Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course

First opened for play in 1895, the nation's oldest public golf course is also the city's most accessible from Manhattan, just a short walk from the 242nd St. stop on the 1 train. Vannie, as regulars know it, has benefited over the past few years from renovations of several greens and tee boxes, improved drainage and bunker restoration. Hilly and challenging, Van Cortlandt is a tough slog on the back nine, where the elevation changes are more severe. The ancient wooden lockers in the clubhouse provide a glimpse of the golf's past—and you've got to hand it to the city for resisting the urge to modernise that part of the facility, which gives Vannie much of its character. The 7th hole, a 222-yard par 3 that plays downhill to a heavily sloping green, stands up to any par 3 in the metro area, public or private, for its difficulty and classic design. Van Cortlandt bears the distinction, such as it is, of being the home course of Andrew Giuliani, son of the former mayor and one helluva golfer, garnering the 2006 Metropolitan Golf Association Player of the Year honours.