Golf Season Begins in Scarsdale

Golf season began this week, but Scarsdale's public golf course won't be ready, and not just because of the storm. 

Saxon Woods is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation project that will lead to myriad improvements for the course, including all new irrigation, new bunkers, and revamped drainage.  According to Saxon Woods manager Paul Carnevali, the public course will be ready for play around mid-May or June.

Renovations had started before this week, but storm damage has slowed progress and quelled hopes of opening the course before summer.

"The storm obviously put us back a little bit," said Carnevali.  "But [renovations] will be up and running sometime in April."

Some Scarsdale residents were happy to hear about the course improvements.

"[Saxon Woods] never seemed like it was taken care of that well," said Brian Cury, a frequent golfer who plays at Lake Isle and other courses around Westchester.  "It was always really messy, with lots of holes and mud.  It'll be nice to see what the course is like after renovations."

Although local private courses are already open – including Quaker Ridge, Sunningdale, and Vernon Hills Country Club – they are all members-only clubs.  At Quaker Ridge and some other exclusive Scarsdale sites, membership is contingent upon an invitation by a current member.

So where can you golf if you don't belong to a private club?  Fortunately, there are a lot of options in Westchester.

Other Westchester County public golf courses will be open by Saturday, like Maple Moor in White Plains and Sprain Lake in Yonkers.  Ossining's Hudson Hills course and Mohansic in Yorktown Heights will also be ready for play.

Regular season rates for all public courses are $38/round on weekdays and $42/round on weekends and holidays.  With a Westchester county park pass, you can save $10 per round.

"It's nice to finally have warm weather out," said Cury, who already has his clubs prepared.  "I can't wait for golf season this year."