Golf on Long Island

Progress at Topgolf site ahead of projected summer 2021 opening

There is activity at the future Holtsville home of New York's first Topgolf venue, which is on schedule to make its long-awaited debut this summer, Brookhaven Councilman Kevin LaValle told Golf On Long Island on Thursday.

LaValle confirmed that Topgolf Long Island remains on track to open "in the third quarter" of 2021, likely around August. 

When complete, the triple-tiered Topgolf complex -- located along the Long Island Expressway's north service road near exit 62 -- will feature 102 hitting bays along with professional instruction, live-music events and dining.  Construction crews have been working on the interior of the facility during the winter months.

"There's a lot of excitement about this project," said LaValle, who plans to take a tour of the facility sometime this spring.  "People are constantly coming up to me asking, 'What's going on with Topgolf?'"

That's been a popular question among local golfers over several years of rumors and government approvals, and the answer seemed to come just about a year ago when Topgolf announced an early 2021 opening for the Long Island venue.  Just weeks later, the coronavirus pandemic halted business and construction projects in New York State.  The skeletal structure completed to that point stood untouched for the rest of the year.  In October, LaValle told GOLI that construction would likely resume in early 2021 to line up with a pushed-back summer opening. 

Mixing elements of a high-energy sports bar and grill with a modern driving range, Topgolf facilities allow players to hit microchipped golf balls toward arcade-style target areas for computer-scored games and contests.  Climate-controlled hitting bays are rented by the hour and typically include televisions, WiFi and access to food and drinks. 

The Long Island facility will bring 500 jobs to central Suffolk County, according to a Topgolf press release.

SEE ALSO:
Topgolf Long Island opening now expected for summer 2021
Long Island Topgolf taking shape in Holtsville
A New Decade of Long Island Golf, Part 1 -- A Changed Landscape, On and Off the Course
Topgolf inches closer to to first Long Island location with latest board approval

Bethpage opening and spring aeration dates

Bethpage State Park has announced spring aeration dates for its four non-Black golf courses in late April and early May.  The aeration schedule is as follows:

Blue Course:  April 26-27
Red Course:  April 28-29
Yellow Course:  May 3-4
Green Course:  May 5-6

Also announced, the Green Course will reopen for play on Saturday, March 20.  Blue and Yellow, which both remain open year-round, will reopen for play as soon as snow melt and drainage allow.

Bethpage Red typically opens for the new season around April 1, followed by the Black Course around April 15.  Check GOLI's course reopening page for the latest updates.

2021 golf course reopen dates on Long Island

Every couple of seasons, Old Man Winter takes his frustration out on Long Island golfers, blanketing area golf courses with snow and ice, then blowing in a chill that freezes all that sloppy gray in place.  The 2020-21 winter golf season has been a bust, and it doesn't appear it will turn around anytime soon.

The good news -- if you squint hard enough, as in really hard, you can kind of see the first blurry signs of the 2021 season way up there on the horizon.

By the middle of March, Long Island's seasonal golf courses begin to shake off the winter freeze and welcome players back to the first tee.  Reopenings trickle in from the lead-up to St. Patrick's Day through early April; Bethpage Black is typically the last course to get back to business by Tax Day.

The following is a list of tentative 2021 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.)  Given last year's golf boom and this year's housebound winter, these could be the busiest reopening dates in recent memory.  Courses will be added or updated as information becomes available.  Be sure to check back through March for the latest info.

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

2021 GOLF COURSE REOPENINGS:

• Town of Oyster Bay GC -- March 1
• Timber Point -- March 12
  
• West Sayville -- March 12
• Brentwood CC -- March 13
  
• Holbrook CC -- March 13
  
• Woods Course at Cherry Creek -- March 12
• Bergen Point -- March 19
• Harbor Links - Championship/Executive -- March 20
• Bethpage Green -- March 20
• The Golf Club at Middle Bay -- April 1
• Bethpage Red -- April 1
• Eisenhower Red -- April 8 (approx.)
• Bethpage Black -- April 15

The following courses typically reopen in mid- to late March:

• Christopher Morley Park

The following courses typically reopen in April:

• Bay Park 

[This post was updated on March 28, 2021.]