This week, a post on what claims to be Jones Beach State Park’s official Facebook page hinted at the potential return of the park’s long-closed pitch-and-putt golf course. “Rain today, but brighter days are ahead!” the post read, accompanied by a photo of the course with the Jones Beach tower in the background. “Soon it will be time to get back on the green and enjoy a round surrounded by beautiful late summer blooms.”
Rumors of the course’s rebirth are premature, however, according to New York State’s Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. An assessment of the parcel’s future will be made this winter when state officials meet with reps from WildPlay, the facility that was built on the course grounds but did not open for business this summer season.
Jones Beach’s pitch-and-putt golf course, one of the early beachfront amenities following the park’s creation in the late 1920s, shut down in 2012 following severe damage from Hurricane Sandy. It had been in a state of decline and prone to flooding and storm damage. WildPlay, an adventure park featuring several tall climbing and ziplining structures, took over the site in 2019.
But earlier this year, WildPlay announced it would not open in 2026, citing a lack of commitments from local schools and organizations to remain sustainable through the season. Newsday published several letters from Long Island residents pushing for the restoration of the golf course on the site, which is located along the boardwalk southeast of the park tower.
State reps will meet with WildPlay in the offseason to determine the company’s future plans at Jones Beach. According to Newsday, the adventure facility was built using $4.7 million in state funding designated for park upgrades by former governor Andrew Cuomo.
If WildPlay does not plan to reopen next season, the state will begin to consider alternate uses for the site, a state rep told Golf On Long Island.
