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It’s a fore-tunate time for youth golf on Long Island.
Coaches say the sport has grown exponentially at the high school level locally, thanks greatly to the worldwide spectacle of the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black last month, which inspired a new generation to hit the links.
“We’re a school that graduates about 120, and we had 42 kids try out this year,” Cold Spring Harbor varsity coach Jamie Lawlor told The Post during a Tuesday practice at Huntington Country Club.
“The last time we really saw numbers like that was when Bethpage had the U.S. Open in 2002 … and I’m hearing similar things from other schools,” he added.
Kids from all sports have caught the golf bug at the height of Ryder Cup mania, according to Lawlor, who said he even had football players trade turf for greens this fall.
“They’re all talking about the Ryder Cup at school. I’m seeing lots of students wearing the merch,” the longtime coach said.
It also helped that several Long Island high school teams, like the Seahawks of Cold Spring Harbor, were practicing and playing at other Bethpage courses during the major construction on Black last spring.
Even those who just made varsity for the first time in the fall, like 10th grader Hunter Arcati, said the energy coming out of Nassau County was palpable.
“I’ve been working all summer, every day. I’ve been loving the game,” said Arcati, who saw a Ryder Cup practice round in person.
He went for more than just a close gander at the world’s best, however. Arcati wanted to see how he could liken his game to that of the all-stars.
“I was watching a lot of their swings and stuff, seeing how mine matches with them — trying to fix my slice and things like that.”
Lawlor encourages the kids to emulate their favorite PGA golfer — Arcati is partial to Justin Thomas — to help find “a swing they identify with the most,” to get them closer to that caliber.
“I’ve been going to [the] range a lot now, watching lots of videos on their swings to get better,” added Arcati.
Jonah Benson, an 11th grader on the competitive squad for the second year in a row, also used the Ryder Cup to get closer to golf — and his peers.
“I think it was cool just to see all those guys teaming up, working together, and we’re trying to do the same thing here,” Benson said while wearing a Ryder Cup golf shirt he bought at a practice round.
Once the stands are broken down and Bethpage Black re-opens, Arcati and Benson are striving to play the hallowed course for the first time — even if it means camping out overnight for a tee time.
“I expect it to be a battle,” said Benson.
Lawlor is optimistic that the self-motivation and enthusiasm from his players will lead to sharper skills and even more interest by the spring of 2026.
Meanwhile, Benson wants to reach states with his Seahawks brethren by senior year, and strives for greatness, motivated by Team USA’s comeback that fell heartbreakingly short on Sunday of the Ryder Cup.
“They taught me to never give up,” Benson said.
English (US)