In June 2002, Long Island made its mark on golfing history when it hosted the U.S. Open Golf Tournament at Bethpage State Park's challenging Black Course in Farmingdale. The event marked the first time a U.S. Open was ever played on a truly public course.

However, Long Island's roots as a hot spot for golf dates much further back; in fact, over a century earlier. In the late 1800s, William Vanderbilt fell in love with golf while traveling abroad. Upon his return, he and a group of friends purchased 80 acres on eastern Long Island and hired local Indians, the Shinnecocks, to build a golf club.

In 1891, the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club opened as America's first incorporated golf club. William Davis designed the first 12 holes, with professional golfer Willie Dunn, Jr. of Scotland finishing the original 18-hole layout in 1894. The new facility broke with tradition by offering women full membership and became one of the United States Golf Association's five charter member clubs. It was also the first golf course to have its own clubhouse --- designed by one of the greatest American architects of all time, Stanford White. The course and facilities were so elaborate, in fact, that the second ever U.S. Open was played there in 1896.

This June, sports fans will focus on Long Island as a center for golf once again as the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton hosts the 104th U.S. Open Golf Championship for the fourth time in its history in 2004. More than 40,000 spectators are expected and the Open will be aired in over 50 countries worldwide.

While such a high-profile event is exciting, however, golf is not just a spectator sport. The good news for golfers is that the 118-mile stretch of land that comprises Long Island is a haven for fans of the sport. Throughout the early 20th century, when golf course design was at its height, Long Island was at the forefront. Thanks to its extensive prime real estate, temperate climate and affluent population eager to play golf, the greatest golf course architects in the world designed courses here, including Willie Dunn, Devereux Emmett, A.W. Tillinghast and Charles Blair Macdonald.

Today, those spectacular courses are largely intact, remaining true to their original designs. In total, Long Island offers 61 public courses as well as 61 private ones throughout both Nassau and Suffolk counties. Given this vast selection and the area's temperate climate, golf buffs can play the sport year-round.

The site of the 2002 U.S. Open (as well as the upcoming 2009 U. S. Open) and one of the largest public golf complexes in the nation, Bethpage State Park offers five 18-hole golf courses with pars ranging from 70 to 72: Blue, Green, Red, Yellow and the world-famous Black Course, which is considered one of America's top 25 public golf courses. While the courses may get crowded on summer weekends, there are only minimal waiting times for tee-off on weekdays.

Eisenhower Park Golf Course, located in East Meadow, dates back to 1914. In 1926, Eisenhower Park had the honor of hosting the PGC Championship, which legendary golfer Walter Hagen won. Today, it offers golfers three par 72, 18-hole courses: the White, the Blue and the Red, which The New York Times declared "may be the best-kept secret in the municipal golf circuit." A decade ago, the Red Course and the front nine holes of the White Course hosted the Bouchard Transportation MET PGA Senior-Junior Tournament. In 2003, the Red Course hosted the Long Island Classic, a stop on the Champions Tour. All three of Eisenhower's well-maintained municipal golf courses are open year-round, set amidst a 930-acre park dating back to 1917 that is larger than Central Park in New York City.

The 18-hole Jones Beach State Park Golf Course in Wantagh is part of one of Long Island's most spectacular destinations, Jones Beach State Park. This "pitch and putt" course is an excellent choice for seaside golfing and newcomers to the sport. In Riverhead, the Long Island National Golf offers golfers public access with all the amenities of a private course - including an immaculate 18-hole par 71 Robert Trent Jones Jr. golf course.

Also designed by the incomparable Robert Trent Jones, Jr., the Montauk Downs Golf Course on South Fairview Avenue in Montauk opened in 1928 and is currently operated by the State of New York. This 18-hole par 72 golf course is one of the nation's top public courses. In fact, Golf Digest rated it one of the nation's 50 top public courses. This challenging year-round golf course is built on rolling terrain and offers spectacular ocean views.

Rock Hill Golf & Country Club on Clancy Road in Manorville offers an 18-hole par 71 championship golf course that Golf Digest gave a four-star rating. The Rock Hill Golf School, which was nominated as one of the top 25 golf schools in America, features grass learning areas, grass golf range and short game, video swing analysis, and video analysis conducted on the lesson tee.

Cherry Creek Golf Links on Reeves Avenue in Riverhead is a scenic links-style course with rolling fairways and elevated trees and greens. The 18-hole course, designed by Charles Jurgens, can stretch to 7187 yards with a par of 73. The course's Signature Hole is the 12th, a 389-yard par 4 that plays from an elevated tee to a narrow, sloping fairway with a pond on the right. The par 6 18th hole, the only par 6 in the New York Metropolitan Area, stretches 644 yards when played from the tips and ties for the longest hole in the metropolitan area.

Long Island also offers a tremendous range of places to stay that are convenient to top golf courses - more than 340 different lodging facilities from charming bed and breakfasts or elegant hotels to country inns and beachfront resorts, many of which offer special packages for golfers.

For more information about where to stay and to learn about other events on Long Island, please contact the Long Island Convention & Visitors Bureau and Sports Commission by calling 1-877-FUN-ON-LI, or, visit the website at www.funonli.com.