Good luck trying to get a Hamptons hotel or rental in June \u2014 usually the easiest month of the summer season to book. Golfers and fans are an obsessed bunch, willing to pay big bucks to attend the US Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, June 18 to 21. That course is certainly beautiful, but it\u2019s just one of the famed clubs that attracts duffers to the area. Access to private clubs in the Hamptons can be prohibitive to say the least \u2014 even if you can pass the social demands: Initiation fees are said to range from $175,000 to $1.8 million (before tax), not to mention annual dues (running from approximately $25,000 to $65,000). (The clubs, citing privacy concerns, declined to confirm exact pricing.) But there are also several worthy public greens, where, depending on the time and day, fees can start at only $40 and run to just over $100 for a round. Here\u2019s a peek at the top havens for linksmen on the East End.<\/p>\n
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club<\/p>\n
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club will host the US Open this year. Getty Images<\/p>\n
This Southampton club, founded in 1891, has hosted the US Open five times (last in 2018) and is the site of the event again this year. It\u2019s links-style, situated between the Peconic Bay and the Atlantic and one of the five founding members of the United States Golf Association. Former President Bill Clinton has played here, with a roster that\u2019s said to include Jimmy Dunne and Michael Bloomberg. ShinnecockHillsGolfClub.org<\/a><\/p>\n Sebonack Golf Club<\/p>\n This Southampton club was designed by two legends with different perspectives: Jack Nicklaus, known for strategic courses, and Tom Doak, a course architect with a more rugged approach. It neighbors Shinnecock, sits on the Great Peconic Bay with sweeping views and was the site of the 2013 US Women\u2019s Open. Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson have played here, and Stephen Ross is said to be a member. Sebonack.com<\/a><\/p>\n National Golf Links of America<\/p>\n Max Homa and Michael Kim watch Garrick Porteous putt during the 2013 Walker Cup at National Golf Links of America. R&A via Getty Images<\/p>\n Also in Southampton, this club on Peconic Bay rounds out the area\u2019s reputation as one of golf\u2019s greatest. This British-inspired course (its seventh hole is in fact a replica of the \u201cRoad Hole\u201d at the iconic Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland) usually makes the list of top 10 courses in the world. The club hosted the first and 44th Walker Cups, as well as notable players Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Warren Buffett. NGLA.us<\/a><\/p>\n Atlantic Golf Club<\/p>\n A relative newcomer \u2014 it was designed by Rees Jones and opened in 1992 \u2014 this spectacular links course in Bridgehampton offers rolling hills and no water traps. It was founded and built by Lowell Schulman, a Westchester developer and avid golfer, who bought a 205-acre potato farm and, with the help of friends, created his own club. The Atlantic anchors \u201cThe Gust,\u201d an invitational charity fourball supporting local charities and draws major figures from Bill Clinton and John Tisch to Stephen Schwarzman. The dining room has a reputation for delicious steaks and seafood, but it\u2019s also known for great peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. AtlanticGolf.org<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0The Bridge<\/p>\n The Bridge founder and owner Robert Rubin also runs a golf-based youth development organization in Harlem. Patrick McMullan via Getty Images<\/p>\n Unlike most older, wood-paneled retreats, this course \u2014 with its modern glass clubhouse \u2014 allows jeans on the greens. But while the dress code may be relaxed, its initiation costs are seriously steep. Situated on the old Bridgehampton Race Circuit, the course occupies a rare elevated perch with awe-inspiring vistas. Founder and owner Robert Rubin is a former commodities trader and art collector who runs a nonprofit in Harlem that combines golf with tutoring. He\u2019s helped attract a long list of luminaries to the Bridge, including Jay-Z and Beyonc\u00e9, Larry Gagosian, Stephen N. M. Ross, Smokey Robinson, Peter Morton, Howard Lutnick, Lyor Cohen and Richard Prince. BridgeGolfFoundation.org<\/a><\/p>\n Friar\u2019s Head<\/p>\n Members and guests are encouraged to walk the course rather than zipping around in carts at this understated club in Riverhead. It boasts a magnificent stone clubhouse and cliff views overlooking the Long Island Sound. The famous faces who\u2019ve been seen chipping and putting include Samuel L. Jackson and Phil Mickelson, along with NBA icons Charles Barkley, Julius Erving and Bill Russell. FriarsHead.org<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0Maidstone Club<\/p>\n Lots of legacy families \u2014 including the Whitneys \u2014 belong to this notoriously exclusive East Hampton country club that offers beach facilities as well as golf. Unlike many courses that rely on man-made features and hazards, Maidstone is set dramatically against the Atlantic Ocean, meandering through windswept dunes and seagrass. MaidstoneClub.org<\/a><\/p>\n Hampton Hills Golf & Country Club<\/p>\n Hampton Hills Golf & Country Club is famous for its friendly vibe, scenic vistas and unique terrain. Hampton Hills<\/p>\n With park-like surroundings and an elevation that provides stellar views, it\u2019s no wonder this private club, hidden within a 2,000-acre pine and oak preserve in Westhampton, has attracted A-list players like Tommy Hilfiger, Rudy Giuliani, Kelsey Grammer, Michael Strahan and Bill Hemmer. It\u2019s known for a less stuffy, welcoming attitude. HamptonHills.com<\/a><\/p>\n Cherry Creek Golf Links + The Woods at Cherry Creek<\/p>\n These sister public courses in Riverhead offer great golfing options for locals and visitors without costly and difficult-to-acquire memberships. Cherry Creek is a more open, scenic links course, while the Woods has narrower, tree-lined fairways.\u00a0CherryCreekLinks.com<\/a>; TheWoodsAtCherryCreek.com<\/a><\/p>\n Montauk Downs State Park Golf Course<\/p>\n Former President Bill Clinton has played Montauk Downs State Park Golf Course. New York State Parks<\/p>\n Decades ago, a bankruptcy transformed the private Montauk Golf and Racquet Club into this golf course owned by New York State. It\u2019s now considered one of the premier public courses in the state. The wind is more of a hazard than sand traps on these ruggedly scenic fairways, which have also drawn former President Bill Clinton, along with other high-profile visitors. Parks.NY.gov<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Good luck trying to get a Hamptons hotel or rental in June \u2014 usually the easiest month of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":702099,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[443],"tags":[20820,255540,49,48,622,18692,890,13115,82,24308],"class_list":["post-702098","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf","tag-alexa","tag-alexa-hamptons","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-golf","tag-golf-course","tag-lifestyle","tag-montauk","tag-sports","tag-the-hamptons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/702098","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=702098"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/702098\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/702099"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=702098"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=702098"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=702098"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}