Golf on Long Island

Bethpage State Park golf courses to close for PGA Championship on May 6

Bethpage Black has already closed in advance of this month's 2019 PGA Championship, and its four sibling courses at Bethpage State Park will soon follow suit.

The Blue, Green and Red courses will all close to the public on Monday, May 6 to make way for tournament prep and play.  (Yellow will be aerated on May 2 and remain closed thereafter.)  All courses, including the Black, are tentatively scheduled to reopen for play on Saturday, May 25.

After the tournament clears out, temporary tees will remain in use on Green #1 and #18, Red #1 and #5, and Blue #1.  The Yellow Course will continue to be available only for nine-hole rounds, as well.

Call the park office or visit the NYS Bethpage reservation website for updated information.

Here's how to make your way to next month's PGA at Bethpage

Heading to next month's PGA Championship at Bethpage Black?  There are a number of ways to get to Bethpage for the tournament, none of which include driving straight to the park (or '30s-era horse-and-buggy service from Farmingdale, as pictured below).  With crowds swelling in anticipation of another Tiger Woods major, be sure to prepare yourself to get to and from the park with ease.

Here's what you need to know about transportation to the 101st PGA Championship from Monday, May 13 to Sunday, May 19:

LONG ISLAND RAILROAD -- Complimentary shuttle buses will take spectators from the Farmingdale LIRR station directly to the main spectator entrance at Bethpage.  Expanded train service will be available to and from Farmingdale during the week.  Schedules are available at the MTA/LIRR website and advance tickets can be purchased using the MTA app (or at LIRR kiosks).

UBER / TAXI / RIDESHARE -- A designated UBER/Rideshare lot will be located at 235 Pinelawn Road in Melville.  All car-service pickups and drop-offs must use this lot.  (There will be no pickup/drop-off areas at or near the park.)  Spectators will then take complimentary shuttle buses from the lot to the main entrance.

PUBLIC PARKING -- Spectators who choose to drive their own cars will find complimentary parking available off-site at Jones Beach, approximately 14 miles south of Bethpage State Park.  Complimentary shuttle buses will take spectators from the lot to the main entrance at Bethpage.

WALK / BIKE -- Those within walking or biking distance can utilize a dedicated walk-in gate on the south side of the park near the Quaker Meeting House Road entrance.  No other walk-in gates will be available.

Full details about transportation and all aspects of attending the PGA Championship can be found on the official event website.

And be sure to check out the 2019 edition of the GOLI Visitor's Guide to Golf on Long Island for information on the PGA and playing golf while you're here.

[Photo credit: Tillinghast Association]

2019 Summer Golf Camps on Long Island

Young and old will join together this week to watch the game's greats compete at The Masters, and for many prospective junior golfers, the action at Augusta might serve as inspiration to pick up a golf club for the first time.  For those youngsters already with a few rounds under their belts, it might serve as a boost to work on improving their game and taking it to new heights.

The best way to do that, of course, is with some professional guidance, and having a qualified teaching pro help put the building blocks in place, especially at an early age, is vital to a lifetime of memorable on-course experiences.

On Long Island, in addition to the many outlets the casual or advanced golfer can turn to for instruction, summer golf programs for junior players -- some open to kids as young as 5 -- are designed to transform the youngster, whether new to the sport or experienced, into a skilled golfer for life.

Many public courses in Nassau and Suffolk feature summer camp programs that school young players in golf's key fundamentals, the various types of swings and strokes, as well as rules, etiquette and course safety.  Kids work closely with teaching pros on the course, in the range and around practice greens and bunkers; in some cases, the pros working with your young golfer have been recognized nationally for their work as junior instructors.  Campers leave each session with skills and knowledge in place for years of enjoyment on the course.

The following is a general overview of 2019 summer golf camps available and open for registration at various public courses around Long Island.  For more information, follow the links below to the course websites and junior camp pages. 

(Please note this list only includes camp programs hosted at public golf courses.  This does not include golf programs held at general summer camps or any type of private instruction.)

Bethpage State Park (Farmingdale):  Bethpage's Junior Golf Development Program is open to players of all skill levels.  Juniors are split into five teams based on age, ability and experience, and participate in a combination of practice, fitness training and on-course play, including tournaments.  Amount of practice and live play varies by team.  Full-day and half-day programs meet five days a week for an entire month.  Weekly sessions are also available.  Register for full day/monthly ($750), half day/monthly ($500) and weekly sessions ($400) at the Bethpage website or call (516) 249-4040 for more details.

Cedars Golf Club (Cutchogue):  The Cutchogue course offers two separate four-week sessions with start dates of July 8 and August 5.  Campers meet Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, with times varied by age group.  Juniors age 10 and under benefit from group instruction and on-course play, and also receive prizes, pizza lunches and a ten-round Cedars Junior Pass.  Those in the 11-to-15 group receive 30 minutes of private instruction each week in addition to on-course play, group work and a full-season Junior Pass.  Cost is $570 per four-week session (10 and under); $600 per four-week session (11 and over).  Extended instruction is available for additional cost.  Call (631) 734-6363 or e-mail ken@cedarsgolfclub.com to register or for full details.

Cherry Creek (Riverhead):  Cherry Creek typically offers several camp sessions in July and August.  Each session covers swing basics, course etiquette and more.  Instruction takes place at both the Links and Woods courses.  Dates, cost and additional details will be announced later this spring.  Contact the Woods pro shop at (631) 506-0777 or e-mail head pro Michael Springer at mikespringer1@yahoo.com for info.

Eisenhower Park (East Meadow): PGA Junior Golf operates a series of camps for all ability levels, including advanced camps for competitive juniors.  The program includes full-day camps for players age 11 to 17, modified full-day camps for experienced players age 8 to 12, and half-day camps for beginners and intermediates age 7 to 11.  There is also a special 90-minute session for "Wee Ones" age 5 to 8.  All regular camps include hours of hands-on instruction led by certified PGA professionals.  Full-day camps include on-course play and teaching.  Weekly sessions for all programs begin July 8.  Visit the PGA Junior Golf Camp site for full information on pricing, session dates and available discounts.

Glen Cove Golf Club:  Weekly sessions for kids age 6 to 16 begin on June 17 and are offered through the end of August.  Camps meet Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and cover the full swing, pitching, chipping, putting, rules and etiquette.  Cost is $400 per weekly session.  Call (516) 671-0033 or visit the Glen Cove camp site for additional details.

Harbor Links Golf Course (Port Washington):  Harbor Links offers a wide variety of programs led by teachers all named U.S. Kids Golf Certified Instructors.  Camps begin the week of June 24, with sessions available through August.  Weekly programs for kids age 6 to 9 run Tuesday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and include games and drills that help develop important skills and fundamentals, in addition to a skills competition and gift packet.  Separate programs for teens age 10 to 16 are split into four-hour AM and PM sessions and run Monday to Friday.  These cover the full swing, short game, course management, rules and etiquette, and conclude with a two-day "Junior Scramble" team tournament.  Rates vary based on age group and time of sign-up.  For all program information, schedules and registration forms, visit the Harbor Links website.

Indian Island Country Club (Riverhead):  Indian Island's 18th annual golf camp consists of week-long sessions that include lessons, lunch, prizes, golf gear, skills contests and on-course competition.  Camps are open to boys and girls of all skill levels between the ages of 7 and 16.  Fees are $525 per week, per camper, with family, returnee and multi-week discounts available.  Week-long sessions begin June 24 and continue through the end of August.  See the Indian Island camp brochure for all details.

Island's End Golf & Country Club (Greenport):  Junior clinics are offered on select days in the summer, open to boys and girls age 5 and up.  Camp info will be available later in the spring.  Visit the Island's End website for more information.

Long Island Golf Camps / Mike Reilly Golf Academy (Massapequa, Babylon, Hauppauge):  Long Island Golf Camps runs programs at three public courses -- Peninsula Golf Club (Massapequa), Sumpwams Creek/E. Donald Conroy Golf Course (Babylon) and Wind Watch Golf & Country Club (Hauppauge).  The Peninsula and Wind Watch camps are week-long, full-day programs (9:00/9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.) with sessions beginning in late June.  They include instruction on different aspects of the swing, on-course play and daily lunch.  Babylon camps run Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; afternoon sessions might be available based on demand.  Instruction takes place on the course and in the short-game area.  Enrollment is $595 for Peninsula, $625 for Wind Watch and $269 for Babylon.  For schedules and registration, and for information on a fourth camp program held at the private Colonial Springs Golf Club in East Farmingdale, visit the Long Island Golf Camps website.

Middle Bay (Oceanside):  Six full-week sessions begin on July 8.  Camps meet from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday to Friday and include instruction on the course, practice green, in the driving range and the short-game area.  Snack, beverages and lunch are also included.  Family and multiple-week discounts are available.  Call (516) 766-1880 for pricing and additional details.

Mill Pond (Medford):  Camps are available in 3-day and 5-day sessions.  Shorter programs are geared more toward beginners with a focus on swing fundamentals, rules and etiquette.  Juniors with some playing experience will also receive instruction on course management.  Week-long programs are designed for experienced juniors, with on-course instruction and play held at Rolling Oaks Golf Course in Miller Place.  High school development camps are also available for experienced golfers age 12 to 17 looking to advance their game on a competitive level.  Discounts for Town of Brookhaven residents are offered.  Visit the Mill Pond website or call (631) 732-8249 for info on registration, pricing, schedules and program format.

Pine Ridge Golf Club (Coram):  Full-week sessions are available for beginners and intermediate players.  Camps are full-day and focus on fundamentals to build the foundation of a proper swing, with on-course play included.  The $299 camp fee covers daily lunch and a goodie bag.  Visit the Pine Ridge website for session dates and online registration.

Poxabogue Golf Center (Sagaponack):  A total of ten sessions run from the week of June 24 to the week of August 26.  Sessions are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 noon, and are open to boys and girls from age 7 to 16.  Campers will learn basics of the full swing, short game, course management, rules and etiquette, and will receive golf gear, snacks and giveaways.  Cost is $529 per session, with family and multi-week discounts available.  Visit the Poxabogue website for info and registration.

Smithtown Landing Country Club (Smithtown):  Smithtown Landing hosts camp programs led by PGA professional and Hall of Famer Michael Hebron.  Instruction covers grip, swing, putting, chipping, pitching, rules and etiquette.  Beginning July 1, separate programs meet once a week on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  A three-day camp (June 26-28) and four-day camp (August 6-9) are also available.  Call (631) 979-6534 or visit the Smithtown Landing site for 2019 pricing, schedules and registration forms.

Spring Lake Golf Club (Middle Island):  Spring Lake is running weekly junior clinics in lieu of formal camp programs in 2019.  Juniors will meet each Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. for group instruction.  Contact Spring Lake pro Cristy Jurgens at (631) 924-5115 for info.

Stonebridge Golf Links (Hauppauge):  Starting July 15, full- and half-day programs are available for beginners through intermediate players.  Half-day sessions (9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.) are geared to beginners age 6 to 10 and focus on fundamentals, rules, etiquette and course/club basics.  Full-day camps (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) help experienced players age 10 and up improve on skills and knowledge through on-course play and instruction.  Cost is $215 for half day and $379 for full day.  All campers receive a Nike backpack and glove.  Discounts available for siblings and multiple sessions.  Call (631) 724-7500 or visit the Stonebridge website for session schedules and registration info.

Sunken Meadow (Kings Park):  PGA Junior Golf operates half-day camps for players of all skill levels from age 7 to 16.  Beginners and intermediate players are split into groups and receive hands-on instruction led by certified PGA professionals.  Weekly sessions meet Tuesday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, beginning July 9.  Cost is $299 per session.  Visit the PGA Junior Golf Camp site for full information.

Town of Oyster Bay Golf Course (Woodbury):  Full-day camps for boys and girls age 10 to 16, and half-day camps for boys and girls age 6 to 10, are available starting the week of June 25.  Camps meet Tuesday through Friday.  Teaching pros cover chipping, putting, rules and etiquette, and instruction takes place on and off the course.  Full-day camp is $600; half-day camp is $425.  Referral discounts are available.  Call (516) 364-3600 or visit TOB's Lucas Golf Center website for information and registration.

West Sayville Golf Course (West Sayville):  West Sayville is offering seven week-long programs (Tuesday to Saturday, four hours per day) beginning the week of July 9.  Campers receive instruction on and off the course, with lessons concentrating on all aspects of the swing, including grip, stance and alignment.  Cost is $425 per session, with multi-week discounts available.  Visit the West Sayville website for a registration form and schedule information.

Bethpage Black in "fine shape" as PGA Championship approaches, plus aeration and non-Black updates

Golfers returning to Bethpage State Park for early-spring golf have been treated to some uncommon scenery as the PGA Championship, formerly of August, looms just weeks away in May.  For one, a look deep into the distance at the first green on the Red Course includes a view past roughly 300 yards of tents sitting atop the Red's opening fairway next to Black's 18th.  Over on the Green Course, the opening and closing fairways are barely visible beneath more structures.

All eyes will be on the Black Course come mid-May, of course, and thanks to a rather uneventful winter, conditions for the first northeast-in-spring PGA will be ideal, barring any surprises.  "The turf made it through the winter in fine shape," says Andrew Wilson, Bethpage's director of agronomy.  "We have sodded many typical wear areas on the Black Course and plugged out thousands of ball marks on the greens.  Now we are checking sand depths in bunkers and cleaning up debris all over the course."

Today the Black still looks a bit like a course in winter, though it should green up with leaves emerging on the trees by the time golfers are invited back for a brief two-week stint from April 13 to 28.  The course will be open for walk-ups only on an abbreviated daily schedule.  Needless to say, spots on tee will be in ultra-high demand.

Combined with the renovations made last winter -- most notably, modification of the bunker complex on #18 and a green extension on #11 -- the early-season nature of this year's PGA ensures the professionals will see a different course than the one they've challenged in summer conditions during past U.S. Opens and Barclays events.  Change will be evident from the very first shot -- a handful of elm trees were moved from the left to the right of #1 fairway last offseason with this year's PGA in mind.

Besides housing the many pavilions, merchandise shops and hospitality tents for the tournament, the other four courses at Bethpage are getting their own tweaks as well.  "On the Green Course, we rebuilt the bunker on #3 and cleared some of the woodline on #7 of vines and invasive species," Wilson says.  A new forward tee is going in on Red #5, which for now will be the main tee as PGA construction occupies the back-tee area.  Sand is being added to bunkers where needed around the complex.

Amid the rest of the PGA prep, the non-Black courses are scheduled for spring aeration later this month.  The Red Course will be first to go on April 30, followed by Blue on May 1, Yellow on May 2 and Green on May 3.

Players can expect to be reminded of the PGA's presence throughout most of the 2019 season.  The Black is slated to resume normal operations on May 25, though Wilson says it will take several months for all the structures to come down and for the courses to be restored to familiar conditions.  Current temporary tees will remain in place for a while on #1 of the Red, Green and Blue courses, plus Green #18.  Yellow will continue to play as a modified nine-hole course skipping around to avoid tourney construction.

"Our crew will work as hard as we can to produce conditions our golfers appreciate," Wilson says.

View photos of the offseason and ongoing PGA prep by visiting Wilson's and Bethpage Golf's Twitter pages at @Greensideup17 and @BethpageGolf.

View photos of the offseason and ongoing PGA prep by visiting Wilson's and Bethpage Golf's Twitter pages at @Greensideup17 and @BethpageGolf.

Tentative opening dates announced for Bethpage State Park golf courses

This promises to be a spring unlike any other at Bethpage State Park, where work and preparation for this May's PGA Championship on the Black Course carried on through the winter and will soon continue amid the din of refreshed Long Island golfers.  Local players will have to make a few sacrifices, however, before play at the park returns to normal following the tournament.

New York State recently announced reopening dates at the park along with information on modified holes impacted by PGA infrastructure.  The Green Course will reopen on Saturday, March 16 with temporary tees on holes #1 and #18.  Also reopening on March 16 is the Yellow Course, which will be available only for nine-hole play.  Yellow is typically open all winter but closed in late fall for PGA prep.

Bethpage Red will reopen on Friday, March 29 with temporary tees on #1 and #5.

The Blue Course -- the only course to remain open this winter -- will have a temporary tee on #1.

As for the Black Course, the park plans to offer restricted walk-up play from Saturday, April 13 to Sunday, April 28, weather permitting.  Normal play is expected to resume on Saturday, May 25.

For more info, call the park at (516) 249-0700 or check the NYS reservation website.

2019 public golf course reopenings on Long Island

We're almost out of the winter free of blizzards, clear of long blocks of time with closed courses.  Offseason golfers have had plenty of days to tee it up while the rest stay put until spring.

Well, spring now appears on the horizon, and with March about to arrive, it's reopening season on Long Island.  The big reopening story in 2019, of course, is Bethpage State Park, which is hosting the PGA Championship in May.  That's great news for fans of professional golf's major tournaments, but a buzzkill for locals who'd rather have the Bethpage courses to themselves come spring.  There will be more on the reopening plan at Bethpage as the spring draws closer.

As for the rest, it's mostly reopen-for-business as usual.  Long Island's seasonal golf courses get back up to speed from mid-March through early April.  By the time The Masters whets everyone's golf appetite, most if not all area courses are typically open for play.

The following is a list of tentative 2019 opening dates for Long Island's seasonal golf courses.  (Year-round courses remain open as the weather allows and are not included in this list.)  Courses will be added or updated as information becomes available.  Be sure to check back through February and March for the latest info.

*All dates listed below are subject to change.  Call the courses directly for updated dates and times.

GOLF COURSE REOPENINGS:

• West Sayville -- March 12
• Timber Point -- March 15
• Bergen Point -- March 15
• Indian Island -- March 15
• Christopher Morley Park -- OPEN
• Bethpage Green -- March 16
• Bethpage Yellow -- March 16 (nine holes only)
• Brentwood CC -- March 16 
  
• Holbrook CC -- March 16
• Woods Course at Cherry Creek -- March 20
• Harbor Links - Championship/Executive -- March 23
• Bethpage Red -- March 29
• Glen Cove -- OPEN
• Island's End -- OPEN
• Town of Oyster Bay GC -- April 2
• The Golf Club at Middle Bay -- OPEN
• Poxabogue -- OPEN
• Bethpage Black -- April 13 (restricted play) / May 25 (normal play)
• Eisenhower Red -- April 13
• Bay Park -- April 15

[This post was updated on April 9, 2019.]

Bethpage in Winter: One course open, walk-ups only

The 2019 PGA Championship at Bethpage Black is five months away but its presence is already impacting the way golfers utilize the park golf courses this winter season.

Only the Blue Course will be open for play for at least the early portion of the 2018-19 winter season, according to a statement posted on the New York State Parks website.  The Yellow Course, typically the other of Bethpage's two courses to remain open through the offseason, will be open "if needed," and for nine holes only.

Bethpage's Andrew Wilson says the temporary closure of the Yellow Course is related to the PGA's installation of access roads and gravel pads on areas of the course, which is set to begin this week.  Once this work is complete, the construction of tournament tents, gates and other facilities will shut down a number of holes on the Yellow, leaving only half the course available for winter play, if necessary.

In addition, all golf at Bethpage this winter will be walk-up only.  The NYS Parks website is no longer accepting reservations, and the phone service for park tee times was previously discontinued.

Bethpage's Andrew Wilson chats about the 2019 PGA on "Around the Met" podcast

Bethpage State Park's director of agronomy Andrew Wilson joined A.J. Voelpel on the Metropolitan Golf Association's "Around the Met" podcast earlier this month to discuss the park and its preparation for next May's PGA Championship.

Wilson and Voelpel chatted about ideal winter conditions leading up to the event, which will tee off in May for the first time rather than its traditional August slot.  They also discussed recent tweaks to the Black Course, how the PGA will impact Bethpage's other courses and more about the crew's efforts around the park.  Listen to the podcast on SoundCloud at the Met Golf website.

Wilson has also contributed annual updates on conditions and park renovations here for Golf On Long Island.  For a refresher on changes and renovations made ahead of this past playing season, see Wilson's 2018 Bethpage update.

You can also view photos of ongoing renovations by visiting Wilson's and Bethpage Golf's Twitter pages at @Greensideup17 and @BethpageGolf.

Bethpage Black to close for the season on November 11

The 2018 season is coming to a close on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park.  The last day to play the Black is Sunday, November 11.

While the Black's season will end in its usual mid-November slot, its reopening next spring is not quite as predictable.  Old Man Winter will decide how much golf Long Islanders get to play on the Black in early 2019 as the park prepares for May's PGA Championship.

The best-case scenario, according to Andrew Wilson, Bethpage's director of agronomy, is a two-week opening in the second half of April with limited rounds and conservative treatment of the course amid cold, wet conditions.  Currently park crews are concentrating on fixing ball marks and sodding worn areas so the course slips into winter in optimal shape.

Bethpage Red typically closes for the season around the end of November.  Blue and Yellow remain open through the offseason.

Late-season aeration on the schedule at Bethpage

Bethpage State Park's fall schedule of course aeration will begin the week of Labor Day this season, though most of the maintenance work will take place in October.

First up is the Yellow Course on September 5 and 6, followed in the first week of October by the Black Course (October 1-2) and Green Course (October 4-5). 

The Blue Course will be aerated on October 15-16, then the Red Course on October 17-18.

Remember the Black Course typically closes for the season in the middle of November, followed by the Red and Green toward the end of the month.

Keep tabs on course availability by following the Bethpage golf courses on Facebook and Twitter.