Went out to Crystal Springs this weekend and played Ballyowen. It’s about an hour for me in Hoboken. Not an option if you don’t have a car, but they have great facilities and very reasonable membership rates. Wild Turkey is supposed to be a good track as well. After playing a few of the public courses in the metro and struggling with 8 minute apart groups and very average courses, I’m willing to make the drive.
https://www.crystalgolfresort.com/golf/memberships/premier-golf/
Love Ballyowen! Played there right before Hurricane Sandy hit hoboken and NYC.
Have you been up to Mansion Ridge yet?
I have not. This will be my first summer playing full time in the area. Trying to play as many good tracks as I can. I would definitely like to check it out.
Anyone playing any Long Island Golf Association or Met events coming up?
Anyone have any knowledge of The Woodmere Club in LI or Deal in NJ?
Hey All - Just checking in as a new member and fan of the pod. I’m in Essex Co. NJ and typically play the county system courses (Byrne, mostly). I do get out to the other area munis in Morris and Union, and also usually play a few rounds at Rutgers or other random spots. Anyway, I’m a pretty lousy player, but I enjoy the game immensely, and I’m trying to get my sh*t together. Hope to see you all out there.
I think it’s going to close in a few years
Has anyone played Atlantic City Country Club here? Going down to get a round in there this weekend, looks like a solid track.
I’ve played all the courses up at Crystal Springs and can’t speak highly enough about them. While Ballyowen is their Flagship course, my personal favorite is Wild Turkey. Black Bear is also a really fun track but I think you need to play it with someone who has already played there on your first time out, A LOT of blind tee shots.
I played the Crystal Springs course last Sunday expecting a steep downgrade from ballyowen. Get three free rounds with their rewards program. I enjoyed it a lot. Great spot to get out of the city and play all their tracks. I’ll be out there most weekends this summer. Beats a 6 hour round at some muni closer to the city.
LONG time reader, first time commenter here on the NYC Roll Call Thread. I’ve got a round lined up at Willow Creek on northern Long Island this Thursday. Anyone played here? Decent track?
I moved back to NYC about 8 months ago and have been lucky enough to play some private course due to invites (hackensacke, morris county CC, and Yale club), but I am public golf man a heart and plan to do some content around NYC public golf based on my experience this summer. 1st on the list is Flushing Meadow Pitch & Putt. That place rules!
@MerchCzar Willow Creek is the premier unknown Long Island public track that is most conditioned like a Country Club and strangely empty in the afternoons.
The sister course Wind Watch is the “Muni” and Willow Creek is the “Country Club” if I was categorizing the two. I cannot rave enough about Willow Creek. Haven’t been there in a year but as of 2016 the place was top notch.
As an orphaned country club kid - I’ve had to adopt a public golfer nomad mentality. I would recommend checking out WindWatch as well as Middle Bay in Oceanside (an easy train-uber trip). Harbour Links is also apparently solid, but I only know this second-hand.
Bowling Green is a less raved about course on the way up to Crystal Spring in NJ.
Bowling Green is a nice spot, they just added a beer garden this year which is great post round.
What’s up NYC fam. Playing Bethpage Blue on Sunday, has anyone been out there this year? Do they keep up the conditions as well as Black and Red?
I play Bethpage 2-3 times a month. The conditioning on the Blue is good, but it definitely doesn’t receive as much care as the Black or Red.
I generally find the Green course to be in better condition than the Blue. Asides from Black/Red, the other three courses can vary on how well conditioned they are by the week.
LA golfer here… I’m coming to NYC in September for a wedding. I’ll be bringing my clubs and plan on taking the train out to Bethpage on Sunday Sept 23.
If anyone is interested in joining me, let me know.
Any of you folks going to be at the Northern Trust next week?
In. Going with a friend and each of our kids. We’ll be there Thursday for hopefully the smallest possible crowds. Can’t wait!
I’ll be out there Saturday.
One I didn’t see mentioned that is a very solid public track and lots of fun is Berkshire Valley in NJ. It’s about 25 minutes south of Crystal Springs as a point of reference.
Saw somebody mention Atlantic City Country Club. Was private for a long time but public these days. Good course, worth playing. Closing stretch is great. Can also take a caddie if you want. Lots of history in the clubhouse and locker room.
Pound Ridge is another terrific public one in Westchester. Pete Dye. Pretty challenging.
Has anyone played Silver Lake in Staten Island? I saw they have a shuttle from the ferry which is nice and I have the commercial seared into my brain from every weekend.