Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
For three centuries, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club has played host to the sport’s premier event, the USGA’s U.S. Open. Considered to be one of the oldest links in North America, the architecture here has remained largely unaltered for nearly 50 years. With renowned architects like C.B. Macdonald and William S. Flynn behind the course’s design, it’s easy to understand how Shinnecock Hills Golf Club has attracted generations of golfers.
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, 200 Tuckahoe Rd, Southampton, NY, USA, +1 (631) 283-1310
Friar’s Head Golf Club
Comprising sand dunes, farmland, and meadows, Friar’s Head Golf Club is an ideal destination for outdoorsy athletes. The rugged course, designed by architects Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, features holes in sand dunes at 200 feet above the Long Island Sound, as well as in low-lying potato fields. A relatively young course, Friar’s Head has consistently crept higher in rankings of the best courses in North America.
Friar’s Head Golf Club, 3000 Sound Ave, Riverhead, NY, USA, +1 631 7225200
Winged Foot Golf Club (East)
Surveying Winged Foot Golf Club’s East course, it’s hard to believe the course served as a parking lot during recent U.S. Opens. One half of a two-course complex, Winged Foot East shares the same features as its more famous counterpart while also offering scarcely-seen-today ‘corner-pocket’ hole locations.
Winged Foot Golf Club, 851 Fenimore Rd, Mamaroneck, NY, USA , +1 (914) 698-8400
Hiland Park Country Club
Exploring Hiland Park Country Club, it’s easy to understand why the space is a popular pick for special events. The 18-hole course here boasts 6,732 yards of golf, a course rating of 72.8, and a staggering slope rating of 130. Impressive as these stats are, none can compete with the course’s best feature: its stunning panoramic views of the Southern Adirondack Mountain Range.
Hiland Park Country Club, 195 Haviland Rd, Queensbury, NY, USA, +1 (518) 793-2000
Adirondacks l Mélanie Plante/Flickr
Bethpage State Park G.C. (Black)
The host of multiple U.S. Opens and Barclays, as well as the future site of the 2019 PGA Championship and 2024 Ryder Cup, Bethpage State Park’s Black course has achieved fame in the global sports world. Of the park’s five 18-hole regulation courses, on which 300,000 rounds of golf are played annually, Bethpage Black boasts the most celebrated— and coveted— tee times.
Bethpage State Park G.C., 99 Quaker Meeting House Rd, Farmingdale, NY, USA, +1 (516) 249-0700
Bethpage State Park l Joe Shlabotnik/Flickr
Hudson National Golf Club
The best part of any round on the Hudson National Golf Club is the course itself. Situated atop stunning cliffs over the Hudson River Valley, the course features a rugged terrain comprising over 130,000 cubic feet of rock, feathery fescue, and an unobscured view of miles of New York’s Hudson River.
Hudson National Golf Club, 40 Arrowcrest Drive, Croton-On-Hudson, NY, USA
Hudson River l Mobilus In Mobil/Flickr
Quaker Ridge
History buffs shouldn’t miss Quaker Ridge, a century-old golf course with a rich past. While Quaker Ridge was first born as a modest 9-hole layout in 1915, its history is anything but modest. Founding father George Washington is rumored to have walked the grounds where Quaker Ridge’s 10th hole now lies, while famous composer George Gershwin was a member during his lifetime. Today, the historic course boasts 20 holes and a cult-following of in-the-know athletes.
Quaker Ridge, 146 Griffen Ave, Scarsdale, NY, USA +1 (914) 725-1100
Maidstone Club
For a unique experience, book a tee time at Maidstone Club, one of the United States’ earliest golf residential communities. Since 1891, golfers have patronized this place, where holes intersect with streets and roads for rounds that are as challenging as they are charming.
Maidstone Club, 29 Maidstone Ln, East Hampton, NY, USA, +1 (631) 324-0510
Maidstone Club l Wikicommons
Fishers Island Club
With its views of the New England shoreline and its Cape Cod-inspired architecture, Fishers Island Club makes every game feel like a getaway. In addition to its stellar 18 holes, this links-style golf course features panoramas of the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island Sound, and more.
Fishers Island Club, 20449 E Main Rd, Fishers Island, NY, USA, +1 (631) 788-7221
Sleepy Hollow Country Club
Thanks to contributions by legendary course designers Charles Blair Macdonald, A.W. Tillinghast, and Seth Raynor, the course at Sleepy Hollow Country Club is anything but sleepy. The 27-hole course and former host of Champion’s Tour ‘Commemorative’ from 1986 to 1993, as well as the 2002 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, boasts waterfront views, abundant greenery, and a 1,700-square foot temperature-controlled golf learning center.
Sleepy Hollow Country Club, 777 Albany Post Rd, Briarcliff Manor, NY, USA, +1 (914) 941-8070
Pound Ridge Golf Club
Located mere minutes outside of New York City, Pound Ridge Golf Club provides players with the best of two worlds. Experience a natural oasis complete with over 170 acres of rock walls, wooded hills, and streams just north of the bustling Big Apple. Only at Pound Ridge can visitors explore a world-famous destination city in between rounds— if they can tear themselves from the scenery, that is.
Pound Ridge Golf Club, 18 High Ridge Rd, Pound Ridge, NY, USA, +1 914 7645771
Leatherstocking Golf Course
At Leatherstocking Golf Course, nature is the greatest challenger a player will meet. This 18-hole championship course emphasizes its natural environment, featuring contour terrain complete with a cornucopia of challenging hills. Tip: forgo a cart in favor of a walking workout— the course’s scenery, including its views of Ostego Lake, are best explored on foot.
Leatherstocking Golf Course, 60 Lake St, Cooperstown, NY, USA, +1 (607) 544-2547
The Sagamore Golf Course
Golf fanatics flock to The Sagamore Golf Course, a championship course endorsed by Golf Magazine, Golf Digest, and more. The Sagamore’s breathtaking views of Lake George and rich fairways are some of the most beautiful sights a golfer can ask for. The course’s award-winning Pro Shop is also an attraction.
The Sagamore Golf Course, 46 Frank Cameron Rd, Bolton Landing, NY, USA, +1 (518) 644-9400
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Atunyote at Turning Stone Casino
The recipient of some 20 coveted honors — including host to multiple PGA tournaments and sport leaders like Tiger Woods and Matt Kuchar — Atunyote boasts some of the sport’s most sought-after tee times. In keeping with its name (the Oneida word for eagle), this course features 7,315 yards of wide-open spaces and commanding natural scenery.
Atunyote at Turning Stone Casino, 5218 Patrick Rd, Verona, NY, USA, +1 (800) 771-7711
Seneca Hickory Stick
It should come as no surprise that a course located mere minutes from Niagara Falls boasts some beautiful sights of its own. Rare Shellbark Hickory trees, idyllic lakes and ponds, and native foliage characterize the course at Seneca Hickory Stick.
Seneca Hickory Stick, 4560 Creek Rd, Lewiston, NY, USA +1 (716) 754-2424