New York Golf Courses Are Legendary

Anyone who is familiar with the history of the Big Apple knows that it was a seaport and commerce center long before it was anything else. The geography of NYC has also played a large part in how the city developed. In short, unlike Los Angeles – which didn’t even exist when New York was a bustling business center and port of entry – anything that came along later had to adapt itself to what was already there.

Case in point - nyc golf courses. Unlike Los Angeles, which has 144 of them, there are only 19 nyc golf courses located within the five boroughs – and 18 of them are owned and operated by the City, meaning that they are owned by the public.


This is actually a good thing, because it means consistent greens fees throughout the city, which are considerable lower than those charged at the private country clubs outside the metro area. The fees for tee times at 17 of the nyc golf courses are established by the NYC Parks Foundation, and are all the same.

The one exception is Moshulu Driving Range in the Bronx, which has slightly different fee structures – which are still quite low for NYC residents with an annual permit (only $6 per year for adults). This is a nine-hole regulation course, par 35, with 3,253 yards. Weekend greens fees are only two dollars more on the weekend, and include the use of a golf cart if available.

The one remaining private driving range within the city is Chelsea Piers. These are located on actual piers in Manhattan and are unusual in that they offer “Simulator Sessions” - a form of technology that was science fiction only a quarter century ago. Those who have seen the science fiction movie Outland that starred Sean Connery may remember Peter Boyle playing virtual golf on a similar device, that at the time was a Hollywood illusion. That technology is now real and available at Chelsea Piers, one of the most technologically advanced nyc golf courses.

Simulator play at Chelsea Piers is expensive, however: a one-hour session will cost you more than an entire eighteen-hole game at one of the traditional open-air nyc golf courses operated by the NYC Parks Foundation. Tee times can be reserved for anywhere from around $30 during the week to about $42 on the weekends. Senior citizens get to play for a little over half that, and kids under 16 can play during the week for as little as $7.50 – and get free golf lessons through the Parks Department to boot!