[This flyover was updated on November 22, 2023.]
SEE ALSO:
A Half Century in East Rock: Bay Park in the Midst of 50th-Anniversary Season
Bay Park Golf Course is one of the four county-run nine-hole munis in Nassau, a wide-open par-30 that's perfectly suited for beginners and those looking to iron out some wrinkles in their swings before more challenging rounds elsewhere. Though these four County courses — Bay Park, North Woodmere, Cantiague and Christopher Morley — aren't exactly known for their variety, Bay Park offers a little flavor of links-style golf on the water in East Rockaway. There are very few trees, and the wind off the bay and ocean is a constant and often disruptive factor. Think of Bay Park at its windiest as the British Open's really short par-3 tournament, only with more geese and less Colin Montgomerie.
LAYOUT: There are three par-4s, two of which are more than 300 yards. But the shortest of the three is actually the toughest. The 299-yard opening hole falls down a slope left of the fairway, but more startling in an otherwise flat park is the severe drop around the sides and back of the green. Miss long and you'll need to demonstrate some real prowess with your sand or lob wedge to redeem yourself — all while the group (or groups) ahead of you watches from the second tee.
The other par-4s — #5 and #9 — are rather benign carbon copies of one another. Both turn slightly to the right, though the ninth offers the benefit of often playing downwind. A powerful, wind-aided drive can settle right on the green's doorstep.
The par-3s are similar in layout with few danger zones. All of them offer wide-open entrances to the green, so there's no risk in missing short of the surface. With only a few trees scattered away from the fairways, there is plenty of room for recovery shots. Most notable of the bunch is the 142-yard second, which calls for a piercing iron shot into a blistering headwind. The green is significantly elevated and rests in comfort behind a moat-style front bunker.
View from behind the second tee.
The green on #2 (background left) is only a short iron away, but the wind can complicate things easily. The flag on #1 whips in the breeze atop the hill on the right.
CONDITIONS:
Just under 2,000 yards, Bay Park is flat and easy to walk. The breeze off the bay is notable at its softest, potentially overwhelming at its strongest. Bay Park is a very practical layout — it gets the job done without any frills. Fairways are in decent condition despite the park's susceptibility to flooding. Greens roll on the slow side but are fair and generally easy to read. Most are tilted in at least one direction, so putts aren't as consistently flat as you might expect. The green on #1 is pitched back to front, and the surface on the 190-yard fourth slopes rather significantly from back left to front right.
Bay Park is not treeless, though it's much more open than it was in the recent past. Two large elm trees used to act as a ball magnet on the opening tee shot, but both came down following Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Now, standing on the high points of the property, you can enjoy unobstructed views of the surrounding bay and inlets.
HOLE(S) TO REMEMBER:
It's incredibly satisfying to look up at a well-protected green, dodge the hazards and land your ball a few paces from the flag. You'll get that opportunity on #2. Sure, it's not #12 at Augusta, but deceptively elevated and pointed into the prevailing wind, the modest par-3 requires a high-caliber shot. Misjudge the distance and you could land in a U-shaped front bunker that's not exactly soft and fluffy.
AREA(S) TO AVOID:
Again, don't miss long on #1. And if you hook your iron badly to the left on #2, you bring the course's outer fence into play and may wind up on someone's fishing charter.
OTHER NOTES:
- There is no driving range.
- County residents need to show Leisure Passes in order to receive the resident rate.
NEARBY COURSES:
North Woodmere Park (5 miles)
Merrick Road Park (6 miles)
Lido Golf Club (7 miles)
WHERE TO GRAB A BITE AND A BEER:
Long Islanders love their Italian pizzeria-restaurant hybrids, and one of the better ones in the area is Villa Maria on Atlantic Avenue, just a few minutes from the Bay Park entrance. A large waterfront deck for food and drinks is the main attraction at the Lazy Lobster. If all you need is popcorn to hold you over after you play nine, check out Barrier Brewing Company, and don't be dissuaded by the hidden industrial location. An interesting selection of house brews awaits.
CONTACT:
First Avenue, East Rockaway 11518
(516) 571-7245 / 7244 (wait time)
SEE ALSO:
A Half Century in East Rock: Bay Park in the Midst of 50th-Anniversary Season
Bay Park, North Woodmere now open all week
[This flyover was updated on November 22, 2023.]
Have thoughts and opinions on Bay Park? Share them with other Golf On Long Island readers by posting in the comments section below.
For the past two years, this course has been neglected. The greens are not rolled, they use dime size airation holes usually used on fairways, and as a result the greens take 5 weeks to recover and untill then, putting is like playing chinese checkers. The grounds crew took 3 months to pick up the branches from last year's tropical storm Irene, and so they don't have to look after the fairway traps on the 5th, they post "turtle nest" signs all year. Because the groundskeeper doesn't want to work, she keeps the rough very high, and doesn't cut the grass at all just off the fairways, leading to agonizingly slow rounds of golf, with golfers spending more time looking for their balls than hitting them. The sand traps don't have much sand, and are so poorly maintained you can just putt out of them. We are all talking about a petition, but then again, many of us don't even bother coming here anymore. Why she hasn't been fired, only God knows!
Posted by: Lefty | January 01, 2013 at 05:16 AM