Bronx, New York · New York City

Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course

Opened July 6, 1895, the country's first municipal course. Babe Ruth and the Three Stooges played it, and the 1902 locker room keeps its wooden lockers.

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About Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course

Van Cortlandt is where American public golf starts. The city opened it on July 6, 1895, and NYC Parks calls it the first municipal course in the U.S.; a year later it hosted the country's first public golf tournament. The first nine, laid out north of Van Cortlandt Lake by T. McClure Peters, cost $624.80. In 1899 the city hired Thomas Bendelow to run it and stretch it from nine holes on 55 acres to 18 on 120.

Today it's a par 70 of 6,002 yards from the black tees (69.8 rating, 120 slope). It's short overall, with two long exceptions: the 2nd is a 619-yard par 5 from the back, and the 12th is 572. GolfNYC, which runs it for the city, lists a Stephen Kay renovation with seven new greens, new tees, better bunkers and much better drainage, about $1.5 million of work. Locals call it "Vanny," and it's the easiest city course to reach without a car: the 1 train drops you a short walk away.

The names are the fun part. NYC Parks lists Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson and Joe Louis among its visitors, and says the Three Stooges made it their course. The clubhouse locker rooms date to 1902 and still have their original wooden lockers, which show up in a scene in Oliver Stone's Wall Street (1987). Heavy play is old news here, too: Parks started a weekend and holiday reservation system at Van Cortlandt and Pelham back in Bendelow's day.

It's one of 3 courses in Bronx on Yoink, and Mosholu Golf Course is practically next door — handy when your first choice is booked solid.

Booking a tee time at Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course

Book online at GolfNYC, which opens tee times 10 days ahead and charges a $6 non-refundable reservation fee; green and cart fees are paid at check-in, and you need to be there 30 minutes early or you'll likely lose the time. Cancel or change your group at least 12 hours out or you pay full fees. The posted rates (no year on the page) are $54 weekdays and $70 weekends and holidays for 18 before 2 p.m., $43 and $56 after 2, with a $34 weekday senior rate for 62 and over; carts are $22 plus tax per person. NYC residents need a valid permit for the resident rate. Expect four to five hours. Pro shop: (718) 543-4595.

How to get a tee time at Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course

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If Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course looks full for the day you want, it usually isn't for long: groups drop, rounds get moved and times reopen at all hours.

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Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course FAQ

Where is Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course?

Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course is in Bronx, New York, in the New York City area.

Is Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course open to the public?

Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course is municipal (NYC Parks); NYC residents with a valid permit pay the resident rate, run by GolfNYC (concessionaire running nine city courses).

How many holes is Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course, and what's par?

Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course is an 18-hole regulation course: 18 holes, par 70, 6,096 yards.

How do I get a tee time at Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course when it's booked up?

Set a watch for Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course in Yoink with your date, time window and group size. Yoink monitors the course's tee sheet and alerts you the moment a matching time opens, including cancellations. You book directly with the course.

What golf courses are near Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course?

Nearby options include Mosholu Golf Course, Split Rock Golf Course (Bronx) and Pelham Bay Golf Course (Bronx). Yoink watches 14 courses in the New York City area.

Sources

Facts on this page come from these pages, checked 2026-09-28. Rates and booking rules change, so confirm with the course.

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