Thoughts on Sunken Meadow (LI)

TeeAreNY · May 22, 2018

Can anyone share their thoughts on Sunken Meadow? Desperate to squeeze a round in this weekend and it’s the only one with available tee times for the time frame I’m looking at. I see it’s $28 on the weekends and I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing. Pace of play? Conditions? On-Par with Bethpage Yellow/Green?

PC51 · May 22, 2018

Solid courses if unspectacular. They're not Bethpage Green. I guess you can compare them to the Tull holes at BP Yellow, though some areas at SM might be tighter than Yellow. SM Blue has a lot of tree-lined doglegs. Despite proximity to LI Sound, there is no water on the courses.

They started repaving cart paths last year.

TeeAreNY · May 23, 2018

Which two nine's would you recommend? Red, Blue, or Green? Not sure if players have a choice and is one strictly for 9 hole rounds?

msena88 · May 23, 2018

I actually just booked 18 there on Monday, I had played it like 5-6 years ago and honestly don't remember much but noticed the same thing you did in terms of the greens fees. I'm terrified about why its so cheap.

TeeAreNY · May 23, 2018

I actually just booked 18 there on Monday, I had played it like 5-6 years ago and honestly don't remember much but noticed the same thing you did in terms of the greens fees. I'm terrified about why its so cheap.

I guess the good news is that if it turns about to be a mediocre course, I won't feel as bad since it's so cheap. I played Smithtown Landing which was decent but paid almost double the price from what I remember.

chas521 · May 24, 2018

My friend who is a single-digit plays there all the time. I haven't played there in years but how bad can it be if he continues to go there?

msena88 · May 24, 2018

Is he broke?!?! Kidding, obviously.

TeeAreNY · May 26, 2018

Just finished playing Sunken Meadow. Round took 5+ hours and we started before 8am. The layout wasnâ€™t bad but the greens are ridiculously long and slow, which is unfortunate because the green undulations were pretty interesting. If it played faster, it would be a gem.

jmtbkr · May 27, 2018

Solid courses if unspectacular. They're not Bethpage Green. I guess you can compare them to the Tull holes at BP Yellow, though some areas at SM might be tighter than Yellow. SM Blue has a lot of tree-lined doglegs. Despite proximity to LI Sound, there is no water on the courses.

They started repaving cart paths last year.

Have they done the Red course? I had posted up last year some time, about the dangerous conditions of the cart paths. Sent several emails to the state and they said repairs were to start last fall. Spent the past 8 months in Florida and haven't gotten a chance to play SM since I've been back.

msena88 · May 29, 2018

Played yesterday as well, teed off at 915 and finished at 2 on the dot. For how short the course is with basically no hazards it was extremely slow. Have to agree that the greens were way too slow, I left most putts 5 feet short.

Definitely has some solid bones but for the pace and current conditions, not worth the 35 mile drive for me again.

chas521 · May 29, 2018

Played yesterday as well, teed off at 915 and finished at 2 on the dot. For how short the course is with basically no hazards it was extremely slow. Have to agree that the greens were way too slow, I left most putts 5 feet short.

Definitely has some solid bones but for the pace and current conditions, not worth the 35 mile drive for me again.

I'm just throwing this out there! I've always liked Willow Creek. But it is a ride.

jmtbkr · May 29, 2018

Played yesterday as well, teed off at 915 and finished at 2 on the dot. For how short the course is with basically no hazards it was extremely slow. Have to agree that the greens were way too slow, I left most putts 5 feet short.

Definitely has some solid bones but for the pace and current conditions, not worth the 35 mile drive for me again.

That's the problem playing on the weekends at a muni here. 5+ hr rounds....

Even during the week they can exceed 4 hrs. Bethpage is typically 5+, no matter what day, unless you get one of the first tee times.

I play at Smithtown Landing or Brentwood and always try for first tee or as close. Typically will play in under 3 hrs.

msena88 · May 29, 2018

100% a big issue, I played 9 at Bethpage Friday afternoon and took about 2 hours and 40 mins. I'm lucky that I'm not yet married/don't have kids, but guys with families around here I'm not sure how they do it without belonging to a private club. I guess you tee off first time of the day, but that can get old quick.

Considering the cost/lack of practice facilities in Nassau (only short game practice area I know of is the fake grass area at Spring Rock) and then the excruciatingly long rounds, I may seriously price out some private options. The Links in RVC is 3 mins away (live in RVC), may look into what they're currently offering for junior members. If nothing else, get a free round or two to tour the facility.

clickbard · June 1, 2018

does anyone play afternoon rounds? during the week im usually one of the first ones out at lido as a single which helps but on the weekends at west sayville i can play with my 3/4some in the afternoon and dont usually have to worry about pace of play.

i wanted to check out sunken meadow as an option for during the week but i guess ill stay away.

PC51 · June 1, 2018

does anyone play afternoon rounds? during the week im usually one of the first ones out at lido as a single which helps but on the weekends at west sayville i can play with my 3/4some in the afternoon and dont usually have to worry about pace of play.

i wanted to check out sunken meadow as an option for during the week but i guess ill stay away.

Back a few years ago when I had the luxury of playing whenever I pleased, my favorite thing to do was drive out east on a Sunday afternoon -- with or without a tee time -- and tee off around 2:00-3:00. Always amazed me how relatively few people would go off at that time. You could play in 4 hours, finish up just as daylight started to slip away, drink a beer on the patio or at the bar and head home.

During the week I used to leave work at 4:00 and try to get out before 4:30 for a summer twilight round on a handful of nearby courses. Again, nobody around, and if you caught it right you could finish 18 before dark.

msena88 · June 2, 2018

Afternoon/twilight is usually best chance around here to play at a solid clip excluding first few groups in the morning. I played 27 holes yesterday teeing off at 3 and played in a 4some on the first 9 and 3some on last 18. I know this is a Sunken Meadow thread but this wasn't at SM.

The rain earlier in the day kept a lot of people away even though it cleared up in the afternoon.

jmtbkr · June 18, 2018

I played at 6am today. Course was in really good shape. Probably the best its been in many years. The greens were smooth, without too many ball marks (it is afterall a public course), but very slow. The cart paths on Red were all new asphalt! The blue wasn't too bad either. Hoping they will get to the cart paths soon.

We finished in about 3 hours, then went to Relish in KP for breakfast.