Despite vandalism, players remain loyal to Crab Meadow

Bob Colvin of Halesite has been playing golf at Crab Meadow in Northport for 49 years, so he was not going to let the vandalism that wrecked three greens stop him from continuing.

“My mother used to drop me off. It was a dollar at noon for teens. This is how I grew up in golf, Crab Meadow on Tuesdays. It was cheaper than bowling,” he said between nines on Friday, more than a week after someone dug up three greens on the Town of Huntington course overnight.

Since then, the town has offered a 10 percent discount for anyone who wants to play. And regardless of the fact that there were temporary greens on the first, 11th and 17th holes, golfers and people who work at Crab Meadow are determined to keep going.

“You just hit it up there, you take two strokes and that’s it,” Colvin said of the routine for temporary greens. Of the course in general, he added, “It’s just such a great track. It is phenomenal.”

As of Friday, there still had been no answer about who did the damage (estimated at $124,000) or why. Four greens were affected, one was repaired right away by the greens staff. Rewards totaling $10,000 for information leading to arrests have been offered.

Crab Meadow was designed in 1964 by architect William Mitchell, who also did Suffolk County courses at Bergen Point, Timber Point, Indian Island and West Sayville. The town layout in Northport always has been known for its views of Long Island Sound, its unique elevated driving range and its greens.

Three of those are being completely resurfaced and will be out of play for a while. “Three out of 18 doesn’t bother us too much,” said Darin Tripp of Huntington, who was playing with her husband Andrew. “It’s a challenging course, it always has been well kept,” she said. Andrew added, “And it has quite a bit of variety, from hole to hole.”

Dwight Lewington of Huntington Station, another regular, cited his $21 green fee. “The value of the place, the condition of the place, you can’t beat it,” he said. “And the people are nice.”

Patrick Finn of Centerport, after having blasted a drive down the middle from the back tee on No. 10, said, “It’s a nice, close, local course. It will be miserable, playing a couple of holes where we don’t have a green to putt on, but it is what it is. We’re still having fun. It’s a shame that the greens got torn up, but in a month, it will all be back to normal.”

Glen Head Classic grows

The Glen Head Classic took a step forward in its goal to become a calendar fixture that attracts the best amateurs in the region. Unlike other events that are held in the spring, the 36-hole stroke play tournament at Glen Head Country Club is held in summer, and still it drew a field one-third larger than it did for the inaugural last year.

Jonathan Farber of Tam O’Shanter won it on Thursday at 5 over, one shot better than Long Island Amateur champion Colby Anderson of Nassau Country Club, Brett Cooper of Seawane and Hunter Semels of North Hempstead.

David Prowler, who plays out of Bethpage, beat Tod Pike of Apawamis by one to win the Senior flight. Ron Vannelli of Forsgate edged Peter Van Ingen of Deepdale to win the Masters flight.

3 aces, 25 holes

Something for every golfer to try and match: Ali Gibb, 51, made three holes-in-one in a 25-hole span during her club championship at Croham Hurst Golf Club in Surrey, England. Not surprisingly, she won the tournament. The six-handicap player later told BBC Sport: "Our pro, Adam, came up to me and said, 'I've had one hole-in-one in 42 years, you've just had three in five hours.’ ”

Outings

Former Met Endy Chavez will be part of the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame Golf Outing Aug. 24 at Mill Pond Golf Club, Medford. Visit suffolksportshof.com/golf…The Eighth Annual KEF Tee-Off for Education Tournament will be at the Muttontown Club Sept. 27. Proceeds benefit school-deprived children in Kenya. Visit kenyaeducationfund.org.

Aces

Jeff LeBlanc, St. George’s G&CC, 17th hole, 112 yards, pitching wedge

Jerry Wood, Huntington CC, 12th hole, 118 yards, 8-iron

Collin Thomas McHale, Middle Island CC Oak, fourth hole, 215 yards, 3-wood

Vincent LoPrinzi, Inwood CC, seventh hole, 207 yards, 3-hybrid

Carl Pagillo (of North Lynbrook), Playa Mujeres GC, Cancun, Mexico, 11th hole 189 yards, 5-wood

Ken Munson, Timber Point Blue, second hole, 134 yards, 7-iron

Stuart Lerner, Timber Point Blue, second hole, 145 yards, 8-iron

Natalie Einstein, Woodmere Club, third hole, 89 yards, 5-hybrid

Vern Lambert, Heatherwood GC, 10th hole, 190 yards, 2-iron

Ray Andreasen, Heatherwood GC, 17th hole, 145 yards, 7-iron