Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation & Museums

General Telephone Number: 516-572-0327 or 0328
Golf Waiting Times: 516-572-0330
Pro Shop: 516-794-1875

The Red course, one of three 18-hole golf courses at Eisenhower Park, has a storied history. Originally, it was part of the exclusive Salisbury Golf Club, begun by wealthy Long Islanders such as A.T. Stewart, a 19th-century retailer and property magnate who founded the Village of Garden City.

The Red was designed in 1914 by a prominent local golf course architect, Devereux Emmet, who was married to one of Stewart’s nieces. Emmet was also a descendant of Thomas Addison Emmet, a founder of New York City’s Tammany Hall political machine.

Most of Emmet’s courses were designed during the era of hickory-shafted clubs and were short by current standards, at around 6,000 yards. (The U.S. Golf Association did not accept the use of steel shafts until 1924.) Today, the course measures 7,040 yards from the championship tees, 6,416 yards from the middle tees, and 5,460 yards from the forward tees.

Working with PGA Tour architects, the Parks Department’s experienced golf crew is continually enhancing the quality of this championship course. In 2005, three new tee boxes and four new fairway bunkers were completed, while the 3rd and 12th holes were redesigned and upgraded.

The Red course’s history with championship golf goes back to 1926, when the course hosted the PGA Championship. In that contest, legendary golfer Walter Hagan won the third of four consecutive PGA titles, capturing an $11,100 purse in the process. These days, the Red course plays host to the PGA Tour’s Commerce Bank Championship (scheduled in 2008 from June 23 through June 29). PGA golfer Lee Trevino has called Eisenhower Red “one of the better and one of the toughest courses we play.”

During golf events, the Red course is considered friendly both for golfers and spectators, with relatively flat and short distances between greens and tees. The course also has many crosswalks that allow fans to get around easily and see the players.

Newsday Ranks Eisenhower Red Among Top 10 Public Golf Courses on the Island

In May 2007 Newsday ranked the Eisenhower Red golf course at Eisenhower Park No. 4 among its top 10 public golf course on Long Island.

The Red Course’s history with championship golf goes back to 1926, when the course hosted the PGA Championship. From June 23-June 29, 2008, PGA Tour golfers will again gather at the Red course in for the Commerce Bank Championship. This year’s much-anticipated event features some of the finest players on the senior tour in a spectator-friendly venue.

Eisenhower Red by the Numbers

The Course:

Ratings:

Front Tees: Course Rating, 71.9; front nine, 39; back nine, 35.9; slope rating, 111

Mid Tees: Course Rating, 69.8; front nine, 34.9; back nine, 35; slope rating, 121

Back Tees: Course Rating, 71.8; front nine, 35.8; back nine, 36; slope rating, 124

Playing Season:

March (weather permitting) through beginning of winter.

Descriptions of Holes:

Hole 1: Slightly downhill, the generous green is protected by the trademark bunkers with a gentle slope from back to front.

Hole 2: A wide green with little depth and plenty of trouble behind, the second hole is also split into two levels. Players must get the distance correct, but straying too far right or left will leave a very difficult putt. Once again, the trademark bunkers attempt to give a false impression of the green's depth.

Hole 3: Requires a 280-yard drive to carry the bunkers, and those daring to go for it in two will need a ball trajectory over the rough. The third shot to a green some six to eight feet below the fairway must land softly as the green slopes down and to the left.

Hole 4: This is a dandy par-four. A long drive down the left side will shorten the hole, but the risks are apparent. A shot in the center of the fairway on this dogleg left will leave you a demanding shot to the green. Once on the green, the putts will be fair. Four is the hardest hole on the front nine.

Hole 5: A breather after playing several tough holes, but don't relax too much or this little hole might get you. There's another greenside bunker designed to make you think, coupled with a tricky green that slopes front to back.

Hole 6: Keep the ball just left of center off the tee on this hole, which is a little longer but gives the player the ability to attack a generous green that slopes back to front. Watch out for right or left pin placements on six. The soft "turtleback" shape can get you.

Hole 7: This hole requires a left-center shot 255-270 yards off the tee.

Hole 8: This looks like another hole for a small number but take care after your tee shot. The bunker placements can deceive you and the green is a small, undulating test of nerves.

Hole 9: There's a blind landing area, so pick a good line and your ball will run down the slope and put you close. The green is subtle, so get your second shot close. Nine offers a great chance for a low number before the turn.

Hole 10: Stay just left of the bunker and in the fairway. A tee shot in the rough on either side of this fairway will not allow you to put the ball where you want on the green. This green will keep you busy.

Hole 11: A birdie hole for sure, 11 is just the tonic a player needs after having to putt on 10. A new tee challenges players to swing out of a shoot to hit the fairway.

Hole 12: An easier par-five with tees that allow for a range of distances.

Hole 13: An intimidating hole with a classic long par and a generous green.

Hole 14: A beautifully shaped right-to-left fairway with a blind landing area. But don't let the softly rolling green fool you, as this green has subtle breaks that can rob you of that birdie. A 255-yard drive is required to clear the bunkers.

Hole 15: This hole requires a long tee shot that is well-placed. Traps protect both sides of a green that slopes up in the front and then runs away. When and if you're on in two the green will reward you.

Hole 16: The trademark bunkers make this a tough par-three. The green is difficult and the slopes are sweeping. It's a bigger green than you see from the tee and any putt too far away will require some great work with the short stick.

Hole 17: A really solid par-five. A long tee shot may allow the aggressive player to go for it, but everything surrounding the green is designed to punish that aggression. A blind bunker and penal rough make it difficult to get the ball close on the moderate-sized green that slopes away and to the right. A more cautious approach will yield a birdie, where even two well-hit shots may not.

Hole 18: A great par-four and finishing hole, 18 slopes up from the tee, with trouble on both sides. It requires the same approach it did more than 75 years ago: two, long straight shots. You'll need to have something left in the tank to finish your round with a par.

In-season fees:

Weekdays: $36 for residents; $22 for senior citizens; $45 for nonresidents.

Weekends and Holidays: $41 for residents; $39 for senior citizens; $49 for nonresidents

Motor Cart Rentals:

$31 for residents; $20 for senior citizens; $31 for nonresidents

Directions:

Take Southern State Parkway to Exit 22N/Meadowbrook Parkway North. Take Meadowbrook to Exit M3 East/Stewart Avenue. Make a left onto Stewart Avenue and take this until you reach the park.

Take Long Island Expressway to Northern State Parkway. Take Northern State Parkway to Meadowbrook Parkway South. Take Meadowbrook Parkway to Exit M3/Stewart Avenue. Make a left onto Stewart Avenue and take this until you reach the park.

Eisenhower Red Golf Course

Notes for the New Season

Newsday Ranks Eisenhower Red Among Top 10 Public Golf Courses on the Island

Eisenhower Red by the Numbers

The Course:

Ratings:

Playing Season:

Descriptions of Holes:

In-season fees:

Directions: