The Links At Union Vale

About 70 miles north of New York City along the Taconic Parkway, architect Stephen Kay created The Links at Union Vale for a group of Irish investors who were frustrated with how difficult it was to find a tee time in the NYC area. Kay, a Queens native, built the course on 200 acres of former cattle and farmland with a meager $600,000 budget. The 18-hole layout is yet another fun public option in the New York area from Kay, who might not get as much credit as some of his contemporaries, but is undoubtedly deserving of accolades for creating courses that are fun yet interesting to navigate for every level of golfer. —Stephen Hennessey, dep. managing editor