Golf on Long Island

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.

Two years since opening, Long Beach Coffee & Tee abuzz with golf and espresso shots

Aside from the leaky cup of lukewarm snack-bar joe, golf and coffee rarely cross paths.  But down in Long Beach, behind big storefront windows and a dark awning, there is a lounge-chair-lined intersection where Mizunos meet macchiatos, where the pings of a driver meld with the familiar hiss of a steam wand.

Long Beach Coffee & Tee is about to celebrate its second anniversary on West Park Avenue, and judging by its packed weekend tee sheet, the attractive espresso bar/driving range has settled into a comfortable niche within Long Island's percolating indoor-golf scene.  The cafe features three golf simulators, a coffee counter and a cocktail bar.  An expansion into a vacant former gym last fall made additional room for two of those sims along with TV-topped lounge seating and event space.

Best of all, as the name suggests, the place is serious about both golf and coffee culture.  As a cafe, Long Beach Coffee & Tee pulls excellent renditions of coffeehouse standards — cappuccinos, cortados, and harder-to-find specialties like Vietnamese iced coffee.  An in-house baker turns out a variety of desserts, including some snacks that are well-suited for Instagram hype.  (See the recent video post on pastry-packed bread pudding.)

Its location just a block away from the Long Beach train station has made it a dependable stop for neighbors in need of a morning jolt.  "We have coffee customers who don't even know we have golf simulators in here," says Natalie Arnold, who owns Long Beach Coffee & Tee with her husband Richie and business partner Kevin Hanrahan. 

Customers who do pay attention to the golf end of the business will find two back-to-back simulators at the heart of the space, both lined with counter stools within easy reach of the bar.  In the back, a more private simulator room offers an environment on par with a stylish club lounge, with a leather couch, padded chairs and plaid wallpaper.  The Uneekor sims provide a wealth of swing data and feedback for the hard-core players; for those in a more competitive mood, GSPro software allows for rounds on the thousand-plus user-generated courses in its catalog.  There are also options to play target-style and kid-friendly games and challenges.

Arnold says one early customer was concerned the simulators weren't tracking his typical ball flight, and she assured him the technology was professionally calibrated and accurate.  "We pulled up the data and clubhead video, and he realized his swing was off," she says.  "He's been practicing here ever since."

LBC&T's devotion to golf runs deep.  Patterned throw rugs around the cafe and sim rooms are cut from old Southampton Golf Club carpets.  Recognizing the dearth of driver-friendly ranges in the area, Arnold offers a 15-minute, 15-dollar special for players who want to warm up — drivers, fairway woods and all — before a morning round at Lido, Bethpage and other nearby courses.  Appropriately titled "Morning Wood," the deal includes a cup of coffee as a bonus.  "People love it.  They really get a rise out of it," Arnold says with a laugh.  Standard rates are $65 per hour and $35 for 30 minutes, and local pro Mike Reilly is available on site for lessons.

For now, booking is done the old-fashioned way — with a pencil, pad and phone.  But that hasn't dampened the rush on tee times.  Arnold's hand-scrawled tee sheet is filled to the brim on weekends, and there is heavy interest in golf leagues that LBC&T is launching February 1.

The only drawback to all the buzz, Arnold says, is the decline in practice time for her and Richie.  "We used to have more downtime to hit balls," she says.  "Now we have more simulators but less time to practice."

Long Beach Coffee & Tee is located at 220 West Park Ave. in Long Beach.  Follow on Instagram at @longbeachcoffeeandtee and book times at (516) 608-9333.

Winter Golf 2023-24: Mild, snow-free offseason forecasts to be tested with looming storm

It's been nothing but good news of late for Long Island's winter golfers — going back to the fall, forecasts for the 2023-24 offseason predicted milder temperatures and precipitation in the form of rain, not snow, thanks to an El Nino weather pattern.  And that's following a 2022-23 winter that was entirely snow-free.

But that prediction is facing a staunch test this weekend as a major storm heads toward the East Coast, with Long Island riding the edge between snow and heavy rain.  How the storm progresses will determine what kind of winter golf season local players can expect.

Winter golf on Long Island used to be for the rugged few.  Now, with milder weather and many more players, offseason golf is mainstream.  Courses stay busy and prime tee times remain hard to find.  

Here's the scoop on Long Island's golf season from January to March:

Until major snow hits and sticks on the ground for a prolonged period, conditions remain decent.  If you can tolerate sometimes bitterly cold temperatures, have at it.  There are plenty of courses open and waiting for you to come out and play.  Once significant snow finally arrives, stays a while and melts, winter golf turns soggy and sloppy until spring. 

Frost delays are common; temporary greens are not (though they used to be).  When there's a mild day above 50 degrees, expect a run on tee times.  

No matter the temperature, don't expect a break on green fees.  Winter rates are a thing of the past.  Courses keep their offseason rates much closer to peak prices than the $35-45 rounds with cart (and maybe lunch) from just a few years ago.

If you prefer to stay warm, Long Island now has a booming indoor golf scene, too.  Modern facilities like X-Golf in Commack and Westbury, Birdies in Patchogue, Simplay in Hauppauge and the semi-enclosed TopGolf in Holtsville are all comfortable options serving food, beer and cocktails.

Golf On Long Island posts relevant course information as necessary throughout the offseason.  Be sure to follow local courses on social media for the latest on weather closures, frost delays and more.

Newsday: Developers pushing to bring the pros back to Eisenhower Red

The new operators of Eisenhower Park's restaurant and catering facility are focused on bringing professional golf back to the Red Course and are spending millions of dollars on upgrades to make that a reality, according to Newsday's James Madore.

The group, EGB Hospitality LLC, plans to reopen the facility on May 1 following $5.5 million in improvements "necessary to bring national golf events" back to the park, per Newsday.  Formerly The Carltun, the new venue will be called The Grand Lannin in tribute to Joseph Lannin, the man behind what was originally the massive five-course Salisbury Golf Club.  In an additional nod to history, EGB plans to name its golf-course concessions after famed architect Devereux Emmet, designer of the Salisbury courses, including the current Red Course.

EGB has applied for sales-tax exemptions with the Nassau County IDA and made a presentation to the agency earlier this month.

"We're changing the former Carltun into a tourist destination that's going to pull people from all five boroughs [of New York City] and from New Jersey," [EGB's Elias] Trahanas said in an interview. "By revamping this iconic facility in this iconic park, we're going to attract more than just golf tournaments. We're going to attract many events, from corporate [functions] to charity [galas]," he said. -- James Madore, Newsday, 1/27/23

Eisenhower Park's most historic tournament was played in 1926 when the Red Course -- then known as Salisbury #4 -- hosted the PGA Championship, won by Walter Hagen.  A sign commemorating the event hangs over the entrance to the park's golf building.

Decades later, after the Northville Long Island Classic (later the Lightpath Classic) left the Meadow Brook Club in Jericho, it relocated to Eisenhower Red and became known as the Commerce Bank Championship, part of the Champions Tour.  The last tournament was played there in 2008.

[PICTURED RIGHT: A tournament badge from the 2004 event, the first one to be sponsored by Commerce Bank following the move to Eisenhower Park.]

After long delay, X-Golf Westbury preparing for possible February debut

[UPDATE: X-Golf Westbury is scheduled to open March 10.]

Nassau County is about to get its first taste of the modern golf and entertainment experience that recently has popped up farther east in places like Holtsville, Patchogue and Commack.  And it will arrive in a spot that's no stranger to the metallic echoes of drivers smashing golf balls and the thuds of tee shots crashing into screens.

X-Golf Westbury will open within weeks at Samanea New York, formerly the Mall at the Source, in part of the space once occupied by Golf Galaxy.  It will be Long Island's second X-Golf location, following the opening of X-Golf Commack in June 2022.  The California-based franchise is known for its combination of technologically advanced golf simulators, on-site instruction and events, and casual food and drink service.

Once the fire marshal signs off on the Westbury site, owner Chris Sciocchetti says the new facility will be ready to open within days.  The latest target date is February 27.  "I don't care what the actual date is," Sciocchetti says. "I just hope it has a February on it."

It's been a long road from conception and planning to finally preparing eight high-tech hitting bays and a TV-topped bar for use by local golfers.  X-Golf Westbury was initially slated to open in November 2021, but with Samanea's rapid resurrection from ghost mall to indoor shopping and immersive-experience destination, X-Golf found itself caught up in an unforeseen morass of municipal red tape.  First it was sorting out the allotment of parking spaces, then it was a nine-month wait for approval of a variance for the golf facility itself.

Sciocchetti is confident the pandemic-fueled enthusiasm for both regular golf and the indoor variety will make the long buildup worthwhile.  During the pandemic, Sciocchetti spent two or three days each week playing the courses at Eisenhower Park and Bethpage.  He had visions of opening an indoor facility somewhere near his Merrick home, and the pandemic only accelerated his plans. 

"I've wanted to do this for a really long time," he says.

Visitors at X-Golf Westbury will find a row of hitting bays along a wall to their left, steps away from a bar that will turn out draft beer and light bites from at least one area pizzeria.  Other bays, all of which include TVs and tables, are set up in corners and on the opposite side of the bar.  Separating the two sides is a wall decorated with colorful golf-course artwork, Bethpage included, that Sciocchetti's wife Kathryn found on Etsy.  Also featured are neon and turf-clad X-Golf Westbury signs well-suited for Instagram posts.

X-Golf facilities are known for their state-of-the-art simulators that feature more than 50 golf courses and advanced innovations like automatic ball retrieval, personalized tee heights and adjustable ground slope.  The short-game technology also elevates the level of play in X-Golf bays, allowing players to chip and putt on virtual greens with accuracy.  Westbury will offer local in-house leagues and a schedule of national and regional competitions that are part of the X-Golf network.  (The franchise has locations in 32 states.)  Sciocchetti is working out the specifics for instruction and fittings as well.

Hourly rates range from $55 on weekday mornings and early afternoons to $75 on weekends. A full 18-hole round takes about 45 minutes to an hour per player.

After Samanea does its own marketing push to promote its new sites, Sciocchetti says most of his own promotion will be done on social media, much like Commack, Topgolf in Holtsville, Birdies in Patchogue and Simplay in Hauppauge, all of which are active and highly visible on Instagram and Facebook.  The Westbury site has already developed a following even while building permits still cover the front door.

"I get calls here every day asking when we are going to open," Sciocchetti says.

Winter Golf On Long Island: 2022-23 Edition

Some people wake up a little groggy on New Year's Day and spend the morning in pajamas, clutching a cup of coffee.  Others wake up a little groggy, see the sun shining on a 45-degree day, and spend the rest of the morning on the golf course, clutching irons and hand warmers.

Golf on a January morning might seem like a bizarre concept to those in the pajama group, but for the ones scanning the 24-hour forecast on their weather apps as the ball gets set to drop on New Year's Eve, it's just another day in Long Island's winter golf season.

There's no official start date to winter golf season -- some might say Thanksgiving, others might argue it begins with the first frost delay.  By late December all of Long Island's seasonal golf courses are closed, leaving the year-round courses with Christmas through mid-March all to themselves.  From a player perspective, if you can handle cold, biting wind and ground conditions that get soggier and sloppier as the offseason progresses, there's no reason to stay home and let your golf clubs and new holiday-gift gear collect dust.

So far the 2022-23 winter has been OK despite the cold snap that temporarily froze everything shut.  We've seen blizzards wreck offseasons before Christmas, so a snow-free Long Island into the new year is always a win.

Some things have changed about winter golf in recent seasons.  Golf On Long Island used to post notable winter-rate specials that were available at local courses, but there's no longer any need.  The days of heavy discounts -- or even moderate price breaks -- appear to be gone.  Courses now keep their winter rates much closer to peak prices than the $35-45 rounds with cart (and sometimes a free breakfast or lunch) from just a few years ago.

Note that some courses are still offering trimmed-down pandemic-era amenities, so check in advance if you want your winter round to include food and drink options or access to the pro shop.

There's also more competition from modern indoor facilities like X-Golf in Commack, Birdies in Patchogue and the semi-enclosed TopGolf in Holtsville.  All offer enjoyable high-tech golf experiences combined with the social attraction (and warmth) of a sports bar and grill.  Another X-Golf is on the way this year in Westbury, and Simplay remains an indoor stalwart in Hauppauge.

Golf On Long Island posts relevant course information as necessary throughout the offseason.  Be sure to follow local courses on social media for the latest on weather closures, frost delays and more.

New York's first X-Golf indoor facility set to open in Commack next week

Last fall Geoffrey Schwartz led a tour through an empty, white-walled shell deep inside a Commack strip mall, pointing to where he planned to set up golf simulators, a full bar and a mezzanine for events.  Six months and a full transformation later, the space -- previously part of a closed Toys 'R' Us -- is filled with two rows of hitting bays, clusters of cozy lounge furniture and the high hopes of Long Island's latest cutting-edge addition to the local golf scene.  X-Golf Commack, the first New York location for the California-based franchise, will officially open to Long Island golfers next week.

Its arrival follows other combined-experience golf venues that have debuted on Long Island in the past year, most notably Topgolf in Holtsville last summer.  Birdies, a golf and cocktail bar in Patchogue, opened in February.  X-Golf's appeal is in its state-of-the-art simulator technology, which features advanced innovations like automated ball retrieval, personalized tee heights and adjustable ground slope.

The Commack location has nine bays, including one exclusively for lessons and two for private parties.  But what sets his venue apart, Schwartz says, is the VIP-style treatment players can expect when they step inside.

"We want everyone to feel welcome when they come in," Schwartz says.  "They'll check in at the pro shop, leave their bag and have a drink at the bar or sit and relax.  We'll set up their bags for them so they're ready to warm up and start playing."

Unlike in other simulators, players are free to admire their shots without having to chase their ball and re-tee for themselves or a playing partner.  X-Golf's retrieval system does the work -- balls funnel into a slot in front of the tee while a new one pops up at the kick of a button.  Tees automatically adjust to each player's preferred height, and when part of a league, player preferences and handicaps are maintained in the X-Golf system.

The biggest game-changer, Schwartz says, is X-Golf's superior short-game technology.  Sensors around the tee pick up ball path and speed and translate chips and putts onto the virtual green with unprecedented accuracy.  "Putting is usually an afterthought in most simulators," Schwartz says.  "But nobody playing in a league wants to just guess at how to putt and take gimmes from eight feet."

X-Golf's network of 50-plus locations around the country (and growing, including a Westbury venue due to open later this year) allows local players to participate in national and regional competitions and tournaments, in addition to in-house leagues.  Paige Spiranac is the company's most notable brand ambassador, though a hefty appearance fee might prevent a visit to Commack in the near future.  ("Maybe one day," Schwartz says.)

Phil Barnhart, previously the pro at Willow Creek in Mount Sinai, will be on site for lessons and instruction.

Outside the hitting bays, a U-shaped bar will turn out beer, cocktails and small bites like wings, wraps and chicken fingers.  A second-level mezzanine offers lounge space and a private room for corporate meetings and events.  To reach it all, visitors first walk down a lengthy corridor lined with photos of famous players and murals depicting courses from around the world.  Even before its official opening, the long hallway has drawn curious strip-mall shoppers given X-Golf's convenient location amid heavy foot traffic from the adjacent Whole Foods, Harbor Freight and Five Below.

Hourly rates range from $49 on weekday mornings and early afternoons to $69 on weekends. A full 18-hole round takes about 45 minutes to an hour per player.  The list of nearly 50 courses -- with more to come -- includes a selection of highly regarded American classics (yes, Bethpage Black is there) and several lesser-known Asian layouts.

Reservations can be made at the X-Golf Commack website.  Follow X-Golf's website and social media accounts for information about an official grand-opening date.

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.

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

Coronavirus Update: Stonebridge open with precautions, Simplay closed

Add Stonebridge Golf Links to the list of Long Island golf courses taking extra non-contact precautions to keep players safe on and around the course.  According to head pro Iain Wilson, the course is implementing the following changes:

• Golf carts are being disinfected before a round and after
• Cups have been raised so no flag contact is needed; ball hits metal cup - considered in ("Good feedback" so far)
• Pro shop moved to open area and disinfected multiple times an hour
• Door left open for less contact

Not far away in Hauppauge, Simplay, the indoor multi-sport facility with golf simulators and leagues, has closed until further notice.

Timber Point Golf Course -- a Suffolk County muni -- is delaying its 2020 reopening until April 1.  The other three courses in the Suffolk Parks system are still on for their originally scheduled March 20 reopenings.