Tag: Sleepy Hollow Country Club

This familiar name is again making noise at the 42nd U.S. Mid-Amateur

The 32-year-old has a lengthy USGA resume that includes a pair of Mid-Am wins, and a fourth Walker Cup.

[anyclip-media thumbnail=”undefined” playlistId=”undefined” content=”dW5kZWZpbmVk”][/anyclip-media]SCARBOROUGH, N.Y. – Mark Costanza saw it coming.

After qualifying for match play at the 42nd U.S. Mid-Amateur, the 38-year-old from New Jersey gave the bracket a customary once over. He quickly took note of a familiar name.

Stewart Hagestad.

“You see the draw before you even play the first match,” Costanza said following a suspension-free day at Sleepy Hollow Country Club, which has endured all kinds of weather this week. “You think you might match up again. There is certainly a revenge factor that I was seeking. I was ready to play.”

It’s been a couple of years since they last tangled. Hagestad eliminated Costanza in the 2021 U.S. Mid-Am final at Sankaty Head Golf Club on Nantucket.

Costanza was dialed in Tuesday, advancing to the Round of 32 by rolling in birdie putts at 17th and 18th.

Hagestad was ready, too.

The 32-year-old has a lengthy USGA resume that includes a pair of Mid-Am wins. And he just celebrated a fourth Walker Cup victory at St. Andrews.

Hagestad is moving on again after coming through with a 2-and-1 victory.

“I played great,” Costanza said. “I think I can hold my head up high. I was 5-under with no bogeys and he just beat me. He’s a great champion.”

[pickup_prop id=”34388″]

Hagestad collected seven birdies and will face Nate McCoy (Ankeny, Iowa) in the Round of 16.

“I knew he would be a bit more prepared for this one,” said the California native, who’s had work-related stints in New York and won MGA Player of the Year honors in 2016. “It’s not the finals, but at the same time, he knows that he is one of the better players in the field, and he’s very capable of making a deep run. I think maybe in the last few years he’s realized just how good he is. Before we went off, I tried to collect myself because I knew it was going to be a good one.”

Mark Costanza reacts to a birdie putt on the 18th green at Sleepy Hollow Country Club that gave the Morristown, N.J. resident a 1-up win in the Round of 64 at the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship on Sept. 12, (Photo: Mike Dougherty/Journal News)

McCoy is the son of Hagestad’s most recent Walker Cup team captain, Mike McCoy.

Nobody in the field knows the layout at Sleepy Hollow like Brad Tilley, a longtime member of the host club. Nobody had the kind of gallery support the 40-year-old Westchester native and Connecticut resident enjoyed all week, either.

I there was an extra measure of internal pressure it was only because home games are rare in golf.

“It was just love and support from them,” Tilley said of the membership. “I know what kind of opportunity this was. No one is going to know these greens better than me. Usually that’s a huge advantage in match play.”

He finished a 2-up victory over David Szymanski (East Lansing, Mich.) in the Round of 64 on Tuesday and maintained that momentum after lunch until Bobby Massa (Dallas) went next level on the back nine in the Round of 32.

Tilley had a few timely answers but fell 2 and 1.

“(Massa) just kind of turned it on and then I turned it back on top of him and he kept it going,” he said. “We both made a lot of birdies on the back. That stretch of holes, that’s what match play is all about. I know my friends and the members wanted to see me on the other end of that, but I am sure it was a fun match for them to watch.”

Notes: He did pick up his first-ever match play win, but the run of medalist Jeronimo Esteve (Orlando, Fla.) came to an end with a 5-and-4 loss to Brett Patterson (Oxford, Miss.) in the Round of 32. “I’m a fat old guy, so I’ve been riding the bike and training at home to get ready for this week,” said Esteve, 42, a native of Puerto Rico who owns three car dealerships. He is also a cancer survivor. “I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2011,” he said. “I’m lucky we caught it early. So far, so good, man. This sounds weird but getting cancer was really good for me. It helped me shift my balance. I worked really, really hard, maybe too many hours before I got sick, and this showed me there are other things in life. I really enjoy every day now. Really. This has been a fun week.” … Sleepy Hollow member Bill Murray was at the club watching. He caddied for Kailin Downs when the club hosted the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 2002. … With more rain expected Wednesday, the USGA will be sending players off two tees to speed play.

Mike Dougherty covers golf for The Journal News and lohud.com. Follow along on X/Twitter @lohudgolf.

Stunning Sleepy Hollow showing its best side during 42nd U.S. Mid-Amateur

This host course for the 42nd U.S. Mid-Amateur is as blue blood as golf gets.

SCARBOROUGH, N.Y. – This place has serious curb appeal.

In a landscape that includes a multitude of courses golfers know by name and reputation, Sleepy Hollow Country Club is a unique property. The desire to host an open house of sorts prompted the membership to inquire about the possibility of hosting a USGA championship seven years ago. It was only a matter of time before the contract was signed and planning for the 42nd U.S. Mid-Amateur was under way.

And here we are.

“We take pride in our golf course and our club and wanted to show it off and see how it stands up to some of the best players in the world,” said Mickey Anania, the championship general chair and the former club president who pitched the idea of hosting. “We feel lucky to be part of such a wonderful club and wanted to give back and let people come out here to play it competitively and see it.”

More: Everything you need to know before going to Sleepy Hollow for the U.S. Mid-Am

The 112-year-old club was founded by gentlemen named Astor, Rockefeller and Vanderbilt. It sits prominently on 338 acres above the Hudson River with postcard views from every window of a stately Victorian mansion that is an unparalleled clubhouse.

Even the Headless Horseman logo is visually striking.

The original golf course was laid out by renowned Golden Age designer Charles Blair Macdonald. Alterations were made over time by the likes of A.W. Tillinghast and Robert Trent Jones. Recognizing the result was a challenging but disjointed layout, the club enlisted Gil Hanse and George Bahto to put the ideals and intent of Macdonald back in play.

“There wasn’t a lot of continuity in the course,” Anania said.

The lengthy project concluded in 2017. Reviews of the new sightlines and redesigned greens were overwhelmingly positive and Bill McCarthy, the USGA’s championship director for Mid-Amateur and Amateur Four-Ball championships, was all in from the initial walk-around.

Finding a co-host for stroke play was the next step.

“Mickey and I were throwing around a couple of club names and having some history in this area, I was like, ‘What about Fenway? Would they be interested?’ ” McCarthy said. “He was like, ‘We know some folks over at Fenway, let’s give them a shout,’ and everything just came together.

Sleepy Hollow Country Club (Photo: Tim Schmitt/Golfweek)

“I think without a doubt this is the best combination of courses we’ve ever had for a championship.”

Sleepy Hollow is ranked 40th on Golfweek’s Top 200 Classic Courses list. Even though it’s more receptive than usual due to the rain, the scoring average for the 6,840-yard, par-71 layout is 74.8.

“I think it’s right there with anything I’ve seen,” said Nathan Smith, a four-time U.S. Mid-Am winner and future captain of the Walker Cup team who’s played in 51 USGA championships. “Through the years, anyone I’ve spoken to about Sleepy Hollow has raved about the club, so it’s nice to finally get up here and experience it. It’s a lot of fun.”

Only the weather is drawing objections so far.

“I’m not holding up very well, but the course is great, the course is fine,” added Smith, who finished up a 3-over round of 74 on Sunday. “It’s hard even without the weather and when you play it in a downpour, it’s a lot. The challenges are everywhere.”

Sleepy Hollow member Brad Tilley hit the first shot of the championship on Saturday and signed for a 71 before play was suspended.

“I have been thinking about this round of golf for three years,” he said.

Preston Dembowiak of Kernersville, N.C. watches his approach to the 18th green at Sleepy Hollow Country Club during the second round of stroke play at the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship on Sept. 10, 2023. (Photo: Mike Dougherty/Journal News)

Admission to the championship is free so when the weather did break on Sunday, a number of spectators came to the club for a look around.

Hosting a USGA championship typically comes with a price tag. An event with a limited footprint like this one can run between $200,000 to $400,000.

“The members paid a portion and we have two generous sponsors, Major League Baseball and Grant Thornton,” Anania said. “The USGA helps out a little, too.”

Giving up the course for a week can be an unpopular decision for a busy club, but Sleepy Hollow delivered more than 200 volunteers for the week so there is support. Might the membership look into hosting a more prominent USGA championship like a U.S. Amateur or U.S. Women’s Amateur if the feedback is positive?

That’s usually the next step and those events come with national television exposure.

“I can’t really speak for the club on that, but we will have conversations with the USGA,” Anania said. “Our goal here was threefold, for the USGA to have a wonderful tournament, for the players to walk away from this week and say, ‘Wow, they left us wanting for nothing,’ and for our members to have a really good time.”

Mike Dougherty covers golf for The Journal News and lohud.com. Follow along on X @lohudgolf.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 tag=2762]

Check out every venue hosting USGA events in 2023, including Pebble Beach, the Old Course and Pinehurst

The best women in the world are headed to Pebble Beach for the first time ever in 2023.

The USGA is visiting some of the best golf courses in the world in 2023.

Not only are the men headed to Los Angeles Country Club for the U.S. Open, but the women are visiting the Monterey Peninsula and Pebble Beach Golf Links for the first time ever for the U.S. Women’s Open.

The Walker Cup heads to the Old Course at St. Andrews and for the second year in a row, the Adaptive Open will be played at Pinehurst.

The first one on the schedule is the Latin America Amateur (Jan. 12-15) while the year ends in Abu Dhabi at the World Amateur Team Championship (Oct. 18-21).

See the full 2023 USGA schedule below.

Golf instruction with Steve Scott: Wedge shots done nice? Keep your hands ‘on ice.’

More body, and arm action will lead to better wedge play.

[mm-video type=video id=01fmvdn56axyyr41wmha playlist_id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fmvdn56axyyr41wmha/01fmvdn56axyyr41wmha-846544f00ce14acfa693d6ee6f38f721.jpg]

Steve Scott, Golfweek‘s Director of Instruction, is back this week from the gorgeous Sleepy Hollow Country Club just outside New York City, this time with a tip to dial in your wedge play.

Many amateur golfers rely too much on timing, and flipping their hands at impact. This move leads to inconsistent strikes, which in turn, leads to inconsistent shots.

Steve Stricker, famous for his outstanding wedge play, minimizes hand action as much as possible when hitting a wedge shot, and Scott believes you should do the same.

“Make sure your hands are very, very still, and passive almost like they’re frozen, on ice. That way you get your arms and your body more involved, and you get your hand action really out of it.”

Click here to watch previous episodes of “Golf Instruction with Steve Scott” including Gator-clamp putting, iron play, and flop shots.

Click here to sign up for Golfweek‘s free weekly Get Better newsletter. You can also sign up six other free newsletters, sent right to your inbox.

Golf instruction with Steve Scott: Tee it low to watch it go, tee it high to let it fly

Golfweek’s Director of Instruction Steve Scott has some tips on changing up your tee height.

[mm-video type=video id=01fjq91em8906a1p3kgd playlist_id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fjq91em8906a1p3kgd/01fjq91em8906a1p3kgd-a2d60e10531cbc2ea991d69695b7082e.jpg]

Steve Scott, Golfweek’s Director of Instruction, is back. He’s once again at Sleepy Hollow Country Club, just north of New York City, this time to discuss changing up your tee height.

What many amateur players don’t understand is changing the height of your tee can change the shape of your shot. Teeing it low will help you hit a piercing cut. Teeing it high allows you to attack the ball on the way up and hit a towering draw.

“If I have trouble on the left side of the fairway, and I want to avoid that trouble, I’m going to tee it low and that’s going to ensure I hit a very straight, to slight fade with the driver.”

Aside from leading our lessons, Scott is also the PGA head golf professional at the Outpost Club, founder of the Silver Club Golfing Society, and a PGA Tour Live analyst.

Click here to watch previous episodes of “Golf Instruction with Steve Scott” including Gator-clamp putting, iron play, and flop shots.

Golf instruction with Steve Scott: Keep your hips and hands together

Activate the lower body first to find more fairways.

[mm-video type=video id=01fhgckj02k9g1gj3nv1 playlist_id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fhgckj02k9g1gj3nv1/01fhgckj02k9g1gj3nv1-89fd769da0665bbc8f845e184d212fcb.jpg]

Steve Scott, Golfweek’s director of instruction, is back once again at Sleepy Hollow Country Club just north of New York City, this week with a tip to hit more fairways.

Most amateur golfers, in an effort to add more distance off the tee, swing primarily with the upper body. Now, what does this cause in the golf swing? Most of the time, this move will result in an over-the-top action, producing huge pulls or a ball flight that closely resembles that delicious yellow fruit.

How do you fix it? Scott explains his “hips and hands together” swing thought, and how the feeling of your hips firing, then your hands, can get your swing back on plane.

“We always want this lower body to turn out of the way first,” said Scott, “and that allows the upper body to follow suit.”

Watch the full video above.