John3837402

This is a Pete Dye special. If you’re scratch and can work the ball both ways, or you play from the 25+ handicap tees, this is a visually interesting course with some fun shots. If you’re not scratch, or you’re just having a not-quite-there day…this course will make you pay. It’s stern and will show you what you need to work on in your game, but don’t take the bounces and absurd side-hill lies in the middle of the fairway personally. On the plus side, your pars will feel heroic and any birdies will feel superhuman, so you’ll have that going for you — which is nice.

Most tees are sandpits, the bunkers are just dirt, the greens are cratered like the face of the moon, several of the holes are basically shooting galleries of cross-fairway target practice, and you’re flying if you finish an early morning round in 5 hours (good luck if you start after 10am). Oh, and a few of the holes are just unfair because there’s no tree maintenance — nobody can double-bend a ball in the air off the tee. Nobody.

That said, for NYC munis? It’s one of the better layouts, you’ll need a variety of shots to get around the course, and it offers some fun short game tests.

Great course, fair layout that’s a challenge for players of all skill levels. Best greens of any NYC course (including the mini-golf gimmicks at Ferry Point). But there are no rangers to promote pace of play, several holes will take you 45 minutes each with all the waiting around. Teeing off after 9am pretty much guarantees a 6-7 hour round.

But beware of slooooow play. If you are not precise off the tee, this course will punish you. If you’re playing behind an imprecise player, be prepared to wait.