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Rockland course has relaxed environment - 1 October, 2008
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Rockland course has relaxed environment
Harold Gutmann
The Journal News
CONGERS - New golfers playing their first rounds may be intimidated by the long par 5s or worried about their pace of play when surrounded by veterans on adjacent holes. Will Tyler, a 23-year-old Nyack resident, found a solution - the executive course at Rockland Lake State Park.
"Here it seems so friendly," Tyler said. "It's a good way to learn the game without too much pressure. Other places that you play, sometimes the pace of play is important, and here it seems very relaxed."
Tyler comes to Rockland Lake to play every Saturday morning with his father, William Tyler, who has an ulterior motive.
"I'm not trying to get better," William said. "I only took it up because it's a chance to hang out with my son on the weekend."
Everyone from sons and fathers to senior citizens, from beginners playing their first round to everyday players working on their short games, can come to Rockland Lake State Park to play the area's only executive course.
All the holes are par 3s and vary in length from 110 to 213 yards, and driving-range mats are used for teeing surfaces.
"It turns Rockland into an area where the public player can start learning the game," head pro and PGA member Mark Brurell said. "This is where we send people to start their careers in golf."
Suffolk County resident Frank Caggiano was using the executive course as a steppingstone.
"It's not overwhelming for new players," Caggiano said. "You can hit a drive 150 yards and build confidence when you get on a pro course. You get the fundamentals out of the way."
When Valley Cottage resident Giovanni Casolaro came from Italy 20 years ago, he was a runner and soccer player, and didn't see the challenge in playing golf.
"I thought that golf was a sport for idiots," Casolaro said. "Then I started and I loved it. This was the perfect place - it's a short course so if you're not really good, or if you want to come and play with your kids, it's really the place the start."
Now Casolaro's 11-year-old son is learning the game at Rockland Lake.
But the course isn't just for beginners - it's a good tool for the everyday player looking to test his or her short game. Some of the holes feature hilly terrain with rocks, trees and streams.
"It's nice to work on the short game, where all the strokes are usually lost," Will Tyler said.
And there are other reasons to play an executive course. Chris Haggerty, a student at Nyack High School, came to Rockland Lake because he wanted to relax and take a break from schoolwork.
"This one doesn't take as much effort," the Valley Cottage resident said. "You don't have to try as hard, so it's more relaxing."
New City resident Ellen Levinger comes two to three times a month.
"It's a really nice course if you just want a quick round," Levinger said.
The course is also known for being well maintained and having great long-distance views from the tee.
"The beauty of the course is unbelievable," Levinger said. "The course is really well laid out, there's wildlife, there's sun, there's shade. On the second hole you look down a mountain. I've been playing for about five years and it's a fun course to play."
Brurell said that it's common to see deer and turkeys on the grounds, and there are occasional groundhog and pheasant sightings.
It costs $18 on the weekend and $16 on weekdays ($10 for juniors and senior citizens) to play 18 holes, and the course sees about 25,000-30,000 rounds a year.
Nyack native John Diamond, who came last Saturday with a group of former classmates before celebrating Nyack's 20th high school reunion, seemed to incorporate every aspect of the executive course.
He came here after starting the game at 30 - "it's great for learning" - then he started coming with his father - "it's good for older people who can't hit as far" - and now he was there for an informal gathering.
"Some of these guys haven't played a full course, so this is an opportunity to try out golf," Diamond said.
Reach Harold Gutmann at hgutmann@lohud.com.
Photo: Charles Weidner of Mamaroneck tees off at Rockland Lake State Park in Congers. All the holes on the executive course are par 3s. (Kathy Gardner/The Journal News)
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