Six Long Island Courses in 2007-08 Golf Digest's Top 100 Rankings

Colonial Springs, a members only club that started out as a public club in 1995 and went private in 2004 , is nearing the completion of a renovation that has taken 3 seasons. This new design has been the handiwork of one of the world's most renowned golf course architects, Mr. Robert Trent Jones. Mr. Jones has designed one other course on Long Island, Long Island National, completed in 1999. Colonial Springs re-opens on June 1st when the last of the 9 hole layouts ( the Pines ) is completed.

What You Need to Know About Handicaps

How do I establish an official Handicap?

USGA Handicap Indexes are issued to individuals only through recognized golf clubs. The USGA Handicap System requires that a golfer be part of a club so that “peer review” is part of the handicap process. Peer review by fellow members at a club helps insure that scores are properly posted and that valid and accurate USGA Handicap Indexes are maintained. Joining a club is not difficult, however, as virtually every golf facility in the Met Area has an established club which is recognized by the USGA and MGA which issues official handicaps. Many clubs, especially those at golf facilities open to the public, are easy and relatively inexpensive to join and offer the MGA’s official handicap service. Check the public facilities in your area or call the MGA office for assistance.

How many scores do I need to establish a Handicap?

A minimum of 5 scores are needed to establish an official USGA Handicap Index. Once an Index is established the USGA Handicap System uses the most recent 20 scores in the handicap calculation.

What scores should I post?

Accurate posting of scores with Course and Slope Ratings is the most important part of the USGA Handicap System. The rule for posting is simple: When in an active season, if you play at least 13 holes of an 18-hole round or 7 holes of 9-hole rounds, whether home or away, played in either match play or stroke play, in a tournament or in casual play, good or bad, THE SCORE SHALL BE POSTED.

What if I play away from my home course?

Many computer computation services are now “networked”. This means that at many locations you can post your score after your round at an away course and the score will be "routed" back to your home club. Virtually all MGA member clubs are part of the USGA’s GHIN (Golf Handicap and Information Network) service so Met Area golfers can post at almost any MGA member club and at clubs across the country using the GHIN service. The IGN (International Golf Network) links other golf associations and their computations service together. So if you play away, ask if the club you are playing at is part of GHIN or IGN and post your score using your Golfer ID number on your membership/ handicap card. Otherwise, take the score back to your home club and post it with the appropriate date, Course and Slope Rating.

How do I adjust my score for Equitable Stroke Control?

Effective January 1, 1998, the MGA and all Met Area clubs adopted the guidelines established in Section 4-3 of the USGA Handicap System Manual. The table in the ESC section outlines the maximum score posted on any hole allowed for a Course Handicap range

If I stop play after 13 holes (7 for 9), what do I post for the remaining holes?

You should post a par and any handicap strokes you are entitled to for the holes not played

What if I play a hole poorly or I can't help my partner and I don't finish that hole? Then what do I post?

Simple! Post the score you most likely would have made had the hole been completed. Remember, don't exceed your Equitable Stroke Control maximum.  

Middle Island Country Club, a 27 hole public course in Suffolk County came under new ownership in 2007. Jeung Golf has taken the necessary steps to restore Middle Island CC to its former glory and their commitment to do so was immediately apparent when they hired Jeffrey Henderson as their head professional. Jeffrey was born and raised in Wisconsin and to all of those who have had the pleasure of meeting him, they will attest to the fact that he has brought his mid-western hospitality and character with him. On a recent tour of Middle Island I saw first hand how players have responded to the "member for a day " treatment they receive.

Course improvements are well underway and include a GPS system, all new electric carts, and a much needed clean up to the course. Trees have been removed, fairways are lush and waste areas have been tended.

Improvements will be ongoing throughout the season with minimal disruption to play. By mid summer players can even expect to see an island green at number 7 on the Spruce course !!

For those who can appreciate  country club charm without exorbitant  cost or pretense,  the "new"  Middle Island Country Club is a wonderful addition to Long Island golf.

Handicap Definitions

COURSE HANDICAP TABLE

Each course has its own individualized Course Handicap Table that is based on the Slope Rating for each set of tees on the course. Each golfer will take his USGA Handicap Index to the table to determine his Course Handicap for that round.

COURSE HANDICAP

This is the handicap you play with at a particular course. It is based on the conversion of your USGA Handicap Index using the Course Handicap Table.

COURSE RATING

This is the evaluation of a course's playing difficulty for a scratch golfer under normal course and weather conditions.

HOME COURSE HANDICAP

This is the handicap you use at your home course from your most commonly used set of tees. As a matter of convenience, the MGA prints your home course handicap on your handicap reports.

SLOPE RATING

It is not simply a measure of playing difficulty. It is a comparative evaluation of how a course plays for the scratch player vs. the bogey player. The Slope Rating for courses of standard difficulty for men and women is 113.

TREND

This is a calculation available to Electronic Option clubs only. This is NOT an official handicap and is produced for information purposes only. Trend only appears on the golfer's handicap information screen and is simply a reflection of the direction the golfer’s official USGA Home Course Handicap is heading, including all posted scores, at the next revision period

USGA HANDICAP INDEX

This is your official handicap. It is the measurement of a player's potential scoring ability on a course of standard playing difficulty (113 slope). It is expressed as a number taken to one decimal place and is used for conversion to a Course Handicap.

The American Society of Golf Course Architects compiled a list of expected expiration dates for the various components of a golf course: Greens need replacement every 15 to 30 years, tees every 15 to 20 years, bunker sand every five to seven years. The National Golf Links of America in Southampton dropped out of the top ten this year  in spite of an  intensive restoration project during a number of years by former superintendent Karl Olson, who oversaw the removal of nearly 5,000 trees (including 3,000 on one hole!) to recapture the links characteristics of its groundbreaking C.B. Macdonald design.

Bethpage Black returned to the top 100 in 2001 after a monumental restoration project and has managed to hold on to its new found glory.

Kind of makes us all proud to be Long Islanders, don't you think ?