Source: The Journal News (Westerchester County, N.Y.)
Golf, it has been said, is one of the rare activities you don't have to be good at to enjoy.
And so it is that just after 4 p.m. Elaine Edelstein seems happy after her round at Spook Rock Golf Course, despite having just shot what she calls an "awful" 113 only a week after shooting her best score, a 101.
"There's no better place to be than on a golf course," the New Hempstead resident says.
She and her husband, Stu, change out of their spikes in the parking lot and put their clubs back in their car trunk, a familiar routine. Stu, 58 and a dentist, plays twice a week - once with his "50-plus" wife and once with his buddies.
They play at other public courses in the area and in Massachusetts, where they have a summer home. But Spook Rock compares favorably to them.
"It's a quality course for a fair fee," says Stu Edelstein, who's just shot an "average" 94, a week after a personal-best 86.
Lots of people evidently agree. Spook Rock, operated by the town of Ramapo, has been selected in the past by Golf Digest as one of the country's top public courses.
It usually opens in early April, says head professional Martin Bohen, and remains open until the autumn weather forces it to close. During the busiest part of the summer season, Bohen says, it's not unusual for about 300 golfers to play Spook Rock in one day.
"It's a very nice layout," Bohen says. "The holes are well-designed and in general it's in very good condition for a public course. The greens are very nice. They're not as good as some of the private courses, but I think the town and the golf course superintendent take pride in the condition."
Despite its appearance, Spook Rock is definitely a public course. Town residents can play for $20 - $35 with a cart.
"It's a steal," Elaine Edelstein says. "Don't write that. They'll raise prices. ... It's a good value."
It's also open to everyone. The Ramapo, Spring Valley and Suffern high school golf teams play there. Today, Ramapo coach Matt Sullivan and Spring Valley coach Shawn Kapusinsky are holding an open clinic for students of all ages from the East Ramapo school district who might be interested in golf.
"They give us great access to the course," Kapusinsky says.
People - both new golfers and regulars - continue to come. Bohen estimates that 150 golfers will play today. The sky is clear and blue, but there's a cool hint of autumn in the afternoon air.
"You really feel like you want to play," Elaine Edelstein says. "You won't have many more chances to play. It'll get cold or nasty. So any nice day, you want to grab it."