Golf on Long Island

Long Island Press announces nominees for "Best Golf Course" in 2020 survey

Bethpage State Park rarely loses any kind of Long Island golf popularity contest -- in fact, it's won nothing but gold in the "Best of Long Island" reader survey conducted each year by the Long Island Press.  Still, this fall, more than a dozen public courses and private clubs have an opportunity to knock Bethpage off its perch in the 2020 "Best Golf Course" category, which is officially open for online voting.  Also open for voting are "Best Driving Range" and "Best Golf Store."

The 2020 nominees for "Best Golf Course" -- as determined by Press readers -- include 12 public courses and five private clubs.  Voting is open at the Long Island Press website until December 15.

This year's public-course nominees are:

• Bethpage State Park
• Brentwood Country Club
• Eisenhower Park
• Harbor Links
• Lido GC
• Middle Bay
• Rock Hill
• Stonebridge Golf Links
• Swan Lake
• Timber Point
• Town of Oyster Bay GC
• Willow Creek

In the "Best Golf Store" category, Babylon's Unique Golf Shop has been just as dominant as Bethpage, sweeping the contest since its inception.  This year it will compete with 14 other stores around the Island, including independent shops, national retailers and even one -- Golfsmith -- that's out of business.  (The Press has been notoriously slow in vetting its list of potential nominees.)  Country Fair in Medford is vying for a three-peat in the "Best Driving Range" survey, though it will need to beat out former champions Heartland Golf Park and Eisenhower Park, among nine others.

Winners of the 2020 survey will be announced in January.

Simplay hosting an indoor "Networking with Golf" outing this Friday

Simplay, the indoor golf and sports facility in Hauppauge, will host a "Networking with Golf" event this Friday, January 25, complete with a simulator scramble for up to 40 golfers.

The unique indoor scramble will tee off at 2:30 p.m. after registration and lunch.  Beer, wine and soda will be served throughout the golf portion of the event.  Following the scramble, participants can stick around for an awards ceremony and extended networking session that includes card games, cigars and more.

Entry fee is $95 per person.  Sign up online or call (631) 617-6363.

Simplay features eight simulators with more than 80 golf courses (including Bethpage Black) as well as other sports like soccer, baseball and hockey.  The Hauppauge facility also offers private simulator rooms, a full bar and snack menu.  For more info, visit the Simplay website.

Golfing Mag's 2018 Free Golf Program open for sign-up with Early Bird discount

Golfing Magazine is preparing its annual Free Golf Program for the 2018 season, and while the local mag works out all the particulars, Long Island golfers can get a head start on subscribing and saving a few additional bucks to boot.

Until the end of April, Free Golf Program subscriptions are $39 as part of the mag's Early Bird Special.  As usual, participants in the Free Golf Program receive a one-year subscription to the Hicksville-based magazine, but the main dish is a certificate that entitles holders to no-greens-fee golf at a handful of Long Island courses.  Starting May 1, the subscription rises to the standard $49 rate.

Last season the program included Brentwood Country Club, The Woods Course at Cherry Creek in Riverhead, Gull Haven Golf Course in Central Islip, Holbrook Country Club, Island's End Golf & Country Club in Greenport and The Golf Club at Middle Bay in Oceanside.  Subscribers also received an hour of simulator time at Simplay, a golf and indoor-sports destination in Hauppauge.

Once the courses for the 2018 program are set, a certificate is sent to each subscriber, valid for a single use at each of the participating facilities.  Only a cart fee is due on the day of play (other terms and restrictions may apply). 

The certificate also gives subscribers the opportunity to sample golf courses around the Northeast.  It is valid at dozens of courses across upstate New York and New England.  A full list of courses on and off Long Island will be available when the program officially tees off in May.  Certificates are valid until the end of the year.

Visit the Golfing Magazine website or call (516) 822-5446 to sign up.

Bethpage repeats as "Best Golf Course" in annual Long Island Press poll

Nothing to see here.  The results are in for the 2017 "Best of LI" poll by the Long Island Press, and Bethpage State Park is still on top.

In fact, all of the golf-category winners from 2016 are back in the top spot -- Bethpage for "Best Golf Course," Heartland Golf Park for "Best Driving Range" and Unique Golf Shop in Babylon for "Best Golf Store."

Long Island Press readers have selected Bethpage as the Island's top golf destination every year since the Press began conducting the online survey more than a decade ago.  The 90-hole golf mecca is best known for the famed Black Course and its "Warning" sign, but the mighty Red Course draws its fair share of golfers from near and far, as do the Blue, Yellow and Green courses.

Heartland is a repeat winner in a category that typically offers up new gold medalists each time around.  The bi-level range near the Deer Park train station includes automatic tees and other modern amenities, as well as a nine-hole golf course (and mini golf) on site. 

Unique Golf Shop is just as dominant as Bethpage in the Best Golf Store category, now taking top honors in seven consecutive surveys.

For more on these "Best of LI" winners, as well as medalists in all surveys ranging from restaurants, bars and shopping to mascots, DJs and Twitter accounts, visit the Long Island Press website.

Long Island Golf & Travel Show coming to Brentwood in March

North Coast Golf and Travel Shows is bringing a Long Island golf expo back to Brentwood after an extended absence.

Suffolk Community College will host the Long Island Golf & Travel Show -- sponsored by the Metropolitan PGA, Golfing Magazine, Golf Magazine and The Inn at Pocono Manor -- from Friday, March 3 to Sunday, March 5.  The show will feature driving and putting challenges, demo areas, free instruction and golf entertainment, among other activities.  Participating vendors include courses, equipment companies, resort destinations and golf retailers.

Members of the Metropolitan PGA and Metropolitan Golf Association will be on the main stage throughout the weekend to discuss techniques and rule changes.  While much of the show is focused on discount equipment, gear, hands-on demos and golf getaways, you can find some Long Island representation at the Golfing Magazine and MGA booths. 

Admission is $12 (cash only) and comes with a one-year subscription to Golf Magazine.  Kids 12 and under are admitted free.  Show hours are Friday 1:00 to 7:00 p.m.; Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Golfing Magazine's 2016 Free Golf Program includes eight courses and simulator time

Eight Long Island golf courses are participating in this year's Free Golf Program, an annual subscription special offered by Hicksville-based Golfing Magazine.  The 2016 slate of offerings also includes an hour of free simulator time at Simplay in Hauppauge.

Golfing Mag certificates, now available for $49, will soon arrive in subscriber mailboxes and allow "free" golf at Brentwood Country Club, The Woods Course at Cherry Creek in Riverhead, Gull Haven Golf Course in Central Islip, Harbor Links Executive Course in Port Washington, Holbrook Country Club, Island's End Golf & Country Club in Greenport, Middle Island Country Club and The Golf Club at Middle Bay in Oceanside.

An added perk this year is an hour of simulator time at Simplay, which opened in Hauppauge last year.  Simplay features multi-sport simulators as well as a bar, lounge and food menu.

Golfing Magazine's annual Free Golf Program certificate entitles holders to one "free" round at each of the above courses.  All you pay for on the day of play is a cart fee (and reservation fee, in some instances).  The certificate is honored at designated times during the week and on Sundays, and availability varies by course.  (Specific terms for each course can be viewed at the Golfing Magazine website.)  Be sure to double-check all terms and conditions when reserving your round.  Tee times must be made in advance.  Once that's done, it's great local golf at a steep discount.

Certificates are also valid at dozens of golf courses across upstate New York and New England. 

Players can subscribe throughout the season for only $49.  Certificates are valid until December 31, 2016.  To subscribe, contact Golfing Magazine at (516) 822-5446 or visit online at www.GolfingMagLI.com.  And for descriptions of the participating Long Island courses, click the links above to read the course flyovers.

Public hearing scheduled for indoor golf facility in Hauppauge

A blizzard and a follow-up ice storm have set real golf on the back burner for a while, but at least there is some action on the indoor-golf front.  Newsday reported last weekend that a February 26 public hearing has been scheduled by the Town of Smithtown to address an application by a local company to convert an old manufacturing building into a modern indoor-golf facility.

Simplay Entertainment LLC of Hauppauge is seeking a special exception to renovate a 1.7-acre site that includes the former manufacturing building and parking lot on Commerce Drive near Adams Avenue.  The building is located within an industrial park north of the Long Island Expressway in Hauppauge.

The plan calls for virtual-golf cubicles as well as party and dining facilities, according to David Flynn, assistant planning director for the Town of Smithtown.  Newsday added:

Simplay's attorney, David N. Altman of Melville-based Brown & Altman LLP, confirmed the content of the application, which said the proposal would decrease the amount of vacant light-industrial properties in town. "The proposed use is in harmony with the surrounding industrial park and will provide year-round recreational opportunities to those who work within the industrial park and live in the neighboring community," it said.

The special-exception consideration is needed because commercial recreation is not considered a permissible use under town zoning regulations, Flynn said. -- Newsday, Lauren R. Harrison, 2/1/2015

Parking and site improvements are also included in the application.

Four public golf courses are located within five miles of the Commerce Drive site -- Brentwood Country Club, Stonebridge Golf Links, Wind Watch Golf & Country Club and Heartland Golf Park.

2014 Free Golf Program by Golfing Magazine includes 11 Long Island courses

"Free Golf" certificates are on their way to players who signed up for Golfing Magazine's annual discount-golf program, and if you missed the Early Bird special, you can still sign up for the regular $49 rate.  Eleven Long Island golf courses are participating in the magazine's 2014 Free Golf Program, in addition to other perks like lessons and time swinging away in a local golf simulator.

The newest member on the Free Golf Program roster is The Golf Club at Middle Bay in Oceanside, which is reopening this week under a new operator.  The rest of the program has a decidedly Suffolk feel, with five of the courses out on the East End -- Tallgrass, Island's End, The Woods at Cherry Creek, Sandy Pond and Poxabogue.  Rounding out the list are Brentwood Country Club, Dix Hills Park, Glen Cove, Gull Haven and Holbrook Country Club, 

The Free Golf Program certificate entitles holders to one "free" round at each of the above courses.  All you pay for on the day of play is a cart fee (and reservation fee, in some instances).  The certificate will only be honored at certain times during the week and on Sundays, and availability varies by course.  Be sure to check all terms and conditions when reserving your round.  Tee times must be made in advance.  Once that's done, it's great local golf at a steep discount.

Also included is a 30-minute lesson or clinic at the Town of Oyster Bay's Gold Coast Golf Center in Woodbury.  On top of that, enjoy a full hour in a virtual-golf simulator at any of the following facilities: Eagle Golf in Bay Shore, Pinnacle Golf in Rockville Centre, Golf & Body in Huntington and Bethpage Virtual Golf in Bethpage.

As always, a one-year subscription to Golfing Magazine (five issues) is part of the program.  If you're heading up the Thruway or into New England sometime this summer or fall, the certificate makes a valuable travel companion, as it's valid at more than 75 participating courses in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and upstate New York.

To subscribe, contact Golfing Magazine at (516) 822-5446 or visit online at www.GolfingMagLI.com.  And for descriptions of the participating Long Island courses, click the links above to read the course flyovers.

Golfing Magazine partners with 11 courses for its 2013 Free Golf Program

Starting this week, Long Island golfers will receive a Golfing Magazine certificate that allows them to play for "free" at nearly a dozen golf courses Islandwide.  The magazine's 2013 Free Golf Program includes 11 local courses -- seven full-length and four nine-hole layouts -- plus dozens more upstate and across the Northeast.  Also, this year's program sets aside for certificate holders some much-needed tune-up time, specifically a half-hour lesson at the Town of Oyster Bay's Gold Coast Golf Center and an hour in the simulator at Eagle Golf in Bay Shore.  The $39 Early Bird Special has come and gone, but interested golfers can still sign up for the program for $59.  

Seven of the eight courses in last year's program are returning again in 2013 -- Brentwood Country Club, Dix Hills Park, Glen Cove, Gull Haven, Holbrook Country Club, Tallgrass and Island's End.  Added to the selection this year are The Woods at Cherry Creek and Sandy Pond Golf Course in Riverhead, Spring Lake's nine-hole Sandpiper Course in Middle Island, and Willow Creek Golf & Country Club in Mount Sinai. 

The Free Golf Program certificate entitles you to one "free" round at each of the above courses.  All you pay for on the day of play is a cart fee (and reservation fee where applicable).  The certificate will only be honored at certain times during the week and on weekends, and availability varies by course.  Be sure to check all terms and conditions when reserving your round.  Tee times must be made in advance.  Once that's done, it's great local golf at a steep discount.

As always, a one-year subscription to Golfing Magazine (five issues) is part of the program.  If you're heading up the Thruway or into New England sometime this summer, the certificate makes a valuable travel companion, as it's valid at a variety of participating courses in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and upstate New York.

To subscribe, contact Golfing Magazine at (516) 822-5446 or visit online at www.GolfingMagLI.com.  And for descriptions of the participating Long Island courses, click the links above to read the course flyovers.

Golfing Magazine's Free Golf Program adds indoor play at Bay Shore's Eagle Golf

Golfing Magazine's Free Golf Program is no longer confined to the great outdoors. 

The local mag has partnered with Eagle Golf of Bay Shore to include in this year's program an hour of indoor simulator time, a fun practice session that should come in handy between discounted rounds.  Early Bird registration is currently $39 -- even more of a bargain than usual considering an hour in the Eagle Golf simulator typically starts at $50.

Sign up for the Free Golf Program for $39 through April, $49 thereafter.  Members of the program receive a certificate good for one "free" round during designated times at nearly a dozen area courses.  (Only cart fees are required.)  Participating courses will be announced in May.

Golfing Magazine's 2012 program included eight Long Island courses -- Brentwood Country Club, Dix Hills Park, Glen Cove, Gull Haven, Harbor Links - Executive, Holbrook Country Club, Tallgrass and Island's End.  The certificate also includes rounds at dozens of courses upstate and throughout New England.

Eagle Golf is located at 53 W. Main St. in Bay Shore.  Its two Full Swing Golf simulators recreate play on nearly 70 international courses.  For more information, stop by the Eagle Golf website.

Visit the Golfing Magazine website or call (516) 822-5446 to sign up for the 2013 program.