Golf on Long Island

Bethpage adjusts tee-time policies in attempt to combat automated bot reservations

Starting May 1, Bethpage State Park will implement several new policy measures that officials hope will discourage users from utilizing automated methods to gain unfair access to tee times. 

The park announced this weekend that the $5 online reservation fee normally collected at check-in will instead be charged as a booking fee and collected at the time of reservation.  The fee, which is charged per person, is non-refundable.  In the event the course is closed on the date of play, the booking fee will be credited to the player's account and available for future use.

Tee times must be canceled 48 hours prior to play — the $15 no-show fee remains in place and must be cleared before making future reservations.  Players must check in 45 minutes prior to tee time or they will be considered a no-show.  The number of allowable monthly cancellations will be reduced from eight to six under the new measures.

"We understand the challenges created by the high demand at Bethpage and are working with our reservation system provider, foreUP, to implement new tools to help prevent potential unfair access to tee times through automation," the park stated in its announcement.

The presence of automated bots and third-party tee-time resellers hoarding reservations via the park's online reservation system (and, previously, the park's phone system) gained nationwide attention this winter when No Laying Up's Kevin Van Valkenburg aired an investigative podcast about Bethpage tee times.  The podcast featured a local player who acquired reservation data from New York State through a FOIL (Freedom of Information Law) request and was able to successfully purchase a Black Course tee time from a third-party seller using an out-of-state account. 

Van Valkenburg also interviewed an engineer who described his creation of a bot to purchase tee times.  The reason automation is successful, he said, is because there is no penalty for cancellation.  

Under the new measures, a reserved foursome will be charged $20 at booking, and the fee is non-refundable if canceled or modified.

Meet Marty Lyons, Art Shamsky at Last Chance Animal Rescue Golf Outing on July 31

Last Chance Animal Rescue will hold its 11th annual golf outing on Thursday, July 31 at Stonebridge Golf Links in Smithtown.  All proceeds from the event benefit the non-profit organization's efforts to rescue animals from inhumane kill shelters and relocate them to safe facilities and foster homes.

Former New York Jets defensive lineman Marty Lyons and New York Mets 1969 World Series champion Art Shamsky will be on hand for a meet and greet with outing players.  The Last Chance outing will once again include a $10,000 hole-in-one contest.  Entry fee is $285 per player and includes golf, cart and range balls along with lunch, dinner and open bar.  Contests, prizes and raffles will be part of the festivities as well.  Format for the outing is team scramble, with shotgun start scheduled for 1:00 p.m. 

Registration info and sponsorship opportunities are detailed online at the outing website. 

To learn more about Last Chance Animal Rescue, including information on adoption, fostering and volunteering, visit the organization's website at www.lcarescue.org.  And for information on Stonebridge, check out the course flyover.

Long Island Golf Junkies to host spring outing at St. George's on May 12

The Long Island Golf Junkies players group, among the largest and most active golf groups in the region, will hold this year's spring golf outing at one of the Island's most highly regarded clubs.  The event tees off on Monday, May 12 at St. George's Golf & Country Club in Setauket.  Shotgun start is 12:30 p.m. and registration is open to all local players.

Entry fee is $370 per golfer and covers BBQ lunch and in-round snacks and drinks, including alcohol.  After the round, there will be a full dinner with cocktail hour, open bar and raffles.  Spots can be reserved for singles through foursomes at the LIGJ website.  Format for the event is team scramble with contests for closest to the pin and longest drive.  Visit the LIGJ website for full registration details.

St. George's is a classic Devereux Emmet course known for its rolling terrain, unique bunkering and a collection of remarkable par-3s, including the uphill 17th.

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.

Bethpage Black starts its Ryder Cup season with rain-slicked opening

Opening weekend at Bethpage Black is wet and wintry, with first tee-time temps barely breaking 40 degrees, but still, the course's Ryder Cup season is officially underway.

The Black Course's 2025 golf year will certainly be unique.  Along with the Green and Yellow courses, the Black will close in mid-August and reopen after the Ryder Cup clears out in late September.  (Reopening date is October 4.)  Red and Blue will stay open a few weeks longer.  Overall, thousands of tee times at the height of summer will be spread out around all other Long Island courses and indoor venues.

For a full primer on Bethpage's 2025 season, refer to GOLI's previous post:
What to know about Bethpage course schedules, closures and modifications ahead of the 2025 Ryder Cup

On the golf course, players can expect a rare gift — shorter rough.  Black Course superintendent Mike Hadley said maintenance crews will keep the rough around the 2 1/4-inch height to be used for the Ryder Cup, which is more forgiving than typical public play (2 1/2 to 3 inches) and far shorter than past majors.  

The only offseason modification, according to park staff, involved moving the left-side bunker on #7 closer to the fairway.  This follows last winter's updates to the bunkering on #5 and #13.

The Black Course will operate on a normal schedule through the spring.  In early July, the course will start limiting daily play — walk-ups only with no tee times after 12:30 p.m.  It will close to the public on August 18.

Check GOLI and the above link throughout the season for scheduling updates.

Off-Course Destinations: The Back Nine, Lawrence

A round of golf in the Five Towns area usually means a tee time at a private club like Seawane, Inwood or Rockaway Hunt, but this season it could also mean 18 on the opposite coast — say, Pebble Beach.  The Back Nine, one of Long Island's newest indoor golf venues, set up shop in Lawrence last fall with two Full Swing simulators and more than 50 nationwide courses available for play.

The Five Towns branch of the national Back Nine franchise is located beside the driving range of the Lawrence Village Country Club, giving members there the option to hit balls the traditional way or step inside to test their swing on a sim.  The indoor facility is open to the public and offers membership options, and like all Back Nine locations, it is available for use 24 hours a day.  Guests receive an access code when they book a tee time on the Back Nine app and can use the facility whenever their schedule allows.

"We have a few members who work night shifts and stop in after midnight before they head home," says owner Dovi Bloom.  "And others who take a 7:00 train to work in the morning — they come in at 5:00, play and go."

No matter what time players get their swings in, they have access to two hitting bays, each one outfitted with a TV and seating.  Guests can fill up on snacks and drinks, payable via the honor system.  During the day, those in the mood for burgers, sandwiches and other fast-food bites can place a delivery order from MG Craft Kitchen across the street.  PGA professionals are available for private lessons.

Bloom, who started playing golf in 2023 at area courses like North Woodmere Park and Middle Bay, initially planned to open The Back Nine in Hewlett, but the deal fell through due to concerns over the 24/7 operating schedule.  So he turned his attention to other locations within the Five Towns area and found an ideal opportunity next to the Lawrence golf course.  The club had already built a simulator room for its members, Bloom says, but it wound up sitting unused at the range because of equipment and staffing issues.

"I approached the club and said I'll take it over and pay rent," he says.  By early 2024, Bloom was pitching his idea in front of the club, village board members and the mayor, and in October his branch of The Back Nine, newly renovated and modernized, opened to the public.  Players at the facility are a mix of Lawrence Village members, some within walking distance, and others who travel from around the south shore and even Brooklyn to come practice. 

The Back Nine has more than 60 golf centers across the country.  Franchise-wide tournaments pit all locations against each other, and Bloom says there could live events in the future where locations compete in real time.  Membership benefits include unlimited tee times without per-visit costs, free play for guests and access to any Back Nine site.

The Back Nine is located at 101 Causeway in Lawrence, at the driving range of Lawrence Village Country Club.  Follow on Instagram at @b9golffivetowns and learn more at The Back Nine Five Towns website.