Monday, December 26, 2016

Wintergolf '16


The other day I played 27 holes in three and half hours at Silver Lake. The weather was nice, ideal you might even say--temperatures in the low 40s, calm winds, and cloudy skies which for whatever reason seem to make the world feel less cold.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Roadgolf: Spook Rock GC, Suffern NY

 

Things have been a little hectic in the city lately, so a little roadgolf is in order. Spook Rock is another teetime-website find. It's located in sleepy Rockland County near the New Jersey border and within the one-hour zone of golfability. At a shade under forty miles away, we're in low population density territory which means I’m not expecting crowds on this cold windy Saturday.

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Roadrange: Southampton Golf Range, Southampton NY


It is with some sadness that we approach the outer Hamptons en route to our final destination. I had a great time in Montauk--golf, dog-swimming, plenty of tasty food from the ocean.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Roadrange: Poxabogue Golf, Bridgehampton NY


Highway 27, aka Montauk Highway is the lone road into the Hamptons and Montauk peninsula. It's a scenic drive, dotted with luxury car dealerships, wineries, farm stands.

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Roadgolf: Montauk Downs State Park GC, Montauk, Long Island


I've been wanting to do this for a long time. I first played here in way back in '06 while I was still pretty new to the game, and once more a year or two later. Considerable time passed (for whatever reason) and now I'm finally back.

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Roadgolf: Fishkill GC&DR, Fishkill NY


These are strange, wondrous times we live in. Back in the analog era, you didn’t just hop in the car and drive for hours to some strange area without a specific idea of what you were going to do once you got there. You had to plan. Make calls. Unfold maps.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Donald Trump's Handicap Index


He may not be willing to release his tax forms, but thanks to the providence and foresight of those other founding fathers—of golf in the USA that is—Trump’s USGA handicap is indeed a matter of public record.

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Scenes from the Struggle


For the people of Manhattan just being a golfer is a struggle, to say nothing of the steeper challenges faced by those who dare to try to be good at golf. And as I was reminded of on a recent visit I am far from alone in this plight. The struggle spreads across all ages and socioeconomic classes and its ramifications will run deep into future generations of shitty golfers.

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Legitimategolf Style: The Booney Hat


There’s not a whole lot of actual golf going on here. Plenty of sweating at the range though. Nevertheless I need to report on the birth of an exciting new on-course style trend: going forward I’ll be wearing a “booney hat”, probably for the rest of the summer at least.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Roadgolf: Bethpage State Park, Black Course, Farmingdale NY


I’m currently in the thick of off-peak season, so what an odd time for me to be attempting golf at one of the hardest courses in North America. But it was an occasion I couldn’t pass up. Recently I found out that I have a cousin once-removed who’s a high school golfer in Southern California. He’s potentially Ivy League material, and so now that school’s out for summer he’s flying into NYC to check out a few universities here in the Northeast as well as attend a little pre-college golf camp.

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Roadrange: San Juan Hills CC, San Juan Capistrano CA


Last time I was out this way, I was really disappointed to find the driving range at Saddleback College, where I’d had some nice practices in past years, closed for good.

But Orange County is not exactly a golf wasteland and so where one door was closed, another open one was found without looking too far.

Monday, May 23, 2016

Roadgolf: Lido Beach GC, Hempstead, Long Island


It turns out that one of my local haunts, Marine Park GC, has a sister. She's called Lido GC. Okay, so maybe neither of these places recognizes the other as a sibling, or even the other's right to exist for all I know. But they do share the same mother, which is the south shore of the landmass known as Long Island and the same dad, Robert Trent Jones. You see I am not making this up. They are in fact related.

Monday, May 9, 2016

Abstinence


Confession time. I haven't played a round of golf since Masters Sunday.

What's going on man, are you okay?

I am fine, I think. Outwardly at least. Physical and mental health would probably be deemed sound by a health-care professional.

But why no golf, why?

Friday, April 15, 2016

Ghettogolf: LaTourette GC, Staten Island


Once upon a time I set out with a dream. A dream of Playing Every Last God-Forsaken Golf Course in New York City.

I know, the LGNYCGT (Legitimategolf New York City Golf Tour) has been stalled for a long-ass time. Who are we kidding, it's been lying broke down on the side of the road, rusting. What can I say? The part of me that at one time longed to seek out golf adventures all over the five boroughs has, you know, shriveled up and died or whatever.


But what do you know, last Masters Sunday the old bus was up and running again, and even if it's by happenstance (i.e. the only place I could find a decent tee-time), we are now back en route to Playing Every Last God-Forsaken Course In New York City!!!

Thursday, March 31, 2016

The Quest for Fire, part 1: admitting you have a problem


I can avoid this subject no longer. The warm season is just about here, crowds are swelling and there is little of interest going on on the course. From my POV at least. So settle in and I'll finally attempt to tell the story of a golf swing odyssey I set out on last summer.

Thursday, March 10, 2016

How To Play Golf in New York City: East River Bikeway Edition


Golf. You'd be surprised at how accessible it is from the island of Manhattan. One of my favoritest routes to get to golf is the one that runs along the shore of the East River and down the entire "Loisaida" (that's local-slang for "Lower East Side", you honky) to the doorstep of the Staten Island Ferry terminal.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

The Winter Handicap Challenge


This year I am once again applying scores toward my handicap during all winter months--a radical act that flies in the face of the orthodoxy of organized golf.

Friday, February 12, 2016

Golf in February



February. Winter's last stand. The final frontier. For anyone in the higher latitudes, golf in February is the exception and not the norm. If you look at the history of golf in New York (well my history at least) you'll see that golf in February is a roll of the dice situation, maybe a twenty percent chance in any given year.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Last Gas


Two days before the great mid-Atlantic blizzard of '16 would arrive, I made it out for one last round.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Marine Park in Winter



The End is near. In desperate uncertain times, the winter golfer cannot be too choosy about where he plays.

Since it's practically on the Atlantic Ocean, Marine Park typically sees the harshest weather conditions of all the city courses. But today it's ridiculous cold anywhere you go, plus I haven't seen the course in a long-ass time, and they've slashed tee times to liquidation prices. Marine Park's probably as good (or bad) a choice as any.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

'16


Despite some superior January weather, I ended up not playing any golf until the second week of 2016, needing to recover from the flu. On the day that my condition finally took a drastic turn for the better, it happened to be a little over forty degrees out with light winds--that is to say perfect winter golf conditions.