The Lido Golf Club – designed by C.B. Macdonald - opened on long island in 1917. Like all of Macdonald’s routings, The Lido included many classic templates such as the Alps, Redan, and Edan. The Lido was touted by many at the time of its opening to be comparable in shot quality to Pine Valley and National Golf Links - another C.B. Macdonald design. Sadly, the course was demolished by the U.S. Navy after the Navy purchased the property for use as a military base during World War II. Ever since it disappeared, the promise of The Lido has intrigued many as one of the great lost wonders of the golf world.
Via The Lido
The Lido is the restoration of the C.B. Macdonald masterpiece opened in 1917 at Lido Beach on Long Island. It existed for only 25 years though, eventually being lost due to acquisition of the land by the Navy in 1942 as the United States entered the second World War. Through it's short life, the course was celebrated as one of the best in America:
In 1921, Walter Hagen listed the Lido as one of golf's "Big Three" courses, along with the National Links, and Pine Valley.[10] An assessment after completion described the course as "the greatest test in the world, with the possible exception of Pine Valley."
On two holes at high tide the surf scatters spray over the greens, while the ocean seems scarcely more than a drive, a brassey and approach from any of the tees. The course proper covers 115 acres, over seven of which flows the lagoon, an artificial lake dredged twelve feet deep with made-land in the centre constituting the island hole.... The home hole was built after the design of the best of more than one hundred plans submitted in a prize contest conducted in England for the best two-shot stretch.
A century after the course opened the Keiser brothers were considering rebuilding the course. At the same time, hickory golfer and lost course enthusiast Peter Flory was working on a digital model of the course from old photographs. While working independently, the two parties were connected by Fried Egg Golf founder Andy Johnson, and began working together. In 2021, work began recreating the course at Sand Valley Resort. The course model was turned into a topographical map by Brian Zager, and the course was built by Tom Doak. It re-opened in 2023.
The course is semi-private, but has limited access to resort guests.