Golf on Long Island

Summer and fall aeration dates at Bethpage golf courses

Late summer means angled afternoon sunlight, earlier twilight hours and posted aeration schedules.  And Bethpage State Park is typically among the quickest to announce its seasonal maintenance dates.

Bethpage will have much of its course aeration done before fall officially arrives.  First to close for conditioning will be the Blue Course, which will briefly shut down next week.

Here is the full aeration schedule for the park's five golf courses:

• Blue Course:  August 28–29
• Green Course:  September 6–7
• Yellow Course:  September 19–20
• Red Course:  September 25–26
• Black Course:  October 2–4

Be sure to call the Bethpage golf office at (516) 249-0700 for the latest info on course availability.

Talking Long Island golf history: August 10 at Harbor Links Golf Course

Golf On Long Island's Phil Carlucci will lead a lecture on the 130-year history of Long Island golf next Thursday, August 10 at Harbor Links in Port Washington.  The event is part of the Roslyn Landmark Society lecture series and celebrates the 25th anniversary of Harbor Links.

North Hempstead town engineer Jill Guiney and town historian Ross Lumpkin will also be on hand to discuss the development and legacy of Harbor Links, which was built in the late 1990s inside what had long been an industrial sand mine.  Renowned architect Michael Hurdzan was hired by the town to design the course following his work revitalizing a similar mining site at Widow's Walk near Boston. 

The event is free to attend.  Register at the Roslyn Landmark Society website to reserve a spot.

Signed copies of Carlucci's book, Images of America: Long Island Golf, will be available for purchase at the event.  Since the book's publication in 2015, Carlucci has led discussions on Long Island golf history at museums, golf courses and historical societies in Oyster Bay, Huntington, Great Neck, West Sayville, Valley Stream and other areas.

Harbor Links approaching 25 years since its grand opening in a Port Washington sand mine

To the untrained eye, or rather, the eye of anyone who is not a golf-course designer, the big, barren sand mines of Port Washington were exactly as they appeared – big, barren sand mines. 

To Michael Hurdzan and his design team, the excavated pits that drove industry along Long Island Sound for more than a century might as well have been sun-splashed Caribbean beaches, where sand funnels between toes and imaginations run wild with vibrant visions of the future.  These pits were the gritty stuff a designer's dreams are made of.

"We looked and thought, 'This is awesome,'" Hurdzan recalls of his initial experience in the mines beside Hempstead Harbor, nearly 25 years to the day that his Harbor Links Golf Course debuted at the bottom of one of those quarries.  "We didn't have to worry about things like taking down trees.  The land was already destroyed.  We were going to put it back together."

The par-72 Championship Course at Harbor Links opened near the end of July 1998 and was followed later that year by the nine-hole Executive Course. 

Hurdzan left Long Island and the residents of the Town of North Hempstead with a challenging golf course that stands out as one of the region's most unique golfing options.  Tees and greens hover on plateaus built along the tall, once-sandy bluff left over from the property's mining days.  Fairways curl around rejuvenated wetlands.  Rocky features are more American Southwest than North Shore.  (One hole is aptly named "Arizona.")  And it's a case study in using a golf course to reverse an environmental calamity.  Hurdzan is known for creating eco-friendly golf courses, and Harbor Links almost immediately became a member of Audubon International's Signature Program.

"Harbor Links is special," says Hurdzan, who ranks the course in his top 25 of personal course designs, no small claim for someone credited with several hundred original designs and remodels.  Nationally, he says, "it's an undiscovered gem."

It was Hurdzan's previous work at a Massachusetts golf course called Widow's Walk that served as the inspiration for Harbor Links.  There, on a similarly destroyed, stripped-bare mining site near Massachusetts Bay, Hurdzan and a team of environmentalists collaborated on a design and built what he calls the first "environmental demonstration" golf course in the world.

Widow's Walk drew the attention of May Newburger, North Hempstead's town supervisor, who had a nearly identical problem on her hands in Port Washington.  The sandy canyons and the rusting waste dumped in the old Morewood property were an eyesore, and an expensive one at that.  The town purchased the property years prior, but plans to build an incinerator or other industrial and recreational developments had already been scrapped.  Newburger was determined to use the land for the public good, and she knew Hurdzan had a knack for turning a property around through golf.

"She thought if it could be done at Widow's Walk, it could be done at Harbor Links," Hurdzan says.  He credits Newburger as the figure most responsible for bringing the course to the property.  "She was a persuasive person and a very smart politician."  (Part of Hempstead Harbor was renamed "May Newburger Cove" in 2017.)

On the grounds, it took 60,000 cubic yards of compost and a stabilization of the eroded bluffs to make a sustainable golf course possible.  In the town halls and offices, it took cooperation between multiple departments and the golf-design team to ensure the project stayed on track without delays.  The 18-hole course, with its native grasses, wildlife habitats and 50 acres of wetlands, was complete in a little over a year.  "We made champagne out of that lemon, not lemonade," Newburger told the New York Times.

Unique landscape aside, Harbor Links is known for its three double-fairway holes, including one – the par-5 sixth – that is considered by many the course's signature hole.  It tees off from elevated grounds along the bluff, with players forced to decide between a risky shortcut to a high-side fairway and a safer but longer route down the valley.  The green sits up on a plateau.  The preceding par-4 fifth asks golfers the same question.  Stay low with safety or go for the daring target up top?  Hurdzan used these designs to find both golf and construction solutions.

"We worked with the contours on the site and made the different levels work for the double-fairway holes," he says.  "In the process we minimized the earth-moving and solved a golf problem at the same time."

The bluff, always in the background and sometimes part of play, gives the course the feel of an amphitheater, something that Hurdzan wanted to "celebrate."  On the back nine, two holes curve around its base, followed by the par-5 16th, where downhill drives tee off from a set of tiers built into the hillside.  Earlier, sandy mounds remain near the 13th tee ("The Dunes") as a tribute to the site's industrial past.

Not much has changed about the course since it opened a quarter century ago, other than a new set of elevated tees on the par-3 17th.  Time has transformed the sandy bluff into a high hill covered in trees and foliage.  First-time players likely have no idea they are playing 18 at the bottom of a sand mine.

Hurdzan is proud he was able to give town and Long Island residents such an asset, and he recalls fondly the cooperative effort between his group and local government.

"I didn't even mind the Long Island traffic to get there," Hurdzan says.

[PICTURED: TOP RIGHT – #4 green with the once-sandy bluff in the background; ABOVE LEFT – Hempstead Harbor's sand mines as seen in the 1920s/1930s.  The Harbor Links site is at top center.  (Photo courtesy Ian Zwerdling); ABOVE RIGHT – The par-4 10th and double-fairway 13th, with the bluff and sand mounds in the distance.]

Bethpage Black ranks #7 on Long Island-dominated Golf Digest course list

Golf Digest's measured rollout of its 2023-24 Best In State golf-course rankings made its way to New York last week, and Long Island -- "one of the world's most desirable pieces of golf terrain," according to the mag -- dominates the list.  The top three courses and seven of the top 10 are located right here in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Representing the public side of Long Island golf, Bethpage Black places #7, just ahead of vaunted Sebonack in Southampton and two spots in front of East End royalty at the Maidstone Club.  Golf Digest lists Shinnecock Hills, National Golf Links of America and Fishers Island as the three best courses in the state, followed at #5 by Friar's Head.

In all, 22 Long Island golf courses rank in New York's top 50 according to evaluations by Golf Digest panelists.

"What really sets the Empire State apart from almost everywhere else are the courses of Long Island," write Golf Digest's Derek Duncan and Stephen Hennessey.  "The combination of sand soils, proximity to the ocean and winds on both coasts, and early golf architecture heritage is unmatched in the United States."

The Black Course at Bethpage State Park also ranks #39 in the magazine's list of America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses and #7 in America's 100 Greatest Public Courses.  In a separate state-vs.-state comparison, Golf Digest's "definitive ranking" puts New York at #2 for best overall golf selection, behind only California.

After hosting several U.S. Opens and a PGA Championship, Bethpage Black will be on the international stage in the fall of 2025 when it hosts the Ryder Cup.

For more on Bethpage Black, check out the Golf On Long Island flyover and Golf Digest's variety of rankings (linked above).

Tourette Association of America holding annual golf outing at Bethpage Red on August 23

The New York-based Tourette Association of America will hold its third annual Long Island Golf Outing on Wednesday, August 23 at Bethpage State Park's Red Course.  The annual golf event raises money to support those affected by Tourette Syndrome, Tic Disorders and co-occurring conditions.

Shotgun start is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., with a brunch held prior to tee time and a cocktail reception with food and raffles following the round.  Registration is $500 per golfer with discounts available for twosomes and foursomes.  There is also a reduced "young professional" rate of $275 for players under age 35. 

Visit the Tourette Association website for registration and sponsorship opportunities.

Bethpage's Red Course is widely considered one of the top public golf courses in New York State and one of the best municipal courses in the country.  For more on Bethpage Red and its 90-year history on Long Island, check out the course flyover.

Based in Bayside, Queens, Tourette Association of America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports the Tourette Syndrome and Tic Disorder communities and is dedicated to raising awareness and crucial funds for those affected.  To learn more about the organization, its mission and ways you can support those impacted by these disorders, visit the Tourette Association website.

2023 Summer Golf Camps on Long Island

Golf participation remains at a high level following the Covid spike, meaning spots at local junior golf camps are still in elevated demand.  Junior golfers of all ages and skill levels have a wealth of options at Long Island's public golf courses for learning the fundamentals of the game, from swing to etiquette, and making a smooth entrance into the sport.

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, at 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 lifelong enjoyment on the course and as overall fans of golf.

The following is a general overview of 2023 summer golf camps offered at various public golf 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.)

Bergen Point (West Babylon):  Weekly sessions run from Monday to Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 12 noon, and are open to kids age 7 to 17.  Instruction includes short-game practice, driving range, on-course play and daily contests and competition.  Cost is $320 per session.  Sign-up forms are available on the Bergen Point website.

Bethpage State Park (Farmingdale):  Bethpage's Summer Junior Golf Program is open to players of all skill levels from age 6 to 17.  Half-day programs are geared toward younger players, while full-day camps are designed for intermediate and advanced players with on-course experience.  A monthly program with tournament play is also available for competitive juniors.  All programs feature a combination of skills development and performance-related training and fitness.  Sessions begin the week of June 26.  Register for full-day ($775) and half-day ($500) sessions at the Bethpage / Golf Channel Academy website.

Cedars Golf Club (Cutchogue):  The Cutchogue course offers two separate month-long sessions with start dates of June 28 and July 31.  Campers age 5 to 13 meet Mondays and Wednesdays for four weeks.  All participants receive a Cedars camp shirt, a full-season Junior Pass and daily pizza lunch.  Cost is $700 per session.  Register in person or e-mail [email protected], and check the Cedars website or for full details.

Cherry Creek (Riverhead):  Cherry Creek camp programs will be available in July and August.  Specific 2023 program details to follow.  Call (631) 506-0777 for the latest information.

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 6 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 June 26, and discounts are available for Nassau County residents and First Tee participants.  Visit the PGA Junior Golf Camp site for full information on pricing, session dates and available discounts.

Glen Cove Golf Club (Glen Cove):  From the last week of June through the end of August, Glen Cove is offering ten weekly sessions designed for juniors age 8 to 16.  Camps run Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and cover all parts of the swing, plus rules and etiquette.  Cost is $425 per camper.  Sign up at the Glen Cove Golf Camps website.

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 26, 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.  A "Birdie Program" is also available for advanced juniors looking to improve for competition.  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 annual golf camp consists of week-long sessions that include lessons, lunch, golf gear and on-course competition.  Camps are open to boys and girls of all skill levels between the ages of 7 and 16.  Week-long sessions run from late June through the end of August.  Each session ends with a five-hole scramble competition on Friday afternoon.  See the Indian Island website or call (631) 727-7776 for details.

Long Island Golf Camps / Mike Reilly Golf Academy (Massapequa, Deer Park, Hauppauge):  Long Island Golf Camps runs programs at three public courses -- Peninsula Golf Club (Massapequa), Heartland Golf Park (Deer Park) and Wind Watch Golf & Country Club (Hauppauge).  The Peninsula and Wind Watch camps are week-long, full-day programs (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.  The Deer Park camp sessions run Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.  Instruction takes place on the course, at the driving range and in the short-game area.  Enrollment is $695 for Peninsula, $745 for Wind Watch and $369 for Heartland, with discounts available before May 1.  For schedules and registration, visit the Long Island Golf Camps website.

Middle Bay (Oceanside):  Six full-week sessions begin on July 10.  Campers meet Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m and receive instruction on the range and the course, with snack and lunch included.  Registration is $519 per week with discounts available for siblings and multiple sessions.  Call (516) 766-1880 for pricing, program details and additional information.

Mill Pond (Medford):  Camps are available in 4-day and 2-day sessions beginning July 3.  The longer programs are designed for teen golfers age 12 to 16 and focus on all aspects of swing technique and fundamentals, plus course management, rules and etiquette.  Each session concludes with a Friday team competition held at the Rolling Oaks Golf Course in Miller Place.  Shorter programs meet Tuesday and Wednesday and are geared toward beginners age 6 to 11 with a focus on swing fundamentals.  Discounts for Town of Brookhaven residents are available.  Visit the Mill Pond website or call (631) 732-8249 for info on registration, pricing, schedules and program format.

Pine Hills (Manorville):  Pine Hills is offering two separate camp sessions that meet on Tuesday evenings in June and July.  Each session meets from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on three consecutive Tuesdays and covers the swing, etiquette, short-game skills and more.  The camp is open to juniors age 6 to 16 and includes pizza and snacks on the final day.  Sessions are $345 each or $595 for both.  Email [email protected] for details or registration.

Poxabogue Golf Center (Sagaponack):  A total of ten sessions run from the week of June 19 to the week of August 21.  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 $659 per session.  Visit the Poxabogue website for info and registration.

Smithtown Landing (Smithtown):  Smithwon Landing's 2023 camps will meet once a week for six consecutive weeks beginning at the end of June.  Campers meet for one hour at select times on Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays.  Registration is $275 per session.  Visit the camp website or call (631) 979-6534 for 2022 information.

Sunken Meadow (Kings Park):  PGA Junior Golf operates half-day camps for players of all skill levels from age 7 to 13, and modified full-day camps for juniors age 10 to 16.  In each camp, players are divided into groups based on experience and receive hands-on instruction led by certified PGA professionals.  Weekly sessions meet Tuesday through Friday beginning June 26.  Cost is $375 per half-day session and $550 for full-day.  Visit the PGA Junior Camps site for complete information.

Town of Oyster Bay Golf Course (Woodbury):  Oyster Bay's Lucas Golf Center offers full-day camp for juniors age 10 to 16 and half-day camps for boys and girls age 6 to 10.  Teaching pros cover the full swing, chipping, putting, rules and etiquette, and instruction takes place on and off the course.  Sessions run Tuesday to Friday beginning June 27.  Call (516) 364-3600 or visit TOB's Lucas Golf Center website for information and registration.

West Sayville Golf Course (West Sayville):  West Sayville offers five sessions that meet Monday to Thursday from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. during the weeks of June 26, July 10, July 17, July 24 and July 31.  Sessions are open to new and experienced juniors age 8 to 14.  Under lead instructor Sean McLaughlin, head golf coach at Sayville High School, campers learn all aspects of the swing, plus rules and etiquette, and practice on the golf course daily.  Visit the West Sayville junior camp page for info and registration.

AHEPA Chapters of Long Island Golf Outing scheduled for May 22 at Middle Bay

The annual AHEPA Chapters of Long Island Golf Outing will be held on Monday, May 22 at The Golf Club at Middle Bay in Oceanside.  Proceeds from the event will support AHEPA's philanthropic and educational efforts in the region's Greek community and the broader Long Island community as a whole.

Entry fee is $175 per player and includes breakfast, hot lunch, beer and other beverages.  On Middle Bay's waterfront par-3 10th, players will have the opportunity to ace the hole for a $25,000 grand prize.  There will also be cash prizes for longest drive and closest to the pin.  Shotgun start is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. 

Registration info and sponsorship opportunities are detailed online at the outing website. 

To learn more about AHEPA and its philanthropic work across Long Island, visit the local chapter website.  For more information about Middle Bay, check out the course flyover.

Long Island Golf Junkies social outing to be held at Inwood CC on June 5

The Long Island Golf Junkies players group, one of the largest and most active groups in the region, will hold one of its social golf outings on Monday, June 5 at the private Inwood Country Club.  The event tees off at 12 noon and is open to all local players.

Entry fee is $250 per golfer.  All outing participants get breakfast, drinks and a BBQ lunch at the turn.  Spots can be reserved for singles and groups at the LIGJ website.  It is an individual stroke play event with contests for closest to the pin and longest drive.  Visit the LIGJ website for full registration details.

Inwood is a private club originally built in 1901 as a nine-hole course.  It's best known for hosting the 1923 U.S. Open in which amateur Bobby Jones prevailed in a Sunday playoff against professional Bobby Cruickshank.  Jones hit a second-shot 2-iron to eight feet on the 18th hole to secure the win.  Inwood also hosted the 1921 PGA Championship won by Walter Hagen.

LIGJ hosts several formal outings, casual rounds and social meet-ups each season at both public courses and private clubs.  Interested local golfers can become members via the Long Island Golf Junkies Facebook group.

Spring aeration dates at Bethpage

The golf courses at Bethpage State Park are fully open for the 2023 season, but there are some upcoming spring aeration dates to be aware of before making plans for tee times.

Bethpage Yellow will be the first to close for maintenance next week on April 24 and 25.  The Black Course was already aerated prior to opening.

Here is the full aeration schedule for the park's non-Black courses:

• Yellow Course:  April 24-25
• Red Course:  April 26-27
• Blue Course:  May 1-2
• Green Course:  May 3-4

Be sure to call the Bethpage golf office at (516) 249-0700 for the latest info on course availability.

Bethpage prepping for 2023 season with Ryder Cup changes already taking shape

It won't take long for Bethpage golfers to catch a glimpse of something new when they return to the course for the first time in 2023.  One of the main offseason renovations at the park -- carried out with the 2025 Ryder Cup in mind -- took place right behind the clubhouse near the start of the Black Course.

It's a subtle change, but one that is designed to bolster the already raucous atmosphere at the Ryder Cup's start and finish.  A simple reshaping of the mounding between the first tee and 18th green has opened up the sight lines to allow the Black's future spectators to see every shot.

"The first tee at the Ryder Cup is one of the best experiences a golf fan can enjoy, and the crowd at Bethpage should be epic," says Andrew Wilson, Bethpage's longtime superintendent and director of agronomy.  "The work done means fans will be able to see the first tee and 18th green from every seat in the grandstand."

Whether or not that epic scene will include rolled-back golf balls and players on the LIV Tour...well, uhh, let's not get into that.

Local players will begin to see the offseason course work for themselves when Bethpage Green opens for 2023 play tomorrow, March 18, followed by the Red Course on April 1.  But for the most startling change of all, visitors will have to wait until the Black Course officially reopens on April 15.  That's when players will work their way toward the farthest reaches of the Black and find that one of its landmark hazards -- the overhanging oak tree right of #8 green -- is now a thing of the past.

Wilson says the tree was dying and unable to be salvaged, despite his crew's best efforts to save it.  "It had become a safety issue for players and employees," Wilson says.  "It was sad to see it go."

Its departure means the right side of the green can offer pin placements that simply weren't possible while the tree loomed overhead, another positive when looking ahead to Ryder Cup week.

Elsewhere on the Black Course, maintenance crews renovated about a dozen bunkers with new sod edging.  "That's no small undertaking considering the size of the Black's bunkers," Wilson says.

Crews completed similar sodding projects around sand traps and in areas with soil compaction on the Red and Green courses. 

Meanwhile the Blue and Yellow courses saw plenty of action over the winter, not from work crews, but from players.  The two courses have already hosted close to 10,000 rounds, Wilson says, thanks to mild temperatures and zero snowfall.  The staff has been able to do some minor renovation work amid all that play, though multiyear projects like the continued renovation of bunkers on Yellow #14 have been kept on hiatus until next offseason.

When players prepare to tee off on the Black Course next month, they'll also notice one other significant addition -- a new forward tee on Black's opener.  Wilson says the idea to add a forward tee came as a byproduct of the reshaping work done nearby.

"There's a good chance this new tee will be used during the Ryder Cup as well," Wilson says.

[PICTURED: TOP -- Newly reshaped grounds between #1 tee and #18 green on the Black Course.  BOTTOM -- The oak tree on Black #8, as seen during the 2019 PGA Championship.]