In Survey, Long Island Press Touts Two Country Parks Among Top Three, Eisenhower Golf No. 2 Among Public Courses

The Long Island Press has named Eisenhower Park and Wantagh Park among its top three parks on Long Island and the Eisenhower Park golf facility as No. 2 among public golf courses, announced Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano. The rankings were provided by the weekly newspaper in its “Best of L.I.” survey for 2010, published in January. The comprehensive annual survey covers 215 categories and is based on voting by tens of thousands of the newspaper’s readers.

For Eisenhower Park, the second-place finish comes on the heels of being selected for the top spot in 2009. Wantagh Park placed right behind Eisenhower at No. 3 among Long Island’s best parks. In designating Jones Beach Park No. 1, the Long Island Press acknowledged the difficulty of selecting a top finisher. “There are so many great parks on Long Island that it’s really hard to pick the best one,” the newspaper said. “So let’s just consider this list the best of the best.”

Centrally located in East Meadow off Merrick Avenue and larger than Central Park, 930-acre Eisenhower Park (516-571-0348) is the flagship of the Nassau County parks system. The park offers a variety of recreational opportunities, including a swimming pool and fitness center at the world-class Nassau County Aquatic Center (571-0501); mini-golf; a batting cage; athletic fields; playgrounds; a 2-mile fitness trail; basketball and tennis courts; bocci and lawn bowling; and the Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre. In addition, the park includes large and beautiful memorials to the nation’s veterans and victims of the 9/11 attacks.

There’s also the Eisenhower Park golf facility, one of the metropolitan area’s busiest courses and selected second-best in the Long Island Press survey of public golf courses. Golf at Eisenhower consists of three 18-hole courses –including the championship Red and White courses, along with the Blue course – as well as a driving range with 60 bays. During the winter, the White and Blue courses (571-0327/28) are open as weather allows, along with the driving range (571-0336).

“It’s very heartening to see so many of our facilities chosen by the readers of the Long Island Press as their favorites,” says Mangano. “I am a big proponent of parks and the positive impact they have on the lives of our residents and communities, and my administration is committed to ensuring that our parks system provides residents with excellent recreational opportunities in the most efficient manner possible.”

Wantagh Park (571-7460), located off the Wantagh Parkway by Merrick Road, is one of the most scenic spots on the South Shore, offering 111 acres on beautiful East Bay. The park provides numerous opportunities for recreation, including ball fields and athletic courts, a playground, picnic areas, a two-mile fitness trail, a marina, and a fishing pier. During summer, Wantagh’s spectacular water theme park (previously named “Best Public Pool” by the Long Island Press) has an Olympic-sized main pool, a diving pool, a “kiddie” pool, training pool, an interactive water-play area and two 30-foot waterslides.