Good Old Days | Playing at Long Island`s Nissequogue Golf Club

golf
Good Old Days |
Playing at Long Island’s Nissequogue Golf Club brings
back memories. By Francis X. Gallagher
LONG SHOT: The green at Hole 16,
looking at Hole 17 and St. James Bay
PHOTO: © Francis X. Gallagher
This was, is and
always will be a
special place for me,
and I hope new club
members realize
what a spectacular
place this is on Long
Island’s North Shore.
N
issequogue brings back memories, many from the time
when I was developing Global Traveler. As we swiftly
approach the 10th anniversary of the launch of GT, a
review of Nissequogue seems fitting.
I had a mentor in Dixon Hunter, a golfer and “man’s man”
who encouraged me to launch the magazine. “You can do it,”
he told me. “You don’t need anyone.” These conversations
took place at Nissequogue, often with key potential clients.
Dixon died more than five years ago, and I still miss him and
his powerful drives and jokes that made me laugh before the
punch line. Nissequogue is and always will be special for me,
and I hope new club members realize what a spectacular place
this is on Long Island’s North Shore.
One of Dixon’s ideas, which I thankfully rejected, was to
dock his 55-foot boat at Chelsea Pier in New York to use as
30 | Global Traveler | November 2013
GT ’s first office. “We can entertain clients in New York Harbor,”
he said. That’s the kind of guy he was.
The course was founded in 1966 on 120 acres of the estate of
William J. Ryan, publisher of The Literary Digest. The clubhouse
was Ryan’s mansion, constructed in 1929 in the heyday of the
publication. In 1999, course architect Stephen Key’s renovations resulted in today’s 6,643-yard, par-72 championship golf
course. I teed up at Nissequogue with Lucky Bob Hancock,
Jimmy the Cop and IBM John to strike a few balls and relive
the good old days.
Hole 2 | 547 yards, par 5
I have always struggled with this hole. It is long, downhill, with
the green tucked into the right and lots of trouble spots. Off
the tee, you need a straight shot, favoring the left side of the
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fairway while avoiding the trap on the right and trees on the
left. Wild shots right could send you out of play and on the road
to the clubhouse. My drive landed far enough right and near
the trap that I overcooked my second shot, blowing through
the fairway to the rough in the opposing hole. I muscled a wedge back
over the trees but underestimated the
distance, coming up short. A little
valley in front of the green collects
shots; a little more gusto is needed so
you don’t just trickle on. The green
slopes from front to back — best to
place your ball below the pin.
Hole 5 | 316 yards, par 4
This is the famous hole where Dixon
once cut the corner for a hole in one.
At the tee box, I dared him to go
for it, and so the challenge had to
be met. We thought the ball might
have landed over the green, so he
hit a provisional as well. He was sure
the ball had cleared, and we looked
all over the rough and behind the
putting surface. I looked in the cup,
and there it was — incredible. For us
mere humans, aim short of the traps
dead ahead and take a wedge to the
green: easy.
Hole 6 | 219 yards par 3
This is a straight par 3 with the green practically level with the
tee box. Sand traps that protect the green left and right catch a
lot of shots off the tee, including John’s. Lucky Bob and I had
beautiful tee shots that mysteriously came up short and left
of the green, landing side by side a yard off the green. I had
to decide whether to putt or chip. While contemplating my
shot, Bob stepped up and chipped into the cup for a birdie. I
decided to try the putter method and slammed a putt, hitting
the flagstick and dropping in for a second birdie — we highfived and walked back to the cart, ignoring our struggling
teammates.
Hole 16 | 477 yards, par 5
This is a beautiful and spectacular hole, a wonderful spot to
take a picture of the bay and the 17th hole. The tee box is about
100 feet above the fairway, which rises gradually back to the
elevated green with views of St. James Bay. When I attended as
a member guest with Dixon, after the round and lobster dinner,
“the greats” (I was not one) teed up on the patio for the longest
drive to the fairway below. The assistant pro determined who
was farthest as he sat in his cart on the fairway.
You do not want to drive the ball into the hill on the right — I
have been there many times. On this glorious, clear and cool latesummer day, John took that route, causing us to search for his
ball. For those in the fairway, nail your best shot to the green;
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you will be short but very chippable. Bob and I were short on
our chips but two-putted for par. John stormed back with an
impressive and unconventional par, and Jimmy shot a bogey.
FINAL APPROACH:
Hole 17 | 207 yards, par 3
Nissequogue
Golf Club
21 Golf Club Road
St. James, NY 11780-2159
Over the years, I must have lost hundreds of balls in the tidal
marsh around what is deemed one of the most beautiful holes
on Long Island. Embarrassingly, not one of us found the green.
It should not be that difficult with an elevated tee box down
to a postage-stamp green. I can hear Dixon telling me to hit
another — things have not changed!
The fairway at Hole 18
PHOTO: © Francis X. Gallagher
tel 631 584 7733
nissequoguegolf.com
Hole 18 | 406 yards, par 4
After walking away from 17 with your tail between your legs,
welcome to the closing hole. I have seen player after player,
including yours truly, hug the right side simply to find it too
long to clear and end up in the reeds and marsh. Instead, favor
the left for a clean approach to the green. My years of experience
at Nissequogue came in handy, and I did that very thing. I am
sure I saw a few re-tees from the team as they were sucked
into the swamp on the right. My next shot was a near-perfect
3-wood at the left side of the green, but due to the elevation,
it stopped just short of the greenside bunker. John sailed in
like a wild cat, bouncing on the back of the green and off into
the thicket. That ball stayed at Nissequogue along with my
memories of a great golfer and friend — Dixon Hunter.
November 2013 | Global Traveler | 31