Those that know me well would wonder how desperate I might be to play golf that I would drive…read moreseveral miles from my home destination just to play the game. But that is not why I am willing to drive long distances to play the wonderful game of Golf. It's because I enjoy playing on a golf course that are difficult to get on unless you're a member. And if a family or friend invites to you to play, I never say no. The Vineyards Golf Course is a beautifully designed course that easily blends in with its surroundings. The course has three set of tee boxes which we chose to play the back tees of course. Why??, well because the young men I was playing with can drive ball 300 yards plus and sometimes on the fairway. It sure did not help my game when I attempted to drive the ball the distances they seem capable. I found the Vineyards golf course challenging with its rolling fairways, protected by large meandering sand bunkers, false fronts and hazards. We had a windy day that played in our favor on some holes and others which easily challenged us. The par-3 holes were a variety in length, direction and difficulty. The secondary roughs had fescue grasses and in some cases we were lined up along a corn field farm. Vineyards was much more challenging than I anticipated, but I very much enjoyed the course and would love to play there again before the season ends.

Sydney is truly one of the highlights of our country club experience her warm smile, friendly…read moredemeanor, and incredible attentiveness never go unnoticed. Whether she's making the rounds as the cart girl or serving drinks at the bar, Sydney goes above and beyond to make every member feel welcome and taken care of. She's always quick with a cold drink and a kind word, and it's clear she genuinely cares about creating a great atmosphere for everyone. The club is lucky to have her, and we're even luckier to be greeted by her each time we're out on the course!

Private members club on the North Fork of Long Island. Amazing membership, with a mix of year…read moreround locals and summer residents. The only Donald Ross golf course on Long Island! If you know a member, tap them to play or make a dinner date. Some of the best food on the North Fork!

The covid is excellent here. Perfectly seasoned.read more

This is a great golf club but it's also a great restaurant & bar. You don't need to play golf to…read morestop in for a drink & an early excellent bite to eat. The chef here is terrific. Solid menu, creative specials, great local gathering spot but also many people golf here from all over Long Island because tee times are hard to come by these days. The staff, is attentive, friendly and happy to make sure you have a great time. Thank you Jenn for making this such a comfortable happy yummy place! NOTE: They usually close the bar & restaurant by 6pm. The hours do vary. On Wednesday & Friday nights they're open later, kitchen closes at roughly 7:30pm. Call ahead for hours if timing matters. Closed Monday.

Great day of golf. And the food in the restaurant is outstanding! The Chef is very creative. Had…read morethe BBQ chicken special which was mouthwatering.

No, we were not privy to playing golf here. Would have been ashamed to try. As avid observers of…read morethe sport we still can appreciate the wonderful experience it must be for those who have the talent to enjoy such a venue. It was a pleasure to drive by at every opportunity as we spent a few days vacationing in the area. The reality of seeing such a wonderful layout made for a highlight of our trip.

worst place to host the US Open. No wonder people call it shittycock. Maybe they should host less…read more Its unwatchable when the greens feel like the sidewalk.

This otherwise expensive publicly accessible private course in Riverhead has been getting strong…read morepub in this space from golfers taking advantage of Groupons, but won't from me. But first, a history lesson.... Eastern LI farmland was cleared in the late 90's to build a new development highlighted by a new Robert Trent Jones, Jr. course in Riverhead. Despite the buzz, not all houses were built (even in the Real Estate boom) and the course, though well reviewed, never achieved the popularity of the leading courses on LI. Shortly afterward and perhaps inspired by the success of this venture, another development was built featuring two courses at Cherry Creek, about a mile away. Though neither Cherry Creek course featured a big name course designer, each became popular with locals for friendly staff, quality conditions and fair greens fees. So within a small area in a middle-class area, there was a rapid build-up of public/private courses, one of which was twice as expensive as the other two . The result was too predictable - this is Long Island, home to a US Open course that you can play for $75. LI National began resorting to flash sites like Groupon to draw players and eventually went bankrupt under the crushing debt most likely incurred to pay RTJ for his less than legendary design. According to media reports, LI National was sold out of bankruptcy to a new owner who plans to take the course completely private at the end of the season. I wish him luck in an otherwise middle-class area. Meanwhile, those who've purchased Groupons have to seek refunds as they are no longer honored. The web-site has been taken down and they're down to a single phone line, which sometimes gets answered. Die-hards, it's your last chance. For me, I'm OK with better links golf at neighboring Tallgrass and better value quality courses at Cherry Creek for a while.

*I purchased the $59 Groupon a while back, we played there this past weekend…read more First off, the course itself was phenomenal, we had a great experience playing there, definitely somewhere I will consider playing again, even at the full price. Some very challenging fairways, killer rough (fescue), but a lot of rewarding holes too. What went above and beyond for me however was the service. The snack cart girl was upbeat, the attendants at the golf cart station were awesome, we had a great conversation with the bartender at the 19th hole, but most of all the front office has been amazing helping to return my phone which I lost somewhere on the course (I live in Brooklyn and don't have a car, very difficult to get back out there). 5/5 Would recommend strongly.

This track is nothing short of amazing. I had the pleasure of playing with a few members and I…read morethoroughly enjoyed the layout. The course was pristine as you'd expect from a RTJ design. This is definitely one of the hidden gems of southeastern Connecticut.

The 18-hole "Black Hall" course at the Black Hall Club facility in Old Lyme, Connecticut features…read more6,625 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 71 . The course rating is 73.2 and it has a slope rating of 141 on Bent grass. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, ASGCA, the Black Hall golf course opened in 1968. Four different tee boxes so plenty of choice for this target golf course. As is typical of rtj the greens are fast and reading them are differcult in addition to the greens being well protected. All facilities. Private course

Played a game of crazy gold with the kids and then rented a hobie cat and sailed around the lake-…read moreloads of fun. What a great place! Reasonable prices.

Perfect spot to rent a hobie car sailboat for an hour on Fort Pond. Remember they are cash-only!…read moreYou can leave your essentials at the front desk with he friendly staffer. We had no trouble getting one mid-day Friday, and the weather cooperates with a nice wind. $50 might seem steep, but it was worth it for the 3 of us to get out on the water and for my daughter to learn how to captain. The dude at the dock made sure my wife could control the boat and gave us a little guidance, then we were on our way to some light sailing fun. Most boat rentals in Montauk seem to be for bigger or motorized craft, so look for what suits you.

Susan: I wish we could afford a place in the Hamptons. Everybody…read more whos anybody has one. Hobie: Yeah, but if youre somebody whos nobody, its no fun to be around anybody whos everybody. - "Melinda and Melinda" Though he predates the 1% debate and Chuck Bass, Woody Allen had some serious insights into the world of Manhattan's elite... and non-elite. While nowadays almost any mid-level trader or PR twentysomething has a share house in the Hamptons during the summer months, it's only a certain kind of family that owns out east. And within that already ultra exclusive club, there are only a certain echelon that belong to the private beach clubs stretching along the white sand beaches on the Eastern edges of this long island. Fortunately for me, I managed to meet a few of these fancy folks and through their generosity I gained access to the notoriously snooty and closed access golf compound and private family club in East Hampton. The Maidstone is one of the oldest golf clubs in the east and boasts an 18-hole course. Since I'm more beach bum than caddy shacker, I indulged in the water sports and beach cafe on my visit. The cold bar offers made-to-order salads freshly chopped before your eyes. The grill had some tantalizing sandwiches and burgers, but again being a private club you can only dine here with a member so leave the cash at home. The private beach is perfectly serene, complete with chairs and umbrellas ready for a day of lounging while the massive pool seemed more family friendly with children splashing away. Be sure to order up a signature Maidstone cocktail (basically a rich man's Long Island Iced Tea) and check out the upper deck views of the Atlantic and surrounding beach. The clubhouse itself is nice, classy and pure Hamptons style. We didn't really meet anyone new, and the only diversity you'll find is in the kitchen. It's clear that families have been coming out here for generations and they are wary of strange faces. It was fun to live like the 1% for a day, but in the end I think I prefer a sandy day brown-bagging it in the Rockaways. For those looking for a more exclusive experience, and some of the world best golf spots, then perhaps you can wiggle your way in here.

Very nice course. It was short but challenging and fun. Greens were fast and course was in great…read morecondition. Definitely recommend it.

Fun track. Not a very good layout. The holes are not clearly marked and 15 to 16 to 17 could be…read morebetter done. It has very little water for a course that is on the ocean. Not a long course, and requires more of an accurate game to score well.

I absolutely love this golf course. The layout is so so good, and so is the price. Similar to…read moreBethpage State Park, you register your license in the tee time system and call a week in advance to make the tee time. The food here is good, but the Eastern European girls behind the counter in the bar area are super slow at serving. Do not head into the snack shack in a rush if you want an egg sandwich, although they do have pre made sandwich wraps that are much faster for lunch. Check in area is a small window in the hallway inside, kind of like Bethpage. At $50 for NYS residents on a weekend, the greens fee is unbeatable. The course is 6800 yards from the tips, and if the wind is up can play much longer. No water views, but the course has a linksy feel to it. Almost all of the par 5s are reachable with a good drive, two of them with mid irons. Walk or ride any time, and enjoy the track. No boring holes, good mix of short and long ones. Greens are good enough, not super fast but decent speed. The layout really is tremendous though. Pro shop isn't bad, good selection of clubs and apparel. Range is nothing special at all, but you can hit drivers which is nice. Range is off mats. Cart girl is out and about, and 9 returns to the clubhouse if you only wanna get in a quick round or need to stock up on food, soft drinks, beers, etc. The bar has liquor too. Rounds can be long, 5-5 and a half hours on weekends, but tee times are not hard to come by. However, don't try to walk up without a tee time, you might not get out til very late afternoon. Be sure to snap a picture from the top of the third teebox looking down towards the clubhouse, awesome view. They have a public daily fee pool here too, although I've never been so can't comment on it.

The range attendant makes you share a mat if you show up with another person, which is ridiculous…read more I'm a 14 handicap and my boyfriend is so bad, he doesn't even have one. The range attendant gives him the mat every time and makes me wait, even when other mats are open! I've never seen anything like this. Highly recommend walking up solo or having a word with the head pro. And if you're a female, I'd avoid this place completely.