The Cheat Code to a Perfect Golf Day in NYC

NEW YORK, N.Y. — After almost three years of living in New York City, navigating the inner workings of its golf culture has been a tall task. If you're in the city, particularly on the island of Manhattan, your best bet at getting a dose of golf comes in the form of simulator spots. Five Iron Golf has a few locations scattered across the city, and others like it are popping up left and right. And virtual golf is a great way to get your fix during the winter months, but if you're like me and love to make contact with dirt and grass, you'll have to look to parts of Brooklyn and the outskirts of the the city to get to "true" golf experience.

Liberty National is a premier golf course in across the Hudson in Jersey City, so when the LPGA rolls in for the Mizuho Americas Open, the city's golf culture is on full display. From ferry rides right up to the course entrance—to skyline sunset views that are Spielberg-worthy, the juxtaposition of the vibrant green fairways contrasted to the towering skyscrapers of the greatest city in the wold is awe-striking. Whether you're a golf sicko residing in the Big Apple or a golf fan in town doing hitting up the hotspots—Mizuho is a must-see event. Here are the best tips and tricks to spending a day as a golf spectator in New York.

(Go ahead and bookmark this for the Ryder Cup while you're here.)

The best way to seize a day in New York is to have an early start—we don't burn daylight around here!

Now, I'm in Brooklyn so I'll subway into lower Manhattan using the Fulton Street Station in the Financial District. It's a bit of a hub, depending on where you are staying in the city and you're taking the subway you'll likely have a stop around here. If you walk two blocks east, you'll end up at Blank Street Coffee. Now, I'm not a coffee person, but I am a matcha person—and that blueberry matcha with oat milk has me in a chokehold.

Once you grab your morning bev of choice, you're gonna head over to Brookfield Place to catch the ferry to Mizuho.

This time of year, the tulip garden behind Brookfield is in full bloom and totally IG-worthy.

The Mizuho ferry comes every 30 minutes, at the top of every hour and at the half hour. And don't worry, you can't miss it—the tournament has a specially decorated ferry just for players and fans so you won't end up on the wrong one.

From here, you relax and take in the views—because they are truly the most spectacular. You'll float right by Lady Liberty, and have the perfect view of lower Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn.

When you arrive to the dock you head up the back side of the club house and wind up near the 18th green. Now personally, I'm a huge fan of walking a golf course backwards—I feel like in a way you absorb more of the course. You're paying attention to details that you usually wouldn't.

The first and 18th holes run parallel to one another, so you'll see the second green, the tee box on the third, all while walking towards the 17th green.

The ultimate spot on the course is this little grassy spot on the bridge in between the greens on 16th and the fifth holes. It looks like a Monet painting.

Photo by Francisco Balagtas

The Japanese Footbridge (1899), Claude Monet. Photo from the National Gallery of Art

I posted up at this spot for an hour or so just watching group after group alternating watching approach shots for on the fifth and putts and the 16th.

The trees keep you protected from the sunshine and the light breeze that floats through the branches creates a magical environment—you're transported to some place else.

Say you're getting a little hungry and maybe want to do some shopping—hit the Liberty National pro shop for some elite level merch, before heading back to the ferry to Manhattan.

You'll return to your starting point of Brookfield, but if you want quintessential NYC eats, FiDi isn't your spot. Hope back on the subway uptown to SoHo for the the best bites and shopping.

Golf sickos you'll love the different storefronts—from Tyler the Creator's swaggy Golf Wang store to Malbon's NYC flagship, there's some golf apparel hot spots to hit up.

If you want a good slice, Prince Street never disappoints. For a sit down meal, Jack's Wife Freda is a solid option if you love a Mediterranean vibe. You can't go wrong with anything in SoHo, truly.

After a brief intermission, keep heading south east back down to the lower eastside and check out Whim Golf's free practice putting green on Eldridge Street.

Seriously, it just a simple putting green. You pick a putter off the wall and roll a few, before ending your day with a little happy hour at Verlaine. (If you love a lychee martini—this is for you.)

It sounds like a lot, and it is, but it's so worth it. This city fuels you in ways that you didn't know were possible, and its golf culture is one-of-a-kind. Embrace it!