Bethpage Black
There are only a handful of U.S. Open Championship courses readily available to the public, but the Black Course at Bethpage State Park is one of them. The 7,336-yard Black Course hosted the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Open Championships, and it's consistently rated among the top public courses in the country by the likes of "Golf Digest" and the Golf.com Website. Although missing the long, narrow fairways of the tee may not be fun when you're laying 5 on a par-4, but the experience of playing one of the true tests in golf makes it a one-of-a-kind thrill.
Bethpage Black
99 Quaker Meeting House Road
Farmingdale, NY 11735-1847
(516) 249-0701
Tallgrass
This course's name says it all. You must consistently hit the fairways at this 6,587-yard course. Even though Tallgrass lacks the length of a Bethpage Black, the rough is just as fierce. When the wind picks up to 30 miles per hour off the Long Island coastline, it's nearly impossible to go up-and-down for par when you've missed the fairway by more than 10 yards. If you stay in the fairway, the hills will carry a drive an extra 40 yards on some holes. The sloped greens are tricky when you're on them, but they are surrounded by deep bunkers.
Tallgrass
24 Cooper Street
Shoreham, NY 11786
(631) 209-9359
Golfattallgrass.com
Catch a Yankees game
Love them or hate them, every true sports fan should experience a New York Yankees game at Yankee Stadium. The new stadium opened in April of 2008 at the bloated price tag of $1.5 billion. On the field, of course, you can check on the Bronx Bombers. They won a record 26 World Series titles while calling "old" Yankee Stadium home. The new complex offers plenty away from the field, such as The Great Hall, a 31,000-square foot atrium between Gates 4 and 6 clogged with Yankees memorabilia and shops. Banners of their greatest 20 players race up the wall.
Yankee Stadium
1 E. 161st St.
Bronx, NY 10451
(718) 590-0290
Yankees.mlb.com
About The Author
Sean Quinn is a writer and editor based in New York City. He has spent the last decade covering major sporting events from the NFL playoffs to the U.S. Open. He has written for the Kansas City Star and ESPN, among others. He is a graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
