Long Island is known for its great food, horrendous traffic, beautiful vineyards and awesome golf courses! Below is a list of public courses and country clubs that you should try to either visit or play. Let us know if you’ve played any great Long Island golf courses to add!
Pine Hills Country Club
Par: 73
Difficulty Scale: 6.5
We enjoy Pine Hills, though it’s more of a local golf course. It’s a relatively short par 73 (some with wide fairways). We think Pine Hills is a great place for a casual round, located in Manorville, it’s often quieter than some of the other more well-known courses in the surrounding area.
We can’t think of any real complaints other than (and this was the last time we went) you HAD to use a cart. We usually use a cart anyway, but being told we have to was always a turn off. Especially considering the traffic isn’t always all that crazy, so it’s not like they’re forced to keep people moving at a brisk pace. Anyway, after playing 18, take a trip over to JC’s for a juicy burger (everyone knows there’s nothing like a beer and burger after a good round).
The Woods at Cherry Creek
Par: 71
Difficulty Scale: 6/10
The Woods at Cherry Creek is an excellent, wide open course. We typically prefer out-east courses because of traffic and the north shore courses always seem to be a little windier. We enjoy some wind, but not too much and since its not on the water.
Like Pine Hills, The Woods has a great pace and isn’t normally overly crowded which makes it for a fun relaxing 18 holes. The same also goes for their driving range and putting greens.
Montauk Downs
Par: 72
Difficulty Scale: 7.5/10
Developed in the 1920’s, Montauk Downs has been known as a beautiful (far) east coast golf course. Since becoming a State Park in the 1980s, it’s now accessible to all. We wouldn’t necessarily recommend making the long trip out of Montauk (especially during the summer) just for golf, but if you find yourself in eastern Long Island anyway, we say you should definitely give it a shot.
Heatherwood Golf Club
Par: 60
Difficulty Scale: 5
Heatherwood is a great 4000 yard short course that is perfect for working on approach shots. If you want to work on your short game, this is the spot because the holes are designed for just that! Keep in mind that this is not a warm up course! Despite it being a par 60, this can be a challenging course so you better be on point with your irons!
Willow Creek
Par: 71
Difficulty Scale: 7/10
Sitting on the north shore of Suffolk County, Willow Creek is a nice public golf course that combines classic golf with a modern approach. This makes a nice twist if you happen to be on a golfing binge. So if you’re looking for a break from the classics, this adds a nice touch.
Other than the solid quality of the course, we really like Willow Creek because it’s located in Mount Sinai, one of the less crowded areas on the island. It’s on the easter half, but not a whole trip and a half like the far east courses, and it doesn’t generate quite as many crowds so you can take a little more time for each hole.
Eisenhower Park
Par: 72
Difficulty Scale: 5 – 8.5/10
Eisenhower Park actually has 3 courses (red, white, and blue), ranging in difficulty. The historical Red Course hosted the PGA Championship in 1926 and PGA Tour’s Commerce Bank Championship in 2006, making it the more desired round of 18 (similar to Bethpage Black).
Most people actually recommend the White and Blue courses for a better playing experience because there is often work being done on Red. With the par fours averaging over 400 yards, you’d better get your driver out!
Mill Pond
Par: 70
Difficulty Scale: 5 – 7.5
5 awesome scottish-styled courses with great food inside is what you get with Mill Pond. Mill Pond is one of the most consistent courses we’ve played – everything is solid, the fairways are smooth for a great afternoon tee time. While Mill Pond might not be the most luxurious or exclusive golf course, it’s ideal for a common golfer.
Sebonack Golf Club
Par: 72
Difficulty Scale: 8/10
Designed by Tom Doak and Jack Nicklaus himself, Sebonack Golf Club exists as one of Long Island’s treasures. This offers a great alternative to the historical Shinnecock Hills (or if you weren’t invited by a member) as it’s ranked in the top 40 courses in the nation.
We have to say the course is especially beautiful (it’s the first course since Augusta National where the best golfer and most respected architect worked together). Each hole is carefully constructed with varying fairways and challenging greens.
When you’re done, you can visit one of the many amazing east coast restaurants!
Timber Point Golf Course
Par: 72
Difficulty Scale:
Timber Point offers the possibility to go crazy! You can take your pic from the blue, white, golf, or red course – all of which are very fun to play. What makes Timber stand out (in our opinion) is that the courses are better suited for all skill sets. They are on different levels rather than different variants of the same course so you can come back and keep having fun.
Bethpage State Park
Par: 72
Difficulty Scale: 5-10
And now, we present the holy grail of public Long Island golf courses – Bethpage! Whether you want to play the red, yellow, blue, green, or infamous black course, you’re in for a treat. Be warned – the black course (which has hosted many PGA Tour Events including the US Open and PGA Championship) is very difficult and is a pain to walk because of the hills. The green course is our favorite to play, but we would recommend playing black for the experience, if you can handle it.
