Golf on Long Island

The Rock Golf Club, formerly Great Rock, will reopen for play July 1

Finally, The Rock has come back to Wading River.

Excuse the early-2000s wrestling reference, but it works.  The Rock Golf Club, the rebranded and rejuvenated course formerly known as Great Rock, will reopen for play this Friday, July 1, after nearly three years out of Long Island's golf rotation.  The course will be open to the public with membership options available.

Golf director Bill Mackedon says the new vision at The Rock is an authentic member-for-a-day experience, one that elevates the 20-year-old course among the top daily-fee facilities on Long Island, if not the best.

"Our concept is a private-club atmosphere for the person who might only be able to get out and play a few times during the season, where everyone feels like they belong," Mackedon says.  "We have three strict rules -- play fast, have fun and be nice."

The Rock is emphasizing the "play fast" part of the house rules by spacing tee times at 12-minute intervals to ensure that rounds end up closer to a club-like four hours and 15 minutes, rather than the five-hour rounds typical of a crowded public or municipal course.  All players will have access to a variety of perks -- names on lockers, an "On The Rocks" member lounge and a welcome area with refreshments, to name a few. 

The modernized clubhouse includes a renovated pro shop where The Rock's new red, white and blue shield logo is prominently displayed on apparel and accessories.  Pulcinella's On The Green, a satellite location of Italian restaurant Pulcinella's of Massapequa, is set to offer casual on-site dining.

As for the course itself, players who recall Great Rock in its heyday will not find any differences in the routing.  Aside from a scheduled drainage project on #2, which will require reshaping the green, the layout of the course remains the same.  The massive namesake rock still stands tall and majestic as it overlooks the signature par-4 tenth.  Much of the focus since the course was sold to Chris Vene and Anthony Lomangino in spring 2021 has been on turf and soil health, and it's evident in the remarkable conditions of the fairways and rough.

"The course was closed for two years, but it's been neglected for six," Mackedon says.  "It's in fantastic shape now, and the greens are spectacular."

Crews at The Rock pruned close to 1,000 trees in an effort to improve air flow and reverse much of the ground-level damage that had set in over Great Rock's final seasons, which were filled with player complaints about deteriorating conditions, including overgrown fairways and weedy sand traps.  Off the fairway, much of the rough beneath the tree canopies had turned into rocky hardpan, according to Mackedon.

The only part of the facility that won't be up and running on day one is the driving range, which is expected to open around Labor Day.  New synthetic pads were recently installed, and the range will feature grass tees available for use on weekends.  Range access will be included in The Rock's $75 green fee.

Great Rock opened for play in 2001, part of the turn-of-the-millennium building wave that included Tallgrass, Long Island National and others.  The course became well known for its lightning-fast greens and unique hilly setting on Suffolk's north shore.  After a brief closure and sale in 2014, the club invested heavily in a new restaurant, but eventually players began to gripe about course conditions.  During the 2019 season, players flooded golf-review sites and other forums with descriptions of a course that was essentially left to nature.  The course abruptly closed that fall and never reopened.

Players can find more information at The Rock's new website.

Bethpage, Montauk Downs represent Long Island in Golfweek's 2022 list of best public courses

Like a rush on tee times at Bethpage and Montauk Downs, you can always count on the two state-park facilities finding their way onto Golfweek's annual list of top public golf courses.

Golfweek released its 2022 Best Courses You Can Play list earlier this month, a collection of rankings highlighting the elite publicly accessible courses in all 50 states.  On the New York list, the Long Island contingent offered no surprises.

Bethpage Black, Bethpage Red and Montauk Downs once again represent Long Island in Golfweek's annual ranking.  The Black Course, as usual, is in the top spot, followed later in the top 10 by its state-park brethren.  Montauk Downs jumped up to #6 -- its highest ranking that we can recall -- and vaulted one spot ahead of the Red at #7.

For many years, Golfweek included a fourth Long Island course on its Best You Can Play list -- Tallgrass Golf Course in Shoreham.  But Tallgrass is gone, and the only other course of local interest is the high-end NYC muni Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point, again ranked #2 in the state.

Bethpage Black also placed #27 in Golfweek's ranking of the Top 200 Classic Courses built prior to 1960.  The list serves as a reminder of the incredible depth of Long Island's classic-course selection, with 15 courses and clubs making the cut, including three -- Shinnecock Hills, National Golf Links and Fishers Island -- in the top 10.  

For more on the three Long Island publics, including a Closer Look breakdown of Red #13 (and Tallgrass #8, just for old time's sake), check out the course flyovers via the above links.

Great Rock's 2022 reopening delayed until summer

The long-rumored reopening of Great Rock Golf Club in Wading River is delayed until later this summer, possibly around the July 4 holiday.  Great Rock has been closed since late 2019 and was sold to a new local ownership group in spring 2021.

This latest projection follows earlier indications that the course was on track to reopen by Memorial Day.  But the holiday came and passed, and the facility is still not prepared to welcome golfers back to play the hilly par-71, best known for its fast greens.  The course itself appears to be ready for play, though the driving range remains in disrepair, and other work around the clubhouse is still ongoing.

One sign of progress is the announcement of a dining partner at the facility.  Pulcinella's of Massapequa will open Pulcinella's On the Green in the space previously occupied by Blackwells and Pure North Fork.  A restaurant staffer said they hope to open by mid-July.

There are also rumors that the course will be renamed The Rock, though this has not been confirmed.  The course was originally named for the giant boulder unearthed during construction, which now sits next to #10 green.

Great Rock abruptly closed in fall 2019, capping a season in which players complained of deteriorating course conditions and signs of neglect.  Local owners Chris Vene and Anthony Lomangino purchased the course in May 2021, according to the Riverhead News-Review.  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.  He told the News-Review that one of his goals is to provide Great Rock's players with a "member for the day" experience.

[Pictured: Great Rock clubhouse in June 2022.]

New York's first X-Golf indoor facility set to open in Commack next week

Last fall Geoffrey Schwartz led a tour through an empty, white-walled shell deep inside a Commack strip mall, pointing to where he planned to set up golf simulators, a full bar and a mezzanine for events.  Six months and a full transformation later, the space -- previously part of a closed Toys 'R' Us -- is filled with two rows of hitting bays, clusters of cozy lounge furniture and the high hopes of Long Island's latest cutting-edge addition to the local golf scene.  X-Golf Commack, the first New York location for the California-based franchise, will officially open to Long Island golfers next week.

Its arrival follows other combined-experience golf venues that have debuted on Long Island in the past year, most notably Topgolf in Holtsville last summer.  Birdies, a golf and cocktail bar in Patchogue, opened in February.  X-Golf's appeal is in its state-of-the-art simulator technology, which features advanced innovations like automated ball retrieval, personalized tee heights and adjustable ground slope.

The Commack location has nine bays, including one exclusively for lessons and two for private parties.  But what sets his venue apart, Schwartz says, is the VIP-style treatment players can expect when they step inside.

"We want everyone to feel welcome when they come in," Schwartz says.  "They'll check in at the pro shop, leave their bag and have a drink at the bar or sit and relax.  We'll set up their bags for them so they're ready to warm up and start playing."

Unlike in other simulators, players are free to admire their shots without having to chase their ball and re-tee for themselves or a playing partner.  X-Golf's retrieval system does the work -- balls funnel into a slot in front of the tee while a new one pops up at the kick of a button.  Tees automatically adjust to each player's preferred height, and when part of a league, player preferences and handicaps are maintained in the X-Golf system.

The biggest game-changer, Schwartz says, is X-Golf's superior short-game technology.  Sensors around the tee pick up ball path and speed and translate chips and putts onto the virtual green with unprecedented accuracy.  "Putting is usually an afterthought in most simulators," Schwartz says.  "But nobody playing in a league wants to just guess at how to putt and take gimmes from eight feet."

X-Golf's network of 50-plus locations around the country (and growing, including a Westbury venue due to open later this year) allows local players to participate in national and regional competitions and tournaments, in addition to in-house leagues.  Paige Spiranac is the company's most notable brand ambassador, though a hefty appearance fee might prevent a visit to Commack in the near future.  ("Maybe one day," Schwartz says.)

Phil Barnhart, previously the pro at Willow Creek in Mount Sinai, will be on site for lessons and instruction.

Outside the hitting bays, a U-shaped bar will turn out beer, cocktails and small bites like wings, wraps and chicken fingers.  A second-level mezzanine offers lounge space and a private room for corporate meetings and events.  To reach it all, visitors first walk down a lengthy corridor lined with photos of famous players and murals depicting courses from around the world.  Even before its official opening, the long hallway has drawn curious strip-mall shoppers given X-Golf's convenient location amid heavy foot traffic from the adjacent Whole Foods, Harbor Freight and Five Below.

Hourly rates range from $49 on weekday mornings and early afternoons to $69 on weekends. A full 18-hole round takes about 45 minutes to an hour per player.  The list of nearly 50 courses -- with more to come -- includes a selection of highly regarded American classics (yes, Bethpage Black is there) and several lesser-known Asian layouts.

Reservations can be made at the X-Golf Commack website.  Follow X-Golf's website and social media accounts for information about an official grand-opening date.

Long Island Golf Junkies holding June Social outing on June 20

The Long Island Golf Junkies players group, one of the largest and most active groups in the region, will hold its second golf outing of the season on Monday, June 20 at The Hamlet Golf and Country Club in Commack.  The "June Social" tees off at 11:00 a.m. and is open to all local players.

Entry fee is $130 per golfer and covers 18 holes with cart, plus range balls and LIGJ t-shirts.  Spots can be reserved for singles and groups at the LIGJ website.  It is an individual stroke play event with contests for closest to the pin and longest drive.  Visit the LIGJ website for full registration details.

The Hamlet is a private club designed by Stephen Kay.  Like Kay's other designs/redesigns at Willow Creek and Wind Watch, Hamlet is heavy on sand traps, and water comes into play on a half-dozen holes.  Kay's work on the Island also includes restorations and renovations at prestigious clubs like Seawane and Cherry Valley, among others.

LIGJ hosts several formal outings, casual rounds and social meet-ups each season at both public courses and private clubs.  Interested local golfers can become members via the Long Island Golf Junkies Facebook group.