Golf on Long Island

Bethpage Black to close November 15, Red and Green at end of month

Daylight is becoming scarce as the calendar turns to November, and so are tee times at Bethpage Black.  The course is set to close for the 2021 season at the end of play on Monday, November 15.  That gives local and visiting players just over two weeks to find an available spot on the famed muni.

There's a bit more time to get out this year on the Red and Green courses, but not too much.  Both will close at the end of play on Sunday, November 28.  Once December arrives, Blue and Yellow will remain as the year-round options for Bethpage golf as weather permits.

In 2020, Bethpage decided to keep the Black Course open for an extra week thanks to favorable November weather, so fans hoping for bonus golf should start rooting for sunny skies and warm temps.  If the weather fails to cooperate, look for the Black to reopen at its usual time in mid April.

Call the park at (516) 249-0700 for updates on course availability during the offseason.

Thanksgiving-themed golf events on the schedule around Long Island

Everyone knows Thanksgiving as the time to gather with family and friends around a holiday feast.  Not many associate it with frozen tee boxes and hand warmers.

But a small subset of local golfers do know that Thanksgiving is just as much a day to watch bad Detroit Lions football as it is to play decent early-morning golf as part of holiday-themed outings planned around Long Island.  Thanksgiving is essentially "last call" for Long Island golf before winter players embark on an offseason of frost delays and icy hazards.  Golf comes with all the trimmings on Thanksgiving -- tournaments, prizes, occasional open bars and sometimes an actual turkey.   

Golf On Long Island will update the 2021 Thanksgiving slate of scrambles and shotgun starts as information is made available.  All outings are designed to get you home to the family with enough time to carve the turkey.  Listed below are some of this year's outings, with more to follow (all outings are on Thanksgiving, November 25, unless otherwise noted).  These outings tend to fill up quickly, so it's best to book early.

Brentwood Country Club, as usual, is among the earliest risers on Thanksgiving morning.  Shotgun tee time is scheduled for 7:30 a.m.  Rate is $50 for 18 holes and cart.  Given the early start, Brentwood will cut the outing to nine holes in the event of a lengthy frost delay (with reduced green fee).  Call (631) 436-6060 to reserve a spot.

Cherry Creek is offering 18 holes on the Links Course with cart, range balls, hot breakfast, raffles and contests for $65 per player.  Shotgun tee time is 8:30 a.m.  Call (631) 369-6500 to register.

Harbor Links will host its 15th annual holiday Turkey Shoot.  Registration and breakfast begin at 8:00 a.m., followed by a 9:00 shotgun tee time.  Golf, cart and breakfast are $65 for Town of North Hempstead residents; $75 for non-residents.  Call (516) 767-4816.

Island's End's holiday begins with a 9:00 a.m. shotgun start.  $65 per player.  Call the course at (631) 477-0777 or e-mail [email protected] to register.

Mill Pond (pictured) will host its annual Thanksgiving Turkey Shootout, teeing off at 8:00 a.m.  Format is four-person team scramble, and the $74 entry fee includes cart, range balls, hot breakfast and a post-round drink.  The event almost always sells out fast; book by calling (631) 732-8249.

Pine Hills Golf & Country Club saves its annual holiday outing for Black Friday, November 26.  The $75 entry fee includes cart, range and raffles, plus prizes for the top teams.  This year $10 of each entry fee will be donated to Toys For Tots.  Call (631) 878-7103 to sign up.

Spring Lake Golf Club will host its annual Turkey Shotgun, which includes breakfast and 18 holes.  Tee time is 8:00 a.m.  Cost is $65 per player.  Call (631) 924-5115 for a spot.

Swan Lake's holiday outing begins with 7:30 a.m. breakfast and an 8:30 shotgun start.  Beverages and BBQ will be available until 1:00.  Entry fee is $60; call (631) 369-1818 to sign up.

Timber Point is bringing back its holiday 9-hole scramble, set to tee off at 9:00 a.m.  Pro shop gift cards will be awarded to the top team and winners of on-course contests.  Format is four-person scramble, $55 per player.  Sign up at the Timber Point website.

Willow Creek's shotgun start is scheduled for 8:30 a.m.  The $69 entry fee includes golf and cart.  Call (631) 474-9200 to register.

Wind Watch is hosting a holiday shotgun scheduled to tee off at 9:00.  Golf and cart are $69 per player.  Call (631) 232-9850 to register.

Check back through November for updated information.

End-of-season scramble on tap at Island's End in November

November is cool-weather scramble season on Long Island, highlighted by the cornucopia of turkey-themed team events that are scheduled around Thanksgiving (more on those to come next week).  A little short of Thanksgiving week, Island's End will host a scramble of its own as it draws the 2021 season to a close.

The Greenport course's end-of-season outing, a two-person scramble, will tee off with a 9:00 a.m. shotgun start on Sunday, November 14.  Entry fee is $250 per team.  Breakfast, buffet lunch and cocktails are included.  Teams can register by calling the Island's End pro shop at (631) 477-0777.

Island's End is the easternmost golf course on the North Fork and features one of the region's most scenic par-3s.  The course weaves through a variety of parkland-style holes before stepping up onto a bluff at the par-3 16th, which overlooks Long Island Sound to its right. 

For more on Island's End, check out the course flyover.

Willow Creek to host charity scramble benefiting Stony Brook Children's Hospital

Willow Creek Golf and Country Club in Mount Sinai will host its annual Charity Classic on Friday, November 19, a nine-hole outing to benefit nearby Stony Brook Children's Hospital.  Format for the event is two-person scramble.

Entry fee is $100 per team, which covers green fees, motor cart and range balls, along with food, drinks and prizes.  Shotgun tee time is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.  Space is limited, and teams can register online at Willow Creek's tournament page.

Willow Creek is a 2005 Stephen Kay course known for fast greens, intrusive water hazards and nearly 100 sand traps ranging from pot bunkers to large, lobed pits.  For more on the Mount Sinai layout, check out the course flyover.