Golf In New York City Blog

Our readers might be interested in Ray Tennenbaum’s article, PUBLIC WELCOME, in the latest issue of the Met Golfer Magazine (copies available on mgagolf.org). The article mentions several public, daily-fee courses in our area, and discusses the nearly completed renovations at Pelham/Split Rock and Dyker Beach Golf Course. There is a terrific picture of the newly designed Clubhouse at Pelham/Split Rock.
If any of our readers have comments about the course improvements at these courses, please email them to us so we can update the website and let everyone know what you think about the renovations.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and City Parks Foundation today opened the CityParks Junior Golf Center, a state-of-the-art facility, the first of its kind in the nation, that is free of cost and open only to juniors ages 6 to 17. Instruction at the $8 million Center is available for beginners and advanced golfers alike. Adjacent to the City’s Dyker Beach Golf Course, the facility will serve thousands of junior golfers each year. It has a six-hole golf course, a 9,875 square foot practice putting green, a 9,075 square foot chipping green, a 8,100 square foot sand trap, a nine-station covered driving range, a 4,275 square foot Clubhouse Learning Center with classroom space, and full-time instructors.

“This facility will introduce so many children who otherwise wouldn’t have had the chance to all the benefits of the game, including sportsmanship, self-discipline, and enjoying the outdoors,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “The City Parks Foundation is an impressive organization that provides recreational, educational, and arts programs to people young and old in parks across the City, which will now include golf instruction for youth at this top-flight facility.”

“Not many people think of New York City as a golfer’s paradise, but with 13 public golf courses, opportunities for play are boundless,” said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Benepe. “Now, thanks to our partners, the City Parks Foundation, we can offer our children a facility designed exclusively for them. The Junior Golf Center at Dyker Beach Park will encourage new generations to discover a game that can lead to lifelong fitness and health. Today’s opening is a real ‘hole in one’ for our City’s kids.”

“The CityParks Junior Golf Center will be the cornerstone of our CityParks Golf program, which begins teaching kids about golf in neighborhood parks across the city,” said City Parks Foundation Executive Director David Rivel. “The CityParks Junior Golf Center will give New York City’s kids a chance to develop into advanced golfers, with the potential to earn college scholarships, while also enjoying the outdoors, learning sportsmanship, and developing skills that translate for life off the course.”

Construction on the $8 million Junior Golf Center began in November 2006. The project is being funded through a combination of public and private funds, with $2 million allocated by the City, $400,000 by the New York State Senate through the efforts of State Senator Martin Golden, and the remaining funds raised by City Parks Foundation from private sources. Of the $8 million total approximately half is needed to construct the center and the rest will establish a permanent operating endowment to support annual programming, operations, and course maintenance. Callaway and Top Flite are the official equipment sponsors of the CityParks Junior Golf Center. The Center is also supported by the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Foundation, Andrew & Ann Tisch, the USGA, and ConEdison.

The Junior Golf Center will be part of City Parks Foundation’s sports department under the direction of Mike Silverman, also offering free tennis and track & field instruction for thousands of youth in parks citywide. The Center will be directly managed by PGA professional Gregg Gaulocher. Click here for more information on the CityParks Junior Golf Center and to learn how to enroll today.

I grew up and learned my golf at Dyker Beach Golf Course located in Brooklyn, New York.

Dyker Beach has a long history of being great for Junior Golf. Countless PGA Members have learned at Dyker Beach. Tiger Wood’s Dad, Earl Woods, started playing golf at Dyker Beach.

The City Parks Foundation is continuing in this great tradition. The Junior Golf Center built on the premises at Dyker Beach is scheduled to open in July. All programs are free and offered for children ages 6 -16. Schedules for classes and registration information will be posted in May at www.cityparksfoundation.org.

Adult volunteers will play a big role in the success of the Junior Golf Center. Interested adults are encouraged to apply. Email for more information: ggaulocher@cityparksfoundation.org. qualified instructors seeking teaching opportunities can request further information from the same email address.

Gregg Gaulocher, a PGA Golf Professional will be running the facility. Greg also has a long history of operating Junior Golf programs. He has worked with the Metropolitan PGA Golf in Schools program and the First Tee.

I know Greg will do a great job. Junior golf is still going strong in Brooklyn.

If you can help, please contact Greg Gaulocher!

Marine Park Golf Course has always won praise for its country club greens. These days visitors to the Robert Trent Jones gem at the end of Flatbush Avenue are playing their rounds in country club type times – completing 18 holes in under 4 ½ hours!

During two recent weekday rounds (one in mid-morning the other in early afternoon) our foursome completed each of our rounds in just over 4 hours. “Let’s face it, nobody wants to be on a golf course for 6 hours,” says Dominick Logozzo of East Coast Golf operators of Marine Park.

Part of the improvement to longer headways between foursomes. While most public courses try to push groups out as fast as possible, (in some places as little as 7 minutes apart) the headways are 10 minutes at Marine Park.

Along with the 10 minute headways tee time reservation times honored. If you have a 9:30 tee-time (barring frost and other weather delays) Logozzo promises to get you out there for at your reserved time. “Our reservation system doesn’t allow for a 9 o’clock and a 9 o’clock a, 9 o’clock b, and 9 o’clock. And we don’t squeeze people in between groups,” he says.

Other improvements to the golf course itself are also helping to speed up play and making for a more enjoyable round.

Since taking over operations at Marine Park last year East Coast Golf, with the approval of the Parks Dept., cut down more than 200 trees and removed much of the overgrown vegetation. Golf is played so much faster when you can find those wayward golf balls. A Border collie and series of wooden silhouetted wolves have thus far successfully reduced the geese population and the mess they leave behind.

And then there are those greens. For all their reputation and good looks the greens at Marine Park were sickly under the surface.

“Actually the greens were very weak and there was a great deal of thatch. (Course Superintendent) Ryan (Volger) has done a great job,” says Logozzo. “Along with a lot of repair and restoration, we aerated them four times last year. It was tough. They’re still not where we want them but they’re coming around and are much healthier. They’re rolling well, and they’re rolling faster,” says Logozzo.

In addition, the clubhouse has been remodeled with new larger bathrooms; and both the pro shop and snack bar have been expanded. The practice green has been moved to the area between the clubhouse and the 18^th green; and a pitching green has been installed between the clubhouse and the 10^th tee. An “irons only” practice range is also under construction and Logozzo hopes to have it in operation by mid-summer.

East Coast Golf has also brought in the golf course design team of Steven Kay (The Architects Golf Club The Links at Unionvale ) and Douglas Smith to make other more substantial improvements. “They are going to redesign all the par 3’s which right now can all be hit with the same club and swing,” says Logozzo.

New bunkers and tee boxes as well as championship tees will be introduced lengthening what is already the longest golf course in the city to 7,200 yards.

“The response to what we’ve done has been nothing but positive. There’s a sense of excitement to see the changes taking place. Everyone who comes out tells us they’re totally in love with it,” says Logozzo.

“We are only in the middle of a three year plan. When its fully executed and we take in the design changes, the distance, the wind all on a course designed by perhaps the greatest designer of a generation Robert Trent Jones, this is going to be the best golf course in the city.”

And no one can doubt his commitment.

Not long after East Coast Golf signed a 20 year contract to operate Marine Park an audit by City Controller Bill Thompson discovered Logozzo’s father had loaned money to an alleged member of the Colombo crime family, and the city terminated the contract.

In March, Logozzo and East Coast Golf who claim they have been falsely accused have filed suit against the city to hold on to the golf course. Because of the litigation Logozzo cannot comment on the case or certain other aspects concerning the current and future operation of the course.

He has however collected signatures from hundreds of golfers on a petition urging the city to allow East Coast Golf to remain.