Field Trip: Good, Cheap Golf Nearby

Jon Schnapp Prepared To Tee Up at Galloping Hills

Dying to play golf? Not a member anywhere? New to the city and clueless? Believe it or not there is plenty of great golfing (on the cheap) very close to, and even in New York City.

I recently made my first trip of the year to the Galloping Hills course in Kenilworth, NJ.. The course is a mere 19 miles from Union Square and takes about a half hour to get to without traffic. Measuring over 6500 yards, this par 70 course is in very good shape, very green, and challenging, yet forgiving. The cost for a New Yorker is about $75 including cart, while I'm sure it's probably about half that for a Union County resident.

Oh, and there is more, plenty more. Pelham/Split Rock in Pelham Bay Park is one that I've tried which was scenic and challenging. You would never know that you were in the Bronx. This century old links style course is not perfectly manicured, but for less than $40 (for NYC residents), who could complain? Other options that I have not tried, but will soon, are Dyker Beach in Brooklyn, Clearview Park in Queens and Van Cortland in the Bronx, the nation's oldest public course established in 1895.

Below is a link to NY Times article on great public courses in the Metro area. Happy golfing!
As Open Goes Public, Many Players Do, Too (NY Times)