Best Public Golf Courses Near NYC

Playing golf in and around New York City is no easy feat—I’d know. If you live in the Big Apple, chances are you don’t have a car, which means relying on public transportation or rideshare to get to any nearby golf courses. While the commitment to golf is greater in NYC than if you lived in the ’burbs, the results are equally as rewarding, if not more so.

With high-quality private courses including Shinnecock Hills, Winged Foot, National Golf Links of America and Friar’s Head in the top 15 of Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses,” golf around New York City is clearly some of the best in the country, but don’t sleep on the nearby public course offerings as well.

The list of public golf courses in New York City are abundant and offer the perfect opportunity for golf experiences from classic courses to those courses that rank in the Golf Digest Top 100. While course ranks may not be everything, the rankings of these courses will surely not disappoint. 

So whether it’s by subway, bus, train or car, here are some options to try out next time you’re looking to hone your craft from the Concrete Jungle.

Bethpage Black – Farmingdale, NY

• Course Architect: A.W. Tillinghast

• Slope Rating: Blue – 76.6/144, White – 73.8/135, Red – 77.0/152

• Yardage: Blue – 7,468, White – 6,684, Red – 6,223

• Green Fees: $70 weekday, $80 weekend (resident), $140 weekday, $160 weekend (non-resident)

Rightfully deemed “a mecca for public golf,” Bethpage State Park serves up some of the best golf not only in New York, but in the U.S., across its five 18-hole courses, though Bethpage Black stands head and shoulders above the pack. The highly ranked Black has already hosted the U.S. Open (2002, 2009), The Barclays (2012, 2016) and PGA Championship (2019) while it will be the site for the 2025 Ryder Cup. Get your rounds in now before this already popular public course somehow becomes even more popular after hosting golf’s preeminent biennial competition.

Bally’s Golf Links at Ferry Point – Bronx, NY

• Course Architect: Jack Nicklaus, John Sanford

• Slope Rating: Black – 76.1/141, Gold – 73.8/137, Blue – 71.7/131, White – 69.8/131, Green – 71.4/124

• Yardage: Black – 7,407, Gold – 6,897, Blue – 6,400, White – 6,055, Green – 5,225

• Green Fees: $175 Mon-Thurs, $210 Fri-Sun/holiday (NYC resident), $230 Mon-Thurs, $266 Fri-Sun/holiday (non-resident)

Offering unbeatable views of the Manhattan skyline from most of the holes, this links-style course opened in 2015. Bally’s Golf Links at Ferry Point is nestled on a 222-acre parcel of land in the Throgs Neck section of the Bronx, on the east side of the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge which crosses the East River to connect the borough to Queens. Bally’s took over the lease of this course with rolling mounds of fescue bordering 7,407 yards of pristine tees, fairways and greens from former president Donald Trump in 2023.

Van Cortlandt Golf Course – Bronx, NY

• Course Architect: T. McClure Peters, Tom Bendelow (redesign), William Follet Mitchell (redesign), Stephen Kay (redesign)

• Slope Rating: Black – 69.8/120, Blue – 67.3/118, Red – 68.9/113

• Yardage: Black – 6,002, Blue – 5,558, Red – 4,799

• Green Fees: $50 (weekday before 2 pm), $62 (weekend/holiday before 2 pm)

Opened on July 6, 1895, Van Cortlandt Golf Course is the first public municipal golf course in the United States. Some famous athletes and celebrities to play here include Babe Ruth, Joe Lewis, Willie Mays and the Three Stooges. Located in the North Bronx close to the Yonkers border, “Vanny”, as the locals call it, is a short walk from the 1 train. Nearly $1.5 million of renovations under the guidance of architect Stephen Kay has Van Cortlandt hardly looking like it’s more than a century old.

Dyker Beach Golf Course – Brooklyn, NY

• Course Architect: Tom Bendelow, Jon Van Kleek (redesign)

• Slope Rating: Back – 70.5/118, Middle – 69.4/116, Forward – 70.2/117

• Yardage: Back – 6,438, Middle – 6,176, Forward – 5,366

• Green Fees: $50 (weekday before 2pm), $62 (weekend/holiday)

A few years younger than Van Cortlandt, Dyker Beach Golf Course, also designed by Tom Bendelow, opened in 1897. Located in the southwest corner of Brooklyn just below the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and near the Atlantic Ocean, this course is easily accessible by the R train. As the closest golf course to Manhattan, this 6,438-yard, par-72 track also has a full-sized putting green, snack bar and full-service bar and grill.

Bethpage Red – Farmingdale, NY

• Course Architect: A.W. Tillinghast

• Slope Rating: Back – 74.4/133, Middle – 71.9/127, Forward – 69.2/120

• Yardage: Back – 7,092, Middle – 6,555, Forward – 5,751

• Green Fees: $43 weekday, $48 weekend (resident), $90 weekday, $100 weekend (non-resident)

Opened a year before Bethpage Black in 1935, Red is considered by most to be the second-best layout in the Bethpage family of courses. Faced with a narrow fairway surrounded by thick rough off the first tee box, golfers also have to deal with a usual crowd of onlookers gathered by the starter’s booth as they begin their round. No pressure! Offering a similar ruggedness with bunkers seen on Black, Red is certainly more forgiving and a great option if you can’t secure that bucket-list tee time on Black.

Harbor Links – Port Washington, NY

• Course Architect: Michael Hurdzan

• Slope Rating: Green – 72.7/127, White – 70.5/125, Gold – 66.2/109, Red – 69.1/121

• Yardage: Back – Green – 6,938, White – 6,437, Gold – 5,618, Red – 4,966

• Green Fees: $46 Mon-Thurs (resident), $71 Mon-Thurs (non-resident)

Located on the north shore of Long Island in Port Washington, N.Y., Harbor Links boasts a links-style 18-hole course, nine-hole executive course and mini golf all on a reclaimed sand mine adjacent to the water. Owned by the Township of North Hempstead and operated by Arnold Palmer Golf Management, Harbor Links was constructed in 1998 and became the 29th Certified Signature Sanctuary in the world in 2001.

Skyway Golf Course – Jersey City, NJ

• Course Architect: Roy Case

• Slope Rating: Black – 35.7/142, Gold – 34.7/135, White – 34.1/118, Green – 34.1/112, Blue – 32.7/111

• Yardage: Black – 3,247, Gold – 3,020, White – 2,839, Green – 2,643, Blue – 2,468

• Green Fees: $45 weekday, $56 weekend (county-registered walking), $66 weekday, $76 weekend (non-registered walking)

Opened in 2015, Skyway Golf Course at Lincoln Park West offers a green oasis amid surroundings of industrialization and steel in Jersey City, N.J.. In the shadow of the Pulaski Skyway with panoramic vistas of the Manhattan skyline, this nine-hole links-style course that resides on a former urban landfill is lined with fescue, magnificent dunes and rolling fairways for a challenging and must-play experience for any golfer in the New York City area.

The Golf Club at Middle Bay – Oceanside, NY

• Course Architect: Alfred H. Tull, Kipp Schulties (redesign)

• Slope Rating: Blue – 73.7/135, White – 72.4/132, Gold – 70.0/129, Red – 72.3/127

• Yardage: Blue – 6,819, White – 6,521, Gold – 6,092, Red – 5,459

• Green Fees: $62 (weekday before 2 pm), $74 (weekend/holiday before 2 pm)

Almost directly south across Long Island from Harbor Links on the south shore sits The Golf Club at Middle Bay. Overlooking the barrier islands of Jones Beach, Point Lookout and Lido Beach, nearly every hole looks out across the water. Tree-lined fairways and strategically placed bunkers will test your accuracy, especially off the tee, as you navigate winds coming off the nearby waters.

Mosholu Golf Course – Bronx, NY

• Course Architect: John Van Kleek, Stephen Kay (redesign)

• Slope Rating: Blue – 62.4/101, White – 61.6/98, Red – 65.8/109

• Yardage: Blue – 2,312, White – 2,178, Red – 1,894

• Green Fees: $28.75 (walking), $43.75 (with cart)

If you’re looking for a cheap, relaxed option to play golf around New York City, look no further than Mosholu Golf Course. Located within walking distance from the Woodlawn stop on the 4 train, this nine-hole, par-64 executive course that opened in 1914 offers a fun and friendly experience for novices and experienced golfers alike. At less than $30 per person walking, it’s an unbeatable value in a costly city.

Forest Park Golf Course – Woodhaven, NY

• Course Architect: Tom Bendelow, Stephen Kay (redesign)

• Slope Rating: Blue – 69.2/119, White – 67.4/116, Red – 70.5/120

• Yardage: Blue – 6,053, White – 5,635, Red – 5,300

• Green Fees: $50 (weekday before 2 pm), $62 (weekend before 2 pm)

Just off the Jackie Robinson Parkway in Woodhaven, Queens, Forest Park Golf Course was originally designed by Tom Bendelow in 1896 and redesigned by Stephen Kay in 1995. The approximately $2-million renovation significantly lengthened the course and included the constructing of a completely new clubhouse. Living up to its namesake, Forest Park boasts plenty of tree-lined fairways along with elevated greens and three water holes. 

Douglaston Golf Course – Douglaston, NY

• Course Architect: Willie Tucker Sr. and Jr., Stephen Kay (redesign)

• Slope Rating: Black – 65.9/114, Blue – 64.1/112, Red – 65.9/109

• Yardage: Black – 5,469, Blue – 5,071, Red – 4,413

• Green Fees: $50 (weekday before 2 pm), $62 (weekend/holiday before 2 pm)

Located on the site of the old North Hills Country Club approximately 17 miles from Manhattan, the course got a rebrand in 1963 and became a public muni after the City of New York made two 50-plus-acre purchases of the property in the early 1960s. Situated on the highest point in the Borough of Queens, Douglaston Golf Course offers picturesque views of the Manhattan skyline. The course underwent a major renovation in 2004 led by Stephen Kay, making it a favorite among locals.