A rendering of the new Baiting Hollow Club.

Spring has finally sprung in the Hamptons, which means no more waiting for those who love to play golf here. It's okay to put on the outfits that make you look like Fred Couples or Paula Creamer. Your Calloway or Cleveland or old Slazenger clubs are in your car's trunk. It is time to work into your regular schedule trips to your favorite private course – be it Shinnecock Hills or Southampton Golf Club or the North Fork Country Club – or such spruced-up public ones as Montauk Downs, Indian Island, and even "Goat Hill" on Shelter Island.

Every year brings something new to golf on eastern Long Island. Partners Barry Beil, Stanley Pine, and Michael and Carl Ashkin at the newly christened Baiting Hollow Club, formerly Fox Hills Golf and Country Club, celebrated the first of many milestones associated with the multi-phase redevelopment of the golf facility. At the gateway to Long Island's lush agricultural and burgeoning wine region, the 138-acre golf course was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. in 1966.

The fairway and green of the first hole.

Jones, by the way, was one of the most influential golf course architects in the U.S. - and possibly the world - in the middle decades of the 20th century. He was born in England but his family emigrated to Rochester in upstate New York when he was very young. He and Walter Hagen have the dubious distinction of growing up in Rochester (though 16 years apart) and each finding a way to overcome the seemingly endless winters to becoming successful in golf. When he won the 1919 U.S. Open, Hagen was the head pro at the Oakland Hills course in Michigan, and he was a special guest when the Open was held there in 1951 after a complete re-design by Jones. Locally, Jones's most winning project was the total redoing of Montauk Downs in the late 1960s, turning an abandoned course into one of the best public courses in the country. His sons, Robert Jr. and Rees - the latter designed The Bridge and the Atlantic Golf Club, both in Bridgehampton - have been top golf architects since the 1970s. Millions will see more of Rees's handiwork next month when the Open is held at Torrey Pines in San Diego.

Back to Baiting Hollow. "Watching our plans go from the drawing board to reality has been tremendously exciting, as it embodies so much more than your typical golf course revitalization," said Beil. "I couldn't be more proud of our progress and the clubhouse will set a new standard – with all the luxury amenities one would expect, but will also complement the natural setting of the surrounding landscape."

"The North Fork is an incredibly beautiful place," Pine, Beil's partner, added. "There are very few areas on Long Island or in the United States that can compare to this as far as overall beauty throughout the year."

Conceptually designed by Hart/Howerton, a renowned global architecture and design firm, the clubhouse at Baiting Hollow Club spans 24,624-square-feet across three stories. Searles, Stromski Associates Architects Planners were brought on board to develop the original design into a set of working drawings and further develop the interior plan and layout. The facility, to be completed by this summer, has been created in a style reminiscent of some of the more famous North Fork grand dames of the late 19th and 20th centuries.

Distinctive design features include exteriors of cedar shingle and masonry, accented by a powerful roofline with multiple gables. Brick water tables on the building blend into the lower walls surrounding the stone terrace and connect the building to its landscape. Incorporated into the main structure are dozens of windows designed to take in the natural beauty of the Jones, Sr. course. On approach, a scenic tree-lined boulevard (Club Drive) and exquisitely landscaped mall provide exclusive access to the golf course and club.

Inside the clubhouse at Baiting Hollow Club, luxurious amenities will be woven throughout the interior. Carefully detailed woodwork adorns the men's and ladies' lounge areas. Members and guests are invited to the entry lobby with cove lighted ceilings and brilliant detail. Its high ceilings and comfortable style, invite members to have a game of backgammon or simply relax while reading a magazine in a sophisticated, yet casually elegant atmosphere - an ideal place to discuss the day's round with new friends. (Hey, I can get used to this!).

The green on the third hole has a few challenging sand traps.

On the main floor, the men's and women's lounge areas will feature fireplaces and flat screen televisions. Lighting fixtures enhance the space, not only with their warm light, but elegant appearance. Wood trim flows throughout the interior of the locker rooms and corridors. The upper level will house a pro shop and the Grille Room, an intimate 56-seat restaurant and adjacent 22-seat bar and lounge that will serve simple, but flavorful comfort food including salads and sandwiches. A covered porch is connected to a terrace, which overlooks the practice green.

To accommodate the new facilities, minor changes to the golf course are planned. Premiere golf course design team Hurdzan-Fry provided counsel on restoring the course to its original design, which had been modified over the years. The seventh hole with 420 yards returns to a challenging par-four design, while the former 14th hole becomes the finishing hole, returning also to a par-four with 465 yards. Following completion of the clubhouse and minor course changes, 30 luxurious homes commensurate with the new facilities will be built.

Built on the bluffs of the Long Island Sound, the course is known for its beautiful vistas, featuring many elevated tees and greens. Extraordinary management of turf and soil infrastructure has resulted in manicured greens and fairways, which offer the luxury of playing under the best conditions. "It's the best of links and woodland holes intertwined, and is a phenomenally interesting course to play," said Pine.

Once the changes are in place the course will measure 6,850 from the back tees, and play to a par of 70 with a likely slope rating of 135 presenting a difficult but fair challenge to golfers of all levels. Three other sets of tees test golfers with total yardages that range from 5,500 to 6,450.

Some readers may recall that when it was Fox Hills the course hosted many outstanding tournaments. Some of these include the 2006 New York State Open qualifier, the 2002 U.S. Open qualifier, the 2001 Met Open, the 2000 U.S. Amateur qualifier, the 1999 Long Island PGA Championship, the 1998 Met Open qualifier, and the 1996 Ike qualifier.

Watch out for the cross winds on the 14th hole.

Another cool local connection is that Barry Beil and Stanley Pine are owners of Hamptons Hills Golf Club in Westhampton Beach. In 2006, the team purchased 52 acres adjoining the Baiting Hollow Golf Course and began expansive construction of the new 24,624-square-foot clubhouse.

The gentlemen, who were college students at the time, met 40 years ago at a poker game. After completing their studies, they embarked on divergent career paths. Pine made a name for himself in the garment business, while Beil pursued a successful career in commercial construction and electrical contracting. Presented with a real estate investment opportunity in the late 1990s, they focused their sights on eastern Long Island, where a life-long hobby became a source of income. They purchased the Hampton Hills Golf Club in 1996, and relocated to eastern Long Island with their families a few years later.

Speaking of clubhouses, progress is being made at the new clubhouse at The Bridge. It is designed by Roger Ferris + Partners, which has done projects from London to Hong Kong. According to Ferris, his first impression was this: "I looked at the land, perched on a hill with 280-degree views of water, and I gulped. I said to myself, 'This site is so spectacular, I can only screw it up.' Then I saw it as an opportunity, a way to echo how golf has evolved and become more stylish. A clubhouse is a chance to be inventive, to build on a vast, green landscape. You can't do that in London or Manhattan."

I'd like to give plugs to a couple of new books on golf by authors with connections to the Hamptons. One is Keith Larsen, who lives on the north shore of eastern Long Island, plays Shinnecock Hills, is a five handicap, and has a dog named Chi-Chi after the legendary Chi-Chi Rodriguez. "Sticks Johnson, Bad Lies and Strange Bounces" is a novel about a single round of golf which contains a lot of comedic twists. Ask for it in a bookstore or go to the author's web site at www.sticksjohnson.com.

The other book being published on May 10 by St. Martin's Press is "The Caddie Who Played With Hickory," also a novel, written by John Coyne. Walter Hagen is a major character in it, and right there you know it's a winner. Pop into the nearest book shop for it, or go to www.johncoynebooks.com. Between chapters, however, get out there and play golf!