A Golf Club for Everyone: Long Island National

The first Annual Member Guest Tournament at the Long Island National Golf Club was held on July 14. Member Roger Deseve and his guest Jim Malone won the tournament, with a winning score of 2 over par 73. Malone also won for closest to the flagstick on the 193 yard, par 3, and Chad Newman won longest drive. Winners were awarded crystal trophies at the luncheon after the event.

The Long Island National Golf Club, located in the hamlet of Northville in Riverhead, is one of several public golf courses on the North Fork. The club is equipped with an 18-hole course as well as a practice area, pro shop and even a restaurant, Bogey’s Grill. The course is in a beautiful area of the North Fork, surrounded by farms and not far from the Long Island Sound.

Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., a well-known golf architect who designed many golf courses all over the world, the course features 6,838 yards of green that includes over 50 sand bunkers and three lakes. It was built in 1999 on a former potato farm belonging to the Gatz family. They still own the club today. When it was first opened, the club was managed by American Golf, one of the most expansive golf management companies in the world, as they operate over 100 golf courses across the United States. However, in 2010, the job returned to the Gatz family, specifically Bill Gatz, who now runs the club.

Players of all abilities and skill levels are able to test themselves at the Long Island National Golf Club, which has become a well-known and well-respected golf course. In 2005, the course was number eight on Golfweek Magazine’s “America’s Best Public-Access Courses for New York.”  It has also been rated four stars from Golf Digest in its 2008-2009 Places to Play List.

The club is open to the public, which means that just about anyone can reserve a tee-time with William Labrador, the Director of Golf, if they so choose, however, the option to become a member is also there. There are many different types of memberships offered. All of the memberships offer a discount of 10 to 20% in the pro shop, as well as a 10 to 15% discount off all food and beverages in the club. More importantly, however, members are able to book a tee time online 14 days in advance, compared to the general public who can only book seven days in advance, giving the members priority. Members also have unlimited use of the practice facilities, including the driving range and other special benefits.

The Golf Club also offers a golf clinic and camp for kids ages 7 to 13. The camp is held over the summer, with instructors available for both beginners and those children who are more advanced. According to Bill Gatz, the instructor, John Davies, assesses the children and groups them according to skill level.

The Pro Shop is a good place to look for potential gifts for birthdays or holidays. The shop offers a variety of clothing and equipment, from such athletic brands as Adidas as well as other companies that focus on more golf-related apparel, such as Fairway & Greene and Peter Millar. Gift certificates are also available if you’re not a golf expert yourself and unsure of what you can buy someone who is.

If you’re hungry while out on the course, you can always stop at the halfway house for a bite to eat. But if you’re not actually on the course, there’s always Bogey’s Grill, which offers pretty regular fare, such as burgers, salads and sandwiches.

The Long Island National Golf Club is definitely a great place to spend a day for the whole family, because as Gatz says, “Of course parents are allowed to play the course with their child.” It is a course that offers a lot, from its beautiful surroundings to its challenging course.

Long Island National Golf Club, 1793 Northville Turnpike, Riverhead, 631-727-4653,
www.golflongislandnational.com