Golf in New York....Please advise

[Patrick_Mucci]

Mark,
 
Ran has specifically stated that HE doesn't want these threads on GCA.com.
 
He's concerned about the quality of threads that are appearing on GCA.com.
 
David Elvins alone provided prudent advice.
 
Chances are, at the end of March, the ground in the NYC area will be snow covered or very wet with very few courses open for play.
 
Atlantic City's climate and soils lend themselves to play at that time of year.

[Ian Mackenzie]

am heading stateside at the end of March for 5 days and the wife has given me a pass for a days golf. Will travel but need suggestions as will only get the one round in

Sam,


Your thread is just so...um...lazy. Sorry.
You have zero specifics besides what month you will be there.


Come on, man...;-)....New York is a big place. Where in NY? NYC? bUffalo?
I assume NYC. If so, how far are you willing to travel? 1, 2, 3 hours?


But, all you need to do is go to weather.com and you will see what the average high temperature will be that day.
You als can go to golf digest.com and see the list of the best courses in NY and then ask this group, " which one of those is worth playing?"


Then you ask about hotel,recommendations? Really? Where? At what price point? What's next? Restaurants and museums? Concierge services not included here...:-)


Do your research. Ask specific questions.
Help us help you.


Cheers,
Ian

Ian,
Looking to stay in NYC and am willing to travel 2 hours. As I've never been to NYC I have no idea , I'm not looking at to touristy. Maybe stay in Greenwich?

Sam,


I think your ultimate choice may end up being based on what courses are open.
Some courses will be open but will have temporary pins that are usually set on the fairway about 20 yards in front of the greens (which will not yet be open for play).


If you're going to be in Greenwich, then check out some of the casino resorts north of there. Solid, but not great golf but it may bE open.


Cheers,
Ian

[Jon Wiggett]

I am somewhat perplexed by the attitude/assumptions some posters are making on this thread. I would have thought that the OP when asking for advice as to where to play would be asking from a GCA and golfing angle as this is what the site is about. I also find it hard to understand how his question can be misinterpreted as an effort to gain access because if this were so then practically any thread asking opinions about a golf course or best example of one could also e interpreted as such an attempt.

If someone from out of town is looking to buy a house asks where it is best in your city is to buy a house do you automatically feel the need to offer that person yours?
 
Jon,
 
Here's Sam's initial post:
 
"Golf in New York, am heading stateside at the end of March for 5 days and the wife has given me a pass for a days golf. Will travel but need suggestions as will only get the one round in."

He can only get one round in.
 
New York is a huge state, so where would you suggest that he play based upon his initial post ?

Patrick,

I took it that Sam was talking about New York City but it is good that you now accept he was asking for advice not access. However, given your initial attitude it is surprising you are now asking for access on behalf of someone else

[Sven Nilsen]

For those that haven't read it, here's what Ran wrote last year (found here:  http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,60169.0.html):

"For 2015, we are going to hold the number of pages of threads at 1000. As new threads arise, weaker ones will be deleted. The goal is to ensure that the 50,000 topics covered within this Discussion group are of high relevance. Archiving threads that no one is going to revisit is nonsensical.
 
There is a host of reasons why threads will be deleted but primarily it will be a lack of relevance to the study of golf course architecture. New posters should stop introducing themselves; the spotlight is on golf architecture, not yourself. The thread's title needs to be clear regarding what someone can expect when they click on it; people are busy and they should not have to aimlessly click on threads to glean their content.  Off topic threads will be deleted at a quicker pace than in the past. For example, a recent thread on restaurants won't be around at year-end.
 
Those who regularly fail to meet this standard will find their accounts revoked. Without such periodic actions GolfClubAtlas.com inadvertently becomes home to the idle. The role of every poster is to assist in the furthering of knowledge related to golf course architecture. It is not to arrange your next tee time or kill the next fifteen minutes. Most web sites just want to churn traffic, not us. We have a stated purpose and everyone is expected to act in accordance with it."

There's an interesting request regarding thread titles buried in there as well.

[jeffwarne]

I just hope no one reminds the teacher to collect the homework..............

[BCowan]

Sam,

  If you are ever in the Great State of Michigan feel free to contact me for a game..

[Jeff Evagues]

I've been told recently that Tallgrass might not open again. It appears the solar farm will become a reality.

The "what courses should i play in ...?" posts can be extremely valuable; I hope they don't become taboo. They tend to spur architectural conversation about the lesser courses in the world that we may otherwise not talk about. Even in well-discussed regions you might only find a few mentions about a hidden gem or a modest, yet interesting little public that would perfectly fit your requirements during a given trip. Of course, that's all less likely if the OP doesn't bring some of their own research and specifics to the table.

Sam, Mike Felton's post is pretty spot-on. Bethpage Black and Ferry Point will most definitely be closed until April. Bethpage Red is your next best bet for nearby publics, but it will only be open if the weather has been cooperating. I don't believe it opened until April last year. But any of the 5 courses at Bethpage are as good as anything else in the area. I also second his recommendation of Marine Park out of all the NYC munis. It has the most interesting and best maintained greens of any public near the city. If you really do want to drive 1-2 hours you get more options. My pick would be Tallgrass (Hanse), a fantastic course about 1:15hrs out on Long Island. It should be open and in decent enough shape. At that time of year, everything will be very hit or miss conditions-wise, so I caution against driving too far for anything public unless it's exactly what you want.

[V. Kmetz]

I've been told recently that Tallgrass might not open again. It appears the solar farm will become a reality.

Tell me this is not true...It's too far away for me to support regularly, but this is as nice a recent course as any I have experienced in the last 15 years. I entered one of my only two tournaments in the last 9 years because it was being played there.

I'm all in favor of alternative energy development like solar, but gee whiz, right there? My memory is that there are scads of open ground surrounding Tallgrass almost as far as the eye can see...can't they find something else?

What a shame; I hope it will not go down like this...and this soon after it was made...sad news

cheers

vk

[Mark Pearce]

How ironic that Pat Mucci, who quite deliberately chose to ignore Ran's request regarding thread titles should cry Ran's name in aid when he doesn't like a post.  And why doesn't he like the post?  Nothing in what I have seen Ran say specifically addressed this kind of post.  As has already been said, it is common to see threads started where visitors are planning  to travel the other way and the UK contingent here are not only willing to offer advice but also more than happy frequently to offer to meet up with other members of this board and welcome them to the country and to their clubs.  Of course, it works the other way too.  I have met many GCAers and made several friends on trips to the US where I have asked a similar question to that asked by Sam and been overwhelmed by extraordinarily generous offers.  Sometimes that advice has been to play pay and play courses (and GCAers have travelled and paid their green fee too) and sometimes I have been hosted at private clubs.  I pity the mean spirited attitude that leads Mucci to make his first post in this thread.

As far as the criticised lack of geographical specificity in the OP, bear in mind that to most of us Brits, New York means the city, we forget the state!

[Jon Wiggett]

Mark,

I thought the same thing about the thread titles as well.

Jon

[Mark Woodger]

Ran - Please revoke my access.  It is a wonderful site that I will continue to read but I have no need to post any longer a) because my time is limited these days and I should give somebody else a chance b) I can't stand the arguments and personal insults that ensue.

I have not checked in lately and the first topic I click on has Mucci (who sadly reminds me of D Trump with his hyperbole and not in a good way) dishing out a volley of abuse to a guy asking for help/input. It was like this last time I visited the site. He is the elephant on the forum who quite frankly I feel tries to bully everybody who does not share his view and thinks he is the sheriff in town who should keep order. Sadly this makes the forum a less enjoyable place to be than in the past and I find it upsetting when people are treated this way. It borders on cyber bulling or trolling and the impact of that can be very far reaching. I would encourage everybody to thin twice before they post something personally insulting.

I thank you greatly for the chance to be a member of the site. I have learnt a lot, contributed very little and most importantly I have met some fine people. I will fondly remember a weekend at Essex County Country Club and Deal Country Club with some fellow GCA members.

I wish everybody and the site all the very best for the future.

[Carl Nichols]

am heading stateside at the end of March for 5 days and the wife has given me a pass for a days golf. Will travel but need suggestions as will only get the one round in

Sam,


Your thread is just so...um...lazy. Sorry.
You have zero specifics besides what month you will be there.


Come on, man...;-)....New York is a big place. Where in NY? NYC? bUffalo?
I assume NYC. If so, how far are you willing to travel? 1, 2, 3 hours?


But, all you need to do is go to weather.com and you will see what the average high temperature will be that day.
You als can go to golf digest.com and see the list of the best courses in NY and then ask this group, " which one of those is worth playing?"


Then you ask about hotel,recommendations? Really? Where? At what price point? What's next? Restaurants and museums? Concierge services not included here...:-)


Do your research. Ask specific questions.
Help us help you.


Cheers,
Ian

Ian,
Looking to stay in NYC and am willing to travel 2 hours. As I've never been to NYC I have no idea , I'm not looking at to touristy. Maybe stay in Greenwich?

Assuming you mean Greenwich Village, rather than Greenwich, Connecticut--which is a suburb of New York--I think this is a good choice.  There are lots of great restaurants and bars, cool streets to walk around, etc.--and you can visit the main tourist sites easily from there.


As for the golf, as others have said, I think you really have to play it by ear because of the weather; it's definitely not an ideal time to play. The places most likely to be open are going to be near the water, e.g., Southern New Jersey (Atlantic City) or out on Long Island.  One place that hasn't been mentioned is Montauk Downs, which is a public course on Long Island that's about as far from NYC as any other course on L.I.

[Frank M]

Amazing.

[Tim Martin]

am heading stateside at the end of March for 5 days and the wife has given me a pass for a days golf. Will travel but need suggestions as will only get the one round in

Sam,


Your thread is just so...um...lazy. Sorry.
You have zero specifics besides what month you will be there.


Come on, man...;-)....New York is a big place. Where in NY? NYC? bUffalo?
I assume NYC. If so, how far are you willing to travel? 1, 2, 3 hours?


But, all you need to do is go to weather.com and you will see what the average high temperature will be that day.
You als can go to golf digest.com and see the list of the best courses in NY and then ask this group, " which one of those is worth playing?"


Then you ask about hotel,recommendations? Really? Where? At what price point? What's next? Restaurants and museums? Concierge services not included here...:-)


Do your research. Ask specific questions.
Help us help you.


Cheers,
Ian

Ian,
Looking to stay in NYC and am willing to travel 2 hours. As I've never been to NYC I have no idea , I'm not looking at to touristy. Maybe stay in Greenwich?

Sam,


I think your ultimate choice may end up being based on what courses are open.
Some courses will be open but will have temporary pins that are usually set on the fairway about 20 yards in front of the greens (which will not yet be open for play).


If you're going to be in Greenwich, then check out some of the casino resorts north of there. Solid, but not great golf but it may bE open.


Cheers,
Ian

Sam-With all due deference to Ian the Casino courses are at least 2 hours North of Greenwich on a good day and not worth the trip. Plenty of other stuff in and around NYC, LI, North Jersey and Westchester with much less travel. Check out Split Rock in the Bronx which is a NYC muni with a cool set of greens.

[Ryan Coles]

God speed.

[Marty Bonnar]

Whatever that was that appeared very briefly here this afternoon, it most certainly was not about frank commentary on golf course architecture.
Whether it was real or whether it was fake.
Either way, it was shameful and embarrassing. Whoever it was, I hope you're proud of yourself.

F.

[PCCraig]

Whatever that was that appeared very briefly here this afternoon, it most certainly was not about frank commentary on golf course architecture.
Whether it was real or whether it was fake.
Either way, it was shameful and embarrassing. Whoever it was, I hope you're proud of yourself.

F.

?

[Marty Bonnar]

Question mark indeed, Pat. I'll not expand just yet.
The moderators will know the truth of it.

Cheers,
M.

[Kalen Braley]

Question mark indeed, Pat. I'll not expand just yet.
The moderators will know the truth of it.

Cheers,
M.

? ? ? ?

 

[Bill_McBride]

Maybe the best takeaway is that March is not great golf weather in the NYC area.  Sorry about the rude reception. 

[Richard Hetzel]

Whatever that was that appeared very briefly here this afternoon, it most certainly was not about frank commentary on golf course architecture.
Whether it was real or whether it was fake.
Either way, it was shameful and embarrassing. Whoever it was, I hope you're proud of yourself.

F.

?

I never thought an urban dictionary acronym (since deleted) would be used by Mr. Mucci on GCA. In regard to golf in the NYC metro area. I have visited that area on several occasions in late March. Odds are, if you can even play, it will be cold. I played Knoll West with snow still on the ground in spots. I played Atlantic City CC in 38 degrees, windy and raining (all 18 cause I am not a quitter) so bring cold weather clothing if you are going to take a stab at it. Good Luck!

[Tim Gavrich]

Sam--


If indeed you meant Greenwich, CT, you might consider looking into visiting the charming Shennecossett Golf Course - the Donald Ross-designed (well, 15 of 18 holes, anyway) municipal course in Groton, CT, about 100 minutes east along the Connecticut coast. The 4th hole is a par three with one of the more severe greensites I have encountered on a long one-shotter, and there are a number of other solid golf holes on the property, plus some lovely views toward the end of the round.


Doing so would lift you out of the New York City environs and into a much more New England setting for the day, which you might find intriguing. The CT coastline receives quite little snow most winters, so there have been many winter days on which it's been one of the only CT courses open.


Should you like to make a day of it, you can also visit Fenwick Golf Course in Old Saybrook, which you would pass on your way to Shennecossett. It is regarded as one of America's most charming nine-hole courses. Likewise, it stays open on many winter days.


But, the possibility remains that the weather may shut you out of golf when you visit. But in that case, you'll have a number of other options. In NYC, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Modern Art are two great places to spend a day, particularly if you have even the faintest interest in art.


Hope you enjoy your time stateside. Americans are actually not as brusque as they may sometimes appear on the Internet.

[Marty Bonnar]

Whatever that was that appeared very briefly here this afternoon, it most certainly was not about frank commentary on golf course architecture.
Whether it was real or whether it was fake.
Either way, it was shameful and embarrassing. Whoever it was, I hope you're proud of yourself.

F.

?

I never thought an urban dictionary acronym (since deleted) would be used by Mr. Mucci on GCA. In regard to golf in the NYC etro area. I have visited that area on several occasions in late March. Odds are if you can even play, it will be cold. I played Knoll West with snow still on the ground in spots. I played Atlantic City CC in 38 degrees, windy and raining (all 18 cause I am not a quitter) so bring cold weather clothing if you are going to take a stab at it. Good Luck!

I was beginning to wonder if I was the only one to have seen it or if I had made the whole thing up in a low blood sugar state.

F.

[Mark Pearce]

I saw it.  It wasn't fit for comment or this website.

[Kalen Braley]

Why the need to tease Bonnar,  Just tell us already!!