Golf on Long Island

Momentum building toward Golden Age-inspired restoration of Timber Point

Stars aligned in recent years to free Long Island's original Lido Club from grainy black-and-white photos and resurrect it halfway across the country at Wisconsin's Sand Valley.  Now it seems they might be positioning themselves again to inspire another Golden Age rebirth, one that stays right here on the Island's south shore.

The restoration of Timber Point, for decades a far-off fantasy confined mostly to circles of golf historians and design enthusiasts, is making its way toward reality.  Peter Ganley, assistant to Suffolk County Parks Commissioner John Giannott, is leading an effort that would bring the course a century back in time to golf's architectural Golden Age, when Timber Point was a sand-swept 18-hole course designed by Charles Alison.  Golf writer Daniel Wexler once wrote that Timber Point would be a top-25 American golf course if it still existed in its original form.

Specific details on designers, project costs and timelines are unavailable or confidential at the moment, but the next step in what has been a positive process to date, according to Ganley, is a meeting with Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine and other political officials.  The plan is to raise enough money from foundations and private sources to limit the costs taken on by Suffolk County. 

"We don't want to use county money," Ganley says.  "The intent is to keep Timber Point an affordable golf course."

A full restoration of the course includes revitalization of the site's natural wetlands, which were filled in when the course was remodeled in the 1970s, a decision that would never be permitted today by New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation, Ganley says.  The DEC has been "exceptionally understanding" so far regarding plans for the property, he says, adding that the restored wetlands would alleviate water concerns and decrease pesticide use. 

Ganley envisions a restored Timber Point as a world-class, championship-level public golf destination that is Suffolk County's version of Bethpage Black.  "Timber Point is so intriguing because of what it once was," he says.  Of the course's 18 original holes, 12 remain in place on the current Blue and Red courses, including the famed "Gibraltar" par-3 and the subsequent bayfront par-4s.  The course would be brought back to its 1920s design and likely its sandier-on-the-edges layout, lengthened in spots to accommodate the modern game.  Yardage from the tips will potentially be in the vicinity of 7,500 yards.  Off the course, upgrades to the historic clubhouse, marinas and other facilities are planned.  Added perks like a par-3 short course are also under consideration.

For years, historians and golf-architecture followers have weighed the potential of a Timber Point restoration.  Designers have walked the grounds and drawn up detailed building plans.  In 2021, The Fried Egg listed Timber Point as one of America's "sweet 16 of golf courses we'd love to see restored to their original glory." 

"So maybe Timber Point’s best move would be to shed nine holes and restore as many of the rest as possible.  After all, there’s certainly a demand for great accessible golf on Long Island," wrote The Fried Egg's Andy Johnson.

Timber Point has been a 27-hole facility since the early 1970s, when Suffolk County took control of the once-exclusive private club and hired William Mitchell to build an additional nine holes.  Under the proposed redesign, the biggest change to the existing layout would be the elimination of Mitchell's White Course.  In its place, restored native wetlands and several reoriented holes would connect the interior and waterfront portions of the course.  During the course's early-1900s prime, players emerged from Timber Point's wooded front nine onto a sprawling sandscape with Great South Bay in the distance.  The tenth played toward the bay, and #11, a wind-aided par-4 with multiple fairways, brought players back to the current "Harbor" hole — #2 on the Blue Course.  Ganley says the revival of Alison's 10th and 11th holes would be "special."

"County Executive Romaine wants to create a masterpiece — that's the plan," Ganley says.  "It will be a nice giveback by Suffolk County to the public."

[PICTURED: TOP TWO — The famed Gibraltar par-3 today and as it appeared in the early 20th century, when Timber Point was more of a sandy links than a parkland course. BOTTOM TWO — Modern and early views of the Harbor par-3, currently #2 on the Blue Course.]

Bethpage Red, Montauk Downs highlighted on Golf Magazine's affordability list

Two of Long Island's top public golf courses known for being hard on scorecards recently earned some praise from Golf Magazine for going easy on golfers' wallets.

Bethpage State Park's Red Course and Montauk Downs both made the cut in Golf Mag's 2024 list of America's best golf courses for $100 or less, "where memorability meets affordability," as determined by Golf's course raters and editors.  The list features 101 golf courses in four different regions of the country where peak-season weekend walking rates do not exceed $100.  The selected courses "represent exceptional bang for the buck."

In addition to the green-fee requirement, selected courses must be open to the public and offer "the kind of golf experience you’d recommend to a friend."  

Of the 19 golf courses representing the Northeast region, five are from New York State.  Bethpage Red and Montauk Downs are joined by En-Joie in Endicott, Saratoga Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs and Seven Oaks in Hamilton.  The Northeast has the lowest regional representation, mostly due to high costs around metropolitan areas, according to Golf editors.  Approximately 40 percent of the featured courses are municipally owned.  List editors praised "those public officials who understand the value and importance of funding exceptional public golf."

Bethpage Red and Montauk, of course, are fixtures on another annual list, the "Best Courses You Can Play" ranking published by Golfweek.  That list highlights the best publicly accessible golf courses in all 50 states.  In the 2024 Golfweek ranking, the Red Course landed at #6 with Montauk Downs one spot behind at #7.

[PICTURED: The signature par-3 12th at Montauk Downs.]

Long Island Golf Junkies hosting July Social outing at The Hamlet Golf & CC

The Long Island Golf Junkies players group, one of the largest and most active groups in the region, will hold a July Social outing next month at The Hamlet Golf and Country Club in Commack.  Event date is Monday, July 15 with a shotgun start scheduled for 10:00 a.m.  The LIGJ outing is open to all players.

Entry fee is $155 per golfer for 18 holes and cart.  Format is individual stroke play with contests for closest to the pin and longest drive, plus raffles and prizes.  Visit the LIGJ website to reserve spots for singles and groups and for full registration guidelines and details.

The Hamlet is a private club redesigned in the 1990s by Stephen Kay.  It is a par-70 with heavily bunkered fairways and greens and several prominent water hazards.  

LIGJ hosts several formal outings, casual rounds and social/networking 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.

Bethpage, Montauk Downs listed among Golfweek's 2024 Best Courses You Can Play

There are certainties in Long Island golf life — group photos at the Black Course warning sign, wind at Montauk Downs, and Bethpage and Montauk ranked highly in Golfweek's list of the region's top public golf courses.

Golfweek's 2024 Best Courses You Can Play rankings were published earlier this month and Bethpage Black finds itself on familiar ground atop the local list, followed closely by its next-door neighbor Bethpage Red and its New York State sister course at Montauk Downs.  The Best Courses You Can Play list ranks the elite publicly accessible courses in all 50 states.  The three courses are typically locks for New York's top eight with the Red Course and Montauk Downs jockeying for position.  This year the Red Course at #6 edged out Montauk by a spot.

Also of local interest, Bally's Ferry Point (formerly Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point) in the Bronx is ranked third behind only the Black Course and Leatherstocking in Cooperstown.

Bethpage Black is featured prominently on Golfweek's broader lists as well.  The Black moved up one spot to #9 on the national Best Courses You Can Play list, jumping ahead of the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island.  It also held its #26 spot on the Best 200 Classic Courses list, which ranks public and private courses built before 1960.  That list showcases Long Island's enormous depth of internationally renowned golf courses, with three courses in the top 10 (Shinnecock Hills, National Golf Links and Fisher's Island) and a total of 15 courses overall.

For many years, Golfweek included a fourth Long Island course in its annual Best You Can Play — Tallgrass Golf Course in Shoreham.  Tallgrass is gone, of course, but another "lost" course with local ties — sort of — did crack the list.  The resurrected Lido at Sand Valley in Wisconsin lands at #15 on the national list and #2 in the state.  That course is a nearly identical replica of C.B Macdonald's original Lido Club located on Long Island's south shore from 1917 to 1942.

For more on the three Long Island publics, including a Closer Look breakdown of Red #13 (and Tallgrass #8, just for old time's sake), check out the course flyovers via the above links.

[PICTURED: Bethpage Black #5 in spring 2024.]

Newsday: Stonebridge Golf Links ownership withdraws on-course housing proposal

A development plan that would have built 28 additional homes at Stonebridge Golf Links and Country Club in Hauppauge and shortened its 18-hole golf course into abbreviated nines has been withdrawn by ownership, according to Newsday.  All that remains now are lingering questions and concerns about the future of the current golf course.

Newsday's Jean-Paul Salamanca reported last week that Stonebridge representatives sent a letter of withdrawal dated May 7 to the Town of Smithtown's Planning Board, roughly six weeks after a public hearing in front of the board and members of the community.  At that March 20 meeting, attorney David Altman and Islip-based architect Jerry Rumplick presented a plan for new houses along Stonebridge's western perimeter.  To build the proposed homes, Stonebridge asked the planning board to consider amending the longtime covenants that restrict new development on the site. 

The most notable exchange took place near the end of the meeting when board member Rick Lanese pressed Altman to explain how Smithtown residents would benefit from a plan that adds housing to an environmentally sensitive site and negatively impacts the existing Stonebridge course.  Altman said they benefit because the alternative would be total loss of the golf course.

Now that the plan has been withdrawn, that back-and-forth between Altman and the board takes on much greater significance.  Stonebridge representatives declined to comment to Newsday about the withdrawal, Salamanca reported, and Altman has not responded to questions about the golf course from Golf On Long Island.

Stonebridge replaced and redesigned the former Hauppauge Country Club in 1999, at which time covenants were put in place to limit future additions to the 105-home residential community and changes to club membership and the golf course itself.  The two golf courses have occupied the Veterans Highway site since the 1950s.

Residents and neighbors spoke out against the plan at the March 20 meeting, citing concerns over the course modifications, environmental impact, proximity to the adjacent county park and decline in home value.  Under the proposed plan, new homes would have replaced the 17th and 18th holes, and the western half of the current course would have been reduced to an executive-length nine-hole layout.  The eastern half likely would have remained as a separate full-length nine.

Stonebridge's course design pays tribute to renowned early-1900s designers C.B. Macdonald, Seth Raynor and Charles Banks.  Macdonald biographer and historian George Bahto redesigned the previous Hauppauge course to include replicas of holes typically found at famous American and European clubs, making it unique among Long Island's roster of public golf courses.  The 17th hole, which would have been destroyed under the housing proposal, is modeled after Macdonald's "Eden" par-3s.  Other replicas include the Redan at #4, Biarritz at #7 and Hog's Back green at #16.

For more on the course, see the Stonebridge flyover.

SEE ALSO: Proposed homebuilding plan calls for major modifications or possible closure of Stonebridge Golf Links

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.

Proposed homebuilding plan calls for major modifications or possible closure of Stonebridge Golf Links

The future of Stonebridge Golf Links and Country Club suddenly appears to be in doubt.

A proposed plan to build additional homes at the Hauppauge course would modify or eliminate several golf holes and remodel Stonebridge into two separate layouts, said attorney David Altman at a March 20 meeting of the Smithtown Planning Board.  If the town board does not approve amendments to longtime covenants attached to the property, said Altman, who spoke on behalf of Stonebridge ownership, the alternative might be closure of the golf course.

The project, as outlined in a presentation by Altman and Islip-based architect Jerry Rumplick, calls for 28 houses and a new access road to be constructed along the property's western perimeter, which is currently occupied by several holes on the course's back nine.  Maps and renderings indicate the plan would eliminate the existing 17th hole, heavily modify holes 11, 16 and 18, and shorten Stonebridge's western half into an executive-length course.  The eastern section of the course would likely remain as part of a full-length nine.

However, development at the site is limited by covenants put in place in 1999 when Stonebridge, an 18-hole semi-private course that surrounds a 105-home residential community, took over the former Hauppauge Country Club.  The covenants restrict further homebuilding and particular changes to the golf course and membership.  

Altman's project overview did not explicitly raise course closure as a possibility, but when pressed by a board member to explain how the plan benefits Smithtown residents, Altman said the alternative was loss of the golf course. 

More than a dozen residents of the course community and neighboring areas spoke out against the plan, citing concerns over the course alterations, environmental impact, proximity to the adjacent county park and decline in home value.  They also argued the covenants were integral factors in their decisions to buy or stay in their homes on the property and should not be amended to accommodate major changes to the site.

Stonebridge and the previous Hauppauge Country Club, both full-length 18-hole courses, have occupied the property along Veterans Highway since the 1950s.  Community resident Sue Stavrakos told the board that keeping a par-70 golf course on the site is required by the covenants.  Another resident who lives next to the tenth hole said golfers and potential members have little interest in playing an executive-length course and advised the town board to take steps to protect Smithtown's golf courses, similar to recent zoning changes enacted in the Town of Brookhaven.  Several homeowners said the site is too compact as is, leading to property damage, overcrowding during clubhouse events and, in some cases, severe injuries to residents.

According to renderings, the current 17th hole would be eliminated by the new home sites and #18 would be shortened and reoriented.  Rumplick said other changes would be made to improve safety in general and reduce ball strikes on the existing homes.  The par-4 16th would be split into two par-3s, one of which would feature a newly built island green.  At #10, new tees would be built parallel to the line of homes in order to cut down on property strikes.  Same at #2, a long par-4 on the other side of the course that would be shortened with new tees relocated ahead of an existing pond.

There is no timetable for a decision by the planning board, but several attendees at the March 20 meeting urged the board to schedule a second public hearing given the number of people who were turned away due to capacity limits.

Stonebridge is unique among Long Island's public courses as it is comprised entirely of template holes made famous by renowned designers C.B. Macdonald, Seth Raynor and Charles Banks.  Macdonald biographer and historian George Bahto redesigned the previous Hauppauge Country Club course to include replicas of holes typically found at early-20th-century clubs.  The troubled 17th hole, for example, is modeled after  Macdonald's "Eden" par-3s.  Other replicas include the Redan at #4, Biarritz at #7 and Hog's Back green at #16.

For more on the course, see the Stonebridge flyover.

[PICTURED: The 16th hole, which would be split into two par-3s under a proposed course remodeling.]

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.