Golf on Long Island

2024 closing dates at Long Island's public golf courses

The handful of public golf courses that close for the Long Island winter typically go dark between the end of Thanksgiving weekend and the middle of December.  Some might hang on until Christmas week if warm weather lingers, but usually the only courses still open by then are the ones that welcome players year-round.

So, with that said, now's the time to get in the final swings on Long Island's seasonal golf courses, otherwise your next tee times at places like Eisenhower Red and Timber Point will be in early spring.  With the exception of Bethpage Red and Black, all of the Island's seasonal courses reopen by the end of March.

The following golf courses will close for the 2024 season in the coming weeks:

• Bethpage Red – December 1
• Bethpage Green – December 1
• Bergen Point – December 1
• West Sayville – December 1
• Middle Bay – December 1
• Eisenhower Red – December 8
• Holbrook Country Club – December 15
• Brentwood Country Club – December 15
• Timber Point – December 15
• Sandy Pond – December 31
• Cherry Creek - Woods Course – TBD/mid-December
• Sumpwams Creek – TBD/mid-December
• Bay Park – TBD/mid-December
• Harbor Links – TBD/mid-December
  
• Christopher Morley Park -- TBD

Some courses have already closed for 2024, including:

• Bethpage Black

Check back daily as other courses are added.  And for more information on Long Island's winter season, stay tuned for our annual Winter Golf On Long Island primer.

Newsday: Kelley Brooke to become new course operator at Harbor Links

Harbor Links Golf Course, a municipal golf facility owned by the Town of North Hempstead, will be operated by Brooke Holdings LLC starting in 2025, according to a Newsday report.  Brooke Holdings LLC is owned by golf professional Kelley Brooke, who also operates the pro shops and instructional programs at several New York State and Town of Hempstead golf courses, including Bethpage State Park.

The agreement between North Hempstead and Brooke Holdings includes a 20-year contract and an expected $18 million in rent and revenue, reported Newsday's Joshua Needelman.  The current contract with longtime operator Century Golf Partners will expire on December 31.  North Hempstead's Town Board voted 4–3 in favor of the new agreement.

Brooke, the 2018 LPGA Professional of the Year and longtime contributor to The Golf Channel, has managed golf facilities across New York City and Long Island since the 1990s.  In 2018 she took over operations of the pro shop and instruction at Bethpage State Park and immediately bolstered the facility's social media presence and marketing reach, then later became operator at Montauk Downs.  Earlier this year Brooke began a 10-year contract with the Town of Hempstead to operate and rebrand the Lido and Merrick Road Park golf courses.  Instructional programs at all four facilities are now marketed under the Golf Channel Academy with Kelley Brooke umbrella.

Harbor Links has been a fixture in Port Washington since its opening in a reclaimed sand mine in 1998.  The 27-hole facility hosts a highly popular series of youth and adult instructional programs.  There is no word yet on Brooke's plans for instruction or marketing at the course.

2024 Thanksgiving golf outings at Long Island courses

For the many Long Island golfers who do not play golf year-round, there is usually a distinct point where the golf season comes to an end.  Some might call it a year at Halloween, others Thanksgiving.  Some might end it the first time they put the heat on at home, others might end it at the year's first frost delay.

Only one of those particular times, however, comes with a slate of golf outings and events.

Local players consider Thanksgiving morning the border between fall golf and winter golf, and they celebrate the transition by layering up and hacking around a local scramble.  Conditions are often dicey, but with the winter playing season only one blizzard away from getting wiped off the calendar, a brief November chill is tolerable.

Golf On Long Island will update the 2024 Thanksgiving slate of scrambles and shotgun starts as information is made available.  All Thanksgiving outings are designed to get you home at a reasonable time for family and football.  Listed below are many of this year's special holiday events (all are on Thanksgiving, November 28, unless otherwise noted).  These outings tend to sell out very quickly, so it's best to book early.

Cherry Creek is offering 18 holes on the Links Course with cart, range balls, hot breakfast, raffles and on-course contests for $79 per player.  Shotgun tee time is 8:30 a.m.  Call (631) 369-6500 to register.

Crab Meadow is hosting a Turkey Trot that includes cart, range balls, breakfast, food and beer.  Call the pro shop at (631) 757-8800 to register.

Harbor Links will host its 18th 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 $75 for Town of North Hempstead residents; $85 for non-residents.  Call (516) 767-4816 to sign up.

Middle Island Country Club will tee off with a holiday shotgun start.  Call (631) 924-3000 for details and reservations.

Mill Pond (pictured) will host its 17th annual Thanksgiving Turkey Shootout.  Format is four-person team scramble.  The event always sells out fast; book in person or by calling (631) 732-8249.

Pine Hills Golf & Country Club continues its tradition of hosting a holiday outing on Black Friday (November 29).  This year's event includes cart, range and prizes for $85.  Shotgun start is 9:30 a.m.  Call (631) 878-7103 or visit the pro shop to sign up.  Part of each outing fee benefits Toys for Tots.

Spring Lake Golf Club will host its annual Thanksgiving Day Shotgun, which includes breakfast and 18 holes.  Tee time is 8:00 a.m.  Cost is $80 per player due at registration.  Call (631) 924-5115 for a spot.

Swan Lake's holiday outing begins with 7:00 a.m. breakfast and an 8:30 shotgun start.  Beverages and BBQ will be available until 1:00.  Entry fee is $70 and covers golf and cart only (food and drinks not included in fee).  Call (631) 369-1818 to sign up.

Check back through November for updated information.