Top U.S. Counties with the Best Public State Park Courses?

[natureboy]

6 minutes ago, Buckeyebowman said:

Ponkapoag?! Wasn't that the course parodied in a popular golf novel that was retitled Ponkaquog? AKA Ponky? If they can do that to a Donald Ross design, they can do absolutely anything!

No idea. Maybe it's a shade of its former glory due to high use and low maintenance investment?

[Buckeyebowman]

On 1/8/2017 at 9:18 PM, natureboy said:

No idea. Maybe it's a shade of its former glory due to high use and low maintenance investment?

Oh, believe me, been there, done that! Locally, we have 36 holes of Donald Ross designed golf course, but it suffered because of who was running it. Then there was a vote to let the city parks, including the course, be taken over by a county wide parks district, with tax dollars to fund it.

The difference was like night and day! There's actual grass on the courses now. There's a differentiation between fairway and rough, the greens are back! Bunkers are being rebuilt!

The same thing happened at Seneca, near Cleveland. It was owned and run by the city of Cleveland, and was a total botch! They sold it to the county Metroparks who started taking care of the place. What a transformation! 36 holes of beautiful golf. And being only 3 miles from Sleepy Hollow, the "jewel in the crown", only enhanced the area as a destination. My buddies and I intend to play every course there this year!

[golfintheworld]

Bethpage is my home course. I've played Hominy Hills, I love Ko'olau in Hawaii, Cape Breton Nova Scotia great course Emirates Golf Club, great test. As long as it challenges me to make great shots it's a great course. I want to give some love to the 9 hole and executive courses that really teach us the game. I go to Dix Hills in Long Island (9 hole 3100 yards) on Sunday at 730 am with 4 clubs and be home by 10am. Great practice time. Sadly few people out there.

[DavidMatthew1978]

I think this is a great topic.

These are the courses that have availability for us to play at reasonable rates with incredible conditions and difficulty..               Hominney hill.pdf

[onthehunt526]

On 1/4/2017 at 4:57 PM, colin007 said:

What about the Bethpage courses on long island? Not sure what county, but that's gotta be up there.

I believe that's Nassau County. But the New York State Park System in general has several golf courses, and most are very good and very affordable. Bonavista is close to me, as well as Soaring Eagles in Horseheads (Chemung County)and Chenango Valley State Park Golf Course over in Broome County. I don't know where Nassau County is on the list, but I would think it would be pretty high.