Worldgolfer's Golf Course Reviews

Course Name: Poxabogue Golf Center

Designer: Alfred Tull (1962)

Location: Sagaponack, New York

History: N/A

Conditions: 3/10, Highlighted by some of the roughest teeboxes I’ve ever played, Poxabogue was not in good shape when I played in the Fall. The course also featured too many burnt out spots and very slow greens.

Value: 3/10, Although cheaper for residents at $18 to walk on weekdays, Poxabogue is far too expensive for what you get at $30 for non-residents to walk weekdays and $40 on weekends.

Scorecard:

Tee                           Par         Yardage         Rating          Slope

White                       30          1583              N/A              N/A

Hole Descriptions: I’m not sure exactly how or when I first heard of Poxabogue, but it had been on my list to see for several years. I knew very little about the course besides the fact that it was 9 holes and public but decided to play it on a beautiful afternoon after seeing Maidstone. Perhaps I was expecting too much from a municipal course that features mainly par threes (especially after Maidstone), but I came away very disappointed by Poxabogue. It seems the course is one of the only public options surrounded by Top 100 private giants and a lot of locals swear by it, but I don’t understand its allure. For starters, the course is extremely short with six par threes and three very short par fours topping out at 304 yards. Even worse, two of the par threes were under 75 yards! This course is a solid place for beginners or bad golfers, but anyone with length or skill will be bored by the layout. Second, the conditioning was very poor with extremely slow greens and burnt out teeboxes that aren’t ideal for hitting a lot of short irons. Lastly, the price of $30-40 to walk this glorified pitch-and-putt is egregious, even in the Hamptons. I don’t see myself making a repeat visit on my next trip to the Hamptons.

The opening hole at Poxabogue is its longest as a 304 yard straightaway par 4. Likely the only time you can use a wood, this hole features bunkers on either side between 200 and 210 yards and a small, flat green defended by a pair of bunkers on either side.

The 2nd hole is a short 124 yard par 3 cramped between the 1st and 3rd. Running slightly uphill, this hole is defended by bunkers on either side short of a back right-to-front left sloped green.

My favorite hole at Poxabogue is the 3rd, a 292 yard reachable par 4 that plays as a dogleg left. With OB left the entire way and a hidden bunker down the left at 225 yards, this hole provides the golfer numerous options off the tee. This green is slightly elevated and runs left-to-right with a bunker right.

The par 3 4th hole plays somewhat similarly to the 2nd playing in the same direction at 121 yards. Like most holes at Poxabogue, this back-to-front sloped green is quite small and defended well by bunkers short on either side.

At just 62 yards, the 5th hole is one of two extremely short one-shotters at Poxabogue and might be the shortest hole I’ve ever played. Requiring a simple pitch in an open field, this green is extremely small and runs back-to-front surrounded by fives bunkers on all sides.

The 6th hole is the longest par 3 on the course but still is only a mid-iron at 155 yards. This green again runs back-to-front defended by bunkers on either side.

The 72 yard 7th hole is the other extremely short par 3 and plays to a flatter green defended by deep bunkers short and right. I must say it feels very cheap to play two holes like this in a three-hole stretch.

The 8th hole is one of the better and more interesting holes as a 302 yard dogleg right par 4. This dogleg occurs at only about 200 yards with a crossbunker down the right at 175 yards and OB for those who venture left and long. A solitary bunkers guards short left of a back-to-front sloped green.

Poxabogue’s closing hole is its hardest par 3 running a club uphill at 151 yards. This green is surrounded by four bunkers long and runs back-to-front.

General Comments: Perhaps the best thing about Poxabogue is its driving range, which is expansive, busy, and big enough to hit all your clubs. The Pro Shop doubles as a local diner. Pace of play was very strong when I played on a weekday afternoon at under an hour!

Verdict: One of the only public options in the Hamptons, the 9-hole Poxabogue is a local favorite but underwhelms with poor conditioning and a short, cramped layout. I’d recommend this course only to novices or higher handicappers.