Golf on Long Island

2024 Summer Golf Camps on Long Island

As golf participation continues to rise, more and more young golfers are filling up driving-range stalls and looking to take live swings on local courses.  With valuable instruction and guidance from Long Island's wealth of teaching professionals, they will be hooked on golf for life. 

Many public courses in Nassau and Suffolk feature summer camp programs that school players of all ages and skill levels in golf's key fundamentals, the various types of swings and strokes, as well as rules, etiquette and course safety.  Kids work closely with teaching pros on the course, at the range and around practice greens and bunkers; in some cases, the pros working with your young golfer have been recognized nationally for their work as junior instructors.  Campers leave each session with skills and knowledge in place for lifelong enjoyment on the course and as overall fans of golf.

The following is a general overview of 2024 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 July 8.  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 2024 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 July 1, 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 July 1, with sessions available through August.  Weekly programs for kids age 6 to 9 run Tuesday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and include games and drills that help develop important skills and fundamentals, in addition to a skills competition and gift packet.  Separate programs for teens age 10 to 16 are split into four-hour AM and PM sessions and run Monday to Friday.  These cover the full swing, short game, course management, rules and etiquette, and conclude with a two-day "Junior Scramble" team tournament.  A "Birdie Program" is also available for advanced juniors looking to improve for competition.  Rates vary based on age group and time of sign-up.  For all program information, schedules and registration forms, visit the Harbor Links website.

Indian Island Country Club (Riverhead):  Indian Island's annual golf camp consists of 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 $625 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 $695 for Peninsula, $795 for Wind Watch and $369 for Heartland, with discounts available before May 1.  For schedules and registration, visit the Long Island Golf Camps website.

Middle Bay (Oceanside):  Six full-week sessions begin on July 8.  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 $549 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 8, Mill Pond is offering a Junior Golf Academy program for players age 12 to 16 and a Junior Development program 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.

Poxabogue Golf Center (Sagaponack):  A total of ten sessions run from the week of June 17 to the week of August 19.  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 $679 per session.  Visit the Poxabogue website for additional info and registration.

Shelter Island Country Club (Shelter Island):  Starting June 27, 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 6/27, 7/11, 7/18, 7/25 and 8/1.  Tuition is $75 for the five-session program.  Visit the Shelter Island CC website for details.

Smithtown Landing (Smithtown):  Smithtown Landing's 2024 camps will meet once a week for six consecutive weeks beginning at the end of June.  Campers meet for one hour at select times on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.  Programs focus on all aspects of the swing, including grip, alignment and address, plus one-on-one instruction adapted for camper skill level.  Registration is $300 per session.  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.  Four separate three-day sessions are open for registration: July 23-25 and August 13-15 at Spring Lake, and July 30-August 1 and August 6-8 at Swan Lake.  Programs cover all facets of the swing plus course management.  Cost is $315 per session or $1,100 for all four sessions.  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 24.  Cost is $375 per half-day session and $550 for full-day.  Visit the PGA Junior Camps site for complete information.

Swan Lake (Manorville):  Swan Lake and Spring Lake (Middle Island) will be offering a joint camp program this summer led by pros Cristy Jurgens and Peter Cowan.  Four separate three-day sessions are open for registration: July 23-25 and August 13-15 at Spring Lake, and July 30-August 1 and August 6-8 at Swan Lake.  Programs cover all facets of the swing plus course management.  Cost is $315 per session or $1,100 for all four sessions.  Full registration details can be found at the Swan 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.  Camp dates and times will be announced in late April.  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 July 8, July 15, July 22 and July 29.  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.  A special competition camp for advanced juniors is also available the week of June 24.  Cost for all sessions is $450.  Visit the West Sayville junior camp page for info and registration.

Golf Channel Academy with Kelley Brooke steps in as program operator at Hempstead golf courses

The Town of Hempstead golf courses at Lido Golf Club and Merrick Road Park are getting a bit of a refresh at the hands of one of Long Island's most prominent golf figures.

Golf Channel Academy with Kelley Brooke is the new operator of the pro shops and instructional programs at the two Hempstead municipal courses, part of a 10-year contract with the town that also includes new logos, expanded web and social media marketing, and a rebranding of Merrick's course as "The Nine at Merrick."  Brooke, the 2018 LPGA Professional of the Year and longtime contributor to The Golf Channel and several regional golf publications, currently operates similar programs at Bethpage and Montauk Downs.

GCA announced the agreement on social media earlier this week by posting new minimalist-style logos for Lido and Merrick, which will be featured on apparel and other course items, Brooke says.  Players will notice changes immediately as work gets underway to revamp Merrick's long-barren pro shop.  Brooke says the updated shop should be up and running as soon as next week.  New course websites are set to launch this month and, like at Bethpage, there will be a heightened focus on connecting with area golfers through social media.  

At Lido, the Town of Hempstead tore down the course's dilapidated clubhouse facility last season and currently has no permanent structure on the site.  Brooke says a temporary trailer will be used this season to house a moderately sized pro shop.

GCA's wide variety of camps, lessons and other instructional offerings will be available at both sites, including kids' summer camps, adult 101 clinics, PGA Junior leagues and LPGA Girls Golf programs.  Private lessons will be available from GCA pros.

The arrangement does not include any changes to the golf courses themselves or operation of the courses, Brooke says.

Brooke and Golf Channel Academy took over pro-shop and instructional operations at Bethpage State Park in 2018 and immediately bolstered the facility's social media presence and marketing reach.  Several seasons later she became operator at Montauk Downs.  Brooke has managed golf facilities across New York City and Long Island and launched programs for children with special needs and the economically disadvantaged, among other developmental initiatives.  

For more on Golf Channel Academy with Kelley Brooke and available instruction, visit the GCA website.

2024 golf course reopen dates on Long Island

It took an extra day to get here this year, but today is the start of Reopening Month.  March is when Long Island's seasonal golf courses put the pro-shop lights back on, stick the pins into the cups and start taking tee times.  Except for Bethpage Black, just about every golf course on Long Island will be open for play by the end of March.

Reopenings typically begin around St. Patrick's Day, so if the weather warms up on March 8, you'll still need to head to one of Long Island's many year-round courses.

The following is a list of tentative 2024 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.

2024 GOLF COURSE REOPENINGS:

• Sandy Pond Links – March 1
• Woods Course at Cherry Creek – March 14
• Timber Point – March 15
• Bergen Point – March 15
• Holbrook CC – March 15
• Brentwood CC – March 15
• West Sayville – March 15
• Bethpage Green – March 16
• Harbor Links - Championship/Executive – March 23
• Bethpage Red – March 30
• The Golf Club at Middle Bay – March 29
• Town of Oyster Bay GC – April 1
• Bethpage Black – April 13

DATES TBA:

• Eisenhower Red 
• Sumpwams Creek

[This post was updated on March 12, 2024.]

Winter Golf 2023-24: Mild, snow-free offseason forecasts to be tested with looming storm

It's been nothing but good news of late for Long Island's winter golfers — going back to the fall, forecasts for the 2023-24 offseason predicted milder temperatures and precipitation in the form of rain, not snow, thanks to an El Nino weather pattern.  And that's following a 2022-23 winter that was entirely snow-free.

But that prediction is facing a staunch test this weekend as a major storm heads toward the East Coast, with Long Island riding the edge between snow and heavy rain.  How the storm progresses will determine what kind of winter golf season local players can expect.

Winter golf on Long Island used to be for the rugged few.  Now, with milder weather and many more players, offseason golf is mainstream.  Courses stay busy and prime tee times remain hard to find.  

Here's the scoop on Long Island's golf season from January to March:

Until major snow hits and sticks on the ground for a prolonged period, conditions remain decent.  If you can tolerate sometimes bitterly cold temperatures, have at it.  There are plenty of courses open and waiting for you to come out and play.  Once significant snow finally arrives, stays a while and melts, winter golf turns soggy and sloppy until spring. 

Frost delays are common; temporary greens are not (though they used to be).  When there's a mild day above 50 degrees, expect a run on tee times.  

No matter the temperature, don't expect a break on green fees.  Winter rates are a thing of the past.  Courses keep their offseason rates much closer to peak prices than the $35-45 rounds with cart (and maybe lunch) from just a few years ago.

If you prefer to stay warm, Long Island now has a booming indoor golf scene, too.  Modern facilities like X-Golf in Commack and Westbury, Birdies in Patchogue, Simplay in Hauppauge and the semi-enclosed TopGolf in Holtsville are all comfortable options serving food, beer and cocktails.

Golf On Long Island posts relevant course information as necessary throughout the offseason.  Be sure to follow local courses on social media for the latest on weather closures, frost delays and more.

2023 closing dates at Long Island's seasonal golf courses

December is golf's closing month on Long Island, which might come as news to the many players who pack the clubs away before Halloween.  It's true — plenty of people play golf well into December, if not the whole year round.

A handful of courses, though, don't join them, and instead lock the doors and the cart shed sometime between Thanksgiving weekend and Christmas.  Most of them reopen by late March.

The following golf courses are preparing to close for the season in the next few weeks:

• Sumpwams Creek -- December 9
• Bay Park -- December 10
• Bergen Point -- December 10
• Timber Point -- December 17
• Harbor Links -- December 17
  
• Holbrook Country Club -- December 17
  
• West Sayville -- December 17
• Christopher Morley Park -- TBD/weather permitting

Some courses have already closed for 2023, including:

• Bethpage Black
• Eisenhower Red
• Bethpage Red
• Bethpage Green
• Harbor Links - Executive Course

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.

"A World Travelled Sports Writer Plays Lido" - by Ralph Trost, circa 1930s

Few writers, if any, did more to chronicle the growth and development of Long Island and New York-area golf courses than journalist Ralph Trost.  Writing for several New York newspapers, Trost published hundreds of articles and columns on the sport of golf and the local grounds – public and private – on which it was played.  His work, which spanned the 1920s boom period through the post-WWII/1950s course die-off, covered nearly every golf course that existed on Long Island during that time.

One course that Trost wrote about in more depth and frequency than most others was the original Lido Club, and with good reason.  C.B. Macdonald's Lido was considered one of the best golf courses on the planet during its brief run from 1917 to 1942.  

Sometime in the 1930s, most likely, Trost published a pamphlet entitled, "A World Travelled Sports Writer Plays Lido: An Unbiased and Candid Opinion of Lido Golf Course."  In it he compares Lido to olives and clam chowder – items that are "a bit jolting at first," but leave you wanting more once you've acquired a taste.    

A copy of the pamphlet was sent to Golf On Long Island by a member of the Seiden family.  The Seidens owned the Lido Club from 1938 through its World War II-era demise, the losing postwar battle to recover the land and golf course, and the eventual construction of the current Robert Trent Jones course on adjacent ground in the 1950s.  It's not clear exactly when the pamphlet was published or where it was distributed.  

The following is an unedited transcript of Trost's review of the Lido Club, likely written sometime in the 1930s.

+ + + + + + 

A World Travelled Sports Writer Plays Lido
An Unbiased and Candid Opinion of Lido Golf Course

By Ralph Trost
Nationally Known Golf Authority and Sports Writer

A Robin Hood … in reverse

That’s this reporter’s best description of Lido, the course that gives in abundance to the skilled what it takes in super-abundance from the unwise golfers.

Lido, I’ve heard said, is like olives, Scotch whiskey—or New England clam chowder.  All are a bit jolting at first but then a fellow acquires a taste.  Of Lido, I’m certain, all he wants is more.

Looking back over the years I’ve witnessed golf played at Lido, I’ll admit that at first glance Lido looked a bit weird.  Not a tree loomed against the sky.  Nothing broke what seemed a monotony of unrelieved stretches and the course itself rolled like a rumpled pancake sprinkled with sand instead of sugar.  And that, sir, is the same impression striking the golfer who visits the famed British courses at Sandwich, St. Andrews, Troon, Princes or Westward Ho! and Deal.  Why Deal and Lido, insofar as general atmosphere is concerned, are as alike as two peas in a pod.

Just a golf course built upon land that isn’t much good for anything else.  That’s the first reaction at Lido.  It’s a broad, even if unthinking, compliment to Lido.  Lido is not “natural.”  It was made that way.  At the cost of almost $2,000,000 by a group of millionaire sportsmen who had both the inclination and the courage to buy the best.

Having once built a perfect course, those millionaires built another down at Southampton closer to their summer homes.

Lido, one learns, represents not superb scenery of the sort that prints best in pictures.  Lido’s riches are not evident things to be dangled before the eyes like diamond pendants.  Rather are they like a Rembrandt or a Goya; things which must be studied to be understood and such, in the end, are the true treasures.

Lido is a most precise test of real golf ability.  It was built with meticulosity, not thrown up helter-skelter.  It is a persistent challenge to those who want to play golf and not play at it.  It is a course only as hard as the golfer makes it and it can be most difficult for those who would try to bully it when what should be done is cajole it.  Lido will give — not to a slugger but to a golfer.

If one dare suggest that Lido might be played in the 90s by a woman golfer whose ability with wood-headed clubs includes nothing greater than a carry of 125 yards, the suggestion would be scoffed.  But it has been proved true.  Lido is not a slugger’s course and to prove it this reporter obtained the services of a woman golfer whose play had been confined to a public course where bunkers existed in name only, and the 5600 yards assigned to the 18 holes on the score card dwindled to a mere 4900 yards under a tape.

There was one understanding in connection with her round.  She was to attempt to play her shots where directed.  She did her own swinging, her own putting.  The reporter took care of the wagers which ranged from a bet she would beat 115, all the way down to an even $5.00 that she’d break 100.  Her usually golf-wise parent bet against her attaining such scores even though it was he, at the time, who had established the Lido course record in a championship tournament.

As feared, Lido awed the girl at first and a nine had to be penciled on the score card when she holed out on the first.  Yes, a nine where, of all places on Lido, no nine should ever bloom.  But then she played under direction, with the idea of wheedling out a score and not bullying the course into submission.

I can vividly recall her driving carefully down the right edge of the 11^th fairway as she steered a safe course to a five on the second hole.  With no favoring wind, and a shakiness hanging over from that nine on the first, no effort was made to carry the cliff on a straight route down the second.  The third hole called for a full spoon shot but her course was to play a safe mashie-iron shot, dependence being put upon a chip shot.  The chip was perfectly played and lo, down went a five foot putt for a par three.

No hole played provided a simpler looking six than the fourth.  Her drive across the first lagoon was purposely played for the fairway at the left.  Her second, an iron, was popped along toward the neck from whence it was simpler playing a third shot across the second water.  Another iron put the ball on the green and two putts obtained a six.

Hole after hole was played in a similar manner.  Wild gambling was banned.  A hurried second on the 9^th did plant her ball deep in trouble on the left and an eight blossomed where a five looked so simple.  But, all told the score was about what had been anticipated.  The card read:

PAR                        4  4  3  5  4  5  5  3  4 — 37
PLAYER               9  5  3  6  5  6  6  3  8 — 51

And gambling golf was done with.  She played the inner nine in 48 to beat the 100 mark.  The high spots on the nine were her drive down the 10^th which was hit for the first, not the 10^th fairway, her hugging the right of the 11^th fairway all the way, her tacking first right and then left down the 15^th, her playing short on the 16^th and, off the 18^th tee, driving at the broad handkerchief of fairway on the left.

She had one burst of good fortune and that came at the 13^th, of all holes, where, with a chance for a par four presented, the second shot was half-topped, the ball rolling into a bunker back of the green.  From there she most fortunately got down in two to save at least one shot as swiftly as she had thrown away shots on the first and ninth.

Lack of trajectory, and many safe shots, had piled up an eight on the 575 yard 17^th.  That killed all hope of an easy 95 and presented the chance for gambling with a wood second on the 18^th.  That shot, curved off into one of the shallow bunkers, laid the foundation for an ugly seven.  But the 100 score was beaten and all wagers won.

This, remember, all happened to a woman golfer who played from the red markers, not the women’s tees.  It does, I believe, prove my point and that Lido, tough as it can be made for the big hitters who go well back on the blue tees, is a truly reasonable golf course for those who want to play golf.  For ordinary walking and club-swinging, the writer suggests a beach or polo field.

There were but two good putts holed, at the 3^rd and 13^th.  And three taken on the 18^th made a putt total of 35 which no good player counts as better than normal.  The round, all told, was ordinary except in one phase.  It did break 100 and that, as perusal of week-end score sheets anywhere proves, is better than average.  However, the score was about what the reporter thought it would be — a score within reach of some 90% of all golfdom but not attained by more than half that.  That is, if all putts are holed.

Lido is no flatterer.  But one does get what he or she deserves.  And whether the player be strong or weak, each stroke played is a precise golf shot and not just a fling at the ball.

Since the World War days there has been a demand for golf courses of the type that are extremely difficult for the best players but flattering to the poor.  Courses of this type have no carries to be made from the tee, no bunkers to catch weakly hit or poorly judged seconds.  This variety has little more than length from its elevated tees to its closely bunkered greens.  The result is that ordinary golfers drive with abandon; hit second shots without aim or true consideration and do not begin the actual playing of golf until within reach of the greens.

Little by little these courses are being revamped to fit true golf.  Tees are being moved forward so that the greens will be within reach of the shots ordinary golfers should play.  The result is higher scores but more golf shots.

So too is another idea dying, the one which demanded “scenery” and hills.  Beautiful things, trees.  But they have no place in golf.  Any golf follower who has seen the way trees have ruined fairly good shots from one man’s clubs while acting as billiard cushions for the wild shots of another, knows that trees are golf’s most unfair hazard; a hazard wholly undependable and warranted only as safety measures to direct, never penalize, play.

Hills too, are losing their flavor.  Not entirely because so many players haven’t the heart condition permitting long, steep uphill grinds and sudden down grades, but because golf is becoming wise to the fact that the game requires only gentle rises and slight slopes to introduce the variety of shots in the game.

The reporter whose work takes him to golf courses all over the country finds that other courses change frequently, Lido seldom.  Lido needs no changing with each alteration in golf balls, with each improvement in clubs.  Lido’s charm is not sheer length, it’s subtlety.  Lido is a course for strong minds — not strong backs.

2023 Summer Golf Camps on Long Island

[Looking for this year's camp info?  See the Guide to 2024 Summer Golf Camps on Long Island.]

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

Many public courses in Nassau and Suffolk feature summer camp programs that school young players in golf's key fundamentals, the various types of swings and strokes, as well as rules, etiquette and course safety.  Kids work closely with teaching pros on the course, at the range and around practice greens and bunkers; in some cases, the pros working with your young golfer have been recognized nationally for their work as junior instructors.  Campers leave each session with skills and knowledge in place for lifelong enjoyment on the course and as overall fans of golf.

The following is a general overview of 2023 summer golf camps offered at various public golf courses around Long Island.  For more information, follow the links below to the course websites and junior camp pages. 

(Please note this list only includes camp programs hosted at public golf courses.  This does not include golf programs held at general summer camps or any type of private instruction.)

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

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

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

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

Eisenhower Park (East Meadow): PGA Junior Golf operates a series of camps for all ability levels, including advanced camps for competitive juniors.  The program includes full-day camps for players age 11 to 17, modified full-day camps for experienced players age 8 to 12, and half-day camps for beginners and intermediates age 7 to 11.  There is also a special 90-minute session for "Wee Ones" age 6 to 8.  All regular camps include hours of hands-on instruction led by certified PGA professionals.  Full-day camps include on-course play and teaching.  Weekly sessions for all programs begin June 26, and discounts are available for Nassau County residents and First Tee participants.  Visit the PGA Junior Golf Camp site for full information on pricing, session dates and available discounts.

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

Harbor Links Golf Course (Port Washington):  Harbor Links offers a wide variety of programs led by teachers all named U.S. Kids Golf Certified Instructors.  Camps begin the week of June 26, with sessions available through August.  Weekly programs for kids age 6 to 9 run Tuesday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and include games and drills that help develop important skills and fundamentals, in addition to a skills competition and gift packet.  Separate programs for teens age 10 to 16 are split into four-hour AM and PM sessions and run Monday to Friday.  These cover the full swing, short game, course management, rules and etiquette, and conclude with a two-day "Junior Scramble" team tournament.  A "Birdie Program" is also available for advanced juniors looking to improve for competition.  Rates vary based on age group and time of sign-up.  For all program information, schedules and registration forms, visit the Harbor Links website.

Indian Island Country Club (Riverhead):  Indian Island's annual golf camp consists of week-long sessions that include lessons, lunch, golf gear and on-course competition.  Camps are open to boys and girls of all skill levels between the ages of 7 and 16.  Week-long sessions run from late June through the end of August.  Each session ends with a five-hole scramble competition on Friday afternoon.  See the Indian Island website or call (631) 727-7776 for details.

Long Island Golf Camps / Mike Reilly Golf Academy (Massapequa, Deer Park, Hauppauge):  Long Island Golf Camps runs programs at three public courses -- Peninsula Golf Club (Massapequa), Heartland Golf Park (Deer Park) and Wind Watch Golf & Country Club (Hauppauge).  The Peninsula and Wind Watch camps are week-long, full-day programs (9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.) with sessions beginning in late June.  They include instruction on different aspects of the swing, on-course play and daily lunch.  The Deer Park camp sessions run Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.  Instruction takes place on the course, at the driving range and in the short-game area.  Enrollment is $695 for Peninsula, $745 for Wind Watch and $369 for Heartland, with discounts available before May 1.  For schedules and registration, visit the Long Island Golf Camps website.

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

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

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

Poxabogue Golf Center (Sagaponack):  A total of ten sessions run from the week of June 19 to the week of August 21.  Sessions are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 noon, and are open to boys and girls from age 7 to 16.  Campers will learn basics of the full swing, short game, course management, rules and etiquette, and will receive golf gear, snacks and giveaways.  Cost is $659 per session.  Visit the Poxabogue website for info and registration.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2023 golf course reopen dates on Long Island

After a mild Long Island offseason where roughly zero snowflakes found their way from the sky to the ground, Old Man Winter teamed up with the golf gods to make sure March -- the month of golf's local reopening -- began with a coating of slush.  Go figure.

Unless you were banking on checking out the rebranded Sandy Pond Links on its opening day (postponed), this year's one light dusting of snow won't impact the reopening season that is set to kick off in a little over a week.  From the lead-up to St. Patrick's Day through mid-April, all of Long Island's seasonal golf courses will get back up to speed and welcome local players back to the first tee.

The following is a list of tentative 2023 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.

2023 GOLF COURSE REOPENINGS:

• Sandy Pond Links -- March 1
• Indian Island -- March 10
• Timber Point -- March 15
• Holbrook CC -- March 15
• Brentwood CC -- March 15
• Woods Course at Cherry Creek -- March 16
• Bergen Point -- March 17
• West Sayville -- March 17
• Harbor Links - Championship/Executive -- March 18
• Bethpage Green -- March 18
• The Golf Club at Middle Bay -- March 31 (tentative)
  
• Town of Oyster Bay GC -- OPEN
• Bethpage Red -- April 1
• Eisenhower Red -- April 11
• Bethpage Black -- April 15

[This post was updated on April 3, 2023.]