Golf Season Kicks Off At Rockland’s Premier Courses, Win Free Golf Show Tickets

is known for many attractions, including its fine dining, theater and the arts. But what many people don’t know is that Rockland is home to several world-class public and private golf courses and is a destination spot for golfers in the know.

And with the Spring season fast approaching, many of those courses are now open and ready to host golfers for the 2012 golf season. To help golfers get into the spirit of the season, Patch is also offering 10 pairs of tickets, free, to the Golf Show that's set for this weekend at the Westchester County Center in White Plains.

If you’d like a chance to win free tickets to the Golf Show, tells us in the "comments" area which is your favorite local golf course and then e-mail your name, hometown and a contact telephone number to williamd@patch.com by 1 p.m. Friday. The 10 winners will be selected in a random drawing. Read more about the contest rules below.

Open for the season

Just opened March 1 for the season is the best-kept secret in championship Rockland golf: the  Spook Rock Golf Course in the Town of Ramapo. This public course is home to some of the most beautifully mantained greens in the Hudson Valley, featuring 6,894 yards of golf from its longest tees for a par of 72. This challenging course attracts avid golfers from around the tri-state area and has been frequented by celebrities and sports figures alike, and is open for tournaments and charitable golf events.

Book your foursome early! For more information and available tee times, visit www.spookrockgolf.com.

Another destination for golf enthusiasts is the Patriot Hills Golf Club in Stony Point. Recently rated as one of the top 20 golf courses in New York State by Golf Magazine, this Tillengast public course provides beautiful views of Stony Point and a challenge on its hilly greens for even the most seasoned sportsmen. The course is open starting Friday, March 9, and has special rates for Rockland and Stony Point residents. For more information and to book tee times, visit www.patriothillsgolfclub.com.

In the private course realm, the spectacular Mahattan Woods Golf Club in West Nyack reigns supreme. This members-only golf club, with its spectacular views of the New York City skyline offers some of the finest hole design in New York State. Designed by Gary Player, Hills, views and wetlands define this championship course, as well as white glove, conceirge-level service on and off the greens. For more information on exclusive membership packages, please visit www.mahattanwoodsgc.com.

One can’t talk world-class golf without mentioning the exclusive Rockland Country Club in Sparkill. Featuring 150 sprawling acres of private, championship golf in the Town of Orangetown, along with a restaurant featuring some of the finest cuisine in the County and a membership list that is a “who’s who” of Rockland County citizenry, RCC is a Rockland golf landmark.  For information on membership fees, visit www.rocklandcountryclub.org.

And the newly opened Paramount Country Club in New City, at the location of the former Dellwood  Country Club, offers some of the most scenic vistas in all of Rockland on its rolling hills and beautiful mountain backdrops. This private course also features an outdoor pool and barbeque pit, banquet, meeting and party rooms, and can accommodate overnight visitors in its newly-rennovated Member’s Cottage. For more information on booking parties, events and membership rates, please visit www.paramountcountryclub.com.

In Orangetown, the Blue Hill Golf Course is also open.

Blue Hill is a 27 hole municipal golf facility that overlooks scenic Lake Tappan in Pearl River, the largest hamlet in the Town of Orangetown. The course is available to the public, with preferential tee times and rates for Town of Orangetown residents. Resident permits are available at the Recreation office with proof of residency.

The automated tee time system has been activated for Blue Hill and the nearby Broadacres Golf courses. Golf permits are now being sold at the Parks and Recreation Office.

When you plan your round of championship golf, book a Spring weekend stay at one of Rockland’s many well-appointed hotels. For a full listing of public, semi-private and private golf courses and hotels/motels in Rockland County, please visit www.rocktourism.com.

Editor's note: CJ Miller is Rockland County's coordinator of Tourism and Local Development

Patch Golf Show Ticket Contest rules...

• Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.
• To enter, send an e-mail with your full name, hometown, and contact telephone number to williamd@patch.com.
• All entries must be received by 1 p.m. Eastern Time, Friday, March 9, 2012.
• You may enter only once per family
• Ten (10) winners will be selected in a random drawing.
• Winners will each recieve two tickets to the Golf Show. Each ticket is valued at $9. Transportation to/from the Golf Show is NOT included in the prize and will be the responsibility of the winner.
  
• Click here for complete Official Rules.