The US Open returns to Shinnecock Hills this summer. Here's how to plan a group golf trip to the Hamptons — the best public and semi-private courses, lodging, and what to know before you go.
May 19, 2026
The US Open is returning to Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. One of the five founding clubs of the USGA, built into the windswept hills of Southampton, Long Island, and widely considered one of the ten best courses in the world.
You won't be playing it. Shinnecock is private, old money, and not a place that takes tee time requests from visiting groups. But the US Open brings eyes to the Hamptons every time it returns, and the surrounding area has enough legitimate golf to justify a serious group trip on its own terms.
Here's how to plan it.
The East End of Long Island is an underrated golf destination. Most trip planners default to Scottsdale or Myrtle Beach and never look this direction. The courses are links-adjacent. Wind matters. The ground is firm. The sea air is real. The setting is unlike anything in the interior of the country, and the social infrastructure around it — restaurants, rental houses, beaches — is world-class.
The proximity to New York City also works in your favor. Your group can drive from Manhattan in under two hours. No flights, no airport logistics, no checked golf bags.
The tradeoff is cost. The Hamptons are expensive. Green fees at the top courses run $200 to $400. Rental houses in Southampton or East Hampton are among the priciest in the country during peak summer. Timing and planning matter more here than at most destinations.
Sebonack Golf Club is a Jack Nicklaus and Tom Doak design on the shores of Peconic Bay in Southampton. Consistently ranked top-20 in the US. Semi-private with limited outside access, though some tee times are available through the club or reciprocal arrangements. This is the crown jewel of accessible Hamptons golf.
The National Golf Links of America is one of the oldest and most historically significant courses in American golf. Private, but more accessible than Shinnecock for groups with the right connections or reciprocal arrangements. Worth pursuing if anyone in your group has a member relationship at a comparable club.
Friar's Head sits on the North Fork of Long Island rather than the Hamptons proper, but it's close enough to include in a trip. Tom Doak design, consistently ranked top-20 in the US. Private but has been known to accommodate outside play through certain channels. The logistics are worth the effort.
Montauk Downs State Park Golf Course is a Robert Trent Jones design owned by New York State, which means public access at a fraction of what private courses in the area charge. Rates run $50 to $100 depending on residency and season. The best value on the East End, and a legitimately excellent golf course.
Atlantic Golf Club is a private club in Bridgehampton with a similar profile to Sebonack. Occasionally accessible, worth pursuing for a serious group.
The Links at Sag Harbor is more accessible and mid-range on pricing. Not in the same tier as Sebonack or Friar's Head but a solid option for a group that wants a round without the effort of chasing private access.
The standard approach for groups in the Hamptons is a house rental. A 5 to 7 bedroom house in Southampton, Bridgehampton, or Water Mill puts you central to the courses and gives the group a real base. Rates in summer run $10,000 to $30,000 per week for a house that comfortably fits a golf group. That sounds steep until you divide it by 10 people over three nights.
For a smaller group, The Maidstone in East Hampton and Gurney's in Montauk are legitimate hotel options. Budget $400 to $700 per night.
One timing note worth knowing: the Hamptons in June, around the US Open, is shoulder season before the full summer rush. Weather is good, crowds are manageable, and pricing is lower than July or August. If you're building a trip around the Open, the timing actually works in your favor.
A realistic per-person cost for two rounds and two nights:
Green fees for two rounds will run $400 to $700 depending on which courses you access. Lodging in a shared house comes to $300 to $600 per person. Food and drinks will add $250 to $400. Transportation from the city runs $50 to $100. Total per person lands between $1,000 and $1,800.
The top end of that range reflects Sebonack-level access. Using Montauk Downs as one of the two rounds drops the green fee line significantly.
If your trip overlaps with the Open itself, practice round tickets are generally available and worth getting. Walking Shinnecock during a major — even just watching a few groups come through the famous par-3 7th — is a different experience than watching on television.
Championship week tickets are harder to get and the crowds are significant. The day before or after a competitive round, when the course is set up to tournament spec but the grounds are quieter, is often the best viewing experience for groups who care more about the golf than the spectacle.
A Hamptons golf trip requires more advance planning than Scottsdale or Myrtle Beach. Houses book months out. Sebonack tee times are not a day-of decision. The group coordination around who is driving from the city, who is flying into Islip or MacArthur, is real.
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