Golf on Long Island: Flyover: Tallgrass Country Club

[UPDATE -- April 2017: Tallgrass Golf Course has closed.]

I've had several discussions with people while playing in the area, and when Tallgrass Golf Course (fka Tallgrass Country Club) comes up in talks, all seem to agree on one thing -- that the Shoreham layout dishes out some serious punishment to those who can't help but flirt with its namesake fescue. "Tallgrass gives you headaches," said one golfer from nearby Rocky Point.

But what else everyone seems to agree on is that Tallgrass is worth the anguish. And though the course beat me into the ground the first few times I challenged it, I'd take the hour-plus ride out to Shoreham right now without a second thought.

So it's no wonder that Tallgrass was ranked by Golfweek as one of its "Best Courses You Can Play" in 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, and that Newsday lists the Gil Hanse design as the fourth-best public course on Long Island. Newsday readers also voted the 11th hole at Tallgrass to the Long Island "Dream 18" -- a collection of the best public holes on the Island, created by the golfers themselves.

The view from behind #11.

A sand and grass waste area runs the length of the fairway on its left, and a tall berm covered in high, thick grass waits to swallow up balls sent to the right. Any balls that manage to trickle down off the mound will most likely come to rest in a thin line of bunkering that sits at the foot of the hill.

LAYOUT:
The first thing you notice about Tallgrass is the oddity of seeing from one end of the entire course property to the other. It is a wide-open expanse of land without a single tree for you to punch out from underneath. Instead, acres of sand and fescue grass wait to greet you. It only took until the second fairway recently for a playing partner to say the same thing I said upon playing Tallgrass for the first time -- "I don't even feel like I'm on Long Island anymore."

The challenge begins with a 495-yard par-5 (521 from the tips) and two of the course's toughest par-4s. The first hole can be reached in two but deep rough and a pot bunker in front of the green force you to think twice about trying. The second and third seem like harmless par-4s from the tee until you discover that neither hole offers any room to miss on the right -- they literally fall down off a cliff (just a small one). A triangular trap is hidden from view by the fairway's upslope on #2, and a huge sand complex presses into the left side of the fairway on #3. You're also expected to squeeze an uphill approach shot onto an incredibly narrow second green that is bordered by sand and fescue on the right and a dropoff into a chipping area on the left.

Of the five par-3s, the 192-yard 17th is the longest but also the least hazardous. Its green is free of sand -- a rare sight at Tallgrass -- but the putting surface is hidden from the tee. The others force you to contend with plenty of sand and winds that whip through the open space. Miss left on #4 and you may find yourself in a grassy waste area that is nearly impossible to hack out of, or a sand trap sunk 10 feet below the putting surface. Miss short on the reverse-redan eighth and you'll be stuck in a long, wide trap from which a short-side pin usually awaits. Play tee shots to the left side of the green where the slope of the apron kicks balls toward the entrance to the putting surface. Accuracy is key on the tiny 14th. Even though it's just an easy 9-iron or wedge away from the tee for many players, the green is divided into small segments that only the most precise shots can find and hold.

One of the highlights is #11, a picturesque par-4 that can quickly turn from beaut to brute if you veer too far from the target line. You can easily be on in two if you avoid the waste area that runs along the entire left side of the fairway. On the right, a thin river of sand snakes along the foot of a grassy berm that inhales any ball that comes its way. This mounding also surrounds the stadium green (pictured left) and will complicate any shots that go long.

Before you get there, a miniature par-4 forces you to tap into some of your strategic acumen. The 285-yard tenth features a narrow green similar to the one on #2. The fairway swerves to the right and hides the green beside another large trap. It's easy to overshoot the fairway and wind up in the weeds, so convince yourself to play a club short and set up an easier approach to a green that's hard to pin down. (Another short par-4 -- #6 -- was converted to a permanent par-3 in 2013. Read more about the change at "Redesign in the works for Tallgrass #6" and "Tallgrass converting #6 to a par-3.")

Water comes into play on only one hole -- the par-5 15th. A drainage pond sits to the right of the fairway, which slopes down toward the drink. Farther up the fairway, a long bunker guards the right side as you approach the green.

CONDITIONS:
Tallgrass is as close to public links-style golf as there is in the area. Wind is a major player, and at times it plays firm and fast, a rarity in these parts. Greens can be difficult to read and many force you to navigate tough slopes and ridges.

While Tallgrass has a fair share of regular bunkers -- 70 in all according to the course guide -- many of them are of the large sand/grass waste variety, and others are deep pot bunkers. Proficiency out of the sand is a must, especially in many spots where you can leave a great deal of beach between your ball and anything that's green.

A unique feature at Tallgrass is the prevalence of shaved chipping areas around the greens. Fed by the false fronts and sloped sides that protect many of the putting surfaces, these chipping areas add an element to the short game to which many players are unaccustomed. Both #2 and #10 sport slim greens that drop off on one side to a collection area. You can chip from a thin lie to a small target or putt uphill toward the pin, but unless you've practiced these types of shots, you'll need great touch and a dose of luck to get up and down.

When you have a moment to take in the surroundings, stand at some of the high points of the course, look across the layout, and pretend your somewhere in the Carolinas or Arizona -- then enjoy it while you can. As nice as the view is, the LIE still waits for you on the drive home.

Finally, it's one thing to find your ball in the fescue and deem it playable -- it's another thing to actually execute a shot from it. Sometimes a drop isn't the worst thing in the world.

HOLE(S) TO REMEMBER:
While #11 gets a lot of the accolades, #2 is an underrated par-4. It doesn't look like much from the tee, but even if you land your ball in the center of an uphill fairway, there's still a tall order to fill. The green is very narrow -- even if you miss safely to the left, you still have to pitch to an elevated sliver of a green with bunkers and weeds waiting for you on the opposite side if you get a little overzealous.

The par-4, 360-yard fifth is also fun. A waste area cuts across the fairway and demands about a 270-yard tee shot from the blues to carry it. Your second shot is to a highly elevated green.

Whether you laid up to the end of the fairway or bombed a drive to start the round, the approach to #1 green is an early test. A perilously deep bunker guards the shorter route from the left, while thick rough and a false front penalize underclubbed shots from any direction.

AREA(S) TO AVOID:
Your round will get off to a messy start -- and you'll be introduced to the namesake tall grass rather quickly -- if you go right on #1. None of the first three holes allow you to miss right at all. Basically, keep away from anything that's brown. The long ninth hole has fescue along the entirety of both sides, and again, finding your ball in it is one thing, but playing it well is another.

OTHER NOTES:
Tallgrass has partnered with the Inn & Spa at East Wind in nearby Wading River. Guests at East Wind have the opportunity to challenge Tallgrass at preferred rates or as part of a "Stay and Play" package that includes breakfast and massage in addition to golf and luxury accommodations. For more information, visit East Wind via the "Stay and Play" section of the Tallgrass website.

In March 2012, Tallgrass architect Gil Hanse was selected to design the 2016 Olympic course in Rio de Janeiro. Previously, Hanse was named 2009 Architect of the Year by Golf Magazine.

NEARBY COURSES:
Rolling Oaks Country Club (3 miles)
Great Rock Golf Club (6 miles)

CONTACT:
24 Cooper St., Shoreham 11786
(631) 209-9359
www.tallgrassgc.com