Golf on Long Island

Ryder Cup update: Hole 1 and 18 seating, entry times, recommended transportation

Evan Crowder, the 2025 Ryder Cup operations manager for the PGA of America, joined "The Road to the Ryder Cup" podcast with Dr. Jeff Poplarski and Frank Darby this week to discuss some details about the on-course fan experience at the tournament in September.  They also outlined some of the behind-the-scenes logistics and course-setup duties that go into planning a major golf event.

Here are some key takeaways from the interview, which is available for listening and viewing on Spotify and YouTube:

SEATING AND ADMISSION

• A 5,000-seat, stadium-style grandstand will wrap around #1 tee and #18 green.  General-admission ticketholders will have access to 3,000 of those seats.  Construction on the grandstand will begin shortly after July 4.

• Depending on timing, fans in this area might be able to watch the morning sessions end on #18 while the afternoon sessions tee off on #1.

• Gates will open into a "fan zone" at 5:30 a.m., followed by rope drop onto the course itself at 6:00.

AROUND THE COURSE

• There will be more than 20 large video boards displaying live action around the course.  "You won't miss the action no matter where you are," Crowder said.

• To help with fan flow around the Black Course, fencing will be removed along Round Swamp Road to allow easy movement between the starting and closing holes.

• There will be a celebrity match on Wednesday.

TRANSPORTATION

• The recommended method of transportation is the Long Island Railroad to Farmingdale, where shuttles will take fans less than a mile to Bethpage.  There will also be a large rideshare lot on site on the Yellow Course that can accommodate 150 to 200 drop-off vehicles at a time. 

• For fans who want to drive, parking will once again be available at Jones Beach with a 30-minute shuttle to the course.  There is a $50 parking fee at Jones Beach, which Crowder said is designed to promote use of mass transit.

SEE ALSO:
What to know about Bethpage course schedules, closures and modifications ahead of the 2025 Ryder Cup

Bethpage Black reaches top half of Golf Digest's 2025-26 Greatest Courses list

Golf Digest released its 2025-26 list of America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses earlier this month, and Bethpage Black, home of the upcoming Ryder Cup, is comfortably inside the top 50.

One of nine Long Island courses and clubs to make the list, the Black Course settled in at #38, a few spots ahead of powerhouses like TPC Sawgrass, Baltusrol and Bandon Dunes.  The Long Island representatives that finished higher than Bethpage Black — Shinnecock Hills, National Golf Links, Fishers Island and Friar’s Head — all landed in the top 15.  The others are Sebonack (51), Maidstone (53), Garden City (58) and Piping Rock (98).

Pine Valley in New Jersey remains #1, which adds some panache to Bethpage, as seen in the Digest’s write-up of the Black Course:

“Sprawling Bethpage Black, designed in the mid-1930s to be “the public Pine Valley,” became the darling of the USGA in the early 2000s, when it brought the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Opens here. Then it became a darling of the PGA Tour as host of the 2011 and 2016 Barclays. Now the PGA of America has embraced The Black, which hosted the 2019 PGA Championship (winner: Brooks Koepka) and the upcoming 2025 Ryder Cup. Heady stuff for a layout that was once a scruffy state-park haunt where one needed to sleep in the parking lot in order to get a tee time. Now, you need fast fingers on the state park's website once tee times are available — as prime reservations at The Black are known for going in seconds.”

Also notable for Long Island is The Lido at Sand Valley, which made its debut on the list at #69.  That land-locked Lido, of course, is a replica of C.B. Macdonald’s original Lido Club, the predecessor to the current Lido Golf Club along Reynolds Channel in Lido Beach.

The magazine considers the 2025-26 Greatest 100 to be its “most data-driven set of rankings to date,” relying on 88,000 evaluations by Golf Digest panelists who rate courses in six scoring categories.

To view the Bethpage Black write-up and see where other Long Island clubs ranked, check out the full Golf Digest top 100.

[List image courtesy of Golf Digest]

Bethpage adjusts tee-time policies in attempt to combat automated bot reservations

Starting May 1, Bethpage State Park will implement several new policy measures that officials hope will discourage users from utilizing automated methods to gain unfair access to tee times. 

The park announced this weekend that the $5 online reservation fee normally collected at check-in will instead be charged as a booking fee and collected at the time of reservation.  The fee, which is charged per person, is non-refundable.  In the event the course is closed on the date of play, the booking fee will be credited to the player's account and available for future use.

Tee times must be canceled 48 hours prior to play — the $15 no-show fee remains in place and must be cleared before making future reservations.  Players must check in 45 minutes prior to tee time or they will be considered a no-show.  The number of allowable monthly cancellations will be reduced from eight to six under the new measures.

"We understand the challenges created by the high demand at Bethpage and are working with our reservation system provider, foreUP, to implement new tools to help prevent potential unfair access to tee times through automation," the park stated in its announcement.

The presence of automated bots and third-party tee-time resellers hoarding reservations via the park's online reservation system (and, previously, the park's phone system) gained nationwide attention this winter when No Laying Up's Kevin Van Valkenburg aired an investigative podcast about Bethpage tee times.  The podcast featured a local player who acquired reservation data from New York State through a FOIL (Freedom of Information Law) request and was able to successfully purchase a Black Course tee time from a third-party seller using an out-of-state account. 

Van Valkenburg also interviewed an engineer who described his creation of a bot to purchase tee times.  The reason automation is successful, he said, is because there is no penalty for cancellation.  

Under the new measures, a reserved foursome will be charged $20 at booking, and the fee is non-refundable if canceled or modified.

Bethpage Black starts its Ryder Cup season with rain-slicked opening

Opening weekend at Bethpage Black is wet and wintry, with first tee-time temps barely breaking 40 degrees, but still, the course's Ryder Cup season is officially underway.

The Black Course's 2025 golf year will certainly be unique.  Along with the Green and Yellow courses, the Black will close in mid-August and reopen after the Ryder Cup clears out in late September.  (Reopening date is October 4.)  Red and Blue will stay open a few weeks longer.  Overall, thousands of tee times at the height of summer will be spread out around all other Long Island courses and indoor venues.

For a full primer on Bethpage's 2025 season, refer to GOLI's previous post:
What to know about Bethpage course schedules, closures and modifications ahead of the 2025 Ryder Cup

On the golf course, players can expect a rare gift — shorter rough.  Black Course superintendent Mike Hadley said maintenance crews will keep the rough around the 2 1/4-inch height to be used for the Ryder Cup, which is more forgiving than typical public play (2 1/2 to 3 inches) and far shorter than past majors.  

The only offseason modification, according to park staff, involved moving the left-side bunker on #7 closer to the fairway.  This follows last winter's updates to the bunkering on #5 and #13.

The Black Course will operate on a normal schedule through the spring.  In early July, the course will start limiting daily play — walk-ups only with no tee times after 12:30 p.m.  It will close to the public on August 18.

Check GOLI and the above link throughout the season for scheduling updates.

2025 Summer Golf Camps on Long Island

Golf courses are full, empty stalls at the driving range are often hard to find, and open slots at junior golf camps tend to disappear fast.  Participation in golf remains incredibly high, and more players see the lifelong value of making professional instruction available to new and experienced junior golfers.   

On Long Island, summer camp programs at Nassau and Suffolk County's public golf courses teach the sport's key fundamentals, the various types of swings and strokes, as well as rules, etiquette, sportsmanship and course safety.  Established teaching professionals, many with national and regional accolades and awards, guide young players on the course, at the range and around practice greens and bunkers.  Campers leave each session with skills and knowledge in place for years of enjoyment on the course and as overall fans of golf.

The following is a general overview of 2025 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, 9:00 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 $300 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 30.  Register for full-day ($775) and half-day ($500) sessions at the Bethpage / Golf Channel Academy website.

Cherry Creek (Riverhead):  Cherry Creek camp programs are typically available in July and August.  Specific 2025 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 30, 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.

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 30, with sessions available through August.  Weekly programs for kids age 6 to 9 run Tuesday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and include games and drills that help develop important skills and fundamentals.  Separate programs for teens age 10 to 16 are available as full-day camps (8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) and half-day/four-hour AM and PM sessions, all running Monday to Friday.  These cover the full swing, short game, course management, rules and etiquette.  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 ten 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 15.  Week-long sessions run from late June through the end of August.  Each weekly camp ends with a scramble competition and dinner on Friday afternoon.  Registration is $675 per session with multiweek and family discounts available.  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 $750 for Peninsula, $795 for Wind Watch and $389 for Heartland, with discounts available before May 1.  For schedules and registration, visit the Long Island Golf Camps website.

Middle Bay (Oceanside):  Seven full-week camp sessions begin on July 7.  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 $579 per week with discounts available for siblings and multiple sessions.  Call (516) 766-1880 or visit the Middle Bay junior golf page for pricing, program details and additional information.

Mill Pond (Medford):  Beginning the week of July 14, Mill Pond is offering a Junior Golf Academy program for players age 12 to 16 and a Junior Development Golf Academy for kids age 6 to 11.  The 12-to-16 sessions meet four days a week and focus on all aspects of swing technique and fundamentals, plus course management, rules and etiquette.  Each session concludes with a Thursday team scramble held at the Rolling Oaks Golf Course in Miller Place.  The 6-to-11 sessions meet Tuesday and Wednesday at Mill Pond and Thursday at Rolling Oaks, with focus on swing fundamentals and sportsmanship.  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.

Montauk Downs (Montauk):  Montauk Downs offers morning and afternoon camp programs for boys and girls age 6 to 12.  Sessions meet Monday to Thursday and run from the week of July 7 through August.  Instruction focuses on fundamentals like grip, stance and swing, as well as fun-focused skill-building games and exercises.  Morning sessions meet from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; afternoon sessions from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.  Cost is $650 per session.  Register at the Montauk Downs/Golf Channel Academy website.

Poxabogue Golf Center (Sagaponack):  A total of nine sessions run from the week of June 23 to the week of August 18.  Sessions are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 noon, and are open to boys and girls from age 8 to 14.  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 $789 per session.  Visit the Poxabogue website for additional info and registration.

Shelter Island Country Club (Shelter Island):  Starting June 26, boys and girls age 7 to 16 will meet once a week on Thursdays for instruction from teaching pros and on-course play.  Younger campers age 7 to 10 will meet from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m.; age 11 to 16 will meet from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.  Camp dates are 6/26, 7/10, 7/17, 7/24 and 7/31.  Tuition is $75 for the five-session program.  Visit the Shelter Island CC website for details.

Smithtown Landing (Smithtown):  Smithtown Landing offers camp programs that meet once a week on select days through the summer.  Programs focus on all aspects of the swing, including grip, alignment and address, plus one-on-one instruction adapted for camper skill level.  Specific camp details will be available in the spring.  Visit the camp website or call (631) 979-6534 for information.

Spring Lake (Middle Island): Spring Lake and Swan Lake (Manorville) will be offering a joint camp program this summer led by pros Cristy Jurgens and Peter Cowan.  Three separate three-day sessions are open for registration: July 15-17, August 5-7 and August 12-14, all held at Spring Lake.  Programs cover all facets of the swing plus course management.  Cost is $300 to $325 per session or $850 for all three.  Full registration details can be found at the Spring Lake website.

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 Monday through Thursday beginning June 30.  Cost is $375 per half-day session and $575 for full-day.  Visit the PGA Junior Camps site for complete information.

Swan Lake (Manorville): Spring Lake and Swan Lake (Manorville) will be offering a joint camp program this summer led by pros Cristy Jurgens and Peter Cowan.  Three separate three-day sessions are open for registration: July 15-17, August 5-7 and August 12-14, all held at Spring Lake.  Programs cover all facets of the swing plus course management.  Cost is $300 to $325 per session or $850 for all three.  Full registration details can be found at the Spring Lake website.

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 from Tuesday to Friday and begin the week of June 30.  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 four sessions that meet Monday to Thursday from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. during the weeks of June 23, July 7, July 14 and July 21.  The July 7 and 14 sessions are open to new and experienced juniors age 8 to 13.  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.  The June 23 and July 21 sessions are open to intermediate and/or advanced players interested in competitive golf (approval required for the June 23 advanced player session; inquire for details).  Cost for all July sessions is $495.  Visit the West Sayville junior camp page for info and registration.

What to know about Bethpage course schedules, closures and modifications ahead of the 2025 Ryder Cup

It's going to be a unique season at Bethpage State Park.  Unlike past years when the Black Course hosted a U.S. Open or PGA Championship before the summer officially arrived, the presence of late September's Ryder Cup will loom over the whole complex for the entirety of the playing season.  Ryder Cup festivities begin on September 23 and the tournament concludes on September 28.

Here's what you need to know about playing golf at Bethpage this spring and summer before the world's international superstars take over at the start of fall:

BLACK COURSE

The Black Course opens for the season on April 12 and is tentatively scheduled to close to the public from August 18 to October 3.  The course will operate under normal procedures until July 6.  From July 7 to August 17, Black will be walk-ups only with no tee times after 12:30 p.m.

GREEN and YELLOW COURSES

Bethpage Green opens for the season on March 15.  Both the Green and Yellow courses will operate with a normal schedule until August 17.  (See below for course modifications.)  Green and Yellow are tentatively scheduled to close to the public from August 18 to October 3. 

As of June 1, the Green Course is walk-ups only.

RED and BLUE COURSES

Bethpage Red opens for the season on April 1.  Both Red and Blue will operate with a normal schedule until August 17.  (See below for course modifications.)  From August 18 until early September, both courses will remain open for play until 2:00 p.m.  Red and Blue are tentatively scheduled to close to the public from either September 8 or September 15 to October 3.

That means once Bethpage Black closes for final Ryder Cup preparation on August 17, the only courses available for play will be Red and Blue, until their September closing date.

COURSE CONDITIONS

As noted here last fall, the rough on the Black Course will be shorter for the Ryder Cup than it's been for previous tournament play.  In fact, at the planned 2 1/4-inch height, the rough will be shorter than it is for regular public play (2 1/2 to 3 inches).  Black Course superintendent Mike Hadley said in October that the rough will be maintained short throughout the 2025 season.  This way there's no need to cut the entire course back before the Cup.

The only hole modification this offseason, according to park staff, involved moving the left-side bunker on #7 closer to the fairway.  This follows last winter's updates to the bunkering on #5 and #13.

TEMPORARY TEES, GREENS AND MODIFICATIONS

Some holes around the park will be shortened or closed to accommodate all the facilities required for the event — merchandise tents, bus parking, rideshare lots, full-size driving range and practice areas, and more.  Expect the holes closest to the clubhouse and Black Course to be impacted the most.

As of May 21, the Yellow Course is shortened to nine holes.  

The following holes have or will soon have temporary tees in place:

• Green Course #18
• Green Course #1
• Red Course #1
• Red Course #5
• Blue Course #1

All scheduling is subject to change as the season progresses.  Bethpage suggests that all players check the park website, social-media outlets and email blasts for any updates to course availability.

SEE ALSO:
For guidance on where to play in the lead-up to the Ryder Cup, view the 2025 Long Island Golf Guide:

2025 golf course reopening dates on Long Island

As most local golfers know, March is reopening month on Long Island.  Sure, it's still barely above freezing outside and the ground is mush, but as far as cold-weather players are concerned, that's what hand warmers and golf spikes are for. 

Long Island's seasonal golf courses are getting set to stick the pins back in the cups and unlock the pro-shop door.  By mid-month, many of them will be open for play, and it won't take much beyond 50 degrees to fill up that tee sheet.  When March flips to April, just about every golf course on Long Island will be sending groups out to the first tee.

The following is a list of tentative 2025 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.

2025 GOLF COURSE REOPENINGS:

• Poxabogue – March 10
• Sandy Pond Links – March 14
• Harbor Links - Championship Course – March 14
• Timber Point – March 14
• Bergen Point – March 14
• West Sayville – March 14
• Holbrook CC – March 14
• Brentwood CC – March 14 
• Bethpage Green – March 15
• Woods Course at Cherry Creek – March 21
• Harbor Links - The Lower Course (Executive) – March 28
• The Golf Club at Middle Bay – March 28
• Bethpage Red – April 1
• Bethpage Black – April 12
• Eisenhower Red – April 8

[This post was updated on March 31, 2025.]

Upgrades at Harbor Links include robots, range renovations and a rebranded Executive Course

Harbor Links has a new course operator and will soon have a variety of spiffy new amenities to enhance the playing experience.

And among those incoming amenities are robots — yes, robots — that will deliver food and drinks to players as they swing their way around the Port Washington golf course.  Kelley Brooke, whose management company Brooke Holdings LLC took over operations at the Town of North Hempstead municipal facility earlier this year, says Harbor Links will be the first golf course in the world boasting robot food service.  "On the course, players will have an app on their phone and be able to order food and drinks," Brooke says.  "The kitchen packs the robot and sends it out to the group."

That focus on technology and modernization is the theme of the Brooke-led metamorphosis at Harbor Links, which opens for the 2025 season on Friday, March 14.  The course's 37-stall driving range will soon be fully covered and outfitted with training tech, TVs and lounge seating, and hours will be extended during the season as late as 11:00 p.m.  (The robots will make deliveries to the range too.)  

"Millennials are entering the game at very high numbers, so we're trying to computerize and tech out the entire venue," Brooke says.  "It will attract that newer, younger crowd."

One development that takes a look back into the past rather than ahead at the future is the course's newly released logo.  A sand miner, one hand on hip and the other grasping a golf club, honors the workers who were ever-present near Hempstead Harbor in the late 1800s and early 1900s when the region was mined to build the infrastructure of New York City.  Harbor Links was developed inside one of the industrial sand quarries in 1998.

Brooke, the 2018 LPGA Professional of the Year and longtime contributor to The Golf Channel, adds Harbor Links to a management portfolio that includes Bethpage, Montauk Downs, Lido and Merrick.  Less than a year after signing a 10-year contract with the Town of Hempstead to operate and rebrand the Lido and Merrick courses, Brooke finalized a similar agreement with North Hempstead that took effect in January.  And in line with Merrick's rebrand under Brooke into The Nine at Merrick, Harbor Links' nine-hole Executive Course will now be known as The Lower course.  Future upgrades at the Harbor Links nine include a beer garden and an outdoor wood-burning pizza oven.  Near the driving range, a performance center with TPI trainers, simulators and a full gym is planned for this fall.

Though there hasn't been much golf played anywhere on Long Island this offseason due to weather, Harbor Links has been buzzing with activity since the new group moved in during the first week of 2025.  Gone are the old green carpets that lined the pro shop and lobby, replaced now by light, modern hardwood flooring.  Installation of new stone flooring is currently underway on the ballroom's outdoor patio.  Paint, lighting and furniture updates give the facility a noticeably fresh look.

On the course, the most significant alteration is a renovated tee box on #7, which now stretches 50 yards long.  Bunker work will likely be done next offseason.

Similar driving-range upgrades are underway at Montauk Downs and planned for Bethpage, Brooke says.  The range nets at Bethpage are scheduled to be raised in the fall.

For more on Harbor Links, check out the course flyover.

[Bar room photos courtesy of Kelley Brooke.]

Bethpage Black and Red land in GOLF Magazine's Top 100 Courses You Can Play

Another list of top public golf courses, another chance for Bethpage State Park's marquee layout to shine.  Bethpage Black is featured near the top of the latest course ranking, this time GOLF.com/GOLF Magazine's 2024-2025 list of Top 100 Courses You Can Play, though for once the Black Course is forced to step back and cede some of the elite-tier spotlight to another course with Long Island roots.  Well...sort of.

GOLF posted its Top 100 last month, rating America's best public golf courses (and publicly accessible private clubs) from Pebble Beach at #1 to Wine Valley (#100) in Washington.  Bethpage Black and Red, New York State's only representatives on the list, came in at #5 and #65.

The Black Course cracking the top five of a national ranking is noteworthy, especially when it's slotted directly in front of headliners like Kiawah Island, TPC Sawgrass and Bandon Dunes.  But it's the course ahead of the Black at #4 that's of unique local interest.  The Lido — the Tom Doak reincarnation of the long-lost Long Island club — has been a hit since it opened at Sand Valley in Wisconsin in 2023.  (GOLF ranked Lido #68 in its Top 100 World list during its debut season.)  The course is nearly a down-to-the-inch replica of the vaunted C.B. Macdonald club in Lido Beach once considered among the greatest American golf courses.  For a brief period from the Black's opening in 1936 to Lido's demise in 1942, the two courses were active at the same time, separated by just 20 miles.

Of the two existing Long Island courses on the list, GOLF writes: "The Black enjoys one of the great routings, highlighted by the masterful way Tillinghast placed the fairways and greens from the second hole in a valley all the way through the dogleg left ninth.  The par-5 fourth and its iconic cross-bunkering is a world-beater."

The Red Course "more than holds its own, albeit with much less fanfare than its fellow Tillinghast design.  There’s no warning sign at the first tee like at the Black, the rough is friendlier and the bunkers less dramatic (except for the fistful that split the fairway on the par-4 13th).  But locals know none of that makes the Red a pushover."

2024 closing dates at Long Island's public golf courses

The handful of public golf courses that close for the Long Island winter typically go dark between the end of Thanksgiving weekend and the middle of December.  Some might hang on until Christmas week if warm weather lingers, but usually the only courses still open by then are the ones that welcome players year-round.

So, with that said, now's the time to get in the final swings on Long Island's seasonal golf courses, otherwise your next tee times at places like Eisenhower Red and Timber Point will be in early spring.  With the exception of Bethpage Red and Black, all of the Island's seasonal courses reopen by the end of March.

The following golf courses will close for the 2024 season in the coming weeks:

• Bethpage Red – December 1
• Bethpage Green – December 1
• Bergen Point – December 1
• West Sayville – December 1
• Middle Bay – December 1
• Eisenhower Red – December 8
• Holbrook Country Club – December 15
• Brentwood Country Club – December 15
• Timber Point – December 15
• Sandy Pond – December 31
• Cherry Creek - Woods Course – TBD/mid-December
• Sumpwams Creek – TBD/mid-December
• Bay Park – TBD/mid-December
• Harbor Links – TBD/mid-December
  
• Christopher Morley Park -- TBD

Some courses have already closed for 2024, including:

• Bethpage Black

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.