Dyker Beach Golf Course

Guest (cart included), played on Monday, June 2011 at 8am

Greens are deceptive. When you think they will be slow, they turn out to be the exact opposite, and vice versa.

$56 (cart not included), played on Friday, June 2010 at 4pm

Nice course, but very expensive cheap deal towards hawk hours but with the pace of play good luck trying to play more than 9.

$16 (cart not included), played on Wednesday, May 2010 at 2pm

AGC has done a good job with this surprisingly lovely course only 10 minutes from downtown Brooklyn. The course is well maintained and drives in the fairways are rewarded by accessible approaches to the greens. Off line tee shots find strategic sand, varying rough, trees or marshland, but one correction stroke usually gets you back on track. There are no forced carries or water hazards.

Golfers I play with agree that Dyker Beach plays a little harder that its official slope rating indicates. The greens vary from small to mid-sized, each features wrinkles and tilts (a few are bi-level)and are generally well-guarded by decent bunkers, banks and longish rough. Depending on the mood of the groundskeeper, and whether a tournament is scheduled,a golfer can expect a mix of easy to hard pin placements. The landscape is varied and picturesque on most holes.

The fees are average for NYC courses and special annual golf card purchase gets early twighlight rates. This is public golf and as such one can expect to confront lots of unreplaced divots in the fairways, choppy, unraked sandtraps and lots of unrepaired ball marks on the greens. There is usually a starter, but few if any course marshals are on duty to police slow play and / or course etiquette. You can "reserve" a t-time online or by calling ahead for a small fee, but this means nothing in terms of a guaranteed time. Golfers on the weekends can expect up to an hour delay past their times and a round may take up to 5 hours or more to complete. Weekdays are a little better, but be sure to call ahead since Dyker management book frequent parties and private tournaments, or high school competitions or practices that take precedent over individuals and foursomes.

Beer, soft drinks, adequate dogs and burgers and substandard sandwiches are available on fair weather weekends outside or from the restaurant in the clubhouse which has an expanded menu and full bar. The small pro shop is nicely done with basic supplies and rental clubs. Though Dyker is not a venue to plan a vacation around, a dedicated golfer vacationing or visiting NYC/Brooklyn golfing friends might spend a happy morning or afternoon at Dyker on a lark. I've golfed at most NYC public courses and it is at the top in terms of beauty and design, in many ways as nice as some private courses I've played, though not quite as well maintained and equipped with amenities.

Other good NYC publics are Pelham/Split Rock, La Tourette and Clearview. Forest Park, Douglaston are in the second tier and the hilly, but diminutive Kissena course was in okay shape and really fun when I played there this month. Under new management, Marine Park in Brooklyn, is getting upgraded to its rightful place with the best.

$41 (cart not included), played on Saturday, October 2007 at 6am

Dyker Beach GC is the best public Golf Course in NYC. That is not saying a whole lot. However, aside from the clientelle, (there are some real jerks that play there regularly and think they own the course) Dyker is a wonderful escape from the concrete jungle known as NYC. I have been a regular for about 10 years now. Although the property is owned by NYC, the course is managed by American Golf. Since they instituted an on line booking site, tee times are easier to get. However, they still block out the best times (early mornings on weekends) for the men and women clubs that have top priority. I scored my first hole in one there (11th hole--par 3)in June 2007, so the place is special to me. I just wish they respected the public a little better.