Golf on Long Island

Bethpage Black remains in top 10 in Golf Digest's 2021 Public Courses list

With the 2021 Ryder Cup at the forefront of the golf world this week, the host of the 2025 Ryder Cup made a tiny bit of news ahead of this year's competition, with Golf Digest releasing its list of America's 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses.  The Black Course at Bethpage State Park, New York's only representative on the list, once again cracks the top tier at #8.

Pebble Beach retains its familiar spot at #1, and Whistling Straits, home of this year's Ryder Cup, stays at #3.  The other courses ahead of the Black in the top ten are Pacific Dunes, Kiawah's Ocean Course, Shadow Creek, Pinehurst #2 and Bandon Dunes.

Bethpage Black is also Long Island's only public representative on Golf Digest's list of top New York State golf courses (released earlier this year).  In all, Long Island courses make up nearly half of the top-40 list, including four of the top five (Shinnecock, National Golf Links, Fishers Island and Friar's Head).  Bethpage Black comes in at #8, one spot behind Sebonack and two ahead of Garden City. 

For the full lists of America's 100 Greatest and the state-by-state rankings, follow the above links.

Newsday: Florida buyer would preserve, upgrade Peninsula GC upon sale

The Florida-based buyer who has offered more than $4 million to purchase Peninsula Golf Club in Massapequa told Newsday this week that he plans to keep the property a golf course and make improvements to the grounds and facilities upon acquisition of the site.

Holding up the sale, however, is Oyster Bay Town's own rumored plans to seize the golf course through eminent domain, a move town representatives claim would maintain the longtime covenants that protect the property from outside development.

Richard Schaub, Jr., owner of Great American Properties, told Newsday he is willing to to work with Oyster Bay to ensure the property remains a public golf course, but town officials are unwilling to discuss it.  Schaub's vision for the public nine-hole course focuses on improved conditions, including "perfectly sculpted" sand traps, and a larger, modernized clubhouse that's attractive to the surrounding Nassau Shores community.  Two holes would be adjusted to protect nearby homes.

[Schaub] said he also wants to invest a yet-to-be determined amount in expanding the clubhouse to be "a place where neighbors could come in for a hamburger and a beer" and watch a game on television.

In an Aug. 10 letter to the Oyster Bay Town Board, Schaub wrote he had been unable to comment on his plans previously due to a confidentiality agreement with the current owner, P.G.C. Holding Corp., but sought to reassure the board of his intentions.

"We are purchasing it as a golf course, and as a golf course only," Schaub wrote.  Schaub said he received no response from the town. -- Ted Phillips, Newsday, 8/26/2021

Peninsula Golf Club was founded in 1946 on the site of the defunct Nassau Shores Country Club, and the deed between Nassau County and the club's ownership group included covenants that prohibit residential development, farming and any other uses other than a public golf course.  Earlier this year, Peninsula's shareholders voted to sell the course to Schaub's firm for $4.4 million. 

Oyster Bay then floated the possibility of eminent domain, saying an outside developer could theoretically get around the covenants and leave the property vulnerable to private development.  Nassau County Executive Laura Curran has said Nassau will enforce the covenants upon sale of the property.

"That property is not going to be a housing subdivision," Schaub told Newsday.  "That property should remain green."

Crab Meadow renamed for supervisor who helped develop town golf courses

Huntington Town has renamed Crab Meadow Golf Course to honor the former town supervisor who played a key role in developing Huntington's parks system and two municipal golf courses.

Robert J. Flynn, Huntington supervisor from 1959 to 1965, was instrumental in the town's creation of municipal parks and recreational facilities in the early 1960s, preserving open space for public use rather than private development.  The Northport golf course was rechristened Robert J. Flynn Crab Meadow Golf Course in a Friday ceremony with government officials and Flynn family members on hand, per Newsday.

Flynn's early vision of a town parks system eventually led to a 1962 referendum that paved the way for golf courses at Crab Meadow and Dix Hills Park.  Crab Meadow was built on the grounds of the former Northport Country Club, a 1920s-era Devereux Emmet course that was abandoned for nearly two decades before Flynn's push for a new centerpiece golf course.  William Mitchell designed the course, which opened in 1965.

From Newsday:

Flynn served as a supervisor until 1965. Along with revitalizing Crab Meadow, now named the Robert J. Flynn Crab Meadow Golf Course, Flynn adopted the first master plan of any town in New York State and a town ethics code.

Calling Flynn "the founding father" of the town’s park system, Supervisor Chad Lupinacci said the Bronx native’s vision for Huntington "ensured open space, protection of our environment and quality of life for future generations." -- Keldy Ortiz, Newsday, 8/13/21

Flynn passed away in 2013, and the town board passed a resolution to honor Flynn with the name change this past December.

X-Golf indoor simulator venue to open Westbury location in November

Topgolf is not the only national golf and entertainment chain planting its first flag on Long Island this season.

California-based X-Golf, an industry leader in golf simulator technology with more than 20 indoor golf centers nationwide, will open a Westbury location this November at Samanea New York, formerly known as the Mall at The Source, according to Newsday.  It will be the first X-Golf franchise in New York.

Its arrival will be followed in December by a second Long Island location slated to open in Commack.

X-Golf venues combine the company's state-of-the-art simulators with food and beverage service in a casual, beginner-friendly setting.  Many offer league play, professional instruction and lounge-style amenities.  X-Golf simulators feature advanced innovations like adjustable ground slope and automated ball retrieval.

The Westbury location will take over a 6,300-square-foot space previously occupied by David's Bridal in the Source Mall, a shopping center that has sat mostly empty for the past decade.  (Golf Galaxy closed its site at the mall in 2015.)  The center's renovation and rebranding as Samanea New York under new ownership includes attracting lifestyle- and experience-focused tenants.  Another entertainment venue called Empire Adventure Park is scheduled to open there in 2022, per Newsday.

It's official: Topgolf Long Island set to open this Friday, July 30

After years of rumors and government approvals followed by months of pandemic-related construction delays, an opening day for Topgolf Long Island is finally on the schedule.

Topgolf Holtsville, New York's first venue in the international golf, entertainment and nightlife chain, will open for business this Friday, July 30.  The new facility stands tall as a distinctive landmark beside the Long Island Expressway just west of Nicolls Road (exit 62), its entrance located along the westbound service road.

Details of this week's opening remain vague, but what's more clear are the features and amenities that Topgolf Long Island will offer -- 102 climate-controlled hitting bays directing players toward computerized targets, along with free WiFi, more than 200 TVs and a rooftop terrace.  A full-service restaurant and bar will turn out classic grill fare and comfort food (and kid-friendly options) to pair with seasonal cocktails and local beer (Great South Bay, Montauk, Blue Point and Long Ireland are listed among featured local breweries).  Private event space and meeting rooms are expected to attract groups and area businesses.

Unlike traditional driving ranges, Topgolf offers pricing by the hour, and the bays are designed to accommodate groups of up to six players.  Hourly prices range from $40 in the morning to $60 after 5:00 p.m., with all rates slashed by half on Tuesdays, and unlimited play available on weekday mornings.  Topgolf also offers additional discounts to healthcare workers, teachers, first responders and military personnel.

Players can reserve bays in advance on the Topgolf website or through the Topgolf app, though only a small number of times are available for advance purchase. 

Topgolf Long Island has been in the works since 2017, when Brookhaven Town approved zoning changes to a former Holtsville industrial site.  The years-long process of community hearings and planning board meetings led to an initial target opening date of early 2021, but the pandemic halted construction for much of 2020 and pushed the opening back until this summer.

Check back for details on this week's opening.

SEE ALSO:
Topgolf Long Island now hiring as summer grand opening approaches
Topgolf Long Island moving quickly toward possible August opening
Progress at Topgolf site ahead of projected summer 2021 opening
Topgolf Long Island opening now expected for summer 2021
Long Island Topgolf taking shape in Holtsville
A New Decade of Long Island Golf, Part 1 -- A Changed Landscape, On and Off the Course
Topgolf inches closer to to first Long Island location with latest board approval

Topgolf Long Island now hiring as summer grand opening approaches

The parking lot is paved with lines painted.  A new sign stands at the entrance, and a "Now Hiring" banner waves at the top of the three-story building's nearly finished exterior.  Topgolf Long Island -- New York's first in the international golf/entertainment chain -- is nearing its debut.

There is no official opening date just yet, but barring any surprise delays, Topgolf Long Island will open in mid-summer just west of Nicolls Road in Holtsville.  Brookhaven Town Councilman Kevin LaValle told Golf On Long Island this week that the company still projects a grand opening between late July and the first half of August.

"Turf is down, and the exterior is just about done," LaValle said.  "Things are moving along quickly."

On site, there is plenty of activity as construction workers, contractors and employees move in and out of the fully Topgolf-branded facility.  A look through the glass-paneled walls reveals ground-floor hitting bays with couches and TV screens, with bright-green turf and target flags in the distance.  Netting is complete and stands prominently over the Long Island Expressway at exit 62.

Behind the scenes Topgolf is currently hiring for food-service, cleaning and maintenance positions.  In its initial project announcement, Topgolf estimated it would bring 500 jobs to Suffolk County.

The triple-tiered Holtsville range will offer 102 climate-controlled hitting bays with TVs, food/drink service and WiFi, as well as live music, year-round events, golf instruction and dining, in addition to the innovative, arcade-style targets and gaming features that Topgolf facilities are known for.  It will also include private rooms for corporate events and parties. 

According to price information on the Topgolf website, hourly rates for each bay range from $40 to $60 depending on time of day, with half-price rates available on Tuesdays.  Bays are designed to accommodate up to six players.

SEE ALSO:
Topgolf Long Island moving quickly toward possible August opening
Progress at Topgolf site ahead of projected summer 2021 opening
Topgolf Long Island opening now expected for summer 2021
Long Island Topgolf taking shape in Holtsville
A New Decade of Long Island Golf, Part 1 -- A Changed Landscape, On and Off the Course
Topgolf inches closer to to first Long Island location with latest board approval

Tee times open to public at formerly private Tam O'Shanter Club

The clock is ticking on the Tam O'Shanter Club in Brookville, and public golfers have access to tee times this summer and fall at the formerly private golf course, which is shutting down for residential development later this year.  Reservations are available only on GolfNow. 

Standard-rate tee times range from $75 to $105 with cart.  A small daily selection of GolfNow's popular "Hot Deals" are priced as low as $68 per player.

Located next door to Long Island Lutheran High School in a quiet corner of Brookville, Tam O'Shanter is scheduled to close for good on November 1, if not sooner, just shy of its 60th-anniversary season.  The course debuted in 1962 during a heavy golf-building boom on Long Island.  It was reportedly constructed in just three months by Long Island course builder Charles Martin and a 64-man crew.

The club was sold in 2019 to Titan Golf LLC, an operator that specializes in rehabilitating financially challenged private clubs.  Titan's owners are in the middle of a long-standing battle with the Town of Hempstead over similar development of The Woodmere Club, a century-old country club purchased in 2017.  Woodmere's golf course was abandoned last year.

Public feedback on GolfNow has been mixed so far at Tam O'Shanter.  Some players have complained about delayed tee times due to cart shortages; others describe a facility with few amenities and minimal maintenance. 

New owners preparing to reopen Great Rock Golf Club in Wading River

A new ownership group that includes a part-owner of two Riverhead-area golf clubs is preparing to resurrect the dormant Great Rock Golf Club in Wading River, according to an article published last week in the Riverhead News-Review.

The sale to Chris Vene and Anthony Lomangino was expected to close this past week on May 27, wrote the News-Review's Tim Gannon.  Vene has an ownership stake in the nearby Baiting Hollow Golf Club in Baiting Hollow and The Vineyards Golf Club in Riverhead, as well as a golf course maintenance company that would service Great Rock.

Vene told the News-Review that a priority of the reopened golf course would be providing a "member for the day" experience.

[Vene] said some people might not play that often or might not be able to afford membership costs at other clubs. 

“So you go to Great Rock and you’re a member for the day,” he said. “You have a great facility, and you have access to the locker room, the sauna, the showers, the driving range. You can hit as many balls as you want and then, hopefully, get a great meal at the restaurant.”

As for who will operate the restaurant, Mr. Vene said, “We’re working on it,” adding that he has interviewed “multiple local restaurateurs.” -- Tim Gannon, Riverhead News-Review, 5/18/2021

Great Rock abruptly closed in October 2019 amid rumors of a sale, some naming Vene as a potential buyer.  The closure capped an abbreviated season filled with player complaints about course conditions, lack of maintenance and limited facilities.  The course immediately began promoting its 2020 season, though the course never reopened.

Last month, Great Rock dropped vague clues of a potential return on its Facebook page.

Vene, who lives near the course, said he plans to meet with neighbors after the sale to discuss their concerns.  One long-standing issue has been noise from weddings and other events held in the club's temporary outdoor tent, though Great Rock was granted town approval last year to expand its clubhouse.

A golf course reopening date is not available at the moment.  Stay tuned to Golf On Long Island this spring and summer for updates on the course.

Bethpage modifies tee-time policy amid "unprecedented demand" for reservations

Bethpage State Park is updating its tee-time policy starting next week in order to address the "supply and demand" issue that has escalated since the start of the pandemic last spring.  Golfers in the online reservation queue typically outnumber available tee times by hundreds on a daily basis, according to the park.

According to a notice distributed by the park this weekend, Bethpage will limit tee-time account holders to four reservations per week on the Red, Blue, Green and Yellow courses, and extend the cancellation window for all courses from six hours to 12, in an attempt to make tee times available to more golfers.  Changes will go into effect on Sunday, May 23.

The Black Course policy of one reservation every 28 days will not change.

"It's simply an issue of supply and demand," according to the park notice.  "Way more golfers available to play and no way to increase the number of available reserved times without compromising course conditions and/or pace of play."  The park says nearly 500 people log on to the online system each night to book fewer than 200 tee times per day for the following week.

Total rounds at Bethpage increased over the previous year by nearly 25,000 in spring/summer 2020 despite intermittent closures at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.  Rounds at all Long Island state parks jumped by more than 40,000 in the same time frame.

Tee times are made available through the NYS Parks online portal.  Golfers register on the site and can book tee times at any state park, subject to residency restrictions and current tee-time policies.  For more information, visit NYS Parks.

Topgolf Long Island moving quickly toward possible August opening

The nets are up at Topgolf Long Island, and the company's familiar graphics adorn the building's facade.  New York's first location of the nationwide golf and entertainment chain is starting to resemble the new-age driving range local golfers have been waiting for, looking down over the Long Island Expressway in Holtsville.

After years of speculation followed by Covid-era delays, Topgolf Long Island is entering the stretch run, and the finish line, according to Brookhaven Town Councilman Kevin LaValle, is a summer 2021 debut.  In recent weeks, construction crews put the range netting in place, prepped the ground for Topgolf's targets and gadgetry, and paved access roads and parking areas along the LIE's north service road.  LaValle says the company is likely shooting for an August opening, if not sooner given how quickly construction has progressed.

"There is so much excitement for this project," LaValle says.  "Every day I have people asking me about Topgolf."

The councilman is planning a walk-through of the facility in June once crews build out the interior of the building.  By then, LaValle expects Topgolf to begin filling the 500 jobs the company projected to bring to Suffolk County in its initial announcement.  "They'll need to begin hiring soon so that their employees are trained and prepared for an opening this summer," he says.

The triple-tiered Holtsville range will offer 102 climate-controlled hitting bays with TVs, food/drink service and WiFi, as well as live music, year-round events, golf instruction and dining, in addition to the innovative, arcade-style targets and gaming features that Topgolf facilities are known for.  It will also include private rooms for corporate events and parties.

SEE ALSO:
Progress at Topgolf site ahead of projected summer 2021 opening
Topgolf Long Island opening now expected for summer 2021
Long Island Topgolf taking shape in Holtsville
A New Decade of Long Island Golf, Part 1 -- A Changed Landscape, On and Off the Course
Topgolf inches closer to to first Long Island location with latest board approval