Golf on Long Island

New owners preparing to reopen Great Rock Golf Club in Wading River

A new ownership group that includes a part-owner of two Riverhead-area golf clubs is preparing to resurrect the dormant Great Rock Golf Club in Wading River, according to an article published last week in the Riverhead News-Review.

The sale to Chris Vene and Anthony Lomangino was expected to close this past week on May 27, wrote the News-Review's Tim Gannon.  Vene has an ownership stake in the nearby Baiting Hollow Golf Club in Baiting Hollow and The Vineyards Golf Club in Riverhead, as well as a golf course maintenance company that would service Great Rock.

Vene told the News-Review that a priority of the reopened golf course would be providing a "member for the day" experience.

[Vene] said some people might not play that often or might not be able to afford membership costs at other clubs. 

“So you go to Great Rock and you’re a member for the day,” he said. “You have a great facility, and you have access to the locker room, the sauna, the showers, the driving range. You can hit as many balls as you want and then, hopefully, get a great meal at the restaurant.”

As for who will operate the restaurant, Mr. Vene said, “We’re working on it,” adding that he has interviewed “multiple local restaurateurs.” -- Tim Gannon, Riverhead News-Review, 5/18/2021

Great Rock abruptly closed in October 2019 amid rumors of a sale, some naming Vene as a potential buyer.  The closure capped an abbreviated season filled with player complaints about course conditions, lack of maintenance and limited facilities.  The course immediately began promoting its 2020 season, though the course never reopened.

Last month, Great Rock dropped vague clues of a potential return on its Facebook page.

Vene, who lives near the course, said he plans to meet with neighbors after the sale to discuss their concerns.  One long-standing issue has been noise from weddings and other events held in the club's temporary outdoor tent, though Great Rock was granted town approval last year to expand its clubhouse.

A golf course reopening date is not available at the moment.  Stay tuned to Golf On Long Island this spring and summer for updates on the course.

Harbor Links, Sunken Meadow to host 2021 Drive, Chip & Putt local qualifiers

Long Island junior golfers with an eye on competing at Augusta National can start the journey to Georgia today by registering for local qualifying rounds of the annual Drive, Chip & Putt Championship, to be held this summer at three area golf courses.

Qualifying rounds for the 2021-22 Drive, Chip & Putt Championship will be held in July at Harbor Links in Port Washington (July 7), Sunken Meadow State Park in Kings Park (July 19) and the private Colonial Springs Golf Club in Farmingdale (July 20).  The event, which is made possible by the United States Golf Association, the PGA of America and the Masters Tournament, is open to boys and girls from age 7 to 15.  It gives juniors in all 50 states the opportunity to qualify at local courses and compete for a chance to play in a televised championship at Augusta National on the eve of The Masters.

Top performers at the Long Island qualifiers will advance to the sub-regional round, scheduled for August 22 at the Town of Colonie Golf Course near Albany.  The eighty open spots at the Augusta championship -- 40 boys and 40 girls -- will then be determined at regional finals.

Participation in the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship is free.  Players accumulate points for performance in driving, chipping and putting challenges.  Complete competition rules, eligibility requirements and scoring outlines are available at the Drive, Chip & Putt website.

Bethpage modifies tee-time policy amid "unprecedented demand" for reservations

Bethpage State Park is updating its tee-time policy starting next week in order to address the "supply and demand" issue that has escalated since the start of the pandemic last spring.  Golfers in the online reservation queue typically outnumber available tee times by hundreds on a daily basis, according to the park.

According to a notice distributed by the park this weekend, Bethpage will limit tee-time account holders to four reservations per week on the Red, Blue, Green and Yellow courses, and extend the cancellation window for all courses from six hours to 12, in an attempt to make tee times available to more golfers.  Changes will go into effect on Sunday, May 23.

The Black Course policy of one reservation every 28 days will not change.

"It's simply an issue of supply and demand," according to the park notice.  "Way more golfers available to play and no way to increase the number of available reserved times without compromising course conditions and/or pace of play."  The park says nearly 500 people log on to the online system each night to book fewer than 200 tee times per day for the following week.

Total rounds at Bethpage increased over the previous year by nearly 25,000 in spring/summer 2020 despite intermittent closures at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.  Rounds at all Long Island state parks jumped by more than 40,000 in the same time frame.

Tee times are made available through the NYS Parks online portal.  Golfers register on the site and can book tee times at any state park, subject to residency restrictions and current tee-time policies.  For more information, visit NYS Parks.

Nine & Dine Special this week at Pine Hills

With coronavirus restrictions loosening around the state, you can expect to see a return to outings, food-and-golf specials and more at area golf courses.  Pine Hills in Manorville is offering a Nine and Dine outing this Wednesday, May 19 with tee times scheduled between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m.

Nine holes with cart followed by a chicken, filet mignon or skirt steak dinner is $70 per person.  Reservations can be made through the Pine Hills pro shop.  Call (631) 878-7103 or stop by the Manorville course.

Pine Hills is a driver-friendly course and one of a small handful of Long Island publics to measure more than 7,000 yards from the tips.  For more on Pine Hills, check out the course flyover.

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Topgolf Long Island moving quickly toward possible August opening

The nets are up at Topgolf Long Island, and the company's familiar graphics adorn the building's facade.  New York's first location of the nationwide golf and entertainment chain is starting to resemble the new-age driving range local golfers have been waiting for, looking down over the Long Island Expressway in Holtsville.

After years of speculation followed by Covid-era delays, Topgolf Long Island is entering the stretch run, and the finish line, according to Brookhaven Town Councilman Kevin LaValle, is a summer 2021 debut.  In recent weeks, construction crews put the range netting in place, prepped the ground for Topgolf's targets and gadgetry, and paved access roads and parking areas along the LIE's north service road.  LaValle says the company is likely shooting for an August opening, if not sooner given how quickly construction has progressed.

"There is so much excitement for this project," LaValle says.  "Every day I have people asking me about Topgolf."

The councilman is planning a walk-through of the facility in June once crews build out the interior of the building.  By then, LaValle expects Topgolf to begin filling the 500 jobs the company projected to bring to Suffolk County in its initial announcement.  "They'll need to begin hiring soon so that their employees are trained and prepared for an opening this summer," he says.

The triple-tiered Holtsville range will offer 102 climate-controlled hitting bays with TVs, food/drink service and WiFi, as well as live music, year-round events, golf instruction and dining, in addition to the innovative, arcade-style targets and gaming features that Topgolf facilities are known for.  It will also include private rooms for corporate events and parties.

SEE ALSO:
Progress at Topgolf site ahead of projected summer 2021 opening
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