Pretend You Have a Deck at Vanny Golf Course's Clubhouse

If the ole BD had a dime for every time we wistfully stated, "Damn, it would be nice to have a backyard and a deck to hangout on (i.e. 'drink on')," we'd certainly have a few extra bucks in our pocket. So until we find ourselves in a position to buy a little slice of urban paradise that features our very own outdoor space, we've decided to adopt the Van Cortlandt Golf Course Clubhouse's bad ass deck as our own.

No, we don't golf... but we sure do love finding new places that will allow us to get our daytime drinking on in the great outdoors. Sure, golfers in Vanny's G.C. Clubhouse look at us a little strange when we walk in with a stroller and not one bit of golf paraphernalia, but we're not letting that stop us.

The Van Cortlandt Golf Course Clubhouse has a nice basic beer selection (Stella, Heineken, Bud Light Lime, etc.) at pretty reasonable prices (around $5 for imports), and a light food menu including fries, hot dogs, burgers, etc. Best of all, the large deck offers an ample amount of tables and chairs with a view overlooking the Van Cortlandt Lake (which happens to be the largest fresh water lake in the BoogieDown). Our 18 month old, Pearl, actually loves visiting the Vanny G.C. Clubhouse because there's lots of space to run around and lots of geese and birds to look at (bribery with french fries also helps keep her happy during these visits).

So, next time you find yourself yearning for your own little slice of backyard suburban living, check out Vanny G.C.'s clubhouse... It's nothing fancy, but a great place to kick back and relax.

Getting There: Subway riders can get there by walking east from the IRT Nos. 1 and 9 terminal. Drivers can enter the park off Bailey Avenue and Van Cortlandt Park South, adjacent to the northbound entrance to the Major Deegan Expressway.

~ErLu