Golf on Long Island

Winter Golf on Long Island: 2021-22 Edition

Christmas morning on Long Island, there are a great many local golfers opening up new "toys," whether it be a box of balls or a new putter, looking forward to the spring when they can debut them on the course.  Then there's the small subset of local golfers scrolling through five-day forecasts and tee-time lists to see how soon they can take that brand-new, freshly unwrapped driver for a test...drive.

Winter golf is a thing on Long Island, to the surprise of the warm majority who take a pass at golf below 50 degrees.  But if you can tolerate cold, there is a whole season of golf to enjoy, complete with open tee times, clear fairways, reduced rates, two-and-a-half-hour rounds and hastily slurped hot chocolate staining the front of your new quarter-zip.

Here's a brief overview -- while many Northeast golfers pack the clubs away around the time rakes come out, there is a hardy set of players who carry on from January through March.  And there are plenty of local courses that are happy to accommodate them.  Long Island's handful of seasonal golf courses typically close sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas and reopen around St. Patrick's Day, but the rest remain open year-round as the weather allows.

It's not all sunshine and birdies, though.  Besides the cold and wind, you've got to deal with frost delays, some temporary tees and greens (less so now than in years past), and typically sloppier and muddier conditions as the elements take their toll later in the season.  Some years, if the bad weather arrives early and often, the winter season can be a complete dud.

This late fall and winter have been good to players so far, and generally, conditions hold up as long as heavy snow holds off.  After a couple of snow melts, the experience tends to become a bit more unpleasant.  But through the years we've seen it all -- playing nine at North Woodmere through hail on New Year's Eve; a hazy 65 degrees at Bethpage Yellow on New Year's Day; frozen hazards and greens at Middle Island in late November; and winds that never cease during dozens of winter rounds at Lido.

Like last year, factor in the pandemic when venturing out to play.  Some courses are operating near full speed, while others might just be offering 18 holes without any of the trimmings -- no bar, no grill, no coffee at the turn.  Check ahead if that is important to you. 

Golf On Long Island regularly posts information on winter rates and other course offerings throughout the offseason.  Keep up by checking out GOLI's Winter Golf on Long Island overview.  Also be sure to follow local courses on social media for the latest on weather closures, frost delays and more.

Seasonal Long Island golf courses set to close for '21

The middle of December is when the curtains come down and the house lights come up for Long Island's seasonal public golf courses.  There are only a few days left to squeeze in nine- or 18-hole rounds on these courses, most of which are municipal facilities.  You can expect nearly all of them to reopen again in March (Bethpage Red and Black reopen in April).

The following golf courses are preparing to close for the season this month:

• Brentwood Country Club -- December 13
  
• Holbrook Country Club -- December 13
  
• West Sayville -- December 15
• Timber Point -- December 19
• Bergen Point -- December 19
• Middle Bay (date TBD)
• Harbor Links (date TBD)
• Cherry Creek - Woods Course (date TBD)
• Bay Park (date TBD)
• Christopher Morley Park (date TBD)
• Sumpwams Creek (date TBD)

Some courses have already closed for 2021, including:

• Bethpage Black
• Bethpage Red
• Bethpage Green
• Harbor Links - Executive Course
• Island's End
• Eisenhower Red

The majority of Long Island golf courses remain open through the winter.  For more information on Long Island's winter season, stay tuned for our annual Winter Golf On Long Island primer.

Aeration updates around Long Island

[This schedule was updated on September 19, 2021]

September is aeration month at Long Island golf courses, and maintenance dates are good to know for local players planning their late-summer and fall rounds.

The following public golf courses will be closed for play (unless otherwise noted) while undergoing fairway and/or greens aeration:

• Eisenhower White -- September 20
• Island's End -- September 20-21 (course open)
• Pine Hills -- September 21-22
• Cherry Creek (Woods) -- September 21
• Cherry Creek (Links) -- September 23
• Eisenhower Blue -- September 27
• Eisenhower Red -- October 4
• Bethpage Red -- October 5-6 
• Bergen Point -- October (dates TBA)

Some golf courses have already aerated, so be aware that conditions might not be optimal.

• Bethpage Black -- September 13
• West Sayville -- September 13
• Indian Island -- September 13-14
• Bethpage Green -- September 9-10
• Poxabogue -- September 7-8
• Timber Point -- September 7-9
• Holbrook CC -- September 7
• Bethpage Yellow -- September 2-3
• Bethpage Blue -- August 31-September 1

For courses not listed, contact them directly for the latest maintenance schedule.

Newsday: Florida buyer would preserve, upgrade Peninsula GC upon sale

The Florida-based buyer who has offered more than $4 million to purchase Peninsula Golf Club in Massapequa told Newsday this week that he plans to keep the property a golf course and make improvements to the grounds and facilities upon acquisition of the site.

Holding up the sale, however, is Oyster Bay Town's own rumored plans to seize the golf course through eminent domain, a move town representatives claim would maintain the longtime covenants that protect the property from outside development.

Richard Schaub, Jr., owner of Great American Properties, told Newsday he is willing to to work with Oyster Bay to ensure the property remains a public golf course, but town officials are unwilling to discuss it.  Schaub's vision for the public nine-hole course focuses on improved conditions, including "perfectly sculpted" sand traps, and a larger, modernized clubhouse that's attractive to the surrounding Nassau Shores community.  Two holes would be adjusted to protect nearby homes.

[Schaub] said he also wants to invest a yet-to-be determined amount in expanding the clubhouse to be "a place where neighbors could come in for a hamburger and a beer" and watch a game on television.

In an Aug. 10 letter to the Oyster Bay Town Board, Schaub wrote he had been unable to comment on his plans previously due to a confidentiality agreement with the current owner, P.G.C. Holding Corp., but sought to reassure the board of his intentions.

"We are purchasing it as a golf course, and as a golf course only," Schaub wrote.  Schaub said he received no response from the town. -- Ted Phillips, Newsday, 8/26/2021

Peninsula Golf Club was founded in 1946 on the site of the defunct Nassau Shores Country Club, and the deed between Nassau County and the club's ownership group included covenants that prohibit residential development, farming and any other uses other than a public golf course.  Earlier this year, Peninsula's shareholders voted to sell the course to Schaub's firm for $4.4 million. 

Oyster Bay then floated the possibility of eminent domain, saying an outside developer could theoretically get around the covenants and leave the property vulnerable to private development.  Nassau County Executive Laura Curran has said Nassau will enforce the covenants upon sale of the property.

"That property is not going to be a housing subdivision," Schaub told Newsday.  "That property should remain green."

2021 Summer Golf Camps on Long Island

[Looking for this year's camp info?  See the Guide to 2023 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 [email protected] 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.

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.

2021 golf course reopen dates on Long Island

Every couple of seasons, Old Man Winter takes his frustration out on Long Island golfers, blanketing area golf courses with snow and ice, then blowing in a chill that freezes all that sloppy gray in place.  The 2020-21 winter golf season has been a bust, and it doesn't appear it will turn around anytime soon.

The good news -- if you squint hard enough, as in really hard, you can kind of see the first blurry signs of the 2021 season way up there on the horizon.

By the middle of March, Long Island's seasonal golf courses begin to shake off the winter freeze and welcome players back to the first tee.  Reopenings trickle in from the lead-up to St. Patrick's Day through early April; Bethpage Black is typically the last course to get back to business by Tax Day.

The following is a list of tentative 2021 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.)  Given last year's golf boom and this year's housebound winter, these could be the busiest reopening dates in recent memory.  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.

2021 GOLF COURSE REOPENINGS:

• Town of Oyster Bay GC -- March 1
• Timber Point -- March 12
  
• West Sayville -- March 12
• Brentwood CC -- March 13
  
• Holbrook CC -- March 13
  
• Woods Course at Cherry Creek -- March 12
• Bergen Point -- March 19
• Harbor Links - Championship/Executive -- March 20
• Bethpage Green -- March 20
• The Golf Club at Middle Bay -- April 1
• Bethpage Red -- April 1
• Eisenhower Red -- April 8 (approx.)
• Bethpage Black -- April 15

The following courses typically reopen in mid- to late March:

• Christopher Morley Park

The following courses typically reopen in April:

• Bay Park 

[This post was updated on March 28, 2021.]

Winter Golf on Long Island: 2020-21 Edition

Sometimes Long Island's winter golf season gets off to a blazing start -- sunny skies, temps in the 60s, a comforting feel of October golf in December.  Other times it's ... well, it's not so great.  And the winter of 2020-21 has started off as one of the latter, only fitting since Mother Nature had been so kind and accommodating through the fall.

What's most important though is that there is a Long Island winter golf season.  It might not seem that way when you're pushing slush and slop off the porch in the lead-up to Christmas, but even after a snowy start, playable fairways and greens are just a big melt away.

Here's the deal -- while many Northeast golfers pack the clubs away once the leaves have fallen, there is a determined minority that still seeks out open tees from January through March.  Long Island's handful of seasonal golf courses typically close sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas and reopen around St. Patrick's Day, while the rest remain open year-round and welcome cold-season golfers.

Winter golf on Long Island is chilly and occasionally unpleasant, but there are benefits.  Crowds are sparse, meaning you can work on your game or simply enjoy free time with no pressure.  Green fees are lighter, so you can introduce a newcomer to the course without a blow to the wallet.  Ground conditions tend to resemble autumn until met with prolonged freezing temps and snow cover. 

The big wild card this winter is what role the ongoing pandemic will play -- specifically, will the heightened interest in golf this past summer and fall carry over at all into the cold-weather season?  Whether it does or not, just know that with most clubhouses and indoor dining still closed, there won't be a warm respite throughout the day, no hot chocolate or coffee to restore feeling in your hands.  Just you, your clubs and the elements.  And a quick check of offseason rates reveals that discounts this winter might not be as penny-saving as in the past.

See also: Winter Golf on Long Island overview

Check back with Golf On Long Island throughout the winter for information on special rates and other course offerings.  Also be sure to follow local courses on social media for the latest on weather closures, frost delays and more.

End of season approaching at many Long Island golf courses

December is closing time on the Island, meaning the busiest and most bizarre Long Island golf season in the recent past is coming to an end, at least for those courses that operate on a seasonal basis.  This week is the last opportunity to book rounds at a handful of popular public courses in the area.

This Sunday, December 13, the following courses will close at the end of play:

• Eisenhower Red
• Harbor Links
• Brentwood Country Club
• Holbrook Country Club
• Cherry Creek - Woods Course

The following courses will close later this month:

• Middle Bay (12/20)
• Timber Point (12/27)
• Bay Park (date TBD)
• Christopher Morley Park (date TBD)

Some courses have already shut down for 2020, including:

• Bethpage Black
• Bethpage Red
• Bethpage Green
• Harbor Links - Executive Course
• Oyster Bay

The majority of Long Island golf courses remain open through the winter.  For more information on Long Island's winter season, stay tuned for our annual Winter Golf On Long Island primer.