Summary: A recent commercial production at Sprain Lake Golf Course highlights the scenery, accessibility and film-friendly support that make Westchester a smart choice for brands and production teams.
When Dunning Golf set out to produce its latest commercial campaign, the creative team needed more than a beautiful golf course. They needed a location that could deliver a variety of compelling shots, accommodate a full production crew and keep a fast-paced commercial shoot running smoothly.
They found it at Sprain Lake Golf Course, a Westchester County-owned property in Yonkers, just outside New York City.
The one-day shoot brought a 14-person crew to the course, where rolling fairways, mature trees and rolling hills provided a variety of backdrops for still photography and video. Experienced staff and production-friendly amenities helped the crew make the most of its time on location.
The Right Location Tells the Story
For Dunning Golf, a performance apparel brand, the setting was central to the creative concept.
"You can tell a lot of the story with just simply choosing the correct location," said Omar Jermaine, creative director at Dunning Golf. "It's a really amazing location that works for the storytelling that we do for this brand."
The campaign follows a familiar theme for New York City golf enthusiasts: the game is never far from their minds, even when they're in the middle of a busy workday. The creative vision called for a golf destination that felt like an escape from city life while remaining within easy reach.
"The story we were telling is someone who's in the city, but golf is always on their mind, and this is where they're going," explained Annmarie Dodd, vice president of marketing at Tharanco Lifestyles, which oversees Dunning Golf and other golf apparel brands.
Sprain Lake delivered that experience. Despite its accessible location off the Sprain Brook Parkway, the course's natural contours and tree canopy create a surprisingly secluded atmosphere.
"I was really impressed by the diversity of the trees that are there," Dodd said. "There's a lot of elevation changes, and when you're shooting golf, you need that."
For Jermaine, the terrain added variety within a single location.
"The undulations of the course just really add a depth of field to a still photograph and into motion images," he said. "A location that has a life, that is feeding into the story that you're telling, is really key."
The team found so many compelling angles and backgrounds that they've already discussed returning for another shoot during the fall foliage season.
When Every Minute Counts, Production Support Matters
Commercial shoots often operate on compressed schedules, leaving little room for logistical delays. For production teams, a cooperative location and staff who understand the demands of filming can be just as important as the scenery.
The team included talent, wardrobe personnel, photographers and other crew members. Most traveled from New York City by shuttle, making the location easy to reach without complicated transportation arrangements.
Once on site, the crew had access to a staging area, power, food service and golf carts to move people and equipment around the property. A dedicated course representative accompanied the production, offering local knowledge and helping the team identify the best places to shoot.
"Really, they made everything very easy," Dodd said. "There's some places we go that are a little bit more difficult, and this one was definitely proactive and understood."
One particularly valuable advantage was Sprain Lake's extra 19th hole, which the course made available to the production for the entire day. The dedicated shooting area allowed the crew to work without disrupting golfers, and the course remained open for regular play throughout the shoot.
For Jermaine, that flexibility and cooperation helped the team stay focused on the creative work. "The staff was so supportive and helpful in all the aspects of the shoot and the production," he said. "That goes miles when we're trying to make sure that we capture it during the right light, and when we have weather concerns."
Dodd, who has produced shoots at golf courses in other locations, was particularly impressed by the staff's preparedness and ability to anticipate the crew's needs.
"They were ready," she said, describing how arrangements for carts, food and other production requirements were handled. "It was super, super dialed in."
A Competitive Advantage for Commercial Filming
For brands, agencies, and production companies based in New York City, Westchester offers an appealing combination: ample production resources and a wide range of distinctive locations that can accommodate different creative concepts.
Within a relatively compact area, commercial crews can find everything from modern downtown streetscapes and corporate settings to historic estates, waterfronts, wooded parklands and scenic golf courses. That accessibility matters when crews need to move talent, equipment and production vehicles efficiently.
For Dunning Golf, the experience made a lasting impression.
"We would definitely love to come back," Dodd said. "We found it rich with angles and backgrounds."
It's a fitting endorsement of what Westchester has to offer filmmakers: locations that look great on camera, with the accessibility and support to make the production process work just as well.
Planning a commercial shoot in the New York metro area? Discover Westchester's diverse film locations and connect with Westchester County Film to explore opportunities for your next production.