Heatherwood Golf Club is a Public, 18-hole golf course in Centereach, New York.
Heatherwood first opened for play in 1965. This executive par-60 course plays to 4,109 yards. The course rating is 58.6, and the slope rating is 95. This year-round public golf course is on approximately 85 acres of heavily treed property. There are six par 4 holes - and twelve par three holes.
Hole #1 is a straightforward par 3 warm-up. Sand traps flank either side of the green, which lies 158 yards from the men's tees and has a slight downhill slope from back to front. Stay in the fairway, and you are off to a good start.
Hole #2 can be a bit intimidating at 351 yards. A par 4 with a sharp, dog-leg left, this green has two traps closing in on the front of the green with a convenient opening straight up the middle.
Hole #5 is a par-4 favorite of many. The hole has an elevated men's tee. This hole is nice and straight, with a wide fairway and a large green. The hole measures 336 yards from the men's tee. A couple of bunkers at the green may or may not come into play. This is a hole where a decent golfer can "drive" the green, and even at a par 4, it is not that difficult to play.
Hole #9 is a favorite par 3, and the "Signature" is the ninth hole. This picturesque water hole has a little bit of everything. The men's tee is 148 yards and well elevated above the fairway. The green is large, elongated, and slopes nicely upward with a large trap on either side. The left-side bunker can be tricky, and a less experienced sand player may "pop" out only to end up in the opposite trap. The ladies tee is at ground level and gives an excellent advantage distance as long as you don't tense in front of the water. Keep your cool. This is a nice little par...or maybe a birdie hole.
Hole # 12 should be one of the easiest club-wise at 119 yards, but it can give players a run for their money. This has a sand trap which is not so affectionately called the whale by some......a deep bunker that projects a large "hump" and sits just left of the center of the green. Land well into the bunker, and getting up and over is a test!
Hole # 13 can be a troublesome par 4. This 278-yard hole is flanked by a waste bunker running along the length of the fairway and bordered by trees. Land in it, and you fight your way out, having to rise above the crest and get through the trees to, hopefully, land on the green - which is elevated with a strong slope. Gravity can be a friend or an enemy on this green, depending on where you land. Play this green high. Just before reaching the green, which takes a left turn, there is a large hazard (at times, this is a water hazard; at other times, it is dry). It is one of the most frustrating yet enjoyable holes. When played well, that feeling of accomplishment keeps you coming back.
The more proficient golfer may find Heatherwood Golf Course the choice for polishing their short game, and it offers enough of a challenge on the more difficult holes to pique their interest. Better women players may play from the men's tees to vary the routine and level of challenge. The course also offers the newer golfer an advantage. The atmosphere is less intimidating than some of the longer, more challenging courses, and a round is usually about 4 hours.
The course closed in 2020. The former 18-hole course was reduced to a nine-hole course to make room for a 200-unit residential complex for people aged 55 and older. The new nine-hole course is named Spy Ring Golf Club.