Golf in New York
Overview
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This page explains golf in New York. The sorter handles the local question by city or ZIP.
Golf in New York
NYC Parks operates 11 public golf courses across the five boroughs with a senior rate of $33 to $34 per round for city residents 62 and older, covering courses like Clearview Park, Van Cortlandt, and Pelham/Split Rock. Upstate, the Town of Colonie and comparable municipal systems offer senior resident permits (typically $50 annually) with substantially reduced green fees.
Published local price
Bethpage State Park Green Course (NYS resident), 18 holes weekday; rates vary by season and tee time
Published range: $38 to $43.
Bethpage State Park Golf Fees PDF - NYS Parks · as of 2026-04Where to go
Golf score
8th of 51 states for retirement golf
Golf score blends year-round playability (34%), playable access (16%), affordability (16%), course pedigree (12%), and statewide course density (22%).
Courses
A sample of marquee courses across New York, with where to play and how to book.
Brutal narrow fairways, deep bunkers, a famous warning sign at the first tee · A.W. Tillinghast
This is the public monster that has hosted U.S. Opens and a Ryder Cup, and it is walking only, so plan for a long honest day. New York residents play for a fraction of the out-of-state rate.
Opened 1936 · $$ · Slope 155
Photo: E S Lee, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Windswept links feel near the ocean at the tip of Long Island · Robert Trent Jones Sr.
A Robert Trent Jones layout out at the end of Long Island, with sea breezes and rolling terrain. Walking is allowed and the state-park rates stay reasonable for the quality.
Opened 1968 · $$ · Slope 144
Long parkland fairways framed by tall pines in a historic spa park · William F. Mitchell
Set inside the leafy Saratoga Spa State Park, this is one of the better public values in the Capital Region. The pine-lined fairways give you room to breathe and the price stays friendly.
Opened 1936 · $$ · Slope 134
Hilly Donald Ross design with Lake George and Adirondack views · Donald Ross
A 1928 Donald Ross course tucked into the hills above Lake George, with classic undulating greens and big views. It is hilly, so most folks ride, and resort guests get the easiest access to tee times.
Opened 1928 · $$$$ · Slope 137
Wide parkland fairways with small waterfalls and tree-lined holes · Tom Fazio
The Tom Fazio championship course at Turning Stone once hosted the PGA Tour, and it stays in beautiful shape. It is the splurge round of a Central New York golf trip.
Opened 2004 · $$$$ · Slope 143
One of Robert Trent Jones earliest designs winding through hardwoods · Robert Trent Jones Sr.
One of Robert Trent Jones' earliest courses, just outside Syracuse and very walkable at a gentle 6,200 yards. The state-park price makes it an easy regular round.
Opened 1936 · $ · Slope 123
Photo: Nancy R. Mudrick, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Rolling Finger Lakes terrain with wetlands and dramatic elevation changes · Robin Nelson
A modern daily-fee course in the Finger Lakes hills near Rochester, once named one of the best new public courses in the country. The conditioning and the views make it worth the trip.
Opened 2002 · $$$ · Slope 139
We've mapped 12 courses across New York so far.
What New York costs
Cost of living
108
BEA index, U.S. = 100
State income tax
~5.5% state income-tax planning rate
Social Security
Not taxed
How people start
Most metros list city-run courses with published fee schedules. Those set the affordable floor before any private club enters the picture.
Many courses post a reduced weekday senior rate and a season pass. The difference between pay-per-round and a pass is the number that usually drives the yearly cost.
In warm states the season runs most of the year; in cold ones it is a few months. The yearly cost is rounds-per-year times rate, plus cart and equipment.
Towns in New York
NYC Parks operates 13 public golf courses across all five boroughs; senior green fees are listed at $34.00 per round with a $6 reservation fee, compared to $50 or more for regular adult rates at the same courses. Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course in the Bronx, the oldest public golf course in the United States (opened 1895), is accessible by subway on the 1 train.
NYC Parks - Golf Courses and Driving RangesCommon questions
NYC Parks operates 11 public golf courses across the five boroughs with a senior rate of $33 to $34 per round for city residents 62 and older, covering courses like Clearview Park, Van Cortlandt, and Pelham/Split Rock. Upstate, the Town of Colonie and comparable municipal systems offer senior resident permits (typically $50 annually) with substantially reduced green fees. Towns like New York have their own local options.
New York has a cost-of-living index near 108 (U.S. = 100), about a 5.5% state income-tax planning rate, and does not tax Social Security. The full state guide breaks down property tax, sales tax, and long-term-care costs, each sourced.
Sources
The life your money is for