Two years into its rebrand in Riverhead, Sandy Pond Links continues to spruce up its nine holes on Roanoke Avenue all while it cuts the ribbon on a newer and much shorter 18 right next door.
The first of two planned attractions at Sandy Pond made its debut last week, a state-of-the-art miniature golf course complete with in-play waterworks, a snack bar and a locally brewed house beer. Sandy Pond's new clubhouse, the second development in the works on the north end of the property, is tentatively scheduled for a 2026 grand opening.
On the course, crews remain busy installing new irrigation and refurbishing Sandy Pond's nine greens. When new ownership took over during the 2022-23 offseason, much of their focus was on restoring the greens to their original size. Time and maintenance changes had reduced the greens to small, circular targets, far from what co-owner Brian Stark recalled from his early days living near and working on the course. "You can still see areas where the contours were lost, and how the greens have shrunk significantly over time," Stark told Golf On Long Island in 2023. "They used to have more character and pin positions."
The most startling change at the moment is the rerouting of the course to accommodate the new starter's booth, currently housed at the mini-golf course until it's eventually relocated to the clubhouse. Players now start on the former ninth hole, continue to the old opener and finish on what had long been #8. Along the way they'll pass the landmark red shack, which will likely stay in place. Players will also have access to a patio near the first tee that's lined with Adirondack chairs, yard games and even a mini version of the iconic Big Duck down the road in Flanders. The snack bar is stocked with a house IPA from Riverhead's Long Ireland Brewery, and cupholders built into each mini-golf hole sign serve as handy beer caddies.
Co-owner Earl Truland says the mini-golf 18 will be a family-friendly destination that doubles as a community gathering spot and a vehicle for revenue to cover upgrades on the par-3 course. The mini golf includes uphill and downhill holes and a series of waterfalls, one of which flows into an in-play stream that carries balls under a bridge and onto the tenth green.
"We've had people tell us they'd love to play mini golf while they wait to tee off," Truland says. "Now instead of passing by when we have leagues on Wednesday mornings, they can come in and spend time here before they play."
Plans for Sandy Pond's future clubhouse include a simulator room, a small bar and food service, Truland says. The structure still needs approval form the Town of Riverhead, and ownership hopes to break ground by spring 2025.
For more on the planned changes at Sandy Pond Links, see this post from January 2023.
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