, winter rates can be as low as two bucks a hole.  Some include lunch.  Check back for updated specials throughout the winter.

For a full primer on offseason golf, check out the Winter Golf on Long Island page, which will feature some of this season's special rates in addition to offers from previous years.

Holiday Golf Gift: Signed copy of "Long Island Golf" for just $13.99

Have a friend or family member who loves Long Island golf, Long Island history, or both?  Signed copies of Images of America: Long Island Golf by Golf On Long Island's Phil Carlucci are available for only $13.99 through the end of the year!  Plus you can have it personalized for free by noting the recipient's name on your order.  Purchase your copy as soon as possible to ensure delivery before the holidays.

Long Island Golf is a photo-history book with 200+ images of public courses, private clubs, long-gone layouts and iconic golf figures from the 1890s through today.  For more on the book and to order your copy, visit the Long Island Golf book page, and be sure to check out book reviews in Newsday and the East Hampton Star.

Brentwood Country Club to close for the season December 17

The Town of Islip's municipal course at Brentwood Country Club will close for the 2017 season on Sunday, December 17.  As usual, the course is tentatively scheduled to reopen in mid-March.

Until Brentwood's closing date, golfers can take advantage of the end-of-season special valid there and at its sister course, Holbrook Country Club, which typically closes the same weekend, as well.

For more on Brentwood, check out the course flyover.