Montauk Downs State Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Club information
Location	Montauk, New York
Established	1968
Type	Public
Owned by	New York State
Total holes	18
Website	nysparks.com
Designed by	Robert Trent Jones
Par	72
Length	6,976 yards (6,379 m)
Course rating	74.7

Montauk Downs State Park is a cool state park located in Montauk, New York. You can find it in Suffolk County. This park is near the eastern tip of Long Island's South Fork. It's about one mile east of the small town of Montauk.

Montauk Downs State Park offers lots of fun activities. It has an amazing 18-hole championship golf course. There's also a driving range where you can practice your swings. You can play tennis on the courts or go for a swim in the pool. The park even has restaurant facilities for when you get hungry!

Park History and Development

The golf course at Montauk Downs has a long and interesting past. It started as a private course back in 1927. A man named Carl G. Fisher created it. Captain H.C. Tippet was the architect who designed the course.

Carl Fisher's Vision

Two years before building the course, Carl Fisher bought a huge area of land. He purchased about 10,000 acres in Montauk. Fisher dreamed of turning Montauk into a famous resort area. He even called it the "Miami of the North." Other big projects by Fisher included the Montauk Manor and the Montauk Yacht Club. He also built a six-story office building in downtown Montauk. Sadly, Fisher lost all his money during the Stock Market Crash of 1929.

Changes in Ownership

In 1966, a group of private investors took over the golf course. They also took over the Montauk Manor. The golf course then became known as the Montauk Golf and Racquet Club. Two years later, in 1968, a famous golf course designer named Robert Trent Jones redesigned the course. A new clubhouse was also built. The old clubhouse, designed by Stanford White, had been destroyed by a fire.

Eventually, the private club ran into financial trouble. It went into bankruptcy. Because of this, the New York State bought the club in 1978. That's how it became a state park for everyone to enjoy!

Protecting Nature

A small area within the golf course is very special. It is home to a rare wildflower called sandplain gerardia. This plant is on the federal endangered species list. Because of this, plans to build more homes in that area were changed. The land was swapped to protect the wildflowers.

Top Golf Course Rankings

Montauk Downs is known as one of America's best public golf courses. It has received many high ratings. In 2009, Golf World magazine ranked it second for overall value. It was just behind the famous Bethpage Black Course. Golfweek magazine also ranked it 38th among the best municipal courses.

Before there was a phone system to book tee times, the course was so popular that some golfers would sleep in their cars overnight! They did this to get early morning tee times, especially on summer weekends. There was once an idea to build another golf course nearby. This was at Camp Hero State Park. However, this idea was stopped in 1999. People were worried about protecting the environment.

Course Improvements

Rees Jones, who is Robert Trent Jones' son, started helping to update the course in 2002. They have been making many improvements. For example, they moved some tee boxes back. This makes the holes longer. It also brings hazards back into play. This is important because golf equipment now allows balls to be hit much farther.

They are also rebuilding the sand bunkers. A new watering system is being installed too. These changes are being made slowly. This way, people can still play golf while the work is happening. Every year, Montauk Downs holds a special event. It helps raise money for these golf course renovations.

Golf Course Layout

The golf course at Montauk Downs is unique. The Atlantic Ocean and Block Island Sound are very close by. This means the course is one of the windiest places in the country! The weather can change how the course plays every single day.

Most of the holes have small greens. This means you need to be very accurate with your shots. You often have to hit the ball over sand bunkers. There are also five water hazards on the course.

The Challenging 12th Hole

The 12th hole at Montauk Downs is considered one of the toughest on Long Island. It's a 228-yard par 3 hole. Both the tee and the green are elevated. This means players must hit the ball over a deep valley of tall fescue grass. The green is also protected by three sand traps. Two of these are very deep bunkers right in front of the green.

Park Staff

The general manager for Montauk Downs and other state parks in Montauk is Tom Dess. Charlie Reidlinger is the superintendent of the golf course. Before working at Montauk Downs, he was the superintendent of the Red Course at Bethpage State Park. He was also the assistant superintendent of the Black Course there. The current head golf professional at Montauk Downs is Mark Fretto.

See also

• List of New York state parks