Golf on Long Island

Spring Lake taking entries for April match-play tournament

As if golfers weren't already looking ahead to The Masters, now those with a competitive edge can add some good, old-fashioned match play to their traditional season-opening weekend.

Spring Lake Golf Club in Middle Island is making plans for an inaugural match-play event that will play out over two weekends in early April.  The course's first-ever Fourball Championship will take place on the weekends of April 7-8 and April 14-15.  Two-player teams are guaranteed at least two competitive best-ball rounds.  Registration is $300 per team and open to all interested players.  The first 32 teams to register will make up the field.

A qualifying/seeding round is scheduled for 12 noon on Saturday, April 7, followed by the first round of match play on Sunday, April 8.  Semifinals and finals will tee off on April 14 and 15.  Prizes will be awarded to champions and runners-up in two flights.

To register, call the Spring Lake pro shop at (631) 924-5115.

Harbor Links, Sunken Meadow to host Drive, Chip & Putt qualifiers in July

There's a way for local junior golfers to not only tee it up on the legendary Augusta National Golf Course, but get some national TV air time as well, and it's not by finding a loophole into The Masters. 

Local qualifiers for the 2019 Drive, Chip and Putt Championship, a youth golf event made possible by the United States Golf Association, the PGA of America and the Masters Tournament, will tee off at 288 host sites around the country beginning this spring, giving boys and girls from age 7 to 15 the opportunity to compete for a spot in the finals at Augusta on the eve of the 2019 Masters.  Local Long Island qualifiers will be held in July at three facilities -- Harbor Links in Port Washington on July 6, Sunken Meadow State Park in Kings Park on July 26, and the private Colonial Springs Golf Club in Farmingdale on July 16.

The top performers at these local qualifiers will advance to a sub-regional competition at Bethpage State Park on August 16.  Regional competitions to determine the final 80 juniors advancing to Augusta will be announced later this year.

Participation in the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship is free.  Players accumulate points for performance in driving, chipping and putting challenges.  Registration for the upcoming qualifiers will open this week on Thursday, January 25.

Complete competition rules, eligibility requirements and scoring outlines are available at the Drive, Chip and Putt website.

2017-18 Winter Rates Roundup I

A few golf courses around Long Island have been eager to announce that they are open for play amid this winter's relentless chill (one NYC course even boasted it was open before the recent blizzard melted away), so clearly there are some devoted players interested in saving a few bucks on a sub-freezing round.

Golf On Long Island loves winter golf, and you should too, if only for the chance to play quality courses with limited crowds for a discount price.  Below is a sampling of this offseason's 18-hole rates at area courses.  For full details about rates and course conditions, contact the course pro shops or visit their websites.  Note that these do not represent discounted rates at all courses.

For offseason rates from previous years and a primer on winter golf in general, refer to Winter Golf on Long Island.

• Cherry Creek Links:  $30 to walk and $40 to ride on weekdays; $40 to walk, $50 to ride on weekends and holidays (subtract $10 on all rates after 12 noon)
• Rock Hill:  $32 to walk and $45 to ride on weekdays; $42 to walk, $55 to ride on weekends; after 2 p.m. weekdays, nine holes are $29 with cart ($39 on weekends)
• Spring Lake: $44 to walk, $51-56 to ride weekday mornings, $38/$46 in the afternoon; $52 to walk, $60 to ride weekends until 11 a.m., $38/$50 after

See also:
2017-18 Winter Rates Roundup II

Offseason maintenance at Bethpage includes tree work on Black #1

Just because Long Island is under attack from a winter "bomb cyclone" doesn't mean a housebound golfer can't envision his or her opening drive of the 2018 season.  And while they're shaping shots in their mind this offseason, local players might need to rethink their strategy if they plan to tee of on Bethpage Black.

Bethpage crews lifted and replaced five elm trees on Black's opening hole, transplanting them from the left side to the right just before the blizzard arrived in the area this week.  The change makes cutting the dogleg a tougher task.  This comes from Bethpage director of agronomy Andrew Wilson, who keeps golfers up to date on renovations at the park through his Twitter feed (@Greensideup17). 

Back in April, Wilson provided Golf On Long Island with a full overview of 2016-17 renovations at the park courses.  So far this fall and winter, maintenance crews have begun renovations of bunkers on the Black, Red and Green courses, as well as irrigation fixes and some green expansion.

View photos of the renovations on Twitter at @Greensideup17.  And be sure to look for a detailed overview of 2017-18 Bethpage course updates later this spring.