Garden City is a wonderful old school US course that has managed to keep that old feeling and it's traditions in tact in an ever changing world of golf. First of all it's one of the few all mens clubs that is still around. They also maintain a policy of wearing a jacket when you arrive there. However, it's all about the jacket and there are plenty of stories of people showing up in their underwear with their jacket on. Whether they are true or not I can't say from first hand information. I did see plenty of people showing up with shorts on and there jackets on.

The clubhouse and locker room hasn't changed in over 100 years. (not sure of the exact time but that's my ball park estimate). It's also a club full of well respected members from the NY area not to mention many very accomplished players.

The course could easily be something you might find in England in terms of the layout.

The first tee shot can be quite unnerving to the first time guest. The very small make-shift driving range is right in front of it just off to the side. When it's your turn to tee off the guys on the driving range just kind of turn around and watch you, but they are very close so a proper shank could do some serious damage. The tee shot is also largely blind even though the land is flat. You can't see where the ball will land over the field of rough. The approach is to a green heavily guarded with huge bunkers. Interestingly enough it might be my choice for best hole on the course and has some of the most dynamic land as well.

Garden City is really characterized by flatfish land, a solid routing that keeps moving in various direction for the most part which helps as it's in a fairly windy area. There are not many trees so the main defense is the rough and the greens which are often tilted very strategically. At least one is sloped several front to back which makes for a very interesting approach. Another aspect that really makes the course much more interesting are the very firm and fast conditions. It's not target golf and in order to land the ball short and get it close to the pins to score well you really need to plot your tee shots out perfectly based on the pin positions.

Often the subtleness of the land is passed off as lacking in features but the architecture is such that the course remains strategic and interesting without all the wow moments created by huge dunes or sea views.

The 18th hole is a solid par 3 with the green literally right in front of the clubhouse patio where all the members sit in a huge peanut gallery comments, making fun and taking bets on who's going to make their up and downs and sink their putts.