Hudson Hills MGC
New Castle, NY (NYC Metro area)
Play Away: A Native New Yorker
From T&L Golf July 2004
by Tom Harack
As the first new municipal course in more than fifty years in the New York City suburb of Westchester County, Hudson Hills Golf Course may seem a long time coming—but in truth the tale of this welcome addition to Big Apple-area golf stretches back much further than that.
In 1926, on the land Hudson Hills now occupies in the town of New Castle, the Sunset Hills Golf Club was founded—and soon after, with the onset of the Depression, fell into disuse. In 1937, it was purchased after foreclosure by a consortium of African-Americans and renamed Rising Sun Golf and Country Club, generating such headlines in the local newspaper as "Disorder Feared Over Sale of Country Club to Negroes." That private club folded within a year, but in fits and starts, and under various names and owners, the course persevered until closing in 1984.
Seven years ago, the county bought the overgrown land and hired designer Mark Mungeam—best known for his reworking of Chicago's Olympia Fields for the 2003 U.S. Open—to redesign the defunct layout. Vestiges of the old course were retained, but some of the areas had reverted to wetlands, often impeding the routing of the new layout. Ultimately, what Mungeam, who calls his work more "reincarnation" than redesign, has begot is a true local blessing: a muni with the look and feel of a well-manicured resort course. While Hudson Hills may not have the man-made, $7 million waterfall found just a few miles away at Trump National, it benefits from the same rolling Hudson River Valley terrain. And like the area's classic courses—built before the advent of earth-moving equipment—Mungeam's design leaves most of the topography intact. Indeed, much of the course's intrigue resides in what the changes in elevation conceal, like fairways that appear dauntingly narrow from the tee but whose landing areas turn out to be generous.
Hazards, though, are all defined and visible, and the challenge of Hudson Hills seems appropriate to the pace-of-play issues that will come with the anticipated traffic, which county officials will cap at 35,000 rounds per year: The bent-grass greens sport plenty of contour but will not be cut to pool-table texture. They are guarded mostly by chipping aprons rather than high rough or bunkering, much of which is deployed to keep balls in play as much as to punish. A par seventy-one, the course features four sets of tees that play as long as 6,935 yards and as short as 5,102.
As the instant flagship of the county's six-course public system, Hudson Hills is a much-needed comeback for the golf-starved tristate area—and proof, yet again, that it's hard to keep a New Yorker down.
Greens Fees: $85-$100 (Westchester Residents: $65-$75). Tee Times: 914-864-3000 or visit www.hudsonhillsgolf.com.
Best Bar Nearby, NYC: Just like there are a million stories in the Naked City, there are also a million bars where most of those stories probably got their start. And there's just something gritty about a New York bar (even the classy ones), a vibe that you can't get anywhere else. Ya gotta hit Hogs & Heifers (original Meatpacking District location @ 859 Washington St & 13th, also H&H East @ 1843 1st Ave Fl 1), the biker-meets-suit, rowdy joint famous for topless bar dancing by patrons and hottie singing waitstaff, it inspired the movie/bar chain/reality series Coyote Ugly. Maxim says the best dive bar in NYC is Jimmy's Corner (140 W. 44th), Times Square's last secret spot. Owner Jimmy Glenn is a living legend in the sweet science who has cluttered the place with 35 years' worth of boxing posters, statuettes, and snapshots. Maximum Golf (a short-lived golf mag by the guys at Maxim) digs Mare Chiaro aka Tony's, 176 Mulberry St, shot-and-a-beer joint is one of last vestiges of Little Italy, where Johnny Depp gains Al Pacino's trust in Donnie Brasco; Puck Fair Irish Pub, 298 Lafayette St,18 beers on tap; Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancy St, intimate, some of NYC's best live music, adventurous bookings; Campbell Apartment, 15 Vanderbilt Ave, suit & tie crowd, swanky & loungy; massive sports bar The Sporting Club, 99 Hudson St. For clubbing, Brittney hangs at Avalon. Stern fans know to head for Gentlemen's club Scores, but expect to pay for the noteriety… 4 beers there will push the $50 mark with tip.
For a great pub to catch the British Open on TV, T&L Golf likes THE RED LION, 151 Bleecker Street; 212-260-9797, www.redlion-nyc.com. "The troubles" are history in an Irish-owned English pub that draws thirsty regulars from both islands. The bar will open half an hour before ABC's weekend coverage begins; catch the action on two large-screen TVs or any of three smaller sets perched above the mahogany bar. In addition to a full English breakfast for $10, the bar stocks more than thirty ales and beers. Open 11:30 a.m. to 4 a.m. daily; opening at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday and 7:30 a.m. on Sunday during the British Open
Where To Grub: For NYC dining, Travel Channel digs Ray's Pizza in Little Italy, as well as John's Pizza, but for my money, some of the best pizza on the planet can be had at Lombardi's (32 Spring St, 212-941-7994, www.firstpizza.com ), which also claims to have essentially invented tomato pies and been America's first pizzeria back in 1905. 80's Brat Pack author Jay McInerney's favorite Chinese in the Big Apple is Canton in Chinatown (BYOB). The Food Network's Rachael Ray recommends Hog Pit BBQ. Maximum Golf likes Great Jones Cafe, 54 Great Jones St, hole-in-the-wall, Cajun menu, good Bloodys; AZ, 21 W 17th St, Asian cuisine, hottie waitresses; Fanelli's Pub, 94 Prince St, Old World ambiance, great burgers; Lupa, 170 Thompson, unassuming decor, homemade pastas; Raoul's, 180 Prince St, SoHo French, beautiful people, huge wine list, try the steak frites. T&L Golf likes the Bobby Flay staple Bolo (Spanish, $$$$, 23 E 22nd St); and Grammercy Tavern (American, $$$$, 42 E 20th St) is a NY fave for braised short ribs or a grilled-lamb sandwich.
Fat Guy's Notes From a 2004 3-Day Weekend in Times Square:
Getting There: If you're driving, head up NJ Tpke to Exit 9 for New Brunswick (home of Rutgers) and park free on weekends at the garage next to the NJ Transit train station. The $18 roundtrip train to Penn Station and two $5 cab rides save on NYC parking and driving headaches. Nov/Dec is high season.
Tip: Take Monday off instead of Friday for your 3-day weekend. Arrive Saturday morning ready to hit the town, and you'll save $60 on the room Sunday night, plus have an easier time with theater tix, reservations, and a Monday midday departure.
Where To Stay: Crowne Plaza (1605 Broadway) is a good value ($159-$219/night) for Times Square digs. Ritzy, modern lobby, decent sized rooms, marble bathrooms. OR swanky boutique W Hotel (1567 Broadway), or the Marriot Marquis.
Where To Grub: Stand in line for the real "Soup Nazi" at Soup Kitchen Intn'l, 8th Ave & 55th St. For sushi/dim sum/Chinese, Ruby Foo's (1626 Broadway), semi-nouvelle but sticking to traditional ingredients, and very rich sauces, all in an ornate atmosphere. At Ellen's Stardust Diner (1650 Broadway, www.ellensstardustdiner.com ) the Broadway-wanna-be waitstaff croons oldies and serves quality diner food. For pre-theater apps, hit the upstairs bar at Blue Sapphire @ W Hotel Times Square (1567 Broadway), pricey Asian cuisine with modern decor, great raw bar. Carnegie Deli (55th & Broadway) is a tourist trap rip-off for sandwiches; outstanding meats, great Reuben, but who needs to pay $20 for a sandwich so big you can only eat half with a knife and fork? Skip the line and get one of their huge, worth-it cheesecakes or pies to go. Friends of mine, Sue and Jenn, like Carmine's for Italian, steaks, etc. Corrine digs Blue Smoke for ribs, BBQ, and hot jazz.
Best Bar Nearby: Great vanilla cosmos at swanky hotspot W Hotel NY (541 Lexington Ave). Lauren digs Whiskey Bar @ W Hotel Times Square (1567 Broadway), or hot restaurant/dance hall Noche (1604 Broadway). For wings and catching the game, hit Scruffy Duffy's in Hell's Kitchen (743 8th Ave). Best original drink in NYC is the V.I.P. (Vodka Infused Pineapple) at Del Frisco's Steakhouse (1221 Ave Of The Americas), and reportedly they serve up a nice steak too. Flashdancer's Gentlemen's Club (1674 Broadway) is nearby the Crowne Plaza.
P.S. NYC ain't cheap. $20-$25pp lunches, $45-$55pp dinners, $8 drinks, and $80 theater tix; you'll drop a cool $1200 on a 3 day weekend for 2, w/ decent meals and partying.