Pelham Bay Golf Course

Overview: Pelham Bay Golf Course is the older public golf experience within the Pelham Bay Park golf complex in the Bronx. Current course references list an 18-hole par-71 layout at about 6,480 yards, with a mix of parkland corridors, open ground and the natural edges of one of New York City’s largest parks. The course is a good fit for golfers who want a full municipal round with a sense of landscape rather than a tightly built urban setting. Its identity is also tied to the neighboring Split Rock course, which was added to the park complex in the same broad period.

History: The Friends of Pelham Bay Park timeline records the nine-hole Pell Golf Course opening in 1901 and its expansion to 18 holes in 1914. In 1936 the course was refurbished, a second golf course was added and a new clubhouse opened. Current course references credit Lawrence Van Etten with the original work and John Van Kleek with the later 18-hole development. The result is a public golf story that runs from the early Bronx park movement through the large-scale municipal recreation era of the twentieth century.

Did You Know? Pelham Bay Park is New York City’s largest park by area. The golf complex sits within a much broader landscape of shoreline, wetlands, woods and historic sites, so the round is part of a substantial park visit rather than an isolated course stop.