Marine Park at Marine Park Golf Course

Marine Park Golf Course occupies a flat, windswept stretch of landfill along Jamaica Bay in southern Brooklyn, making it one of New York City's most exposed and challenging municipal layouts. Originally designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and opened in 1964, the course was built on reclaimed marshland and sits just above sea level, with views across the water toward the Rockaways and Kennedy Airport. The setting is distinctly urban-coastal: golfers navigate open fairways bordered by scrub vegetation and tidal wetlands, with the constant presence of bay breezes that can turn manageable holes into tests of wind play.

Stephen Kay renovated the course in the early 2000s, working to restore Jones's strategic bunkering and improve drainage on a site perpetually challenged by its low elevation and proximity to saltwater. The routing is straightforward, with few trees and little elevation change, placing emphasis on accuracy off the tee and approach shot control in often gusty conditions. Several holes play directly along the wetlands, where errant shots can find tall grasses or water hazards that reflect the course's reclaimed origins.

Marine Park serves a diverse Brooklyn golfing community and remains one of the city's busiest public facilities. The course is known for its accessibility and the unique experience of playing links-style golf within city limits, where the landscape feels more coastal than urban despite the surrounding neighborhoods. Conditions can vary with the seasons and weather, but the layout consistently rewards players who manage the wind and respect the flat, exposed terrain.