Golf on Long Island

2019 public golf course reopenings on Long Island

We're almost out of the winter free of blizzards, clear of long blocks of time with closed courses.  Offseason golfers have had plenty of days to tee it up while the rest stay put until spring.

Well, spring now appears on the horizon, and with March about to arrive, it's reopening season on Long Island.  The big reopening story in 2019, of course, is Bethpage State Park, which is hosting the PGA Championship in May.  That's great news for fans of professional golf's major tournaments, but a buzzkill for locals who'd rather have the Bethpage courses to themselves come spring.  There will be more on the reopening plan at Bethpage as the spring draws closer.

As for the rest, it's mostly reopen-for-business as usual.  Long Island's seasonal golf courses get back up to speed from mid-March through early April.  By the time The Masters whets everyone's golf appetite, most if not all area courses are typically open for play.

The following is a list of tentative 2019 opening dates for Long Island's seasonal golf courses.  (Year-round courses remain open as the weather allows and are not included in this list.)  Courses will be added or updated as information becomes available.  Be sure to check back through February and March for the latest info.

*All dates listed below are subject to change.  Call the courses directly for updated dates and times.

GOLF COURSE REOPENINGS:

• West Sayville -- March 12
• Timber Point -- March 15
• Bergen Point -- March 15
• Indian Island -- March 15
• Christopher Morley Park -- OPEN
• Bethpage Green -- March 16
• Bethpage Yellow -- March 16 (nine holes only)
• Brentwood CC -- March 16 
  
• Holbrook CC -- March 16
• Woods Course at Cherry Creek -- March 20
• Harbor Links - Championship/Executive -- March 23
• Bethpage Red -- March 29
• Glen Cove -- OPEN
• Island's End -- OPEN
• Town of Oyster Bay GC -- April 2
• The Golf Club at Middle Bay -- OPEN
• Poxabogue -- OPEN
• Bethpage Black -- April 13 (restricted play) / May 25 (normal play)
• Eisenhower Red -- April 13
• Bay Park -- April 15

[This post was updated on April 9, 2019.]

Early Bird discount available for 2019 Free Golf Program

Golfing Magazine's annual Free Golf Program is open for registration, and if it's still too cold for most players to hit the fairways, then it means the mag's Early Bird discount is available.  From now through April, Long Island golfers who take part in the program can save even more on heavily discounted green fees.

Participants in the Free Golf Program receive a one-year subscription to the Hicksville-based magazine, as well as a certificate that entitles holders to discount golf at nearly a dozen Long Island courses, for $49.  Early Bird subscribers get in on the deal for just $39.

The 2018 program included nine courses -- Brentwood Country Club, Cherry Creek's Woods Course, Gull Haven, Holbrook Country Club, Island's End, Middle Bay, Mill Pond, Rolling Oaks and the Executive Course at Harbor Links.  In past seasons, the program has also included free sessions at indoor golf facilities.

Once the courses for the 2019 program are set, a certificate is sent to each subscriber, valid for a single use at each of the participating facilities.  Only a cart fee is due on the day of play (other restrictions on dates and tee times may apply). 

The certificate also gives subscribers the opportunity to sample golf courses around the Northeast.  It is valid at dozens of courses across upstate New York and New England.  A full list of courses on and off Long Island will be available when the program officially tees off in May.  Certificates are valid until the end of the year.

Visit the Golfing Magazine website or call (516) 822-5446 to sign up.