Golf in Clark

As part of the Chelsea Piers Sports & Entertainment Complex, located at the historic Chelsea Piers, the Golf Club perches over the same port that once welcomed ships into New York City. Now, golfers tee up in the driving range's 52 heated and weather-protected stalls, which overlook the glinting waters of the Hudson River. Automatic tee-up systems position balls for launch across the 200-yard, net-enclosed fairway. A putting green allows patrons to improve their short game, and two Full Swing simulators encourage them to take hacks in virtual environs, transporting them to famous courses across the country or fifth-grade birthday parties where they missed the piñata.

Children and adults alike can enlist in Golf Club at Chelsea Piers’ classes, which stratify students by experience level. The 13-member coaching staff includes PGA and LPGA professionals, and sessions take place in a 2,000-square-foot teaching facility.

New York magazine reviewed New York Golf Center and named it a Critics' Pick.

Drive495 is more than just an indoor golf course and more than just a gym. The facility consists of a two-story loft space, with video-simulated golf courses above and a swanky gym and café below. Today's golf and fitness package provides two weeks of unrestricted membership to this compact urban country club, including:

The pristine, recently renovated fairways at Meadows Golf Club snake around 12 ponds that vary in size and factor into play-making decisions on at least 14 holes. Water makes itself a prevalent threat to golf balls that are afraid to swim on the 9th and 18th holes, where larger ponds loom ominously to finish out the front and back nines. The 9th, a 240-yard uphill par 3, demands steely nerved shots over two ponds: one that stretches past the tee box to the player's center-right and another that runs along the left all the way to the green. On the par 4 18th, players again face down a tee shot over water, this time being forced to keep their drive to the right to avoid water along the length of the fairway, as well as packs of ravenous ball washers that roam the course in search of prey.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 70 course
• 6,345 yards from the back tees
• Three sets of tees

Designed by 10-time PGA Tour winner Mark McCumber, Knob Hill Golf Club’s 18-hole course bobs and weaves through 145 acres of scenic, dense woodland terrain. The first McCumber course to grace the American Northeast, the 6,408-yard layout seamlessly incorporates imposing tree lines and 15 manmade, natural, and caddy-tear ponds into an elegant, golf-clap-worthy fairway chain. The course’s most difficult hole—the 464-yard, par 4 fourth hole—showcases characteristic challenges with a tee shot that must carry a pond and bisect a tree-ensconced fairway on its path to a green fronted by a sandtrap. After rounds, duffers can replenish with a sudsy drink and a nosh from a menu of casual, gourmet fare at The Sycamore Grill, named for the 185-year-old sycamore that casts its shadows on the clubhouse and sheds celebratory leaves for players who score under par.

Course at a Glance:

• Designed by Mark McCumber

• 18-hole, par 70 course

• Length of 6,408 yards from the farthest tees

• Course rating of 71.3 from the farthest tees

• Slope rating of 131 from the farthest tees

• Three tee options

• View scorecard here

Springfield Golf Center's 18-hole course encompasses 6 par threes, 10 par fours, and 2 par fives. Its many shorter-length holes make the course ideal for beginners or advanced golfers looking for casual rounds. For practice, players can head over to the driving range or sign up for lessons with P.G.A. professional Michael Beal. Springfield Golf Center is also home to a Mayan-themed mini golf course.