100 bucks, a full tank of gas, a weekend to play public golf in the Northeast US

[JMorgan]

You have a single Ben Franklin greenback in pocket, enough gas to get you 500 miles, and a weekend to play one or more public venues. 

Driving from New York City (where Grand Central = 0), where do you golf? 

Extra credit for including more than one course in the itinerary. 

Exclusions: any NY park course (eg. Bethpage, Eisenhower, etc.)

[Phil_the_Author]

James... with the price of tolls alone you might not even get to play a single round!

[Bart Bradley]

Leatherstocking!

Just there a few weeks ago.  Fun, architecturally interesting, good condition and the price was decent.

Bart

[Carl Nichols]

Yale -- $100 for an unaccompanied guest. 

[Matt_Cohn]

You could hit a bucket of balls at Chelsea Piers.

[Ronald Montesano]

Is this a time-waster for the idle poor?  Taking into account twilight rates, a gas tank that actually gets you 500 miles (is it a scooter), question on whether you have to pay for lodging and other expenses, who really cares?

Now that I've vented, I'd say head to the Poconos.  Play Shawnee (27 Holes) Buck Hill Falls (27 holes) and Split Rock & Jack Frost National (across the street from each other, total of 45 holes) at 5 am and 8 pm with flashlights, without spending a dime.

[Jay Flemma]

No no no...Here's what you do.

Go right straight to Binghamton and play Hiawatha Landing and Conklin.  You'll get home with money to spare and lits of memories.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

How about a trip to The Architects Club outside of Phillipsburg, NJ for somewhat of an educational experience and then across the Delaware River to Kelly Blake Moran's Morgan Hill?

[Jim_Kennedy]

Buy a box of Handi-Wipes for $3.99.
Go to the bank and get $50 in ones.
Play Hunter in Meriden, Ct., for $35.00
Hit the strip bars on the Berlin Tpk., spend all the ones.
Clean up with the Handi-Wipes.
On the way home spend $11.99 on some Russell Stover's for the wife.

[Dan Herrmann]

Head to PA/MD.

Play Beechtree in Aberdeen, MD before it closes.
On the way back home, play either Wyncote or Inniscrone in PA.
Or - Cobb's Creek in Philly!

[Doug Bolls]

I'll chime in here since I just did this trip - although I did start at Bethpage.
The Links at Unionvale - I thought it played very fairly with many interesting holes - generous landing areas and true greens with movement.  Excellent condition.
Hiawatha Landing and Conklin - With all due respect to Mr. Flemma, a little of a letdown here.  Hiawatha is quite narrow and condition a little under par.  I just didn't fine it all that interesting after Unionvale.
EVERYONE on this trip said I must play Conklin - so, I gave up Mark Twain for a round at Conklin.  If you like mountain golf - as in a course laid into the side of a mountain, you will love Conklin.  Excellent shape - great views and very pretty.  But, it is up and down the mountain - as is Morgan Hill in PA.
While in Binghamton, you may enjoy En-Joie where they play the Dick's Sporting Goods tour stop - I walked it after Conklin, and enjoyed the big trees and long shadows late into the evening - fine shape after the recent tournament.  Good muni.
Architects was a treat - with each hole modeled after the style of the great GCAs, it was fun to play and experience.  Wide open in rolling terrain and plenty of big bunkering and greens with lots of movement.
That's my take on it - have fun and let's hear what you choose and how it goes.
Doug

[Jay Flemma]

Doug the conditioning is fine now at Hiawatha, I was just there a few weeks ago.  Its really not all that narrow and has a lot more architecture than Conklin.  en-Joie is noce too.  greystone on rochester area is good as well.

[JMorgan]

Buy a box of Handi-Wipes for $3.99.
Go to the bank and get $50 in ones.
Play Hunter in Meriden, Ct., for $35.00
Hit the strip bars on the Berlin Tpk., spend all the ones.
Clean up with the Handi-Wipes.
On the way home spend $11.99 on some Russell Stover's for the wife.

Heh heh ... classic post.  Jim, I can tell you must really be looking forward to the upcoming school year.   

 

[JMorgan]

Is this a time-waster for the idle poor?  Taking into account twilight rates, a gas tank that actually gets you 500 miles (is it a scooter), question on whether you have to pay for lodging and other expenses, who really cares?

Now that I've vented, I'd say head to the Poconos.  Play Shawnee (27 Holes) Buck Hill Falls (27 holes) and Split Rock & Jack Frost National (across the street from each other, total of 45 holes) at 5 am and 8 pm with flashlights, without spending a dime.

Ronald, there is no way I'm letting anyone blow time and money on any of those courses, save Shawnee.   

[Ronald Montesano]

Really?  Not even Buck Hill Falls?  Those par fives and par threes are pretty special...I'm sure that Ross was thrilled to have such a unique property on which to build a course.  The greens reminded me of those found on his Mark Twain in Elmira, NY.  I would imagine that the greens at Pinehurst had to be doctored to reach the undulations that occur naturally in the foothills of New York and the mountains of Pennsylvania.

Besides, you never said anything about which courses you would allow people to play, as being part of the contest.  Never, ever liked that 18th at Hiawatha, but that was the only hole by Mungeam that I disliked on the course.

[Michael Mimran]

Drive an hour north to Putnam/Dutchess County.  Here you can still get a decent bang for your buck on some interesting golf courses all withing a relatively close area.  Garrison (Dick Wilson) then a twilight round at James Baird State Park (RTJ SR) for like 15 dollars.   Some substitutions are the Links at Union Vale (Stephen Kay), Casperkill (RTJ SR), Red Hook, Harlem Valley (Donald Ross). Centennial at twilight, Apple Greens in the fall is always fun.

Another possibilty would be the Catskills.  You can do Grossingers and Kutchers, possibly Villa Roma all reasonably priced and hurting for golfers i'm sure. 

Or a trip that might break the $100 barrier depending on the season but an excellent golf experience is Twisted Dune and Renault Winery in Egg Harbor, NJ.  This is our annual beginning of the season trip in late April early May while it's still crappy in Westchester.  I start thinking about this trip on January 1st. 

[John Foley]

Jim,

One answer - Leatherstocking and you will not be dissapointed. It's a special place.

Hiawatha is a great course and while I don't think the 18 is very good, the rest of the course will make up for it.

I'm going to agree that Buck Hill Falls is definetly worth it if your in the Pocono's. Some pretty sweet Donald Ross greens. The other 9 (is it by White) is somewhat of a downer.

[Bill_McBride]

Jim,

One answer - Leatherstocking and you will not be dissapointed. It's a special place.

Hiawatha is a great course and while I don't think the 18 is very good, the rest of the course will make up for it.

I'm going to agree that Buck Hill Falls is definetly worth it if your in the Pocono's. Some pretty sweet Donald Ross greens. The other 9 (is it by White) is somewhat of a downer.

Arent' the Leatherstocking green fees pretty stiff?  I haven't been there for 20+ years but went to a great old course at the north end of the lake, an ancient 9-holer, because Leatherstocking was way too stiff to play with my then 15 year old son.

[John Foley]

Bill - $it was $74 to walk a few weeks ago.