Dyker Beach Golf Course
Address: Dyker Beach Golf Course, 7th Ave. & 86th St. Brooklyn, N.Y., 11228 Map and Directions
Phone: 718-836-9722
Reservations: 718-225-4653(GOLF) or www.nycteetimes.com
Yardage: 6504/6260/5996
Par: 71
Rating/ Slope: 70.6/118; 68.3/116; 71.1/119
Architect: Tom Bendelow (1897) John Van Kleek (1935)
Mgmt: American Golf
Manager: Jeff DeFranco - Also a professional golf instructor.
Teaching Professional: Hunter Watkins - P.G.A. level 1 professional with a current classification of B1.
Superintendent: Vacant
Description: Dyker Beach Golf Course is one of the oldest courses in the city Dyker Beach first opened in the late 1890's as the private Dyker Meadow Golf Club. With tight tree-lined, rolling fairways as well as spectacular views of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge it is a gem of a golf course.
It is at Dyker Beach where Tiger Woods father then-US Army Col. Earl Woods caught golf bug in 1972 while stationed at Ft. Hamilton.
Like many NYC courses Dyker Beach is currently undergoing a series of improvements including construction of a new clubhouse, and installation of cart paths throughout the course.
Directions: Brooklyn Queens Expressway (South) to 86th Street exit, make left turn parking lot is three blocks up on right. Belt Parkway (West) to Exit 4 (Bay 8th Street); At light make a left onto Cropsey Ave.; At next light make a right onto 14th Ave.; Turn left onto 86th St.,; Parking lot is on left near 11th Ave.
Mass Transit: Take R train to 86th St. and take the 10-15-minute walk along 86th St.
Junior Golf Center Coming to Bay Ridge - Brooklyn
The City Parks Foundation has offically broken ground on a new $6 million junior golf center to be located on 11.8 acres adjacent to Dyker Beach Golf Center.
The new facility, which will include a six-hole golf course, nine-station driving range and 4,275 sq.-ft clubhouse/classroom, will be provided free to children ages 5 to 17.
The project will be built with both public and private funding. NYC and NY State are contributing approximately $2 million to the costs and the remainder will be funded through provide donations.
Mayor Bloomberg and several other officials attended the ground-breaking ceremony last week at the site. It is expected to open by September, 2007.
What many people do not realize is that Tiger Woods's father, Earl, played much of his early golf at Dyker Beach when he was stationed at Fort Hamilton in the 1970s. The facility will be part of The First Tee Program which is partially funded by the Tiger Woods Foundation.
Course Review and Favorite Hole
Have you played Dyker Beach Golf Course?If so why not drop us a line telling us about your favorite hole or the course and we will write your comments on this page.
Bill's Favorite Hole: Number 7: Long 423-yard Par 4 to an uphill green which normally plays into the wind. Narrow second shot to a hilly green. Not only tough to hit the green in regulation and tough to get the ball up and down.
Comments on: Have you played Dyker Beach Golf Course?
By: Dan BroadleyThey made some good changes to the course and it is looking much better than a year ago, but the management still need to spread the groups out to make the day more enjoyable. 8 minutes between each play can make for 5-6 hour rounds of golf - Not great is it!!! And hard work when getting into a rhythm is whatt its all about. 3/10 for the course management and 8/10 for the course when you consider how many play each year. |
By: Big JMy favorite is the 493 yd par 5 #6 hole. The view from the elevated tee box is quite expansive and nice. It's an enticing tee shot from here, with a few distinct options presented: lay up short of the fairway bunker or challenge it to the left, or if winds are favorable be aggressive and try to fly the bunker or even the huge tree that guards the dogleg right. If you do so successfully, you've got a mid-iron into the green and a good chance for eagle. If you miss right, you're in the trees but usually still just a heroic shot away from finding the green in regulation. |
By: GeorgeHere's the thing about Dyker Beach Golf Course -- it is the most likeable of all the city courses in the sense that the holes all have great visualization possibilities from the tee box. Second shots may be a little boring throughout the course, but let's get real, we're not on tour. The par threes' demanding shots surely compensate. The par three fourth makes or breaks a round -- not in the financial or personal self-esteem sense. There is always AT LEAST a two group wait, and Dyker does not attract always the youngest of crowds, but that is okay, this is golf and so it goes (RIP Kurt Vonnegut). With a wait, for the average golfer, momentum goes down, and the beautiful par four dogleg right third hole was usually the precise hole any momentum got kickin!!! Been there done that whatever. With a back pin, the fourth is as tough as any, and even with a front pin, this is a tough hole to endure the wait. It is like most city course holes, nice enough, and really the left tree coming close to encroaching the green is the spot to miss to. Being on this green would mean you're getting too good... |
By: Kimbra Raffaniello-ConnorI am writing to because after my father passed away John Rocco Raffaniello I found some articles about him winning the hearst championships 3 years in a row. In 1957 I wanted to know if there are an people there remember him or if ou know were his trophies are. He went to ft hamiton hs and was captain of the team and champion in the senior division. He was a awesome man . And I am so proud of him he did go on to California and was a pro golfer there he even gave tyger woods a few lessons. sincerely, Kimbra |
By: Kimbra Raffaniello-Connoryou may e-mail me at raffsangel1@hotmail.com |
By: Dan RatcliffeYet again Dyker Beach Golf Course fails in its course management, which is a great pity because the golf course it self is fantastic. Today we had 7 minute tee off times which is only enough for the person in front of you to get half way down the fairway. This means you end up waiting around for a long time at each hole. Then if the group in front of you are complete hackers and insists on taking 2 shot each when they miss hit a ball it can get even worse. One young kid in jeans and flip flops was told to hurry up but gave back some abuse to this old dear and her husband. We ended up with a 6 hour round today. Where are the managers out on the course to speed up play? Why do American Golf insist on such short tee off times. If only the they thought of the golfer and not there pockets we might have a better experience, which the course deserves. I don't think I will be back in the near future. |
By: RSThe management has actually gotten WORSE over the years that I've been playing Dyker. The problem is that the course is not really run for golfers but for groups having "outings" -- companies, firefighters, unions, etc. This is a shame because it makes an adult playground out of a very decent golf course. The condition has constantly improved for years, but it's almost impossible to enjoy. |
By: Darren McCordMy favorite city course but I haven't played Split Rock. Can play very slow but that's city golf. Good conditions. Pretty challenging. A good course to walk if you want a little exercise. Always seem to get paired up with nice golfers. Usually hit it at least once a month. The negative comment is that of the management can charge you for something extra instead of giving you the benefit, they'll charge you. Case in point. A few months ago after the huge three day flood, the course was soaked. I was walking but there was a guy who came to hit his new clubs, the course was empty. He rented a cart, his girlfriend who didn't golf was with him. They charged her full price for cart and golfing although it was obviouse she wasn't golfing. A little greedy at the front office given the fact that two of the fairways were lakes and shoes got soaked, but that could be a reflection of American golf corp. Who knows, Dyker's a nice course and always fun to hit. |
By: C SAVAGEDYKER IS A GREAT COURSE. EVERYONE COMPLAINS ABOUT ROUNDS ARE TO LONG. RELAX AND ENJOY YOUR ROUND. WHY RUSH !!!. I'VE PLAYED COURSES IN MYRTLE BEACH,FLORIDA ARIZONA & VEGAS AND ALL MY ROUNDS ARE AROUND 4-1/2 TO 5 HOURS AND SHOT IN THE HIGH 80'S. SO RELAX ENJOY DYKER. HERE'S A TIP. IF YOU WANT TO PLAY A 3 HOUR ROUND GET A 6:00 AM TEE TIME |
By: Billy MaysJust to answer the above comment - I think the reason we complain about it taking so long is because its great to get into a routine. Even Tiger upsets his opponents by taking things real slow! Having to wait around kicking your heels at every hole for 10 minutes is bloody frustrating. And as, if you are like me it takes a good few holes to warm up it kind of spoils the day. As for the comment on starting at 6:00am for a 3 hour round - Tried it and it makes very little difference. American Golf start groups on the back nine a the same time as the front (until about 10:00 am when everyone starts on the front) so you catch up to those and start to slow down again. If only American Golf would slow play down by only letting groups out when the one in front has finished the 1st green it would then make for a relaxing round. |
By: JackTHE WORST RUN COURSE IN AMERICA! It defies logic to even attempt to describe the people who work at Dyker so I won't waste your time. Odd thing is it's a beautiful course but they rip you off, $57 to ride on a Friday at 4:00pm. They get away with it because so many people want to play hence, I just finished a 6 hour round on a Friday evening. They're insane about resident vs. non-resident rates...it's actually embarassing to watch, they sell you that idiot NYC card like it's a life preserver. The people who work there are embarassing...stay away unless you enjoy wasting your money. |
By: Foster BallUm, is there a more idiotic run course than Dyker? Great course, the par 3's are intriguing yet I believe they hire the their staff from the mental institution across the street. |
By: KenIn response to C Savage's post...4.5 hours is par for a round with 4 golfers in a group, having played city courses for 4 years I can't even begin to fathom what a 3 hr round would be like! I'd be happy with a 4.5 hr round at any NYC course, but the thing everyone is complaining about is the 5.5-6 hour round, ITS HORRIBLE!!!! And at Dyker, thats exactly what you face if you play on the weekends!!! 7-8 min between groups is an absolute joke, the management is greedy and thats the bottome line. They wont look out for the golfer until we stop showing up. PS: I've tried the 6am tee time, still played 5 hrs...had a 45 min "dew" delay and the course was so wet that it slowed the pace down for everyone. |
By: Steve PettiI caddied there and played the course heavily as a teen in the early 60's. There were some really top notch golfers who developed there at the time, including John Raffaniello, Tom Strafaci (Senior and Junior), Johnny Delarocca, and many others. Raffaniello won about every local championship in the city and beyond and even played in the US Open at Winged Foot in Westchester. I caddied for Tom Strafaci Sr, then the club pro, on the day he set the course record with a 65 while playing a "friendly" round with at least a few bucks on the line as I recall. Back then the games and the stakes at Dyker were often big, Arnie's Army was the rage, and I have really fond memories of working on the Sunday Times crossword puzzle with Tommy Strafaci Junior, who let me wait on customers in the pro shop. A hamburger and malt at the end of the front nine (bought by whomever's bag I was carrying) was and remains memorable. I turned out to be not a bad golfer myself but I left the area and have not been to Dyker Beach since my early twenties. I can tell you that I learned more about how to play the game from watching the bad swings of the duffers I caddied for than I could ever learn from watching Tiger Woods. Glad I found this site. Evoked great memories. Thanks. |
By: Johnny TurnerI have played at Dyker only twice since I started playing golf. What a course to come to learn and develop. The first time I played at Dyker I was amazed at how the course is well manicured. The most challenging holke for me is # 6. From the tee you have to relax and build confidence on hitting over the trees slightly right or not to hook to far left. One must make an intelligent golfing decision and hit at least 200 yards over the trees blocking the flag. This is a great hole to really challenge the seasoned and the pro golfer as well as a beginner, check it out, try it and enjoy your round. By Johnny Turner |
By: Johnny TurnerI have played at Dyker only twice since I started playing golf. What a course to come to learn and develop. The first time I played at Dyker I was amazed at how the course is well manicured. The most challenging holke for me is # 6, par 5. From the tee you have to relax and build confidence on hitting over the trees slightly right or not to hook to far left. One must make an intelligent golfing decision and hit at least 200 yards over the trees blocking the flag. This is a great hole to really challenge the seasoned and the pro golfer as well as a beginner, check it out, try it and enjoy your round. By Johnny Turner |
By: Matthew DavisAfter moving to the Big Apple from Arizona, where there's a golf course everywhere you look, I found myself suffering some serious golf withdrawal. After a year of living in Manhattan and golfing a lot in the Bronx (Pelham, Split Rock, Van Cortland, Mosholu and Dunwoodie in Yonkers) I settled down in Brooklyn a few stops away on the R-line or B63 bus. Dyker Beach has become my "home course," and I've played there often in the last 6 months. Much of what is written in the above comments is true. The rounds are longer than anywhere else I've ever played. The staff does emit an attitude of nonchalance, knowing the course will be packed regardless of their prices or customer service. But at the root of it all is a simple truth any golfer should appreciate: This course is an awesome layout. Some easy holes, some hard holes. Doglegs. Uphill. Downhill. Good greens. On a beautiful day, there's no better way to spend 6 hours than chumming with some fellow golfers. I've yet to meet an unpleasant golfer on the course - everyone has always been very friendly. If you live in NYC, you should get a resident card. $6 for a year's worth of discounted greens fees pays for itself in a heartbeat. |
By: chizGood post. You make some great points that most people do not fully understand. "Bill’s Favorite Hole: Number 7: Long 423-yard Par 4 to an uphill green which normally plays into the wind. Narrow second shot to a hilly green. Not only tough to hit the green in regulation and tough to get the ball up and down." I like how you explained that. Very helpful. Thanks. |
By: Robb MitchellWe played Dyker Beach yesterday afternoon. Being a weekday, there were no crowds and I was really impressed with the conditions of the course especially so early into the season. It was my first time out in 2 years but I had a truly memorable experience. I dropped a hole-in-one on the 4th hole! One of the best feelings of my life. What a beauty that 4th hole is, elevated Tee, nice grouping of bunkers in the back. I am officially hooked and will be back to play Dyker Beach again really soon. |
By: Harry the HatI have been playing here for 4 years now and after the renovations for the last 2 years the course looks great. I have played some of the best course in the country and my brooklyn home course still to me is a great course. However, some problems exist with people walking all over the course looking for open holes to play on and then backing up play. They really need to manage this course a lot better, Im really tired of seeing new people in front of me when Im playing. Dyker please get your act together and stop this from occurring. Anyway, Im looking forward to playing again as soon as the weather warms up. |