Brookhaven Town's new Patriots Preserve park opens at former Links at Shirley golf club 

Part of the former Links at Shirley golf club — which closed more than a decade ago amid financial struggles — has been opened to the public as a new Brookhaven Town park.

Now called Patriots Preserve, the 99-acre park in Shirley opened Monday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and promises by town officials that the park — which features a playground, hiking trails and an 8-acre lake — eventually could include ballfields and an outdoor amphitheater.

Brookhaven spent $2 million to build the park's first phase and expects to pay up to $4 million for future phases, said Supervisor Edward P. Romaine, adding construction is expected to continue over the next 10 years. 

"This is going to be one of the last great regional parks in the Town of Brookhaven," Romaine said, adding there is limited space for more large parks. "We're going to do a lot of things to enhance living in these communities."

The park, on Colony Preserve Drive, about a mile east of William Floyd Parkway, had been part of the Links, a private 18-hole course that closed around 2010 following years of declining membership.

The 205-acre site later was acquired by the Holiday Organization, a Plainview-based developer. The company transferred 99 acres to the town in exchange for town approvals for two residential communities on the remaining 106 acres. Holiday also donated $1 million toward development of the park, town officials said.

Other funding included $550,000 from a community development fund established by Sunrise Wind, which is laying a 17.5-mile underground cable for its offshore wind farm through Brookhaven Town, and a $125,000 state grant, Brookhaven Councilman Dan Panico said, adding the remaining $325,000 came from town funds.

Brookhaven in 2017 offered a 5-acre section of the former golf course to the Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library for development of a 50,000-square-foot library. But residents voted 2,396-1,580 to reject the $33.5 million bond referendum that would have paid for the project; the district instead is renovating its main library in Shirley and has opened satellite branches in Moriches and Mastic Beach.

The 5-acre section that had been offered to the library district will become part of the new park, town officials said.

By Monday, workers had completed construction of the playground and a 200-foot floating bridge across the lake. The town hopes to open a kayak launch next spring, said town parks director Ed Morris.

Jeanne Eriksson, 72, of Shirley, visited the park Monday and called it "a wonderful addition to the community." She said taking a stroll along the lake helped her unwind after playing four Oktoberfest shows in three days with her musical group, The SmorgasBand.

“I’m up to my steins with Oktoberfests," said Eriksson, the band's accordion player. "Monday is usually my day off and normally I would be in a coma on my sofa recuperating. But because of this park, I came out and I’m glad I did."

James LeDeoux, 68, of Mastic Beach, beamed as he watched his two grandsons enjoy the playground.

"This is beautiful, very nice," LeDeoux said. 

 "For a minute, I didn't think I was on Long Island."

By Carl MacGowan

carl.macgowan@newsday.comCarlMacGowan

Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.