Brentwood Country Club — Restaurant in Town of Islip

Played this track two days ago (08/01/2024) and I was pretty happy with a 13 over 85 score on this relatively benign and short (Par 72, 6,173 yards from the tips) Devereux Emmet track (he also designed Garden City CC, a NY top 10 among private tracks).

All-in-all, for $27 (3PM true twilight rate: $23 + $4 reservation fee), it was more than worth the 26 mile trip to play one of the oldest tracks on Long Island albeit the difficulty level was down a couple of notches and the course was a bit beat-up with more than several bare spots, dusty cart paths and poorly maintained bunkers c/o Mr. Fox.

On the positive side of things, the tee boxes were in good shape and the greens were significantly smaller but ran true so I think that I've fared pretty well with smallish greens based on my track record on similar tracks this year.

Based on my recent experience, I think Emmet's course still has the bones of a good track despite the obvious lack of maintenance, but I hope that the town invests more to keep it in better condition.

As a bonus, I was also able to pick up a couple of spectators of the 4-legged variety (see pic below) for a few holes.

I may even assign some blame on Mr. Fox here for costing me a stroke on hole # 12, where I had a downhill stance due to the burrow from his den that was situated in the greenside bunker.

Anyway, I'm pretty happy with my score, so it's still all good in Mr. Fox's neighborhood.

Going in, I expected to shoot a low score due to the relatively easy rating (69.3/124), but I still had to grind to eke out a decent score.

One other thing that I noticed is that the facility has two working shower stalls, but whoever thought it was a good idea to use it as a storage area must have a screw loose.

I think if the stalls were maintained properly, they'd be more useful for golfers who'd be traveling from far away to play this good track.

Side notes: [1] No driving range [2] Shower stalls inoperable [3] Putting green available [4] Do not feed the wild life except for Mr. Fox's brother, who was limping from one of its hind legs. [5] Excellent walking course with no barriers or ropes. Tee boxes were close to...

I used to go there to golf frequently, but they've just gone downhill. After my last trip, I'm not sure I'll return. They no longer allow walk-ons, meaning you have to make a reservation. Yesterday, despite there being nobody in front of me, I had to make a reservation for 90 minutes later. I was sent out after about an hour with a single, which made me wonder why I couldn't have made the reservation for then in the first place, or how many other openings were looked over. There's also a $4 reservation fee that is now unavoidable. Add to that the recent price increases, and it's 30% more expensive to play. I get that there's inflation, but a 30% increase compared to just a couple of years ago is absurd.

They've also eliminated golf course staples. For example, there are no longer wooden distance markers, which may not affect everyone but those who don't have a personal GPS device will notice. They've also gotten rid of all of the water stations, so if it's 82 degrees out and you run out of water on the fourth hole, you have to wait until the end of the ninth to get more, which, of course, you have to buy at a premium. There are two places where a number of holes converge, and putting water just in those two spots would mean easy access for anyone at about a third of the holes. It'd be a shame if someone suffered any ill health effects because management was too cheap to leave a couple of buckets of water out (despite the massive...

I had a genuinely frustrating experience during my round today. My group of three had a 4:10 PM tee time, and we were looking forward to a relaxing round after a long day of work. The front nine went as expected, but things took a turn at the tenth hole.

We were suddenly pressured by a grounds crew performing green maintenance. They were closely trailing us in a truck and a tractor, creating a tense atmosphere with their presence and noise. It felt as if we were being rushed off the course, leaving no room for the enjoyment and focus that golf requires. Private conversations were impossible, and our concentration was constantly broken.

I completely understand that maintenance is necessary, but the way it was handled showed little regard for players on the course. It seemed the crew was more concerned with finishing their shift than respecting our time and space.

I hope in the future, the management will consider scheduling maintenance in a way that doesn’t disrupt the experience for paying guests. Golf is meant to be therapeutic and enjoyable—not something that feels rushed and stressful.

I sincerely hope this encounter is not reflective of Brentwood’s usual standards. I would hate to never return over something so small that tarnished what would have otherwise been a wonderful experience. This beautiful course has such potential, and it would be such a shame if some mistakes in its management tarnish...