Description: So unique for the area, this course was built on the former site of a gravel and sand mine on the North Shore of L.I., making for beautiful elevation changes and drastic, visually stimulating golf.
A look down on the almost-island green of the par-3 17th at Harbor Links. (photo courtesy harborlinks.com)
On the edges of the course are huge, 100-foot-high dunes - now covered with shrubbery - that used to be the edge of the sand pits and can be seen throughout the round. It creates a feeling of privacy, like you could be in the middle of the Arizona desert.
There are three holes on the course that have split fairways, which allow for some interesting decision making off the tees. As a whole, the par-4s are long, the par-5s are wonderfully risk-reward, and the par-3s are an aesthtic delight. (No. 17, a 207-yard gem with a quasi-island green was even better before the towering apartment complex was built next to it).
Reader Comments: An absolute joy from the minute you walk in the (new) clubhouse to the minute you walk off the golf course ... A great round of golf, and so different from everything in the area ... I love the split fairways, and the course was in tip-top condition.
Description:By any definition, the Red Course is a real classic. Originally designed by Deveroux Emmet as part of the private, five-course Salisbury Country Club, this course hosted the 1926 PGA Championship (when it was still match-play), which Walter Hagen won, the third of his historic four PGAs in a row.
A look down the fairway of the par-4 15th on the Red Course at Eisenhower. (photo courtesy Nassau County.)
With some lengthening and modernization, the Red has stood the test of time, hosting a Champions Tour event in 2008 when it played to a 6,904-yard par-70. Although not incredibly difficult on an average day, the Red is relatively flat but features a great mix of doglegs and small, well-guarded greens. In classic Emmet fashion, a lot of the holes require a distinct plan from tee to green, with approach-shot angles being paramount. When the fairways are narrowed and the thick rough is grown out, the Red can be a real test.
Reader Comments: My favorite course out here because you can play it every day and not get bored ... The conditions are phenominal for how much play it gets ... The recent renovations/improvements have made it even better ... My wife’s a high-handicapper and I’m a two-handicap, and we both enjoyed the experience immensely.