Hello golf fans! Let me tell you about great golf courses near New York City. We’ll look at top places to play that fit different budgets.
First, think about how much money you want to spend. Public courses cost from $20 up to $200 per round. Also check how long it takes to drive there from the city since weekend traffic can really slow you down. Some courses use a lottery system, others take reservations in advance, and some are first come, first served.
You’ll also want to pick a course that matches your skill level. Check online reviews to learn about conditions and how fast play moves. See if there’s a driving range and putting green to practice on before teeing off. Most importantly, decide what you want out of your round – do you want a famous course to brag about, a hidden gem with few crowds, or just a good test of golf at a fair price?
Get ready to discover some great new places to play golf right near your home!
Let me map out an awesome golf trip around New York for you!
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Golf Courses in New York City
| NAMES | ADDRESS | WORKING HOURS | GOOGLE MAPS |
| Bally’s Golf Links at Ferry Point | 500 Hutchinson Riv Pkwy, Bronx, NY 10465, United States | 6:30 am–10 pm | Link |
| Dyker Beach Golf Course | 1030 86th St, Brooklyn, NY 11228, United States | 8 am–6 pm | Link |
| Pelham Bay and Split Rock Golf Courses | 870 Shore Rd, Bronx, NY 10464, United States | 6 am–8 pm | Link |
| Mosholu Golf Course | 3545 Jerome Ave, Bronx, NY 10467, United States | 8 am–4 pm | Link |
| Forest Park Golf Course | 101 Forest Park Dr, Queens, NY 11421, United States | 5 am–9 pm | Link |
| Clearview Park Golf Course | 202-12 Willets Point Blvd, Queens, NY 11360, United States | 6 am–8 pm | Link |
How Far and Which Way from New York City
When picking top golf courses to play near New York City, driving distance and direction from downtown is key. Destinations north of the city in Westchester or Connecticut are best for nice views less than 100 miles away. Great courses on Long Island to the east like Beth page Black are 40-50 miles from Manhattan. Meanwhile, famous New Jersey layouts lie just 20-30 miles west – easy to reach by highway or train.
Using LaGuardia Airport as a starting point is best given the bridges and tunnels in NYC. LGA gives direct access to the Grand Central Parkway to Long Island. Heading west over the George Washington Bridge brings you to New Jersey’s best golf. And driving north on I-87 efficiently reaches great options in the Hudson Valley and Connecticut.
Looking at a two hour drive time max, we can reach amazing golf in every direction from New York City. This allows for traffic while keeping top courses within range. But remember that fees often increase farther from the city, so factoring distance into budget makes sense too.
Costs, Booking Ease and Course Care
The top public courses near New York City include local government tracks and upscale resort venues. Local municipal layouts like Bethpage Red offer lower rates for residents and easy online booking for visitors. Meanwhile, resort courses charge higher fees but sometimes discount hotel stays to offset golf costs.
Check out these stay-and-play golf packages to save on nice hotels either onsite or partnered externally, making pricier courses more affordable. Bundling this way gives you financial flexibility to play great places.
Weekends in spring and fall come at a premium, but big discounts are often available twilight times and weekdays even at top spots. Review rate calendars and find best dates to save substantially. Also check pace of play reports and what amenities each course offers to match your preferences.
Considering all these factors enables constructing trips that maximize value and playing conditions.
History and Champ Hosting
Many top public courses near New York City were previously private country clubs or have hosted pro tournaments. Historic major championship venues let public golfers play layouts walked by legends and provide a world-class test.
For example, Bethpage State Park’s famous Black Course holds the Barclay’s PGA event and has held two U.S. Opens, yet welcomes 300,000 plus public rounds yearly. Long Island’s Fresh Meadow Country Club is another former private facility now publicly accessible daily via New York City.
Even local municipal tracks like Van Cortlandt Park or Mosholu Golf Course in the Bronx have rich histories. Both opened in golf’s early 1900s golden era, keeping that classic routing and golden age design.
Famous Designers and Course Layouts
Many top golf architects have designed courses in and around New York City. Hall of Famer A.W. Tillinghast, who created Winged Foot and Baltusrol, also built Bethpage Black as the best example of public golf. Legend Jack Nicklaus designed the Bronx’s Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point. Donald Ross, Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Pete Dye have also contributed great regional courses.
The variety includes inland parkland-style tracks with hilly terrain, like Sleepy Hollow Country Club now run by Westchester County. Oceanside links-style layouts also abound on Long Island and New Jersey’s Monmouth County, with bumpy fairways copying Scottish coastal land. Shots play right into prevailing winds off nearby water.
Some facilities boast signature holes from their iconic designers. Bethpage Black’s par-5 fourth with Hell’s Half Acre bunker complex represents a tough Tillinghast test. Baltusrol Lower’s tricky uphill par-3 17th reverse-Redan green shows Ross’ genius.
Course ratings help classify difficulty, but yardages best dictate fit too. Most top regional layouts range about 6,700-7,500 yards max, so check specs to align with your skills.
Practice Options and Golf Lessons
You can find any practice facility you might want regionally. Top resorts like Crystal Springs or Hudson National have multi-acre ranges with grass stations, short game areas with specialty sand traps, and big putting greens. They also provide custom club fittings and extensive coaching programs.
Instruction utilizing launch monitors, video analysis and certified pros helps all ability levels sharpen skills before tackling championship courses. Fully-stocked golf shops with popular demo club rentals complement these performance institutes.
Even municipal courses like Van Cortlandt Park and Dyker Beach have basic grass tee ranges, chipping/putting areas and affordable lessons without the tech and costs. Consider your likely practice needs and budget when picking places to play.
Look at the whole practice ecosystem – not just stations, but instruction quality, rental clubs available, short game support etc. Multi-faceted facilities enable comprehensive tournament-ready prep while bare bones value layouts just offer enough to loosen up.
Food, Drinks and Party Spaces
Golf spots around NYC run the spectrum on hospitality and event offerings alongside phenomenal course options. High-end country clubs like Fiddler’s Elbow or Connecticut’s Ridgefield G.C. have elegant restaurants for fine dining before/after rounds, usually with big window views. Bethpage State Park’s Tillinghast Grille also serves upscale American fare in a classy setting.
More casual places like Van Cortlandt Park’s Turn Grill provide tasty sandwiches and cold drinks for quick refueling after the round. Many clubhouse bars overlooking pretty course views make ideal places to recall great shots and misses over a cold one post-round.
Big ballrooms at Rockland C.C., Sleepy Hollow C.C. and Hudson Hills capable of hosting galas, conferences or weddings provide perfect backdrops for celebrations.
Finally, grab-and-go concession stands at municipal courses allow golfers to simply power up quick with a hot dog mid-round. So whether seeking dinner or just ice, the range of food and beverage choices regionally complements already phenomenal golf.
Season Differences and Night Golf
The various regional climates around New York City make for seasonal golf differences. Courses on Long Island and New Jersey see peak play in spring and fall thanks to even coastal weather. Meanwhile inland layouts in Westchester or Connecticut deal with more extreme cold stretching the season, and summer humidity bringing thunderstorms.
Late April through June offers ideal temperatures and conditions before summer heat arrives. September and October stretch nice golf weather before winter shutdown. Checking weather patterns by location helps trip planning.
A few top facilities also offer well-lit night golf to dodge tough daylight conditions. Hudson Hills in Westchester provides after-hours specials on par-3 holes. New Jersey’s spooky Neshanic Valley course offers Friday night fright golf in October. So glow golf provides backup when weather or schedules get in the way.
Final Thoughts and Suggestions
When weighing major tournament history, famous designers, course care and value – several leading regional facilities stand out. Bethpage Black offers the most prestige and cachet of any American public track. Hudson National and Galloping Hill serve up PGA-quality tests for only $60 peak rate. And county-owned Sleepy Hollow – formerly completely private – provides a luxury experience at municipal pricing.
But personal priorities should guide final selections. Budget-focused golfers may pick city-owned spots like Marine Park G.C. or Silver Lake G.C. Beginners gravitate toward shorter, flatter courses like La Tourette or Douglaston G.C. Singles seeking faster rounds choose facilitating layouts like Mosholu G.C. Picking places that best fit needs and wants means better experiences.
Hopefully these breakdowns have charted a path to amazing NYC-area golf adventures tailored to your needs whether visiting or living locally. Be sure to also check citygolftrail.com for hot deals and dig deeper on these awesome courses. The Gotham Golf Blog platforms fan perspectives. And this site provides full regional profiles and planning tools to build your ultimate golf itinerary.
Final Words
With so many phenomenal options right near New York City, it’s time to start mapping your own bucket-list golf trip in the region. Whether tackling renowned major tracks, finding hidden gem munis, or customizing based on needs – the top public-access courses here offer something for everyone.
This guide has covered the key factors like location, costs, amenities and more to make picking stellar NYC-area courses fun and easy. Use these breakdowns to chart your own rankings based on wants and get ready to play these awesome destinations.
Hopefully these insights help shape incredible golf vacations, NYC resident staycations or just regular weekend rounds escaping the concrete jungle. Feel free to share this, come back to reference these resources when travel planning, and let me know your area favorites or hidden gems still undiscovered. Let’s keep talking discovering and enjoying all the great golf just a short drive from New York City!