Golf on Long Island

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

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

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

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

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

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

Harbor Links, Sunken Meadow to host 2021 Drive, Chip & Putt local qualifiers

Long Island junior golfers with an eye on competing at Augusta National can start the journey to Georgia today by registering for local qualifying rounds of the annual Drive, Chip & Putt Championship, to be held this summer at three area golf courses.

Qualifying rounds for the 2021-22 Drive, Chip & Putt Championship will be held in July at Harbor Links in Port Washington (July 7), Sunken Meadow State Park in Kings Park (July 19) and the private Colonial Springs Golf Club in Farmingdale (July 20).  The event, which is made possible by the United States Golf Association, the PGA of America and the Masters Tournament, is open to boys and girls from age 7 to 15.  It gives juniors in all 50 states the opportunity to qualify at local courses and compete for a chance to play in a televised championship at Augusta National on the eve of The Masters.

Top performers at the Long Island qualifiers will advance to the sub-regional round, scheduled for August 22 at the Town of Colonie Golf Course near Albany.  The eighty open spots at the Augusta championship -- 40 boys and 40 girls -- will then be determined at regional finals.

Participation in the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship is free.  Players accumulate points for performance in driving, chipping and putting challenges.  Complete competition rules, eligibility requirements and scoring outlines are available at the Drive, Chip & Putt website.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hole modifications on the way at Eisenhower Park's Red Course

Friend of Golf On Long Island Rob Toffolo walked away from a recent round at Eisenhower Park's Red Course with interesting information about scheduled alterations to the century-old layout, some of which are currently in the early construction stages.

Two holes on the Red's front nine are in line for future modifications, and it won't take long during a round for golfers to notice the difference.  New tees will soon be added on #1, according to park staff, shortening the par-5 opener by about 40 yards and reintroducing it as a lengthy par-4.  Farther ahead at #7, park crews have already started clearing trees and marking ground for a project that will stretch the 452-yard par-4 into a slightly doglegged par-5.

When complete, the new teebox at #7 will be set way back near the perimeter fence along Salisbury Park Road, about 25 yards behind the current back tee.  Flags currently mark the site of #7's future green, to be situated farther back and to the right of the present surface.  The end result will likely be a shade over 500 yards with a late-turning dogleg that fits with the rest of the Red Course's long, bending fairways.

Hole realignments and redirected fairways are nothing new to the Red, of course -- especially the front nine, which has undergone a strange set of changes over time.  Back in 2010 GOLI highlighted the Red's ghost greens at #4 and #6, each of which served as alternative targets at one time or another before being removed from the rotation.  While old #6 is now long gone, the alternate #4 green -- once dubbed hole #4A on scorecards back when it was in use -- was recently restored with new bunkers and briefly used as a stand-in for the par-3 fifth while that hole was under repair.  Otherwise it has mostly sat idly behind small trees.

And you cannot discuss realigned holes at Eisenhower Red without mentioning #2, where the longtime par-3 was paired up with an alternate par-4 back in the 1990s, an awkward 90-degree dogleg that's shoehorned between overhanging trees.  Thankfully the par-3 remains the primary hole there.

For more on Eisenhower Red, a Devereux Emmet original and home of the 1926 PGA Championship, check out the course flyover.

[PICTURED: New #7 tee under construction near Salisbury Park Road.]

2021 Summer Golf Camps on Long Island

Golf participation at the junior level is up during the coronavirus era.  The sport's socially distanced nature led many new, young players onto the course in 2020, and according to many local course pros, the demand for structured camp programs for kids was greater than expected as well.

Now that more kids are on the course, the next step for many of them is learning the right way to swing and manage a round of golf.  Luckily teens and tweens (and younger) in our area have plenty of places close by to find a qualified teaching pro with the skills to help put the building blocks in place for a swing that could last a lifetime.

On Long Island, in addition to the many outlets the casual or advanced golfer can turn to for instruction, summer golf programs for junior players are designed to transform the youngster, whether new to the sport or experienced, into a skilled golfer.

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, in 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 years of enjoyment on the course.

The following is a general overview of 2021 summer golf camps available and open for registration at various public 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.)

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 28.  Register for full day ($775), half day ($500) and full-month sessions ($2,900) at the Bethpage / Golf Channel Academy website.

Cedars Golf Club (Cutchogue):  The Cutchogue course offers two separate month-long sessions with start dates of July 5 and August 2.  Campers meet Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, with times varied by age group.  Juniors age 6 to 10 benefit from group instruction and on-course play, and also receive a ten-round Cedars Junior Pass.  Campers in the 11-to-15 group receive private instruction each week in addition to on-course play, group work and a full-season Junior Pass.  Cost is approximately $600 per four-week session.  Call (631) 734-6363 or e-mail ken@cedarsgolfclub.com to register or for full details.

Cherry Creek (Riverhead):  Cherry Creek camp programs will be available in July and August.  Specific 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 10 to 13, and half-day camps for beginners and intermediates age 8 to 11.  There is also a special 90-minute session for "Wee Ones" age 6 and 7.  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 July 6.  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 28, 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.  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, prizes, golf gear, skills contests and on-course competition.  Camps are open to boys and girls of all skill levels between the ages of 7 and 16.  Fees are $550 per week, per camper, with family, returnee and multi-week discounts available.  Week-long sessions begin June 28 and continue until Labor Day weekend.  See the Indian Island website for all details.

Long Island Golf Camps / Mike Reilly Golf Academy (Massapequa, Babylon, Hauppauge):  Long Island Golf Camps runs programs at three public courses -- Peninsula Golf Club (Massapequa), Sumpwams Creek/E. Donald Conroy Golf Course (Babylon) and Wind Watch Golf & Country Club (Hauppauge).  The Peninsula and Wind Watch camps are week-long, full-day programs (9:00/9:30 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.  Babylon camps run Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; afternoon sessions might be available based on demand.  Instruction takes place on the course and in the short-game area.  Enrollment is $645 for Peninsula and Wind Watch, and $289 for Babylon, with discounts available before May 1.  For schedules and registration, and for information on a fourth camp program held at the private Colonial Springs Golf Club in East Farmingdale, visit the Long Island Golf Camps website.

Middle Bay (Oceanside):  Six full-week sessions begin on July 12.  Campers meet Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  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 6.  The longer programs are designed for teen golfers age 12 to 16 and focus on all aspects of swing technique and fundamentals.  Each session includes a team competition on Friday held at Rolling Oaks in Miller Place.  Shorter programs are geared more toward beginners age 6 to 11 with a focus on swing fundamentals, rules and etiquette.  Discounts for Town of Brookhaven residents are offered.  Visit the Mill Pond website or call (631) 732-8249 for info on registration, pricing, schedules and program format.

Poxabogue Golf Center (Sagaponack):  A total of ten sessions run from the week of June 21 to the week of August 23.  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 $549 per session, with family and multi-week discounts available.  Visit the Poxabogue website for info and registration.

Stonebridge Golf Links (Hauppauge):  Starting in mid July, full- and half-day programs are available for beginners through intermediate players.  Half-day sessions (9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.) are geared to beginners age 6 to 10 and focus on fundamentals, rules, etiquette and course/club basics.  Full-day camps (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) help experienced players age 10 and up improve on skills and knowledge through on-course play and instruction.  Cost is $215 for half day and $385 for full day.  All campers receive a Puma string bag.  Discounts available for siblings and multiple sessions.  Call (631) 724-7500 or visit the Stonebridge website for session schedules and registration info.

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 9 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 July 6.  Cost is $299 per half-day session and $425 for full-day.  Visit the Sunken Meadow site for full information.

Town of Oyster Bay Golf Course (Woodbury):  Full-day camps (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.) for boys and girls age 10 to 16, and half-day camps (12 noon to 4 p.m.) for boys and girls age 6 to 10, are available starting June 29.  Camps meet Tuesday through Friday.  Teaching pros cover chipping, putting, rules and etiquette, and instruction takes place on and off the course.  Full-day camp is $650; half-day camp is $475.  Referral discounts are available.  Call (516) 364-3600 or visit TOB's Lucas Golf Center website for information and registration.

What's become of Long Island's recently departed public golf courses

With signs that Great Rock Golf Club in Wading River might be returning to Long Island's public golf roster, it's worth taking a look back at other lost courses in the area.  Back when Golf On Long Island began covering the region's public golf scene in 2008, the list of local courses was a little bit longer.  Over the past decade-plus, the Island -- especially the East End -- has seen a couple of public courses lose out to development, privatization or other factors.

Here's a look at Long Island's recently lost golf courses and where they stand today, if at all:

CALVERTON LINKS

What it was:  A mix of parkland-style holes on the front nine and sprawling, rolling, wide-open terrain on the back.  Originally a nine-hole course, Calverton Links expanded to 18 in 1999 with new holes built on farmland.  Aside from its very distinct personalities, the course featured a variety of tiered greens -- including a massive slope on its par-5 15th -- and a generally low-key vibe.

What it is now:  Calverton's run on the East End came to a sudden close in fall 2013 with word that the owners were no longer interested in running it.  Eventually the property was leased to a nearby company operating paintball and other outdoor activities.  Passing motorists on Edwards Avenue in Calverton will find land that still resembles a golf course, though much of it is used for various sports and events.  The back extension of the course sits largely untouched, as seen on aerial imagery.

DIX HILLS GOLF CLUB

What it was:  A quaint nine-hole fixture in Dix Hills with a small, shaded cabin for a clubhouse and lots of old-fashioned charm.  It was a 2,600-yard par-35 with deep rough and a ravine that cut across two of its holes.

What it is now:  The course closed in 2012, and its gravel driveway and wooded cabin sat weedy and overgrown for more than a year.  Today, the property is the site of luxury housing.

GREAT ROCK

What it was:  In its prime, Great Rock offered as close to a private-club experience as any public course on the Island.  Off the course, staff members loaded your bag and cleaned your clubs, and a Zagat-rated steakhouse and bar (later a refurbished American bistro) hosted plenty of post-round cocktails.  The stories told over beer and burgers likely centered on Great Rock's fast greens and extremely hilly terrain, including its dead-uphill 10th and roller coaster-ish closing par-5.

What it is now:  A course that might be on its way back for a second time (it closed once for six months in 2014 during an ownership change).  Great Rock's latest run in Wading River came to a sorry end in 2019 -- the restaurant closed and the course was largely neglected, leading many players to voice their displeasure online about overgrown fairways, weedy bunkers and scorched greens.  Great Rock closed that October, hinted at improvements for 2020, and never reopened.  There have been whispers though that a new owner might resurrect the golf course sometime in 2021, though details are scarce to date.

HEATHERWOOD

What it was:  A rarity on Long Island -- an 18-hole executive course.  With a dozen par-3s and six par-4s, Heatherwood sported an easygoing par-60 with no frills.  It wasn't a total pushover though -- all but three of its par-3s stretched out between 150 and 200 yards.

What it is now:  An overgrown lot being used as a political football between a real estate developer and the Town of Brookhaven.  For the past few years it's been no secret that the course would be cut down to nine holes to make way for a senior housing complex, but late in the approval process the developer, Heatherwood Golf and Villas, told the town its project couldn't get off the ground without millions of dollars in tax breaks.  When Brookhaven swatted down several aid requests, the developer abandoned the course and let it grow into a very visible eyesore.  The standoff is ongoing.

JONES BEACH PITCH-AND-PUTT

What it was:  For almost as long as there's been a Jones Beach State Park, there's been a short golf course just to the southeast of its iconic tower.  The pitch-and-putt course was a simple, no-frills respite for beachgoers looking for fun in the sun while confining the sand to bunkers.  Fun fact -- one prominent mid-1900s golf writer credited the design of the course -- erroneously, most likely -- to Alister MacKenzie.

What it is now:  It turns out that beachfront golf courses and Long Island storms aren't a great match, and Jones Beach was repeatedly battered by the region's frequent nor'easters and hurricanes.  Flooding and saltwater damage were a seasonal nuisance.  In 2010, the opening was delayed until summer due to storm damage, and two years later, Hurricane Sandy shut the course for good.  The site is now a climbing and adventure park called WildPlay.

LINKS AT SHIRLEY

What it was:  A high-end public course known for a private-club feel and immaculate conditions.  Like many of the courses on this list, it arrived during the Tiger boom, and within a decade it was fending off pressure from developers.  It was a challenging course that the owner described as the "fulfillment of a dream."  Ultimately it was likely done in, at least in part, by some of the Island's highest green fees.  The course closed in 2010.

What it is now:  Part of the Links is now home to a luxury retirement community called The Colony Preserve.  More than ten years since they closed, some holes still exist on the back end of the development and, at some point, will be used as parkland.

LONG ISLAND NATIONAL

What it was:  A Robert Trent Jones Jr. course with as much rolling, wind-swept, links-style golf as one could find on Long Island's public side.  Wavy, fescue-bordered fairways led the way, in some spots, to double greens.  The contours of the course were all the more impressive given its prior life as a flat Riverhead potato farm.  According to the design company's website, Jones Jr. was so proud of the course that he hosted his 60th birthday there when it opened in 1999.

What it is now:  A private club.  New ownership took over in 2013 and made that the last season in which public golfers would be welcome.

MILL POND (EAST)

What it was:  The third nine of what for a short time was the 27-hole Mill Pond Golf Course in Medford.  The East course arrived with its 18 companion holes in 1999, but by 2006 it was taken out of the rotation and left to decay in plain sight for years next to the present-day 12th hole, until construction eventually began on a new development. 

What it is now:  The entire course was replaced by a Meadowbrook Pointe residential community.

TALLGRASS

What it was:  A Gil Hanse design that was consistently ranked among the best publicly accessible golf courses in New York State.  Unfortunately, it was also consistently trailed by rumors about development.  Like Jones Jr. at Long Island National, Hanse took a flat expanse of agricultural land and made it move, in this case by digging down and creating a berm with several holes playing around its rim.  Sandy waste areas and namesake fescue bolstered what was a relatively short par-71 (later a par-70).

What it is now:  Its final years were spent parrying the approach of a proposed solar farm.  Though the course held out longer than expected, in the end, the development won.  Today Tallgrass is covered head to toe in solar panels.  Don't look at Google Earth if you're squeamish.

Bethpage Red open for 2021, Black to follow as crews finish projects around the course

Mother Nature washed out Opening Day at Bethpage Red with a soggy April Fools' joke that saturated the course, much like the cold and snow that Old Man Winter whipped up to lop off six weeks of offseason golf and maintenance work.  Bethpage Red instead reopened for the 2021 season yesterday under a stiff breeze, and the Black Course is on schedule to open April 15.

Despite those weeks of sitting snow, "the winter treated the courses fairly well," says Andrew Wilson, director of agronomy at Bethpage.  "No winter damage to the greens, which is always the major concern."

In fact, much of the work this winter focused on residual cleanup from last summer's Tropical Storm Isaias, which caused extensive tree damage around the park when it swept through in August.  Crews pruned or removed affected trees, including a large oak on Red #1.

Returning players will notice some minor changes on the Black Course when it opens this month.  The tall native grass surrounding the lobed greenside bunker on #2 has been replaced with bluegrass sod and will be mowed at regular rough height.  This change makes the area more manageable for players and staff, Wilson says, while also allowing for other irrigation tasks to be completed near #2 green and #3 tee.

Black Course superintendent Mike Hadley oversaw the expansion and resodding of walking paths around the course.  "Increasing width on the paths, particularly the holes with native grass from tee to fairway, was a request of the PGA of America that we can slowly accomplish over the next few seasons," Wilson says.  Bethpage Black is scheduled to host the Ryder Cup in 2025.

Less obvious to players are drainage improvements made on the #18 fairway bunkers, including the discovery of a jammed drainage pipe.  "A much-needed infrastructure project," Wilson says.

Elsewhere, a new back tee is open on the eighth hole of the Yellow Course, offering a new look on the drive at the short par-4.  "Adding a new back tee is a bit of a novelty for us," Wilson says.  "We've been adding forward tees the last few years, which have been popular with our shorter hitters."

The six lost weeks of winter scuttled plans for one additional tee project that would have been very noticeable to Red Course players.  Back in the fall Wilson posted a photo of a newly built forward tee on Red #13, a split-fairway par-4 with a large bunker complex in the center of the fairway.  Due to follow was a renovation of the main tee that would raise the box by several feet and offer players a slightly elevated glimpse of the diverging fairways.  As Red players know, many of the hole's features are hidden from the current tee.  But winter conditions took that project off the agenda, at least for now.

Wilson credits superintendents Hadley, Vincent Herzog, Erik Feldman, Eric Newell, Hamilton Lopes, Shawn Brownell, Ryan Murphy and their maintenance crews for doing the heavy lifting in prepping the courses while also battling the realities of the coronavirus era.  "Our staff was impacted, some quarantined, all while rounds were up last year," Wilson says.

"We hope to have less disruption this year and more opportunity to improve bunkers, tees and other parts of the courses."

View photos of the offseason and ongoing renovations by visiting Wilson's and Bethpage Golf's Twitter pages at @Greensideup17 and @BethpageGolf.

[Photos above courtesy of Andrew Wilson.]

Tee times will be a hot commodity again at local golf courses in 2021

On this first morning of spring, the season of new beginnings, opening day at Bethpage Green was slowed by a frost delay.  It was a fitting way to follow a winter season that was largely snowed out.

The cold thaw will do little to dampen local golf enthusiasm though, or the prospects for 2021.  The rush on tee times that became one of the main storylines in the pandemic-affected Long Island golf season of 2020 is likely to carry over through this year, Newsday golf writer Jeff Williams said in a St. Patrick's Day column, as more and more courses begin to shake off the winter freeze.  Harbor Links also reopened on Saturday, joining courses like Timber Point and Cherry Creek Woods that raised the curtain on 2021 last week.

And with sunny skies and temps projected in the 50s and 60s this week, expect a preview of this spring and summer's run on reservations.  Pent-up demand helped one Suffolk County course send out 150 players as far back as a sunny, freshly snow-thawed March 3.

"Tee sheets filled up in an instant, a week in advance or more," Williams said of 2020.  "And that trend isn't showing any signs of slowing down."

It's not just the push for golf itself that is driving demand for reservations.  "Tee times are like gold," Sunken Meadow head pro Judy Alvarez told Golf On Long Island in the fall, because most courses are still not allowing walk-up play amid the focus on pandemic safety.  Just about everyone needs a reservation to get onto any local first tee.  Players accustomed to dropping by a nearby course to join a group, or who might decide to sneak in nine holes one afternoon on a whim, are now at a severe disadvantage.  

Courses like the nine-hole Nassau County munis at North Woodmere, Bay Park, Cantiague and Christopher Morley are offering tee times for the first time ever, and without walk-up play, the difference is clear.  On a warm weekend last November, every tee time at North Woodmere was booked in advance from Saturday morning through Sunday afternoon.  "Normally on a nice fall Saturday like this I'd come down here at 9:00 and get on after a little wait," said one Woodmere golfer.  "Today I can't get out."

As of noon today (Saturday), a search for Sunday tee times turns up almost nothing for twosomes at North Woodmere and Cantiague.  (The other two courses are still closed for winter.)  Singles can find three slots in total before 2 p.m.

At Cedars Golf Club in Cutchogue, the neighborhood nine-hole course transitioned in 2020 from a fully walk-up facility to prepaid tee times.  "We expect to keep the tee-time system going forward based on positive feedback from customers," said Cedars co-owner Tim McManus, who added indoor simulator play at Cedars was booked every weekend this winter.

The Golf Club at Middle Bay still has some time before the course opens on April 1, but the tee sheets are filling fast.  "We have a very limited number of tee times available for sale on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays," said golf director Ronnie Wright.

Once on the course though, golfers should find the experience well worth the fight for their spot on tee.  Pine Hills golf director Jimmy Conway told Newsday that faster rounds were one of the byproducts of pandemic-era golf in 2020.

"For the first time we saw four-hour rounds being played on weekends. That brought joy to a lot of people’s games," Conway said.  "A tee time on Saturday wasn’t so bad anymore."

Peninsula Golf Club owners considering sale to Florida firm

Peninsula Golf Club shareholders will meet next week to discuss the potential sale of the Massapequa nine-hole golf course to a Florida firm, Newsday reported on Thursday.

On the table is a $4.4 million offer from the Florida company for the 50-acre property, which must remain a public golf course, according to Nassau County covenants.  The shareholder meeting is scheduled for March 18.

In a Feb. 15 letter to shareholders of owner P.G.C. Holding Corp., company president Nicholas DeSibio, a Hewlett-based attorney, wrote that a $4.4 million offer had been made for the approximately 50-acre, nine-hole golf course.

"Our board members and officers believe that the ‘time has come,’ as we are having difficulty devoting the time to manage the operation," DeSibio wrote.

DeSibio said in an interview Thursday that the price was good "only as a golf course" but he wanted to see whether the stockholders agreed. The proceeds would be distributed to its 68 stockholders, according to the letter. -- Ted Phillips, Newsday, 3/11/21

At least one shareholder has already voted against the current offer and asked the ownership company president for a renegotiated price.

Both the golf course itself and the golf club that operates it have roots as far back as the 1920s.  Originally the Nassau Shores Country Club, the golf course emerged during the 1920s building boom and fell victim to post-Depression financial distress -- the club went bankrupt in the 1940s and the course was neglected.  Meanwhile, a group of Nassau County golfers who formed their own club while caddying at Rockaway Peninsula golf courses in the 1920s -- hence the name Peninsula -- swooped in to purchase the Nassau Shores course in 1946.

For more on Peninsula, see the course flyover.

Bethpage opening and spring aeration dates

Bethpage State Park has announced spring aeration dates for its four non-Black golf courses in late April and early May.  The aeration schedule is as follows:

Blue Course:  April 26-27
Red Course:  April 28-29
Yellow Course:  May 3-4
Green Course:  May 5-6

Also announced, the Green Course will reopen for play on Saturday, March 20.  Blue and Yellow, which both remain open year-round, will reopen for play as soon as snow melt and drainage allow.

Bethpage Red typically opens for the new season around April 1, followed by the Black Course around April 15.  Check GOLI's course reopening page for the latest updates.