Golf on Long Island

Bethpage, Montauk Downs listed among Golfweek's 2024 Best Courses You Can Play

There are certainties in Long Island golf life — group photos at the Black Course warning sign, wind at Montauk Downs, and Bethpage and Montauk ranked highly in Golfweek's list of the region's top public golf courses.

Golfweek's 2024 Best Courses You Can Play rankings were published earlier this month and Bethpage Black finds itself on familiar ground atop the local list, followed closely by its next-door neighbor Bethpage Red and its New York State sister course at Montauk Downs.  The Best Courses You Can Play list ranks the elite publicly accessible courses in all 50 states.  The three courses are typically locks for New York's top eight with the Red Course and Montauk Downs jockeying for position.  This year the Red Course at #6 edged out Montauk by a spot.

Also of local interest, Bally's Ferry Point (formerly Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point) in the Bronx is ranked third behind only the Black Course and Leatherstocking in Cooperstown.

Bethpage Black is featured prominently on Golfweek's broader lists as well.  The Black moved up one spot to #9 on the national Best Courses You Can Play list, jumping ahead of the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island.  It also held its #26 spot on the Best 200 Classic Courses list, which ranks public and private courses built before 1960.  That list showcases Long Island's enormous depth of internationally renowned golf courses, with three courses in the top 10 (Shinnecock Hills, National Golf Links and Fisher's Island) and a total of 15 courses overall.

For many years, Golfweek included a fourth Long Island course in its annual Best You Can Play — Tallgrass Golf Course in Shoreham.  Tallgrass is gone, of course, but another "lost" course with local ties — sort of — did crack the list.  The resurrected Lido at Sand Valley in Wisconsin lands at #15 on the national list and #2 in the state.  That course is a nearly identical replica of C.B Macdonald's original Lido Club located on Long Island's south shore from 1917 to 1942.

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.

[PICTURED: Bethpage Black #5 in spring 2024.]

Citing "unprecedented demand," Bethpage announces changes to reservation system and tee-time policies

Bethpage State Park has heard the ongoing complaints about the fairness and circumvention of its tee-time reservation policies and is now taking steps to address them.

In an email distributed earlier today, Bethpage announced several changes to its reservation system and policies, all scheduled to go into effect next Monday, June 24.  The main change, according to the email, is the creation of a new booking type called "Verified NYS Resident - Bethpage," which will continue to allow tee-time reservations up to seven days in advance.  In order to make this change, the park conducted a months-long audit of its reservation system and removed all duplicate golfer accounts.  Residents in good standing will be automatically reclassified under the new verified booking type.

Starting next week, however, any new registrants, plus golfers who have been locked out due to multiple accounts or violations, will have to verify their resident account by emailing a copy of their NYS driver's license or identification card to the park.

The park cited "unprecedented demand for tee times" as motivation for the system change as well as other policy updates.  Players will now be restricted to eight cancellations in a calendar month to limit the ability to make and transfer tee times.  "Unfortunately, we have seen a trend of many users reserving tee times with no intent of using them, but instead booking for friends, family members and playing partners by trying to coordinate those cancellations," the email said.

Reservations on the Red Course will be limited to one every 14 days, similar to the current restriction on the Black Course, where tee times are limited to one every 28 days.

"We know some of these changes may cause some initial consternation amongst the golfing public," the email said, "but we are hopeful that these changes may allow more users to obtain reservations moving forward."

Bethpage Black opens 2024 season with bunker tweaks, irrigation upgrades

Players who went looking for a one-on-one fight with Bethpage Black on the golf course's opening day were instead met with an ambush by briskly cold temperatures and a brutal, relentless wind.  But the surprises weren't all bad — waiting on the first tee for some of the park's morning players was the Ryder Cup, perched on a pedestal in all its golden glory.  Representatives from the PGA of America were on hand to give away hats and let players from all five courses pose for photos.

The trophy's presence at Bethpage Black's grand 2024 opening was a gleaming reminder that Long Island is just a year away from hosting the famed international tournament and that Bethpage's accomplished staff continues its years-long effort to prepare the course for the global spotlight.

This offseason the Black Course received another set of upgrades, the most important of which, according to director of agronomy Andrew Wilson, was the completion of its irrigation system.  Longtime Black Course superintendent Mike Hadley led the effort to install new irrigation on holes 13 and 18, and with those two holes finished, the staff now has precise control of water usage throughout the course.  "The building blocks of a successful course are the irrigation and drainage systems," Wilson says, "so we are excited for the work to be done."

Up on ground level, players will find one notable change at #13.  Wilson says the crew "leapfrogged" the two fairway bunkers on the bending par-5, filling in the near trap and creating a new one just beyond the far bunker.  The new alignment will better defend against longer drives.  From the tees likely to be used in the Ryder Cup, the two traps will sit between 300 and 350 yards away.  Regular players will encounter them roughly 260 to 300-plus yards from the middle tees.

Also on #13, Wilson says the fairway has been widened by about 10 yards leading up to the traps.  "Over the past year or two we have widened fairways on many holes so running balls will not get caught in the rough," Wilson says.  "Now they could run into the bunkers."

The massive fairway bunker on the par-4 fifth will be even more intrusive this season.  Crews widened that trap a bit and made some improvements designed to prevent flooding.

As for Ryder Cup preparations, Wilson says there will be no changes to the Black Course's routing, as some have speculated.  The course will be played in order, from 1 to 18, starting at the Black's recently built Ryder Cup tee.  Other changes could be in the works as this season progresses.  

"We will see once the Ryder Cup captain is chosen," Wilson says.

[PHOTO CREDIT: Andrew Wilson]

Spy Ring Golf Club to open to the public May 6

[NOTE: Spy Ring GC is now open.  Read more about the course in the Spy Ring flyover.]

The wait is nearly over.  The slow and steady rollout of Spy Ring Golf Club, the first non-executive public golf course built on Long Island in nearly two decades, is moving ahead toward launch. 

Spy Ring will make its grand opening to Long Island's public golfers on Monday, May 6.  Designed by Tyler Rae, the modern nine-hole layout in Setauket replaces the former Heatherwood Golf Course with a boldly contoured, fun-forward course built from the ground up in the mold of other top-tier nine-holers around the country.  Reservations will be available starting in late April.

Optimism has been sky-high ever since Rae and a team of builders began shaping the course during the early days of the pandemic.  "This has a chance to be something special and unique for Long Island," said Heatherwood president Chris Capece during a 2022 course tour.  "I think this is going to be up on the same level with Sweetens Cove."

Given the course's forward-thinking design and lofty aspirations, Spy Ring is the most ambitious golf project on Long Island since Harbor Links was built in a reclaimed Port Washington sand mine in 1998.  When it opens next month it will be the first public course (excluding pitch-and-putts) to debut in the region since Coram's Pine Ridge in 2006.

Spy Ring is one of the first solo designs for Rae, whose resume includes many Golden Age restorations and renovations, with emphasis on Donald Ross courses.  Here Rae laid out a 3,100-yard par-36 that plays up and down a series of rolling holes.  The eye-candy hole is #7, a 145-yard par-3 with a Ross-inspired volcano green perched above the surrounding terrain and guarded by four large traps.  Rounds conclude on a 515-yard par-5 that runs downhill from the tee, then back uphill past bunkers to a massive green.  Many of the putting surfaces feature broad entrances that set up ground-game approaches.

It will also stand out among Long Island publics because of its sand-based construction and specially adapted turfgrass designed to allow balls to bound across fairways and over Rae's pronounced green contours.  The pandemic slowed construction overall but provided time for Rae and crew to strip off all the site's topsoil and mold the exposed sandy base to their precise specifications.  Rae said the setup and ground conditions create a "turnkey firm-and-fast course" for local players.

When designing Spy Ring, Rae considered the high standard for Long Island golf courses, especially in that corner of Suffolk County.  "Golf intellect is very high on Long Island," Rae told Golf On Long Island during grow-in.  "You can't just come in with Mickey Mouse bunkers and flat greens and expect to have success.  Especially with a course like St. George's right down the street."

Rae's greens feature internal contouring and funneling that set up fun putts without going over the top.  "There's a ton of variety in the greens, and plenty of pinnable space," he said.  "Each one can play really easy or really hard."

While the course's style is geared toward the present and future, Spy Ring is not shy about nodding to the past.  It is named for the Culper Ring, the famed network of colonial spies that operated in Setauket and along Suffolk County's north shore during the Revolutionary War.  Behind the pro-shop counter hangs a large black-and-white photo of opening day at the original Heatherwood course in the early 1960s.  In a LinkedIn post that revealed Spy Ring's official logo — a Setauket-area spy peering suspiciously from beneath a trifold hat — Capece called the opening a "special accomplishment" for a local, family-owned company with Long Island roots that go back nearly 75 years.

Next on the pre-opening agenda is the launch of a new Spy Ring website, likely sometime next week.  Local players will be able to make tee times beginning in late April.   

READ MORE:
Spy Ring Golf Club in Setauket working its way toward a soft opening this fall (2023)
Coming Soon: Heritage Spy Ring GC, Long Island's first shot at the Sweetens Cove model (2022)

Bethpage posts reopen dates, preps new online payment system

Bethpage State Park's seasonal golf course trio — Green, Red and Black — will soon begin its gradual reopening for 2024, starting with the Green Course on Saturday, March 16.

The Red Course will reopen for play on Saturday, March 30, and Bethpage Black will follow two weeks later on Saturday, April 13.  Bethpage's Blue and Yellow courses have remained open year-round.

New to the park in 2024 is the rollout of a system that will allow online payments for advance tee-time reservations.  (No need to double-check your calendar — it's indeed 2024, not 2004.)  The park sent out notices earlier this month outlining the new system, which will debut with a test run on Yellow Course reservations in mid-March.  If all goes well, the park plans to expand the service to other courses throughout the season.

Players will be able to pay and check in for their tee times via a link in their email confirmation.  There are conditions, however.  Among them:

• Payments can only be made on the day of play
• The reservation holder must pay for the entire group
• Online payments cannot be made on groups with mixed price points (ex. residents and non-residents; seniors and non-seniors)
• When the weather is dicey, the park recommends making payments in the office.  Credit card refunds will not be issued for inclement weather.

The online check-in allows players to go directly to the starter booth as long as they don't need to rent a motor or pull cart.  Those players will still need to go inside for service.

Additional info is available by calling the golf office at (516) 249-0701.

Oyster Bay Golf Course to reopen April 1 with irrigation, tee-box upgrades in progress

The Town of Oyster Bay is investing in an upgraded irrigation system and newly built tee boxes at its municipal golf course in Woodbury, though the ongoing work will not delay the course's spring debut.  Oyster Bay is scheduled to reopen for the 2024 season on Monday, April 1.

While the fairways and greens will be ready to go next month, the renovated tee boxes will not, so players will start all 18 holes from temporary tees until early June, according to town officials.  The irrigation work, which includes full replacement of plumbing, electrical systems and other components, will continue throughout the season but is not expected to affect play.  Cost for the two projects is approximately $5 million.

“We strive to deliver a great experience for all golfers at our course and these improvements will certainly enhance the playing experience once complete,” said Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joe Saladino.

Oyster Bay, formally known as the Honorable Joseph Colby Town of Oyster Bay Golf Course, is Long Island's only Tom Fazio design.  It covers a tree-lined Woodbury site that was previously a Gold Coast estate known as "Woodlands."  The course features narrow fairways, dramatically contoured greens and holes that play up and down the property's steep hills.  Its uphill fourth hole (pictured above) is considered one of the toughest par-4s on the Island and was selected for GOLI's "Nassau 18" in 2020.

For more on Oyster Bay, check out the course flyover.

2024 golf course reopen dates on Long Island

It took an extra day to get here this year, but today is the start of Reopening Month.  March is when Long Island's seasonal golf courses put the pro-shop lights back on, stick the pins into the cups and start taking tee times.  Except for Bethpage Black, just about every golf course on Long Island will be open for play by the end of March.

Reopenings typically begin around St. Patrick's Day, so if the weather warms up on March 8, you'll still need to head to one of Long Island's many year-round courses.

The following is a list of tentative 2024 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 March for the latest info.

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

2024 GOLF COURSE REOPENINGS:

• Sandy Pond Links – March 1
• Woods Course at Cherry Creek – March 14
• Timber Point – March 15
• Bergen Point – March 15
• Holbrook CC – March 15
• Brentwood CC – March 15
• West Sayville – March 15
• Bethpage Green – March 16
• Harbor Links - Championship/Executive – March 23
• Bethpage Red – March 30
• The Golf Club at Middle Bay – March 29
• Town of Oyster Bay GC – April 1
• Bethpage Black – April 13

DATES TBA:

• Eisenhower Red 
• Sumpwams Creek

[This post was updated on March 12, 2024.]

2023 closing dates at Long Island's seasonal golf courses

December is golf's closing month on Long Island, which might come as news to the many players who pack the clubs away before Halloween.  It's true — plenty of people play golf well into December, if not the whole year round.

A handful of courses, though, don't join them, and instead lock the doors and the cart shed sometime between Thanksgiving weekend and Christmas.  Most of them reopen by late March.

The following golf courses are preparing to close for the season in the next few weeks:

• Sumpwams Creek -- December 9
• Bay Park -- December 10
• Bergen Point -- December 10
• Timber Point -- December 17
• Harbor Links -- December 17
  
• Holbrook Country Club -- December 17
  
• West Sayville -- December 17
• Christopher Morley Park -- TBD/weather permitting

Some courses have already closed for 2023, including:

• Bethpage Black
• Eisenhower Red
• Bethpage Red
• Bethpage Green
• Harbor Links - Executive Course

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.

Thanksgiving 2023 golf events scheduled around Long Island

[This list was updated on November 7, 2023.]

We haven't even started trick-or-treating yet, but it's time to focus on Thanksgiving golf.  That is, if you want to actually lock down a spot in what are usually very popular events.

Local players know Thanksgiving is essentially "last call" for Long Island golf season.  Conditions might not be the greatest — hello frost delays, hand warmers and triple layers of heat gear — but it's a final hurrah before a turbulent golfing winter.  Sometimes the golf gods send a warm 60-degree morning before it's time to cut the turkey.

Golf On Long Island will update the 2023 Thanksgiving slate of scrambles and shotgun starts as information is made available.  All 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 23, unless otherwise noted).  These outings tend to sell out very quickly, so it's best to book early.

Brentwood Country Club has scheduled a shotgun start for 9:00 a.m.  The $54 fee covers golf and cart.  Call (631) 436-6060 to reserve a spot.

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.

Harbor Links will host its 17th 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 $70 for Town of North Hempstead residents; $80 for non-residents.  Call (516) 767-4816 to sign up.

Middle Island Country Club has a shotgun start scheduled for 8:30 a.m.  The $79 entry fee includes golf, cart and a hot breakfast buffet that opens at 7:30.  Call (631) 924-3000 to reserve a spot.

Mill Pond (pictured) will host its 16th annual Thanksgiving Turkey Shootout.  Format is four-person team scramble, and the $84 entry fee includes cart, range balls, hot breakfast and a drink.  Tee time is 8:00 a.m.  The event almost 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 24).  This year's event includes cart, range, breakfast and prizes for $85.  Shotgun start is 9:30 a.m.  Call (631) 878-7103 or visit the pro shop to sign up.

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 $78 per player.  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 $65 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.

Bethpage Black to close for the season November 12

This morning begins one of the final weekends of the 2023 season for the Black Course at Bethpage State Park.  And for once it's not pouring rain.

Bethpage posted its November schedule last week, which includes closing dates for the Black, Red and Green golf courses.  The Black Course will close at the end of play on Sunday, November 12.  It will also be closed for a regular maintenance day on Monday, November 6.

The Red and Green courses will follow two weekends later and shut down for 2023 on Sunday, November 26.

As usual, the Blue and Yellow courses will remain open for winter golf as weather permits.  Call the Bethpage golf office at (516) 249-0700 for the latest info on course conditions and availability.