# The Best Golf You Can Play Without a Car from Manhattan

Source: https://thecourserankings.com/blog/the-best-golf-you-can-play-without-a-car-from-manhattan/

NYC Metro Rankings


Our anchor point is Downtown Manhattan, the Financial District around Wall Street. Times are approximate off peak drive times or standard transit times from there. Add 15 to 30 minutes at rush hour and on summer Saturdays. No car is not a real obstacle to good golf in New York if you pick the right courses. Ranked by the combination of golf quality and door to door transit ease.

**Our take:** Van Cortlandt by the 1 train is the best pure transit round. Bethpage by LIRR is the best golf available without a car, full stop.

## The ranking

1. Bethpage Black and Red: LIRR from Penn Station or Grand Central Madison to Farmingdale, about 55 minutes, then the park taxi or rideshare for the last stretch. Book the resident window if you qualify. 2. Van Cortlandt: the 1 train to 242nd Street, about 55 minutes from Downtown, then a short walk into the park. 3. Dyker Beach: R train to 86th Street in Brooklyn plus the B1 bus. 4. Forest Park: LIRR or subway to Woodhaven plus a bus or short rideshare. 5. Ferry Point by taxi or rideshare only, about $60 to $90 each way from Downtown in recent typical pricing, split four ways it beats owning a car for a monthly round.

## The club storage trick

Manhattan golfers without cars ship clubs ahead or store a second set at a simulator club. Five Iron and similar venues offer club storage at some locations, which turns a transit round into a grab your shoes and go round. Check the current storage program before relying on it.

## The math

Two LIRR tickets and a taxi split come to less than one month of Manhattan garage parking. The no car golfer who plays twice a month is ahead before greens fees. The cost per round guide runs the full comparison.

## Reader responses

What is your best no car golf route in the city? Name the train and the course.

Please cite a specific hole, a price, or a round you have played. Selected reader responses are featured in follow up coverage.

## FAQ

**Can you take golf clubs on the subway and LIRR?**

Yes. A carry bag or Sunday bag travels easiest. Avoid peak rush direction with a full cart bag if you can.

**What is the fastest transit round from Downtown?**

Van Cortlandt, roughly 55 minutes each way on the 1 train. Prices in this guide were checked in October 2026 against published course listings and recent reporting. Greens fees move by season, day, and residency, so confirm the exact rate when you book. Private clubs do not publish initiation fees or dues. Every private figure here is an estimate band based on public reporting, labeled as an estimate, and the only accurate number comes from a club's membership office.

**Reader responses are open.** Please cite a specific hole, a price, or a round you have played.