Montauk Downs

[jmanbooyaa]

I am playing a rare Monday round of golf and booked a mid morning tee time for 3 at Montauk Downs. According to my weather app there is a 40% chance of rain. Since this is a rare chance of going out to the East end of Long Island. Do I tell my buddies to suck it up and pack the rain gear or cancel the tee time? I live on Long Island and the trip is over 2 hours. It is still early enough where the weather can change. By Saturday a decision will most likely be made if still showing over 40% chance of rain. 1st time ever playing this course. Really hoping for some kind of break in weather. Rain is not necessarily a deal breaker. Down pour yes. Thoughts?

[iacas]

Play it.

[jmanbooyaa]

We ended up playing Tuesday. Great shape. Took forever to get there. Tons of traffic. A lot of fun. 

[Ty_Webb]

20 hours ago, jmanbooyaa said:

We ended up playing Tuesday. Great shape. Took forever to get there. Tons of traffic. A lot of fun. 

Was gonna say - getting past Shinnecock on a weekday morning any time after about 6am is add an hour plus to your trip territory. Then Montauk is still an hour from there. I went to the US Open at Shinnecock. Got to the parking at Westhampton airport at 5:15 in the morning and the bus got to the course at 7am. Ugly.

Montauk is fun though. I've only played it once and it was WINDY. Glad you enjoyed it!

Edited May 23, 2022 by Ty_Webb

[jmanbooyaa]

@Ty_Webb it was brutal. I golf in Riverhead often. This was another animal all together. My buddies do deliveries out there and were laughing at my facial expressions as i saw break lights. 

[jamo]

A few years ago I took the first ferry in the AM to Orient, drove around via Riverhead to Montauk, grabbed lunch at the Lobster Roll, played Montauk Downs, and drove back around to barely make the last ferry out. The Hamptons have a real way of making you late no matter how much buffer you put in your schedule. 

[billchao]

36 minutes ago, jamo said:

A few years ago I took the first ferry in the AM to Orient, drove around via Riverhead to Montauk, grabbed lunch at the Lobster Roll, played Montauk Downs, and drove back around to barely make the last ferry out. The Hamptons have a real way of making you late no matter how much buffer you put in your schedule. 

It'd be faster if you just kayaked across the sound.

[Ty_Webb]

On 5/23/2022 at 6:12 PM, jmanbooyaa said:

@Ty_Webb it was brutal. I golf in Riverhead often. This was another animal all together. My buddies do deliveries out there and were laughing at my facial expressions as i saw break lights. 

The worst traffic I've ever experienced was leaving Greenwich Village in NYC at 3:00 in the afternoon on the day before Thanksgiving. I got to the Holland tunnel (about a mile away) at 6:20. A mistake I will not be making again. The second worst I think is probably that stretch where 27 goes to one lane near Shinny. A situation I hope to experience with some regularity...

[nevets88]

I live near Long Island and will consider taking the train if going there. Could drive to a station like I dunno, Port Jefferson or something with a big parking lot and get on the train, throw bag on rack and just relax the rest of the way. Nap, read, anything but stew in traffic.

[jmanbooyaa]

@nevets88 when i noticed the tracks as i was driving out I thought the same thing. Maybe not Pj as it is the end of that line but certainly a station that goes that far. 

[Ty_Webb]

6 hours ago, nevets88 said:

I live near Long Island and will consider taking the train if going there. Could drive to a station like I dunno, Port Jefferson or something with a big parking lot and get on the train, throw bag on rack and just relax the rest of the way. Nap, read, anything but stew in traffic.

Port Jefferson wouldn't work. You want something on the Babylon line. Not sure how many of them have parking that's available to non-residents. I think the best way to do it is go out the evening before and find somewhere to stay. Either that or get up VERY early in the morning. 

[tomba51]

8 hours ago, nevets88 said:

I live near Long Island and will consider taking the train if going there. Could drive to a station like I dunno, Port Jefferson or something with a big parking lot and get on the train, throw bag on rack and just relax the rest of the way. Nap, read, anything but stew in traffic.

Patchogue is the station that you want. Or alternatively you could get the train at Jamaica (parking would be a problem at Jamaica). There aren't that many trains that go to Montauk, and the trip takes a long time. It's about 3 hours from Jamaica and about an hour and a half from Patchogue. Here's the LIRR schedule for the Montauk branch. 

[nevets88]

Yeah I reflexively mentioned Port Jefferson because I use that to do a bike ride. A century, 100 miles to and from Montauk. 
 

Usually if you don’t mind looking around you might be able to find parking outside the station lot depending on time of the day. 
 

The station is a 5 minute car ride from the course. Which by the way has barely much of a driving range. I played it once but never went back it’s just too far out just for a round of golf and you pass by all those other courses and you’re like I just wish I could play those. It’s not that amazing a course that I’d go back having already played it. Maybe if you guaranteed me no traffic. 
 

The train is slow but slow don’t have to drive, nap, watch a movie, option drive in traffic is a no brainer for me. You still have to drive from station to home but at least you get to decompress. 
 

There’s also an Avis or National or something not far from station I think so you can train there option rent car too. Although renting anything in the Hamptons, car, house, is something you should wayyyy in advance.