Babylon Town commissions $55G study to decrease size of Cedar Beach Golf Course

Babylon Town’s only golf course may soon get smaller while the amenities around it grow in abundance.

The town has commissioned a feasibility study to determine the possibility of reducing the 18-hole, pitch and putt Cedar Beach Golf Course to nine holes. The land would then be used to create a miniature golf course, cabanas and lockers for beachgoers, and possibly a pool. Nelson + Pope of Melville has been hired for $55,000 to do the study.

The golf club, located between Cedar and Overlook ocean beaches, was built in 1969 and has become underutilized, said Babylon Deputy Supervisor Tony Martinez.

Town data shows the number of visitors did drop in 2020 to 898. But in 2021 there were 1,777 visitors, the highest amount in the past four years. By comparison, town amenities such as the Phelps Lane pool and Geiger spray park each generated more than 10,000 visitors in 2021.

"It’s not as used as we would like it to be," Martinez said.

Part of the reason, he noted, is that topographically the course has low-lying areas that become breeding grounds for mosquitos. He said the town would seek to fill in those areas and improve drainage as part of any redevelopment.

Babylon is modeling the new amenities after Nickerson and Malibu beaches in Lido Beach in Hempstead Town, which have hundreds of cabanas that cost an average of $4,000 per season. Martinez said that if the town ends up building cabanas, there would be a lottery rental system and the structures could possibly have a shower, changing area and picnic tables outside.

The lockers, also to be rented seasonally, would be big enough to leave chairs, umbrellas and other beach items, Martinez said.

"This way when they come back the following week or the following day they don’t have to haul this stuff back and forth," he said.

Martinez said the possible changes are part of a town strategy that began after Superstorm Sandy in October 2012, when families couldn’t enjoy the use of their backyards and couldn’t afford to go away on vacation.

"We’re trying to create facilities that allow for staycations," he said.

Some residents worry the changes may cause more harm than good, including habitat loss and shoreline pollution.

"I think it’s an awful idea," said Lindenhurst resident Candace Ekberg, 38, who said she frequently brings her young daughters to Cedar Beach. "If they don’t want to use the golf course, then why develop it more, why not restore it to its natural state and protect the natural resource and have it there for future generations to enjoy?"

Patrick Corcoran, 35, also of Lindenhurst, frequents the beaches and golf course and said he worries about overdevelopment.

When it comes to barrier islands, "less is more," he said. "We’ve been going to the beach for 90 years without having a locker to put stuff in."

By Denise M. Bonilla

denise.bonilla@newsday.comdenisebonilla

Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.