GD HOTD, Mar 16 - 17th at Montauk Downs State Park

[D._Kilfara]

...in Montauk, New York. Quoth GD: "The course here possesses difficult, fast greens."



Apologies again (on behalf of Page-A-Day) for the poor cropping of what is a panoramic picture.

So, Montauk Downs...any good?

Cheers,
Darren

[Matt_Ward]

Darren:

The issue about Montauk Downs is quite simple: the ocurse is well done and the layout gives the non-affililated player a wonderful layout at rates that are affordable. And, given the location of the facility -- on the East End of Long Island that says plenty.

HOWEVER ---

Montaul Downs, from the dozen or so times I have played it is never in above average condition. The grass is always long and more often than not I've had to make a complete shoulder turn to get my putts to the hole.

The layout is also PACKED during the time frame between Memorial Day and Labor Day and rounds that creep towards six plus hours is certainly a possibility.

Montauk really needs the kind of TLC (both $$$ and manpower) that thankfully went to Bethpage State Park and the renowned Black Course.

Montauk COULD be one of the finest muni / state owned courses in the nation. BUT that has not happened thus far.

Regarding the course -- the playing order of holes has changed in the last number of years. I used to like playing the original starting hole because it was so demanding as you had to handle about 425-430 yards directly into the wind. Naturally, this was changed because of the time it took many groups to get this demanding hole.

The back nine is superior to the front and the last five holes (all par-4's) are quite challenging. Let me also add the par-3 12th is one of the finest long par-3's you can play on the Island. There's also a good mixture of gambling par-5's that add to the enjoyment.

Montauk Downs has the potential to be so much more. It will take the dedication that was demonstrated at Bethpage to boost this "rough" gem to the status of a beautiful jewel at the end of the Island. We shall see ...

[Jeff_Lewis]

If a course were built today on the property, given the dunesy nature of it, it could be quite something, right Matt?

[Matt_Ward]

Jeff:

I agree completely with your statement but the bigger questionmark is when will NY State Parks & Recreation come out of its coma and bring Montauk up to the level it should be? I would hope the TLC demonstrated at Bethpage can be repeated to some degree with the Downs.

It confounds me that such a good layout receives at best scant attention and $$$. The greens are normally shoulder turn height for most of the season and although the rates are very affordable given its east end location -- there's no reason why the course cannot be much better than it is.

I'm not advocating the existing conditions you find at Bethpage or enhancing its already challenging demads from a design perspective -- simply because Montauk will not receive the $$ that Betpage received from the USGA for its facelift in account of hosting the Open.

I've been venturing out to Montauk for 20 years and the Downs has plenty to offer -- especially when the wind freshens on most summer afternoons.

But all the woulda, coulda, shoulda's add up to the samething -- zilch, goose egg, nada.

Montauk Downs if properly updated / modernized, whatever you want to call it, can be a shining star and worthy of national attention. Unfortunately, too many of the raters who see the course, in my mind, presuppose what the course "can be" rather than how it "really is."

[Tom_Doak]

There was an older golf course there before Trent Jones redesigned it.  A couple of people have told me the original layout was far superior, but I don't even know who designed it.

[T_MacWood]

I believe the original course was designed by a British gent named Tippett - HC Tippett?  The course was profiled in Daniel Wexler's first book and did look spectacular. Daniel concluded it was a major loss. Perhaps it might have replaced The Bridge as one of Matt Ward's top four courses on LI.  

Tippett also designed a major course down somewhere near Miami Beach. His later years were spent back in the UK, he did some redesign work at Rye.

[Matt_Ward]

Tom MacWood:

Thanks for remembering my assessment on The Bridge. I still stand by it although I must add I have not played Friar's Head. I've played everything that's worth playing on the Island and I still like only SH, NGLA, BB, and GCGC ahead of it. That's just my opinion.

Regarding Montauk Downs I've seen old pictures of the former course and it does look grand. It's too bad because the new course does have plenty of character and challenge -- it just needs some old fashioned TLC to be among the finest publicly owned courses in the nation.