Ghettogolf: from the practice green on Randall's Island

Greetings from practiceland. Another week gone by and still no actual golf. What gives? I'll probably discuss that soon. But til then I thought we ought to take a closer look at one of the darker, sadder forgotten corners of the golf universe, a place where I've been spending a lot of time lately--the short game practice facility at the golfer's exile on Randall's Island.

Home, home on the Range

For the last couple of weekends I've been hitting buckets up at Randall's Island. Getting there is a minor pain in the ass, but I put up with it because Randall's is the superior choice in the city for whacking balls.

Lately I've been actually enjoying the time spent at the range for a change. I guess I am liking what I'm seeing out here. Swingwise whatever it is I'm grinding away at seems to be working and now it feels pretty good to launch balls on repeat.

Lost In Staten Island

After stinking up Brooklyn with my lousy play, I decided to hide out for a bit in Staten Island. Looking over my last twenty scores, I see that I've played more rounds at Silver Lake than anywhere else. So I guess that makes this unofficially my home course now. It's a big change after being a Brooklyn golf regular for all these years.

Swing Thoughts: one week to go

En route to Randall's Island, where I served detention this weekend.

The entry deadline has passed, the field looks to be set and there's just one week to go until the first-ever Brooklyn Open. I just now read over some of the official tournament documentation and frankly I'm feeling a little freaked out right now.

The first tee time is supposedly at 7:30am.

Summer In Review

Summer officially ended and quite frankly, good. Those who know, know that fall's a better season for playing better golf anyways. Around here at least. The sweat-soaked clothes, the ruined gloves, the constant rehydrating, the slathering of greasy sunblock. And the heat for god's sake, the plain old wilting heat... See you next year, is what I say to all that. Don't get me wrong--the summer solstice is a magical time. I still say that being outside playing golf well past eight o'clock is one of life's special joys.

Ghetto Golf, volume 3: Talkin' about practice II

In the last edition of Ghetto Golf we took a look at Manhattan's "one and only open air golf facility".

However that's not exactly true. There's actually one other option--the Randall's Island Golf Center. Technically in Manhattan, it's actually on a tiny (0.85 square mile) spot of land floating in the East River up next to Harlem, known as Randall's Island.