You would think that living in the middle of Westchester County would make it easy to get to great public golf courses, but, sadly, that’s not the case. While I’m within a 20-minute drive from a few of the most famous private clubs in the country, the number of great nearby publicly accessible options can be counted on one hand.

That said, having lived practically my entire life in the New York City area, I’ve learned where and where not to play. Knowing where to play isn’t enough, however, as locking down a tee time in these parts can be nearly impossible. That’s why I’ve created this guide to my favorite public courses around New York City (and some advice for playing them).

—Alex Myers, senior writer