Philly-New Jersey-New York August 18-26

[bainsgya]

I'm going to school in Philly and I'll be staying in Edison NJ and downtown Philadelphia the week before orientation. I don't have much going on and I'm not familiar with the area so I might as well get some rounds in. Courses on the east coast have this old school charm that you just don't find in Washington state. I'll have a car for a few days but I'm going to try to see how far I can get with public transportation and uber.

 

I'm planning on playing with my youth on course pass (5$ green fees usually after 2 pm). I copied the course list and bolded the ones I think look good. I looked through the other Bethpage posts and I'm going to try to get a tee time at the red or black as a single or try to walk on. I don't know the area at all and I was wondering if any wrx'ers know anything that could help. Also- are there any must play courses that aren't on the list?

Thanks so much!

 

**Philadelphia**

**Lulu Country club**

**River Winds**

FDR

Cobbs Creek

Walnut Lane

John F Byrne

Valleybrook

Ramblewood

 

**Edison/Newark**

Hyatt Hills

**Royce Brook**

Weequahick

Southshore

La Tourrete

Hendricks Field

 

**New York**

Dyker Beach

Forest Park

Douglaston

**Bethpage Black

Bethpage Red**

Bethpage Blue

Bethpage Yellow

Bethpage Green

Kissena Park

Clearview Park

Dunwoodie

Sprain Lake

Saxon Woods

Van Corlandt

Mosholu

Pelham Bay

 

**Wilmington**

Ed Oliver

**Rock Manor**

Del Castle

[LeoLeo99]

Makefield Highlands is right off I-95 in PA right before you hit Jersey.

 

My kids live in Philly. What neighborhood are you in?

My wife works in Edison. You need to check out Little India. At least drive through it.

[Noles]

Take FDR, Walnut Lane and Byrne off of your list. Makefield is worth playing but it is not an old course with any kind of charm.

[Wander Bread]

I would play Neshanic Valley over Royce Brook (they are essentially in the same town). Weequahic and Hendricks are decent for county courses but nothing special. I would play Francis Byrne over those courses as far as the Essex County courses go. Though you can score really easily on Hendricks if that is what you are looking for. I'm a 4+ index and generally shoot 1-3 over there.

[TeeAreNY]

Edison/Newark

Royce Brook is nice but I would add Neshanic Valley and Heron Glen above them. You can also add Galloping Hill and Hominy Hill. Remove the courses in Staten Island (South Shore and all Tourette).

 

New York

Remove all the courses except for Bethpage Black and Red. Besides these you are going to be better off staying in New Jersey to avoid the traffic and commute.

 

There is also this certain area of South Jersey that have a cluster of some of the best public tracks in the state. Atlantic City Country Club and Seaview Bay Course along with Ballamor.

[hark114]

White clay creek in wilmington is very nice. I would not play makefield highlands it is overprice for the course and conditions. U can play nicer course like turtle creek and bella vista for less.

[LeoLeo99]

> @hark114 said:

> White clay creek in wilmington is very nice. I would not play makefield highlands it is overprice for the course and conditions. U can play nicer course like turtle creek and bella vista for less.

 

I found WCC overpriced.

 

Makefield is very similar to Royce brook and Neshanic. Over priced heathland types. But nice to hit driver off the tee without much concern on most holes.

 

Hillsborough is a change of pace. Tight and hilly and some very pretty holes in farm land.

 

I thought the goal was to keep the OP in the philly to NYC corridor.

[LICC]

> @bainsgya said:

> I'm going to school in Philly and I'll be staying in Edison NJ and downtown Philadelphia the week before orientation. I don't have much going on and I'm not familiar with the area so I might as well get some rounds in. Courses on the east coast have this old school charm that you just don't find in Washington state. I'll have a car for a few days but I'm going to try to see how far I can get with public transportation and uber.

>

> I'm planning on playing with my youth on course pass (5$ green fees usually after 2 pm). I copied the course list and bolded the ones I think look good. I looked through the other Bethpage posts and I'm going to try to get a tee time at the red or black as a single or try to walk on. I don't know the area at all and I was wondering if any wrx'ers know anything that could help. Also- are there any must play courses that aren't on the list?

> Thanks so much!

>

> **Philadelphia**

> **Lulu Country club**

> **River Winds**

> FDR

> Cobbs Creek

> Walnut Lane

> John F Byrne

> Valleybrook

> Ramblewood

>

> **Edison/Newark**

> Hyatt Hills

> **Royce Brook**

> Weequahick

> Southshore

> La Tourrete

> Hendricks Field

>

> **New York**

> Dyker Beach

> Forest Park

> Douglaston

> **Bethpage Black

> Bethpage Red**

> Bethpage Blue

> Bethpage Yellow

> Bethpage Green

> Kissena Park

> Clearview Park

> Dunwoodie

> Sprain Lake

> Saxon Woods

> Van Corlandt

> Mosholu

> Pelham Bay

>

> **Wilmington**

> Ed Oliver

> **Rock Manor**

> Del Castle

 

Add Ferry Point and Galloping Hill.

[BDowning]

I have a connect who can get out of staters a set tee time for early mornings on the Bethpage courses as well as Montauk Downs. Anyone interested feel free to PM and I'll coordinate.

[Pdj608]

Neshanic Valley or Heron Glen when in the Edison area; also, would recommend Makefield Highlands which is about halfway between Edison and Philly

[ArtMBgolf]

If you go to Wilmington, DE, Rock Manor is easily the best of the 3 you listed and closest of the 3 to Phila.

[Johnny Biarritz]

Bethpage Black is a pretty easy teetime as a single, I played the course about 30 times, never made an advance tee time. Just show up to the course. It's easy. As a single, you're virtually guaranteed a spot unless the course is completely closed. They have a phone line and web site which will eliminate that possibility.

LaTourette is pretty meh and will probably be a 5+ hour round.

Dyker Beach is incredibly busy, I've see articles showing it to be one of the 10 busiest courses in America. Be prepared for a long round on a pretty blah course.

Hyatt Hills is a really cool nine hole course, though it does get pretty busy.

South Shore is fun, but really tight and tree lined.

Royce Brook has 36 holes, I've heard great things about both courses.

Not sure if these are on your list, but I found Heron Glen to be fantastic, better than Neshanic Valley (which has been mentioned here and I found to be pretty blah). Francis Byrne in NJ is fantastic, one of the very few public courses designed by Charles Banks (a disciple of CB Macdonald and Raynor) and surely the most reasonably priced. Galloping Hill I found to be really average.

[LICC]

> @"Johnny Biarritz" said:

> Bethpage Black is a pretty easy teetime as a single, I played the course about 30 times, never made an advance tee time. Just show up to the course. It's easy. As a single, you're virtually guaranteed a spot unless the course is completely closed. They have a phone line and web site which will eliminate that possibility.

> LaTourette is pretty meh and will probably be a 5+ hour round.

> Dyker Beach is incredibly busy, I've see articles showing it to be one of the 10 busiest courses in America. Be prepared for a long round on a pretty blah course.

> Hyatt Hills is a really cool nine hole course, though it does get pretty busy.

> South Shore is fun, but really tight and tree lined.

> Royce Brook has 36 holes, I've heard great things about both courses.

> Not sure if these are on your list, but I found Heron Glen to be fantastic, better than Neshanic Valley (which has been mentioned here and I found to be pretty blah). Francis Byrne in NJ is fantastic, one of the very few public courses designed by Charles Banks (a disciple of CB Macdonald and Raynor) and surely the most reasonably priced. Galloping Hill I found to be really average.

 

LaTourette may be the worst golf course I have ever played. Truly awful.

[Johnny Biarritz]

> @LICC said:

> > @"Johnny Biarritz" said:

> > Bethpage Black is a pretty easy teetime as a single, I played the course about 30 times, never made an advance tee time. Just show up to the course. It's easy. As a single, you're virtually guaranteed a spot unless the course is completely closed. They have a phone line and web site which will eliminate that possibility.

> > LaTourette is pretty meh and will probably be a 5+ hour round.

> > Dyker Beach is incredibly busy, I've see articles showing it to be one of the 10 busiest courses in America. Be prepared for a long round on a pretty blah course.

> > Hyatt Hills is a really cool nine hole course, though it does get pretty busy.

> > South Shore is fun, but really tight and tree lined.

> > Royce Brook has 36 holes, I've heard great things about both courses.

> > Not sure if these are on your list, but I found Heron Glen to be fantastic, better than Neshanic Valley (which has been mentioned here and I found to be pretty blah). Francis Byrne in NJ is fantastic, one of the very few public courses designed by Charles Banks (a disciple of CB Macdonald and Raynor) and surely the most reasonably priced. Galloping Hill I found to be really average.

>

> LaTourette may be the worst golf course I have ever played. Truly awful.

 

That might be a little much, but I don't know where you've played. I don't think LaTourette is even the worst course on Staten Island. Not saying it's great by any stretch, but it's not the worst I've played.

[LICC]

> @"Johnny Biarritz" said:

> > @LICC said:

> > > @"Johnny Biarritz" said:

> > > Bethpage Black is a pretty easy teetime as a single, I played the course about 30 times, never made an advance tee time. Just show up to the course. It's easy. As a single, you're virtually guaranteed a spot unless the course is completely closed. They have a phone line and web site which will eliminate that possibility.

> > > LaTourette is pretty meh and will probably be a 5+ hour round.

> > > Dyker Beach is incredibly busy, I've see articles showing it to be one of the 10 busiest courses in America. Be prepared for a long round on a pretty blah course.

> > > Hyatt Hills is a really cool nine hole course, though it does get pretty busy.

> > > South Shore is fun, but really tight and tree lined.

> > > Royce Brook has 36 holes, I've heard great things about both courses.

> > > Not sure if these are on your list, but I found Heron Glen to be fantastic, better than Neshanic Valley (which has been mentioned here and I found to be pretty blah). Francis Byrne in NJ is fantastic, one of the very few public courses designed by Charles Banks (a disciple of CB Macdonald and Raynor) and surely the most reasonably priced. Galloping Hill I found to be really average.

> >

> > LaTourette may be the worst golf course I have ever played. Truly awful.

>

> That might be a little much, but I don't know where you've played. I don't think LaTourette is even the worst course on Staten Island. Not saying it's great by any stretch, but it's not the worst I've played.

 

I saw very few redeeming features of the course whatsoever. It's one straight hole after another, with one boring green and green complex after another. There are a few holes with some elevation changes, but even most of those don't really incorporate them well. They just plowed a fairway through an area with no regard to how to use the mounds or undulations. Whenever I hear someone mention LaTourette as some secret gem of a course that they know of, I discount anything they say about evaluating golf courses. Throw on top of a terribly boring course the awful service, the slow play and constant back-ups on the holes, and the mosquitoes, and you couldn't pay me to play there again.

I've played South Shore on SI. It's nothing great but a decent course. Short but twists and turns through the property well. It still has the good bones of a Dev Emmett design.

[Wander Bread]

> @LICC said:

> > @"Johnny Biarritz" said:

> > Bethpage Black is a pretty easy teetime as a single, I played the course about 30 times, never made an advance tee time. Just show up to the course. It's easy. As a single, you're virtually guaranteed a spot unless the course is completely closed. They have a phone line and web site which will eliminate that possibility.

> > LaTourette is pretty meh and will probably be a 5+ hour round.

> > Dyker Beach is incredibly busy, I've see articles showing it to be one of the 10 busiest courses in America. Be prepared for a long round on a pretty blah course.

> > Hyatt Hills is a really cool nine hole course, though it does get pretty busy.

> > South Shore is fun, but really tight and tree lined.

> > Royce Brook has 36 holes, I've heard great things about both courses.

> > Not sure if these are on your list, but I found Heron Glen to be fantastic, better than Neshanic Valley (which has been mentioned here and I found to be pretty blah). Francis Byrne in NJ is fantastic, one of the very few public courses designed by Charles Banks (a disciple of CB Macdonald and Raynor) and surely the most reasonably priced. Galloping Hill I found to be really average.

>

> LaTourette may be the worst golf course I have ever played. Truly awful.

 

You clearly have never played Silver Lake LOL

[Johnny_Fairway]

 

 

> @bainsgya said:

> **Philadelphia**

> **Lulu Country club**

> **River Winds**

> FDR

> Cobbs Creek

> Walnut Lane

> John F Byrne

> Valleybrook

> Ramblewood

 

River Winds is a solid choice for a Philly round. Fun public course with good views. About 15 miles from Center City.

 

 

 

[Johnny Biarritz]

> @"Wander Bread" said:

> > @LICC said:

> > > @"Johnny Biarritz" said:

> > > Bethpage Black is a pretty easy teetime as a single, I played the course about 30 times, never made an advance tee time. Just show up to the course. It's easy. As a single, you're virtually guaranteed a spot unless the course is completely closed. They have a phone line and web site which will eliminate that possibility.

> > > LaTourette is pretty meh and will probably be a 5+ hour round.

> > > Dyker Beach is incredibly busy, I've see articles showing it to be one of the 10 busiest courses in America. Be prepared for a long round on a pretty blah course.

> > > Hyatt Hills is a really cool nine hole course, though it does get pretty busy.

> > > South Shore is fun, but really tight and tree lined.

> > > Royce Brook has 36 holes, I've heard great things about both courses.

> > > Not sure if these are on your list, but I found Heron Glen to be fantastic, better than Neshanic Valley (which has been mentioned here and I found to be pretty blah). Francis Byrne in NJ is fantastic, one of the very few public courses designed by Charles Banks (a disciple of CB Macdonald and Raynor) and surely the most reasonably priced. Galloping Hill I found to be really average.

> >

> > LaTourette may be the worst golf course I have ever played. Truly awful.

>

> You clearly have never played Silver Lake LOL

Yeah, no joke. I'm hardly saying that LaTourette is some jewel, it's decidedly very average, but it's probably the best public course in Staten Island and Brooklyn. A case could be made that South Shore is a bit better, but it's close. Dyker and Marine Park are the drizzling poops. There was a big outing held at Silver Lakes a few years back where there were, allegedly, prostitutes engaged in trade behind the 5th and 6th greens.

[bainsgya]

I'm going to be near the airport (idk the neighborhood name). I'll be sure to check out little India!

 

> @LeoLeo99 said:

> Makefield Highlands is right off I-95 in PA right before you hit Jersey.

>

> My kids live in Philly. What neighborhood are you in?

> My wife works in Edison. You need to check out Little India. At least drive through it.

 

[bainsgya]

Thanks for all the help wrx'ers! I'll definitely try to make it out to bethpage and a few tracks near Philly/edison

[LICC]

> @"Johnny Biarritz" said:

> > @"Wander Bread" said:

> > > @LICC said:

> > > > @"Johnny Biarritz" said:

> > > > Bethpage Black is a pretty easy teetime as a single, I played the course about 30 times, never made an advance tee time. Just show up to the course. It's easy. As a single, you're virtually guaranteed a spot unless the course is completely closed. They have a phone line and web site which will eliminate that possibility.

> > > > LaTourette is pretty meh and will probably be a 5+ hour round.

> > > > Dyker Beach is incredibly busy, I've see articles showing it to be one of the 10 busiest courses in America. Be prepared for a long round on a pretty blah course.

> > > > Hyatt Hills is a really cool nine hole course, though it does get pretty busy.

> > > > South Shore is fun, but really tight and tree lined.

> > > > Royce Brook has 36 holes, I've heard great things about both courses.

> > > > Not sure if these are on your list, but I found Heron Glen to be fantastic, better than Neshanic Valley (which has been mentioned here and I found to be pretty blah). Francis Byrne in NJ is fantastic, one of the very few public courses designed by Charles Banks (a disciple of CB Macdonald and Raynor) and surely the most reasonably priced. Galloping Hill I found to be really average.

> > >

> > > LaTourette may be the worst golf course I have ever played. Truly awful.

> >

> > You clearly have never played Silver Lake LOL

> Yeah, no joke. I'm hardly saying that LaTourette is some jewel, it's decidedly very average, but it's probably the best public course in Staten Island and Brooklyn. A case could be made that South Shore is a bit better, but it's close. Dyker and Marine Park are the drizzling poops. There was a big outing held at Silver Lakes a few years back where there were, allegedly, prostitutes engaged in trade behind the 5th and 6th greens.

 

I haven’t played Silver Lake so cant opine on that one. On the others, I completely disagree. Latourette is the absolute worst. Dyker is entirely mediocre but is clearly better than Latourette. At least Dyker has some fairway movement, doglegs, different green shapes, some good undulation, tiers and movement in its greens, the front nine has some interesting holes. It’s by no means anything more than average but it’s ok. Marine Park at least has a good number of very good greens. Again, nothing special but it’s something. What does Latourette have? Some tee markers, cut grass, and ... that’s about it. A couple of holes have some elevation features. Ok. Everything else is a mindless dump. Straight, nothing holes. One boring, shoddy hole after another. The absolute worst.

[VGVG]

While in Philly, I would definitely try to play Glen Mills. It’s the best public course in the area, with Wyncote a close second (but Wyncote is so FAR).