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I am no sailor. But I do enjoy the occasional ferry ride. Especially so when it takes me to and from a golf game.
There is something special about being on the water and feeling the way it cools the air and seasons it with brine. The rumble of a ship’s bow cutting through the sea is a pleasing sound, especially when it mingles with the mournful caws of seagulls. And I like the feel of the wind on my face and in my hair.
Not having to drive allows me the luxury of savoring views across bays and channels as I head to a course, as well as anything else that comes into sight. An oyster boat, perhaps. A lighthouse rising from a rocky crag. Schools of baitfish roiling the water’s surface as bigger fish below feed on them.
Those boat trips also give me the opportunity to think more deeply about the places I am about to play, or recount rounds I have just completed.
As a rule, I prefer seaside golf courses. And the more water that comes into view and breezes come into play, the more I like them. So, I suspect my love of ferry rides when golf is involved is simply an extension of my passion for those types of layouts.
And often, the tracks I am traveling to by that means are among my favorites.
As a rule, I prefer seaside golf courses. And the more water that comes into view and breezes come into play, the more I like them.
When I head to the East End of Long Island on the ferry that runs between Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Port Jefferson, New York, for example, the National Golf Links of America or Shinnecock Hills are my likely destinations.
Other favorite boat rides include the one between New London, Connecticut, and Fisher’s Island, which boasts a Seth Raynor gem. Ferries also serve the Massachusetts islands of Nantucket, which is home to highly rated Sankaty Head (site of this year’s U.S. Mid-Am), and Martha’s Vineyard (where Presidents Clinton and Obama often tee it up).
I also adore the vessel that motors between Kennacraig in Scotland to Port Ellen on the isle of Islay, where I have traveled to play the magnificent links at Machrie. The visuals on that roughly two-hour trip are superb, and so is the homemade steak and ale pie that is sold on board.
As someone who years ago lived and worked in Manhattan, I relish the times I get ferried across the New York Harbor to and from the Bayonne Golf Club or Liberty National in New Jersey. We pass the Statue of Liberty both ways, and to see it from sea level as early 20th century immigrants did is as awe-inspiring as a first-time look at the 16th hole at Cypress Point.
There is no better way to go.
E-MAIL JOHN
John Steinbreder