The spring season arrived a few days early at Timber Point Golf Course in Great River, where on St. Patrick's Day morning, more than 60 golfers put down the shillelagh used in a casual putting challenge and posed for group photos on the practice green. After a few words of gratitude from Timber Point golf director Andy Carracino, the group moved on to the nine-hole Red Course for a holiday scramble that returned some new-season normalcy to a facility pounded last October by Hurricane Sandy.
The land-locked Red Course is open from start to finish as the 2013 season slowly and frigidly gets underway. Meanwhile, closer to Great South Bay, the Blue and White courses are open just enough to allow Timber Point golfers to enjoy 18-hole rounds. The opener on the White Course, along with #5 through #9, are open, followed in the rotation by #1, #2 (the "Harbor" par-3, pictured) and #9 on the Blue Course.
Along the water, the heart of the Blue Course remains a victim of its greatest asset — its proximity to Great South Bay. The Gibraltar par-3 and the two par-4s that follow were overrun by saltwater during the storm. They were recently reseeded. Timber Point staffers are hoping the Blue Course is playable by June.
Despite a blustery, overcast morning, pairs and groups of non-scrambling
holiday golfers made their way to the first tee on the makeshift
Blue/White nine for an early-season round. Back on the Red, tough pin positions on the sloped greens of #1 and #2 foiled birdie attempts. The St. Patrick's Day and season-opening celebration continued after the round at Oakdale's Snapper Inn.