What it's like to play the brand new $269 million golf course that Donald Trump just opened in New York City

New York City has a brand new championship-caliber golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus.

And, anyone can play it.

Donald Trump officially opened Trump Golf Links in Ferry Point, New York on April 1. Last fall, I got a chance to play a round with our sports editor Tony Manfred.

It's a great course. It blows away all the other public courses in New York City, which isn't saying much because most of the city's courses are pretty beat up and uninspired. (There are a surprising number of courses in New York City. Of all the courses I've played in New York, here are my city rankings: 1. Pelham Bay; 2. La Tourette; 3. Split Rock; 4. Marine Park; 5. Dyker Beach; 6. South Shore; 7. Silver Lake; 8. Douglaston; 9. Moshulu; 10. Van Cortlandt.)

More impressively, Trump Golf Links, which was built for a reported $269 million, is in contention to be a top five public course in the New York metro area. My list of the best courses in the New York Metro area (which means ~1 hour drive out of the city) before Trump Links goes like this: 1. Bethpage Black; 2. Pound Ridge; 3. Neshanic Valley; 4. Ballyowen; 5. Bethpage Red.

The new Trump course could compete with those last three on the list, though as a friend of mine said of the course, it's best to wait until it is in full bloom.

There are only two downsides to the course:

1. It's expensive. A round ranges from $141 to $215, depending on the day of the week and whether you're an NYC resident. An average round at a public city course is ~$40.

2. It's in the Bronx, but not near any train lines, so it's not the most convenient place to get to.

Still! It's a fun time, and it will be on every New York golfer's list in 2015.

When I played I took some photos of the course so you can get a sense of the course. This is not a perfect representation because the course will have tall fescue grown in when it's warmer, but this is an idea of what it will be like.