Dyker Beach Park and Golf Course facts for kids
The Dyker Beach Park and Golf Course is a fun public park and an 18-hole golf course in Brooklyn, New York City. It's located in the southern part of Dyker Heights. The park stretches from the Belt Parkway in the south to 86th Street in the north. It lies between 7th Avenue on the west and 14th Avenue on the east.
This large area covers 217 acres and includes a golf course that is 6,548 yards long. Both the park and the golf course have been around for over 100 years. It is one of the most popular public golf courses in the entire country!
The golf course is managed by a company called American Golf Corporation. They started running most of New York City's golf courses in 1999. They also updated and made the club house bigger in 2007-2008. Dyker Beach Golf Course is one of the oldest golf courses in the United States. It's the second oldest in New York City, right after Van Cortlandt Golf Course in the Bronx. You can play golf here all year long, as long as the weather is good enough.
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Discover Dyker Beach Park and Golf Course
Where is Dyker Beach Park?
Dyker Beach Park and Golf Course is a big green space in Brooklyn, New York. It's a place where people can enjoy nature and play sports. The park is easy to find, located near the water and busy streets.
A Historic Golf Course
This golf course is very special because it's so old! It's one of the first public golf courses ever built in the United States. Many people love to play here because of its long history and beautiful setting.
The Story of Dyker Beach Park
How Dyker Beach Got Its Name
The park officially started in 1895, but people used this land long before that. Native Americans and early Dutch settlers called it "common land." They couldn't farm or build houses there because it was mostly wet meadows and swamps. In the 1600s, the Van Dyke family tried to dry out this marshy land. They built special walls called dykes. That's how the park got its name – from the Van Dyke family or the dykes they built!
Growing the Park Over Time
The park grew in four steps between 1895 and 1934. The City of Brooklyn bought the first piece of land in 1895. It stretched from Gravesend Bay to about 92nd Street. Famous landscape architects designed a 50-acre park. They wanted it to be "the only seaside park in Greater New York." Plans included a saltwater lagoon, playgrounds, bathhouses, and grassy areas. The Brooklyn Parks Department even said it would be the "finest seaside park in the world." Over time, the plans changed, and workers started filling in the swampy parts of the park in 1918.
Before the 1920s, land from 92nd Street to 86th Street was privately owned. A company owned a large part of it and rented it to golf clubs. These clubs used the Dyker Heights Club House, built in 1898. In 1916, the Poly Prep Country Day School tried to buy this land for their new school. They couldn't afford it, so the NYC Parks Department bought it instead. However, the Parks Commissioner offered the school a 25-acre site nearby. This land was given to the Parks Department by Frederic B. Pratt, who helped plan the city. The school accepted and built a new school building, which is still there today.
The Parks Department bought more land between 1924 and 1927. Three more lots were added in 1934, finishing the park's expansion. These new areas meant that many streets between 92nd and 86th streets were closed off. One of these streets was 'De Russy Street,' built in the 1870s. In 2008, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation decided to name the circular driveway in front of the Dyker Beach Golf Course Club house after him.
The Club House: A Place to Gather
The main Club House was built in 1935. It was designed by an architect named John Van Kleek. In 2008, American Golf Corporation updated and expanded this building. Now, it holds all the golf operations and a large hall for weddings and other events. This hall can host up to 300 people!
The New York City Parks Department ran Dyker Beach Golf Course until 1984. After that, a private company, American Golf Corporation, took over.
Playing Golf at Dyker Beach
A Popular Spot for Golfers
In the 1950s and 1960s, Dyker Beach Golf Course was incredibly busy! More than 100,000 games of golf were played there every year. In 1965, people played 103,581 games! It was a popular place for golf right in the middle of Brooklyn. It was one of the most played golf courses in the United States, with over 350 golfers playing each day during the season. Many local golfers would line up early in the morning to get a spot to play.
Famous Golfers Who Played Here
Some well-known golfers have been connected to Dyker Beach:
- Willy "Wiffy" Cox was the golf professional at the course from 1921 to 1935.
- The five Strafaci brothers were all regular players here.
- Thomas Strafaci and his son, Thomas Strafaci Jr., both worked as golf professionals at Dyker.
- In the 1970s, Tiger Woods’ father, Earl Woods, learned to play golf here in 1972. He was stationed at Fort Hamilton at the time.
- In 1898, Mungo Park Jr. was the club professional for the Dyker Meadow Club.
Golf Clubs at Dyker Beach
Dyker Beach Park is also home to four different golf clubs that play on the course:
- The Shore View Golf Club: Started in 1930, it's one of the oldest public men's golf clubs in the United States.
- The Brookridge Ladies Club: This is also one of the older public golf clubs for women in the country.
- The Sand Trappers Senior Golf Club: This club plays on Tuesdays and is for older golfers.
- The Dyker Beach Women's Golf Club: A newer club that plays on Tuesday and Sunday mornings.
More Fun at Dyker Beach Park
Today, besides the 18-hole golf course and the event hall, the park has many other things to do. You can find fields for baseball, football, and soccer. There are also courts for bocce, basketball, handball, and tennis. It's a great place for all kinds of sports and activities!
