Golf on Long Island

A New Decade of Long Island Golf, Part 2 -- Developing lifelong players as time runs low and Long Islanders leave

[For Part 1 of "A New Decade of Long Island Golf," covering some of the main themes of local golf in the 2010s and looking ahead to the 2020s, click here.]

John Borkes opens his back door to a sweeping waterfront view near Freeport's Nautical Mile, and when he plays golf, he's typically right nearby, looking out over the surf from The Golf Club at Middle Bay.  

"I'd love to go around playing different courses, but ultimately I wind up at Middle Bay because it's close to home," Borkes says.  "It's a nice course and it's convenient -- usually I don't have time to go farther and play 18."

Five times a week, Jeff Byer commutes from home in Brooklyn to work in Massapequa Park, and he often adds a sixth trip on the Belt Parkway for 18 holes on the Island.  Ask him and he'll tell you his home course is Bethpage Red, but when time is tight and he can't take another tussle with the Belt, Byer will stay inside the borough at Marine Park. 

"I want time to warm up, get loose, hit some irons.  Go to the practice green and get a feel for my putter," Byer says.  "It's part of the full experience."

While their golf priorities vary, Borkes and Byer have one important thing in common -- they both recently celebrated 30th birthdays, putting them comfortably within the confines of the oft-discussed millennial generation, a group of young adults that will have plenty to say about where Long Island golf stands when the 2020s melt away into 2030.

This past summer, Newsday announced the results of an expansive "nextLI" survey that found two-thirds of Long Island's young adults expect to move off the Island within the next five years, citing the region's high cost of living.  New York State as a whole, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, lost more than 75,000 residents from July 2018 to July 2019, the largest population decline of any state in that time period.

And last month, a study by the Nassau County comptroller's office revealed that the number of Long Island residents between the ages of 20 and 44 has dropped by nearly 10 percent since 2000.

"The Baby Boomers are aging out, and that leaves the millennial generation to pick up the slack and replace rounds," says one Suffolk-based course manager.  "If even half of that 67 percent [in the Newsday report] moves away, public golf courses and private clubs will be in a bad place."

According to the National Golf Foundation, which tracks participation, golfers age 65 and over played an average of 36 rounds in 2018.  Millennials between age 18 and 34, however, played just 11.6 rounds, "a likely byproduct," per NGF, "of increased demands on their time and involvement with a variety of other activities."

"INCREASED DEMANDS ON THEIR TIME"

Time commitment has emerged as perhaps the biggest barrier preventing new players from dipping their toes into the sport and many existing ones from maintaining their preferred frequency of play.  Six-hour blocks of free time -- long the bedrock of a casual, golf-heavy lifestyle -- have given way to shorter, fragmented spurts of activity scattered around non-traditional work schedules, kids' activities and a host of other family obligations. 

"Time is pretty much everyone's main factor, with work and family playing a big part," says Scott Fowler, 37, who plays most of his golf at public courses in western Suffolk.  "If I have to, I'll go out and pay for a round knowing I can only get 12 or 13 holes in."

It's part of the reason modernized nine-hole courses are in vogue nationally, and on a local level as well.  Long Island's only newly built course of the 2010s was the Nickerson Dunes Pitch & Putt, which earned a little bit of golf press with its uncommon design.  Two longtime nine-holers at Sandy Pond and Cedars were rejuvenated last decade by extensive repairs and renovations.  Around the country, refurbished courses like the Winter Park muni in Florida and Sweetens Cove in rural Tennessee are hits that draw golfers from states away.  

Meanwhile, Jack Nicklaus is on record in support of 12-hole rounds.  And the USGA's ongoing "Play 9" campaign centers on the "time-friendly, unwind-friendly" nature of the nine-hole round.  In one Play 9 promo, a bearded, denim-jacketed man on the go -- the unofficial mascot of the millennial crowd -- looks at his watch as the narrator ponders, "Golf and life...how do you fit one into the other?"

The issue is certainly not a new one.  ("The situation is getting worse instead of better, and there seems to be no solution," reads one 1951 Newsday column on slow play.)  In 2011, longtime Newsday golf writer Mark Herrmann covered the sport's time constraints and its possible remedies.  "Golf is expensive and it takes a lot of time," said Steve Smith, then the executive director of the Long Island Golf Association.  "There are reasons why young people don't take up the game and why people stop playing."

"It takes too much time to play golf," former Bethpage pro Joe Rehor told Newsday.  "I see it with my son-in-law.  He's got two kids at home and he can't play golf.  He's got [youth] lacrosse, he's got concerts, he's got this and that.  He's got no time for golf.  If you want to introduce new players to the game, you can't make it so time-consuming."

Fast-forward nine years and time-friendliness has taken on greater urgency, as course closings continue to heavily outpace openings, and the massive boom of mobile technology has shortened attention spans and conditioned people, especially younger ones, to streamline more of their daily routine, including time spent on recreation.  Rapid growth of technology has already changed the way people search for rounds of golf via GolfNow and other tee-time apps.  It's likely just a matter of time before technology changes the way people view the act of playing golf itself.  Once you've grown accustomed to having any conceivable task no farther away than your fingertips, pacing around for 15 minutes on a backed-up par-3 in the middle of a five-hour round feels even more like time poorly spent.

"While time has always been a consideration with golf, I think it makes the game less appetizing to potential players as our society evolves," says Jon Sherman, creator of Practical Golf, a Long Island-based game-improvement website and newsletter.  "How much time are golfers willing to endure?"

Much of the resistance to outside-the-box solutions revolves around the sport's traditions.  Ideas like 12-hole rounds are dismissed by some as gimmicks destined to fail; others consider them too radical for a local public course to explore on its own without proof of success.

"It's hard to be the first to experiment with something new, there's so much uncertainty," says Andrew Wilson, Bethpage's director of agronomy.  "If statistics say most people want to play 18, is it worth focusing on six holes or nine holes?"

Ryan Stewart, 31, is at peace with the length of play and willing to endure the five-hour-plus round if it means getting in a full 18.  "Anything less than 18 holes is just not enough for me.  The only time I play less than 18 is after work when I run out of daylight," says Stewart, who admits the recent arrival of twins might alter his perception of golf's time crunch.

"I don’t see additions of 12- or six-hole rounds fixing the time problem on the 18-hole courses," he adds.  "We have plenty of nine-hole courses around here but I rarely ever see a wait."

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So with time at a premium, priorities shifting away from half-days at the course and the pool of prospective players shrinking locally, it would seem imperative that Long Island's public golf courses stake their claim to what remains of young adults' time and attention, and fight to turn them from hesitant prospective golfers to potential lifelong players and customers.  Perhaps come up with mutually beneficial ways to get them into the clubhouse, onto the course and headed home in two or three hours rather than five or six.  Especially now, when businesses can brainstorm fresh ideas at little to no cost and deliver them right where young adults spend much of their time -- on their phones, perusing social media.

But while Long Island restaurants, farm stands, coffee shops, breweries and breakfast joints have figured out ways to build and captivate audiences -- in some cases thousands of followers deep -- with eye-catching photos and video clips, Long Island golf courses have largely sat hidden away in self-imposed online anonymity.

Check back next week for Part 3 of "A New Decade of Long Island Golf," which will address local golf's marketing and self-promotion in the social-media era.

A New Decade of Long Island Golf, Part 1 -- A changed landscape, on and off the course

Another decade of Long Island golf is coming to a close -- the thirteenth, to be exact, since the first shots went airborne at Shinnecock Hills in the 1890s.  Some have been decadent, others disastrous, and while the 2010s didn't meet either of those extremes, it will certainly go down as a decade of significant change to the Long Island golf landscape.

Golf On Long Island spoke with representatives from Long Island's public golf courses as well as members of golf media, a cross-section of area players and figures in related businesses to get their perspective on the local golf scene at the dawn of a new decade.  What follows are some of the significant topics and themes related to Long Island's public golf courses and public golfers as the 2010s leave us and the 2020s approach the first tee.

Check back after the new year for Part 2, focusing on junior golf and the conversion of young adults into lifelong players.

CLOSINGS, OPENINGS AND PROTECTING GOLF COURSES

Tallgrass Golf Course in Shoreham entered the 2010s already fending off development plans.  As far back as 2008, the Gil Hanse course announced in promos that it was "here to stay."  Indeed it was -- for nearly a full decade, before a solar-energy company took over the land and ripped up a facility that had been named among the "Best Courses You Can Play" in New York State by Golfweek for nine straight years.

Course closures on Long Island mirrored the national trend in the last decade.  Simply put, far more courses are shutting down than opening, a correction of the wild building race of the 1990s and early 2000s.

Its persistence meant that Tallgrass was the last course to fall off the public roster in the 2010s, preceded by other East Enders at The Links at Shirley, Calverton Links and Long Island National (sold and turned private).  The quaint nine-hole Dix Hills Golf Club closed to make way for luxury housing.  And Hurricane Sandy ended a long run for the Jones Beach Pitch and Putt, its oceanfront site beside the iconic park tower always prone to abuse by coastal storms.

Out of Sandy's wrath in 2012 came one addition to Long Island's list of public courses.  The private Middle Bay Country Club, an Oceanside fixture since the 1950s, was battered by the storm and forced into bankruptcy.  Savvy maintenance work and some good luck with post-Sandy weather allowed the course to reopen the following spring as the newly public, freshly titled South Bay Country Club.  Lease issues threw more hurdles in its path, but eventually the course settled into its current identity as The Golf Club at Middle Bay.

"We've had a steady increase in rounds every year," says golf director Ronnie Wright.  "We're at full capacity Friday through Sunday, and we do well on Wednesdays when Lido and Merrick are closed." 

Pace of play is the club's selling point, Wright says, though golfers, especially water lovers, might insist it's the proximity to the bay.  Its signature hole is a par-4 with the bay down the left side and a collection of bunkers nearly forming a ring of sand around the green.  Beyond the green is a clear view toward Long Beach.

Last year, Middle Bay -- featured in the November/December issue of The Met Golfer -- was part of a Town of Hempstead proposal aimed at protecting golf courses against residential development.  Hempstead's plan, designed to prevent the recently sold Woodmere Club from closing in 2022, would designate Middle Bay and the private courses at the Woodmere Club and Inwood Country Club as "golf course coastal residence districts."  The new category would restrict residential development due to environmental issues like flooding and impact on area wetlands. 

Woodmere, its roots more than a century deep in Five Towns, is one of a small handful of golf facilities already slated for at least partial development in the near future -- others include the public Heatherwood Golf Course in Setauket, to be cut down from 18 to nine holes to make way for senior housing, and the century-old Engineers Country Club in Roslyn, where residences are planned around the existing private golf course.   

Previously in 2017, the Town of Brookhaven went ahead and created a new zoning category -- "golf course district" -- and has since redesignated the town-owned Mill Pond and Rolling Oaks golf courses and the privately owned Rock Hill Golf & Country Club.  Properties zoned as golf course districts can build catering halls, restaurants and health clubs on site, but homes, non-golf offices and retail stores are not permitted.

And in early December 2019, the Town of Southold, in a deal facilitated by The Peconic Land Trust, purchased the development rights to the land housing Island's End Golf & Country Club in Greenport.  The $5.1 million purchase by the town ensures that the 126 acres bordering Long Island Sound will be free from development and likely preserved as a golf course, per Newsday.

Closures also impacted the driving-range business around the Island.  At least three large ranges closed since 2011 -- first to go was Island Green in Selden, followed by the Oakdale Golf Center and, most recently in 2017, Skydrive Golf Center in Farmingdale.  Many of those lost stalls will be replaced if a proposed Topgolf -- New York's first -- opens in Holtsville in the near future. (More on that below.)

[PICTURED: Top right -- Calverton Links, three months before abruptly closing down in 2013; Top left -- The view toward Long Beach and Jones Beach from the signature hole at Middle Bay in Oceanside; Bottom right -- Skydrive's farewell note to customers prior to closing in 2017.]

NINE-HOLE GOLF: RENOVATIONS AND NEW BEACH VIBES

The loss of Dix Hills GC notwithstanding, the 2010s marked a mini renaissance for nine-hole golf on Long Island.  It's status quo at the Nassau munis -- Bay Park rang in its 50th year this season with zero fanfare -- but out east, two tucked-away nine-hole spots were reinvigorated by new, hands-on owners.

In Cutchogue, nestled among quiet streets behind the village green and community library is Cedars Golf Club, a fixture since the 1960s on land utilized for golf for more than a century.  Tim McManus and Paul Pawlowski took over the course in 2014 and made immediate changes -- bunker and green renovations, irrigation upgrades, brush clearing and more.  They added a comfy patio, built a simulator room in the vintage clubhouse and partnered with a company to offer kayak and paddleboard rentals in a creek off the ninth hole.

"Cedars has definitely exceeded our expectations," McManus says.  "Every time I'm at the course I hear compliments from players on the conditions and the overall friendliness of the experience."

Nearly the same story played out a few seasons prior in Riverhead, long the home of Sandy Pond Golf Course, another nine-holer hidden in plain sight behind an anonymous shack amid more familiar 18-hole neighbors.  It got a shot in the arm in 2012 from two new owners, Ken Weinstein and Chris Wahlers, who dug right in cleaning out ponds, resurfacing tees, repairing greens and clearing overgrowth around the perimeter.  By 2014, the course gleamed with golden-brown grass between holes, colorful flower beds and vibrant green fairways.

“We’re noticing more skilled golfers coming to play,” Wahlers told Golf On Long Island at the time.  "And people from the area are coming by and saying they never knew the course was here.”

The crew continues to run successful leagues and unique night-golf events.

While Cedars and Sandy Pond underwent their annual upgrades, another little course took shape out of the barren sandscape way back west in Lido Beach.  Not that many people knew about it at the time -- outside of a county press release and a few news snippets, the Nickerson Dunes Pitch & Putt, Long Island's only newly built public course of the 2010s, came to be in beachfront secrecy. 

Holes start out from turf mats with rubber tees and stretch no longer than 105 yards, but that simplicity is countered by the course's sloping greens, hilly terrain and features like punchbowls and grass mounds.  Salvaged boardwalk planks stand in as walking paths and, on one hole, the retaining wall around a desert-style waste area.  So noteworthy is the layout that The Fried Egg, a prominent golf design and architecture website, featured the course in 2019, holding it up as a shining example of modern entry-level golf.

"You could work a couple of Nickersons into just about any town -- nine holes on 10 acres, or four holes on five acres.  At that size, golf courses cost far less to build and maintain, and could even fit into existing parks," writes The Fried Egg's Shaun Smith.  "We need more ambient golf.  If my daughter wants to pick up tennis or basketball or baseball in the future, it will be easy because the playing spaces will be right there.  Golf may never be that open, but it could get closer."

[PICTURED: Above left -- looking up to a hilltop green at Sandy Pond, post-renovation in 2014; Above right -- Nickerson Dunes was featured by The Fried Egg's Shaun Smith (@GorseNod on Twitter); Screenshot courtesy of The Fried Egg (@the_fried_egg)]

BETHPAGE

If the 2000s thrust Bethpage Black into the spotlight as the new rock star on the national golf scene, then the 2010s was the decade the "People's Country Club" matured into a polished, well-coiffed celeb.  By the time Brooks Koepka walked off the Black clutching the Wanamaker Trophy as winner of the 2019 PGA Championship this past May, the Black had added two editions of The Barclays to its resume (2012 and 2016) and earned the right to host the 2024 Ryder Cup.

And with its years-long march toward the 2019 PGA coinciding with the rise of Golf Twitter and Instagram, more and more of the Black's daily happenings -- from fairway, tee and green renovations to updates on pollinator gardens -- were chronicled in real time.  Andrew Wilson, the park's director of agronomy and sporter of many hats during a lengthy tenure at Bethpage (including past jobs in the clubhouse and as a starter), is the man behind many of those updates, keeping followers in the loop with frequent glimpses of scenes around the grounds. 

Wilson was front-and-center during PGA week, talking up the Black Course on TV, radio and podcasts.  And as Wilson discussed the meat and potatoes, other outlets poured on the dressing.  Over on sites like Golf Club Atlas, spirited debates quickly ignited on course setup while Golf Magazine's Josh Berhow took a deep dive through anecdotes and fuzzy memories in an effort to pinpoint the origin of the famous "Warning" sign.

For Wilson, the famous Joe DiMaggio quote, the one about giving his all because a kid might be seeing him play for the first time, is always in mind.

"We know people travel from all over to play at Bethpage," Wilson says, "so we want to give them the best experience we can."

Though locals and tourists might arrive at Bethpage with higher expectations now that the Black Course has been a household name nationally for nearly two decades, the focus around the grounds remains on simply putting the best foot forward.  Much of the maintenance work is the same as it was at the close of the 2000s.  Technology has obviously improved, taking much of the guesswork out of course conditions.  And the staff now has years of experience preparing for major events -- Wilson says this offseason's renovation of the bunkers on Black #4 are being done with one eye on the '24 Ryder Cup.  The staff is also considering shortening the turf around traps to bring more of them into play, among other changes.

Off the course, Bethpage -- and its fellow NYS park courses at Montauk Downs and Sunken Meadow -- took a leap into the 21st century with the long-overdue switch to an online tee-time portal.  New golf director Kelley Brooke, another Bethpage multitasker ("I'm running everything here but tee times," she told Golf On Long Island last year), has plans to lengthen the driving range and expand the facility's use of state-of-the-art video and biofeedback systems for instruction.  A primary goal is to make Bethpage a "full-service academy" with instructional programs, clinics and camps.

Behind the scenes, a marketing team focused on revamping the facility's digital presence.  For way too long until 2018, Bethpage was represented on the internet by a bleak website half-focused on hawking apparel.  Brooke hired Zach Toste, a digital-marketing consultant who played golf at Notre Dame, to craft an online personality befitting the country's most prominent public-golf facility.

Toste and the digital-marketing team introduced "Experience Tradition" as the park's slogan and filled its rebuilt social-media feeds with video demonstrations, action shots around the course and other features.

"There was a sense of urgency due to the upcoming PGA Championship," Toste says.  "Until then there had been no sense of history on the site.  Our initial focus was on tradition and history, bringing the courses' stories and milestones to light."

With the PGA event in the past, much of the online focus now is on Brooke's successful junior programs, including the park's first-ever summer camp, started in 2018.

"It's nice being out on the course and seeing 40 or 50 young kids playing," Wilson says.

[PICTURED ABOVE: First two photos -- scenes from the PGA Championship in May 2019; Bottom right -- Wilson's Twitter updates (@Greensideup17) on the Bethpage courses recently included photos of renovations to the famous glacier bunker on Black #4.]

GOLFNOW

The last holdouts -- Bethpage and the NYS parks, plus Oyster Bay this season -- finally hung up on the phone-reservation era last year, though that doesn't mean the phone-reservation era actually ended.  It just means dialing is old news.  Tapping and scrolling for rounds of golf via GolfNow and other reservation apps has made locking down 18 holes easier than ever and revolutionized the tee-sheet business.  Golfers can now find nearby tee times the same way they find Christmas gifts on Amazon -- by initiating a search and perusing the results.  And in an era where time is of the essence, any convenience is valued.

GolfNow didn't emerge in the 2010s, but its massive financial backing from NBC Sports and Golf Channel allowed it to gradually acquire other booking engines (the latest as recently as last month) in a decade where online commerce and mobile technology rapidly grew more sophisticated, accelerating the company's growth into an industry behemoth.  The company boasts 3.5 million registered users worldwide that can book rounds at more than 7,000 courses.  On Long Island, public green fees have remained close to the same as they were a decade ago, while tee-time apps streamline the search for heavy discounts.

The prize catch for the player on a GolfNow search is the small inventory of "Hot Deal" tee times at each course that slash green fees by as much as 80 percent.  Like the base economy rate of an airline ticket or a hotel room, the Hot Deal price is paid up front and non-refundable.  And taking that comparison even further, GolfNow offers a rewards program that allows players to earn points on booked tee times.  So between the convenience, the potential discounts and rewards, it's a win for the player.

But on the business end of the transaction, not everyone is sold on the merits of GolfNow.  Critics in the golf-course industry argue that by training consumers to treat golf courses the same as a pack of boxer shorts on Amazon, GolfNow is pressuring courses to price their rounds too low to remain sustainable.  And by further incentivizing bookings through GolfNow, the benefits to the player ultimately come at the expense of the facilities they play.

"The cost to operate and maintain a golf course increases 3 to 6 percent per year, yet green fees remain the same price as they were in 2008," says one Suffolk course manager.  "The GolfNow model is helpful to some but damaging to others.  Operators cannot increase green fees because people simply won't pay it.  Eventually there is a breaking point."

The structure of the popular Hot Deal is largely the source of critics' concerns.  GolfNow's agreements with courses require each facility to trade a certain number of tee times every day in exchange for use of GolfNow's booking platform and other perks like website design and e-mail marketing.  Those exchanged tee times are then promoted as deeply discounted Hot Deals, paid in full to GolfNow, not to the course.  Then GolfNow heavily promotes its available Hot Deals in a particular region (see screenshot below) and pushes them to the front of searches, ahead of the rest of the standard-rate tee times paid to the course.  GolfNow is helping courses up with two hands, the argument goes, while kicking their legs out from under them.

Wright at Middle Bay says he's not fully for or against GolfNow.  "We definitely needed them to help us get off the ground," he says.  "Their advertising can be very helpful."

On the other hand, "I've never seen a relationship where one side always benefits," Wright says.  "You have to watch what's going on and stay on top of them when issues arise, otherwise the course loses out."

Part of the reason local courses don't ditch the GolfNow model is fear of the unknown.  Courses not under the GolfNow umbrella do not appear in searches.  So a consumer scrolling for tee times by zip code might think he or she is getting a full, real-time menu of golf in a particular area, when that's not the case.

"I would bet a lot of money that if the public owners could get together, they would agree not to participate in GolfNow," says the Suffolk manager.  "The only reason they are using it now is that everyone else is."

Supporters of GolfNow argue that this is simply business at work, that the aggregation of tee times is yet another positive innovation of the modern digital marketplace.  Anything that helps lead more players to local courses should be considered a win for the industry.

Sometimes the lines are blurry.  A search for tee times on a recent December afternoon revealed a $15 mid-day Hot Deal at Eisenhower Park's White Course.  Eisenhower, of course, is a Nassau County muni, and residents pay the county for Leisure Pass access to tee times and resident golf rates.  Yet an arrangement with GolfNow allows all comers to swoop in and pay much less.

As for the tens of thousands of dollars worth of tech and marketing services acquired in the tee-time trade (one daily tee time at $40 per player is worth more than $50,000 annually), the courses still have to get their hands dirty to get their money's worth.  Needless to say, a GolfNow-sponsored e-mail blast that is simply a tee-time ad with a course logo on top is not a sound marketing strategy. 

Neither is what went on at Great Rock this past season.  The Wading River course fell into disrepair in 2019 while its Twitter feed and e-mail blasts pumped out almost nothing but generic GolfNow ads linking to tee-time lists.  The course abruptly shut down for the season in October, and its e-mail and social-media campaigns subsequently refocused on the fact that the course is, well, closed.

[PICTURED ABOVE:  GolfNow prioritizes the sale of its Hot Deal tee times, a practice that some in the golf-course industry argue is more harmful to courses than helpful.  Screenshot courtesy GolfNow.com] 

TOPGOLF

Unofficially, the topic that inspires the most chatter among Golf On Long Island readers is the prospect of Topgolf making its New York debut in Suffolk County.  And, as of now, it will, on a site just north of the Long Island Expressway at exit 62 in Holtsville.  It's made its way through government proceedings, faced the requisite share of NIMBY opposition, and appears to be in the clear provided it meets some conditions outlined by the Brookhaven Town planning board in September.

Topgolf adds elements of a trip to Dave & Buster's to the typical driving-range experience, allowing players to hit microchipped golf balls toward arcade-style target areas for computer-scored games and contests, in addition to food and drinks.  Climate-controlled hitting bays are rented by the hour and typically include televisions, WiFi and access to food and drinks.  Standard range features like lessons and clinics are also included.

There are nearly 60 Topgolf locations generating lots of buzz around the country and overseas, including a Las Vegas site that lives up to its locale with glass-walled swimming pools and a concert venue.  The question that remains unanswered in golf circles is whether or not the popularity of Topgolf actually makes green-fee-paying golfers out of its many followers.

"I can't wait for it to be built," says one local course manager.  "I only see it as a benefit, getting more people interested and increasing rounds locally."

"Any time we can get a golf club in somebody's hand, it's good for the game," says Middle Bay's Wright, who adds it could also benefit local PGA pros if they get the opportunity to give lessons in the offseason.  "Even if it's having fun over a beer and a bucket of wings, it will be helpful in growing the sport."

Andy Carracino, PGA pro and director of golf at Timber Point, agrees Topgolf is good for the sport but is unsure if it's a match for Long Island.  "It's up to the industry to turn those Topgolf customers into 'real' golfers," he says.  "My hunch is it's too big an investment to succeed here.  Too many off days between October and April for a return, and the winter storms will kill the equipment."

At the moment there is no timetable for when the Long Island Topgolf might open, and it's not listed among the dozen "Coming Soon" locations on the company website.  For now, Long Island golfers will have to travel at least as far as central New Jersey to get their Topgolf fix.

[PICTURED ABOVE:  Topgolf in Edison, New Jersey, currently the closest location to Long Island.  Photo courtesy Topgolf.]

COULD A SWEETENS COVE WORK ON LONG ISLAND?

In September, Rob Collins and Tad King leaked word of their latest golf design project.  Nine holes of ambitious New York fairways and greens, roughly 90 minutes from Manhattan, sure to draw scores of players from the city onto area parkways, golf bags in tow. 

The two partners -- together known officially as King-Collins Golf Course Design -- are the darlings of modern golf architecture thanks to their work transforming a flat, unremarkable golf course in rural Tennessee into a pilgrimage site for followers of golf design and those simply seeking a fresh take on the golf experience.  It's been featured in the New York Times, hailed as a model of innovation in Sports Illustrated and profiled by golf publications whose writers chronicle their journeys to Sweetens Cove -- formerly known as Sequatchie Valley Golf & Country Club -- with pictures of the course's weathered signs and tiny shed of a clubhouse.  Golfweek ranked it #49 on its 2019 list of top modern courses, a rarity for nine-hole layouts.

Sweetens Cove and other similar projects around the country -- Winter Park in Florida, a revamped muni, for one -- might just be setting the foundation for the post-Recession, post-Tiger wave of American course building.  Taking spent or outdated golf grounds and reimagining them with a focus on bold features, strategic design, no-frills fun and a streamlined building process that allows for affordable public and municipal golf. 

Reimagining golf is the key -- as Collins told the Times, "People had been building golf courses completely wrong for years."  He and King are already in the very early stages of an unnamed project in Mississippi where the finished product would be a 12-hole course -- a nine-holer with a separate three-hole loop. 

The King-Collins project in New York will not be east of the city out in these parts though, it will be north, a meandering drive from the Thruway in a town called Accord.  Nine new holes are in progress on what previously was Rondout Golf Club.  The 18-hole course is being cut to nine by King and Collins while the rest of the property will be bolstered with a boutique hotel, cabins and shops.

Innovative golf design, limited amenities and daring features, all with a laid-back, player-friendly mentality -- could it work on Long Island?  Rob Collins thinks so.

"I have no doubt it would be a huge success," Collins told Golf On Long Island earlier this month.  At Sweetens, much of the challenge for the designers was bringing their new ideas to life and succeeding in a rural area of a depressed county, as Collins describes it.  That wouldn't be the case here.

"Sweetens Cove was the ultimate pie-in-the-sky project," Collins said.  "There's a lot less risk on Long Island.  You have a built-in golf population, and most of the great courses are private.  If you could make a course on par with the privates that's open to the public for an affordable price, why wouldn't it work?"

"Something like Sweetens would do wonders to help grow the game," said one Long Island general manager.  "I hear it so often from people who don't play -- they don't know how to get started and they are afraid of embarrassing themselves.

"The focus is to eliminate the formalities of what golf has always been and have a course that is available to the public where the emphasis is fun."

Jeff Warne, director of golf at The Bridge, isn't sold. 

"The availability of cheap golf on Long Island, even with recent closings at Tallgrass, Shirley and Calverton Links, make it unlikely," Warne says.  "A municipality could easily pull it off, with the model being Winter Park, but I don't see government on Long Island doing it."

But given the recent success stories on the nine-hole front, and other changes coming to the area, perhaps the 2020s will prove to be the right time for some innovation on the Long Island golf scene.

"You will see how many people buy into an idea like this once Topgolf opens," says the local GM.  "I think the younger generation would eat this up."

Off-Course Destination: Pickle N Par, Melville

Two years after the long-running Skydrive Golf Center was torn down in Farmingdale, the busy Route 110 corridor near the Nassau-Suffolk line regained another golf facility, all thanks to one Long Islander's passion for ... pickleball.

Yes, pickleball, the hybrid of badminton, tennis and ping pong introduced to thousands of teenagers each year by way of high school phys-ed teachers, shares the spotlight at Pickle N Par, Long Island's newest indoor golf venue.  Unlike Skydrive, whose landmark range nets towered over Route 110 near Republic Airport, Pickle N Par is tucked away in a modern, newly constructed sports-and-fitness building just up the road in Melville.

Pickle N Par manager Andrew Ritter was one of those Long Island high school students who briefly flirted with pickleball in gym class.  A decade after playing the sport at Glen Cove High School, he picked it up again in 2015 at a local community center, learned more about its intricacies and techniques, and eventually became certified as an IPTPA instructor.

The way Ritter sees it, the two elements of Pickle N Par are a natural fit.  "Pickleball and golf are multi-generational," Ritter says.  "And they are two of the most social sports we have."

Unlike other sports, where players might be able to come and go without really interacting with teammates or opponents, Ritter says there's a social element that naturally emerges during and after pickleball matches, the same way it does between shots in an 18-hole round of golf.  Ritter thinks this will attract people to Pickle N Par, not to mention its central location among bustling Long Island commercial centers and office parks.

The facility currently features two Full Swing golf simulators with space for a third.  Players can choose from 85 golf courses -- including nearby Bethpage Black (approach shot on Black #1 pictured left) -- and customize their rounds for weather and ground conditions, scoring formats and more.  Full Swing's "Showdown Golf" also offers a variety of golf games, challenges and competitions that Ritter sees as a potential hit for kids' birthday parties and work functions.  Professional golf instruction will also be offered.

Hourly rates for the golf simulators range from $45-50, with a $5 surcharge added for non-members (membership is $95 annually).  All rates include access to a putting green and ping-pong tables.  Each simulator bay has a TV tuned to sports.

In addition, members and non-members can book reservations on the Pickle N Par website and through the Court Reserve app.  (Members have access to a longer booking window.)

As a courtesy to GOLI readers, Pickle N Par will waive non-member surcharges through the end of October for visitors who mention this Golf On Long Island profile.

Pickle N Par is located at 515 Broadhollow Road (Route 110), Suite 500 in Melville (entrance and parking lot off Baylis Road).  For more information, visit the company website or call (631) 777-PICK.

Long Island Press announces nominees for "Best Golf Course" in 2020 survey

Bethpage State Park rarely loses any kind of Long Island golf popularity contest -- in fact, it's won nothing but gold in the "Best of Long Island" reader survey conducted each year by the Long Island Press.  Still, this fall, more than a dozen public courses and private clubs have an opportunity to knock Bethpage off its perch in the 2020 "Best Golf Course" category, which is officially open for online voting.  Also open for voting are "Best Driving Range" and "Best Golf Store."

The 2020 nominees for "Best Golf Course" -- as determined by Press readers -- include 12 public courses and five private clubs.  Voting is open at the Long Island Press website until December 15.

This year's public-course nominees are:

• Bethpage State Park
• Brentwood Country Club
• Eisenhower Park
• Harbor Links
• Lido GC
• Middle Bay
• Rock Hill
• Stonebridge Golf Links
• Swan Lake
• Timber Point
• Town of Oyster Bay GC
• Willow Creek

In the "Best Golf Store" category, Babylon's Unique Golf Shop has been just as dominant as Bethpage, sweeping the contest since its inception.  This year it will compete with 14 other stores around the Island, including independent shops, national retailers and even one -- Golfsmith -- that's out of business.  (The Press has been notoriously slow in vetting its list of potential nominees.)  Country Fair in Medford is vying for a three-peat in the "Best Driving Range" survey, though it will need to beat out former champions Heartland Golf Park and Eisenhower Park, among nine others.

Winners of the 2020 survey will be announced in January.

Topgolf inches closer to first Long Island location with latest board approval

After listening to arguments last month in support of and opposed to a proposed Topgolf facility beside the Long Island Expressway in Holtsville, the Town of Brookhaven planning board followed up this week by voting 6-0 in favor of granting site-plan approval for the company's first New York location.

The approval requires that Topgolf plant additional trees and install 6-foot-high fencing along parts of the property that border residential neighborhoods, among other measures, according to Newsday and town documents.  Topgolf must also get building permits from the town before it can begin construction at the site, which sits west of Nicolls Road at exit 62 of the LIE.

Though there is no opening date at the moment, with this latest Brookhaven approval, Topgolf's efforts to expand into New York are essentially sitting in the middle of the fairway, wedge in hand.

Brookhaven Councilman Kevin LaValle, who represents Holtsville on the town board, said Topgolf is "a very positive business" that would provide an economic boost to the area.

“I think what’s been put in place with the buffers ... really will help to mitigate the concerns,” LaValle said Tuesday in a telephone interview. "The response that I’ve had from people who live around here and people I know from college, everybody says it’s an amazing experience.” -- Carl MacGowan, Newsday, 9/18/19

Mixing dining, nightlife and technology with the traditional elements of a driving range, Topgolf facilities allow players to hit microchipped golf balls toward arcade-style target areas for computer-scored games and contests.  Climate-controlled hitting bays are rented by the hour and typically include televisions, WiFi and access to food and drinks.  Standard range features like lessons and clinics are also included.  Currently, the closest Topgolf facility to Long Island is located in Edison, New Jersey (pictured).

For more, see previous GOLI posts on the proposed Topgolf:

Plans in place to bring Long Island's first Topgolf location to Holtsville (12/23/2017)
No updates on planned Topgolf facility in Holtsville (12/20/2018)
Holtsville residents tee off on plans for Long Island's first Topgolf facility (8/21/19)

[Photo courtesy of Topgolf]

Holtsville residents tee off on plans for Long Island's first Topgolf facility

Ground has yet to be broken in Holtsville for what would be Long Island's first Topgolf facility, but representatives from the Dallas-based company have already received a traditional Long Island welcome from area residents who spoke out against the development at a Brookhaven Town public hearing on Monday.

Citing loud music, lights and the potential for increased traffic and drunk driving in the area, Holtsville residents asked the board to oppose the new facility, which would be located north of the Long Island Expressway at exit 62, according to Newsday.  Topgolf is known nationwide for its driving ranges that mix high-tech features, modern amenities, dining and nightlife.

Topgolf officials argued that the $25 million facility would create up to 500 jobs and comply with all town laws, though residents were skeptical of the range's use of music and lights late into the night.

Opponents of the project threw up their hands in apparent exasperation during the hearing as Topgolf officials tried to assure them that their lifestyles would not be disrupted by the business.

Mike Quilty described a recent vacation trip with his wife Mary during which they saw a Topgolf site with blaring music and bright lights.

"When we saw the Topgolf in South Carolina, I said, Oh, my God, it is in your face," Quilty said. "I said, wow, this is going to be in my neighborhood? I can't believe this."

Other residents expressed concern about Topgolf customers driving drunk as they leave the facility, which would be open until 2 a.m. on weekends. -- Carl MacGowan, Newsday, 8/20/2019

Back in December 2017, the Brookhaven Town board unanimously approved special permits and zoning changes to make way for Long Island's first Topgolf.  At the time, proponents cited Topgolf's entertainment value while residents complained that disruption from the site could devalue their homes. 

Unlike standard driving ranges, Topgolf features microchipped golf balls and arcade-style target areas for computer-scored games and contests, as well as dining and lounge-style amenities that appeal to non-golfers.  Climate-controlled hitting bays are rented by the hour and typically include televisions, WiFi and access to food and drinks.  Standard range features like lessons and clinics are also included.  Currently, the closest Topgolf facility to Long Island is located in Edison, New Jersey (pictured).

Brookhaven's planning board deferred a decision until its next meeting on September 16.

For more, see previous GOLI posts on the proposed Topgolf:

Plans in place to bring Long Island's first Topgolf location to Holtsville (12/23/2017)
No updates on planned Topgolf facility in Holtsville (12/20/2018)

[Photo courtesy of Topgolf]

2019 Summer Golf Camps on Long Island

Young and old will join together this week to watch the game's greats compete at The Masters, and for many prospective junior golfers, the action at Augusta might serve as inspiration to pick up a golf club for the first time.  For those youngsters already with a few rounds under their belts, it might serve as a boost to work on improving their game and taking it to new heights.

The best way to do that, of course, is with some professional guidance, and having a qualified teaching pro help put the building blocks in place, especially at an early age, is vital to a lifetime of memorable on-course experiences.

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 -- some open to kids as young as 5 -- are designed to transform the youngster, whether new to the sport or experienced, into a skilled golfer for life.

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 2019 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 Junior Golf Development Program is open to players of all skill levels.  Juniors are split into five teams based on age, ability and experience, and participate in a combination of practice, fitness training and on-course play, including tournaments.  Amount of practice and live play varies by team.  Full-day and half-day programs meet five days a week for an entire month.  Weekly sessions are also available.  Register for full day/monthly ($750), half day/monthly ($500) and weekly sessions ($400) at the Bethpage website or call (516) 249-4040 for more details.

Cedars Golf Club (Cutchogue):  The Cutchogue course offers two separate four-week sessions with start dates of July 8 and August 5.  Campers meet Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, with times varied by age group.  Juniors age 10 and under benefit from group instruction and on-course play, and also receive prizes, pizza lunches and a ten-round Cedars Junior Pass.  Those in the 11-to-15 group receive 30 minutes of private instruction each week in addition to on-course play, group work and a full-season Junior Pass.  Cost is $570 per four-week session (10 and under); $600 per four-week session (11 and over).  Extended instruction is available for additional cost.  Call (631) 734-6363 or e-mail ken@cedarsgolfclub.com to register or for full details.

Cherry Creek (Riverhead):  Cherry Creek is offering three camp sessions beginning July 16 for juniors age 7 to 16.  Each session covers swing basics, skills, course etiquette and more.  Instruction takes place at both the Links and Woods courses.  Camps meet Tuesday and Wednesday from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. and Thursday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.  Cost is $200 per session.  Contact the Woods pro shop at (631) 506-0777 or e-mail head pro Michael Springer at mikespringer1@yahoo.com for info.

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 5 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 8.  Visit the PGA Junior Golf Camp site for full information on pricing, session dates and available discounts.

Glen Cove Golf Club:  Weekly sessions for kids age 6 to 16 begin on June 17 and are offered through the end of August.  Camps meet Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and cover the full swing, pitching, chipping, putting, rules and etiquette.  Cost is $400 per weekly session.  Call (516) 671-0033 or visit the Glen Cove camp site for additional details.

Great Rock Golf Club (Wading River):  Two separate four-day sessions (Monday to Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) for golfers age 6 to 15 will be available July 8-11 and July 29-August 1.  Each session covers swing fundamentals, chipping, pitching, rules and etiquette, as well as on-course training and strategy.  Cost is $299 with lunch and a Thursday pizza party and awards ceremony included.  Call (631) 886-2700 for information and registration.

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 24, 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 18th 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 $525 per week, per camper, with family, returnee and multi-week discounts available.  Week-long sessions begin June 24 and continue through the end of August.  See the Indian Island camp brochure for all details.

Island's End Golf & Country Club (Greenport):  Junior clinics are offered on select days in the summer, open to boys and girls age 5 and up.  Camp info will be available later in the spring.  Visit the Island's End website for more information.

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 $595 for Peninsula, $625 for Wind Watch and $269 for Babylon.  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 8.  Camps meet from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday to Friday and include instruction on the course, practice green, in the driving range and the short-game area.  Snack, beverages and lunch are also included.  Family and multiple-week discounts are available.  Call (516) 766-1880 for pricing and additional details.

Mill Pond (Medford):  Camps are available in 3-day and 5-day sessions.  Shorter programs are geared more toward beginners with a focus on swing fundamentals, rules and etiquette.  Juniors with some playing experience will also receive instruction on course management.  Week-long programs are designed for experienced juniors, with on-course instruction and play held at Rolling Oaks Golf Course in Miller Place.  High school development camps are also available for experienced golfers age 12 to 17 looking to advance their game on a competitive level.  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.

Pine Ridge Golf Club (Coram):  Full-week sessions are available for beginners and intermediate players.  Camps are full-day and focus on fundamentals to build the foundation of a proper swing, with on-course play included.  The $299 camp fee covers daily lunch and a goodie bag.  Visit the Pine Ridge website for session dates and online registration.

Poxabogue Golf Center (Sagaponack):  A total of ten sessions run from the week of June 24 to the week of August 26.  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 $529 per session, with family and multi-week discounts available.  Visit the Poxabogue website for info and registration.

Smithtown Landing Country Club (Smithtown):  Smithtown Landing hosts camp programs led by PGA professional and Hall of Famer Michael Hebron.  Instruction covers grip, swing, putting, chipping, pitching, rules and etiquette.  Beginning July 1, separate programs meet once a week on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  A three-day camp (June 26-28) and four-day camp (August 6-9) are also available.  Call (631) 979-6534 or visit the Smithtown Landing site for 2019 pricing, schedules and registration forms.

Spring Lake Golf Club (Middle Island):  Spring Lake is running weekly junior clinics in lieu of formal camp programs in 2019.  Juniors will meet each Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. for group instruction.  Contact Spring Lake pro Cristy Jurgens at (631) 924-5115 for info.

Stonebridge Golf Links (Hauppauge):  Starting July 15, 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 $379 for full day.  All campers receive a Nike backpack and glove.  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 16.  Beginners and intermediate players are split into groups and receive hands-on instruction led by certified PGA professionals.  Weekly sessions meet Tuesday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, beginning July 9.  Cost is $299 per session.  Visit the PGA Junior Golf Camp site for full information.

Town of Oyster Bay Golf Course (Woodbury):  Full-day camps for boys and girls age 10 to 16, and half-day camps for boys and girls age 6 to 10, are available starting the week of June 25.  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 $600; half-day camp is $425.  Referral discounts are available.  Call (516) 364-3600 or visit TOB's Lucas Golf Center website for information and registration.

West Sayville Golf Course (West Sayville):  West Sayville is offering seven week-long programs (Tuesday to Saturday, four hours per day) beginning the week of July 9.  Campers receive instruction on and off the course, with lessons concentrating on all aspects of the swing, including grip, stance and alignment.  Cost is $425 per session, with multi-week discounts available.  Visit the West Sayville website for a registration form and schedule information.

Simplay hosting an indoor "Networking with Golf" outing this Friday

Simplay, the indoor golf and sports facility in Hauppauge, will host a "Networking with Golf" event this Friday, January 25, complete with a simulator scramble for up to 40 golfers.

The unique indoor scramble will tee off at 2:30 p.m. after registration and lunch.  Beer, wine and soda will be served throughout the golf portion of the event.  Following the scramble, participants can stick around for an awards ceremony and extended networking session that includes card games, cigars and more.

Entry fee is $95 per person.  Sign up online or call (631) 617-6363.

Simplay features eight simulators with more than 80 golf courses (including Bethpage Black) as well as other sports like soccer, baseball and hockey.  The Hauppauge facility also offers private simulator rooms, a full bar and snack menu.  For more info, visit the Simplay website.

No updates on planned Topgolf facility in Holtsville

One year to the day since the Brookhaven Town Board voted unanimously to approve zoning changes that would allow Long Island to land New York's first Topgolf facility, there is no indication that the popular driving range and entertainment venue will arrive here anytime in the near future.

Topgolf, known for its growing chain of modern, neon-lit golf, dining and nightlife centers popular across the Midwest and South, is planning to extend its reach into New York with a new facility to be built on an industrial site near the Long Island Expressway in Holtsville.  Last December, the town board in Brookhaven voted 6-0 to change the site's zoning to "commercial recreation" and approve special permits, per Newsday.

However, with the project quietly awaiting additional town approvals, a representative at Dallas-based Topgolf confirmed there is no news or timetable to share regarding the proposed Holtsville location.  The Topgolf website currently lists 15 new locations "coming soon" around the country and internationally, but none in New York.  Brookhaven Town has not responded to an inquiry on the Holtsville facility.

For now, the closest Topgolf venue to Long Island is in Edison, New Jersey (pictured).  Unlike regular driving ranges, Topgolf features microchipped golf balls and arcade-style target areas for computer-scored games and contests, as well as dining and lounge-style amenities that appeal to non-golfers.  Climate-controlled hitting bays are rented by the hour and typically include televisions, WiFi and access to food and drinks.  Standard range features like lessons and clinics are also included.  Some in the golf industry have credited Topgolf with helping introduce millennials and other non-golfers to the sport.

[Photo courtesy of Topgolf]

Public golf options near Shinnecock Hills

Shinnecock Hills is the capital of the golf universe this week, and there are plenty of agonizing East End traffic reports to prove it.  And while vaunted Long Island clubs like National, Sebonack, Maidstone and others are picking up some of Shinnecock's spotlight rather than the likes of Pine Hills and Poxabogue, let's just say those places don't exactly welcome walk-ups.

So where does that leave the public golfer who happens to be staying in the Hamptons or the Riverhead area this week for the U.S. Open?  Here are some friendly outlets, from closest to farthest from the epicenter:

EAST OF SHINNECOCK

Right there in the middle of the Sunrise Highway soup is the Southampton Golf Range, a family-owned throwback with a driving range, mini golf and batting cages.  It's located about a mile east of Shinnecock and offering extended hours during Open week.  Bonus points for media members -- it's directly across the street from media parking, so keep your bags in the trunk (it's open until midnight).

Poxabogue Golf Center is a quaint par-30 that's been a fixture in the Bridgehampton area for more than 50 years.  Its suitable for all skill levels and features one of the biggest practice ranges on the Island.  It also attracts a fair share of celebs for a little public nine-holer.

Also nine holes, the Sag Harbor State Golf Course is the least known of Long Island's NYS munis, though it's been around for nearly a century.

Keep heading east, almost until you can't go any farther, and you'll find one of the most popular NYS munis at Montauk Downs.  Nothing can replicate Shinnecock, but with the ocean to the south and bays to the north, the swirling winds at Montauk are similar.

Shelter Island Country Club -- aka "Goat Hill" -- is nearly as old as Shinnecock.  A ferry to Shelter Island plus nine holes make for a nice Open Week afternoon.

On the North Fork, Cedars Golf Club is another pleasant nine-holer tucked away in Cutchogue.

Like Montauk Downs on the South Fork, Island's End Golf & Country Club is perched almost on the tip of the North Fork, hence the name.  It features one of the most picturesque par-3s on Long Island -- public or private.

WEST OF SHINNECOCK

Indian Island Country Club is one of Suffolk's four county munis and the only one on the East End.  Parts of the course play along the Peconic River and Flanders Bay; the rest is more of a parkland layout.

Sandy Pond is another throwback nine that has been rejuvenated under new ownership in recent years.  There are water holes, fescue and an overall friendly vibe.

Once the private Olde Vine Golf Club, the Riverhead course known as The Vineyards Golf Club features Shinnecock-esque winds that team up with very fast greens with slope.

Next door to The Vineyards are Cherry Creek's Links and Woods courses.  Though not a links design in any sense, the Links 18 is one of the longest layouts on the Island and features the region's only par-6 at #18.  The Woods is a shorter, more strategic course with trees bordering nearly all fairways.

Manorville delivers a trio of 18-hole options with varying styles.  Swan Lake Golf Club is comfortably open and offers some of Long Island's most spacious putting greens.  Rock Hill Golf Club is roomy in some areas, tightly wooded in the rest, but challenges throughout the course with thick, unforgiving rough over hilly terrain.  The par-73 Pine Hills Country Club is nearly as long as Bethpage Black.

For courses beyond those areas, check out our Long Island course map, which includes links to flyover descriptions of all courses, as well as our Visitor's Guide to Long Island Golf for a broader overview of the local scene.