Of the many acclaimed layouts on golf-rich Long Island, Shinnecock Hills is best, according to the rankings. The host of this week’s U.S. Open rings in at No. 5 on GOLF’s roster of Top 100 Courses in the World, one spot ahead of its next-door neighbor, National.
But the quality of a club is not defined by architecture alone.
A golf club is an ecosystem, and Long Island’s are as varied as Shinnecock is venerable. Some are laidback. Others are uptight. Some memberships insist on delectable cuisine. Others are satisfied with Cheez Wiz on Ritz crackers. Some bars are livelier. Some views more stunning. Some locker rooms more gloriously stuck in time.
To find out which clubs excel at what, and which charge most for the privilege of membership, we surveyed our well-traveled course-ranking panelists. The result is a list of Long Island superlatives.
Coolest historic clubhouse — Shinnecock Hills
Stanford White was shot to death at age 53, but not before establishing himself as a seminal figure in American architecture, with commissions that included the Washington Square Arch, the second building at Madison Square Garden and Shinnecock Hills’ clubhouse, which is regarded as the first purpose-built golf clubhouse in this country. And what a clubhouse it is, with cedar shingles, classical fluted columns, a wrap-around veranda and an understated beauty to match the course it overlooks.
Coolest modern clubhouse — The Bridge
When former USGA honcho David Fay first stepped inside the clubhouse at The Bridge, he is said to have noted how refreshing it was not to be surrounded by a bunch of “fake Scottish crap.” In lieu of hickory clubs and sepia-toned photos of men in tweed, the marvelous modern structure houses a mix of contemporary art and artifacts, many related to the property’s auto racing past. Nor is it a dark and mildewed space. Natural light floods in through floor-to-ceiling windows, which give way to alluring outdoor spaces that in turn provide astounding coastal views.
Most expensive — The Bridge
That stunning modern clubhouse did not come cheap. Neither do memberships at The Bridge, which, according to a well-placed source, command $2 million in initiation dues.
Best food — Atlantic Golf Club
Other clubs are renowned for their lunches, but serious culinarians on our panel —those who know there’s more to life than crudités and club sandwiches — say the finest meals are served at Atlantic, where the menu includes a lobster roll that surpasses even the famous one at National.
The bar at America’s most heralded muni is wonderfully on brand: buoyant and blue-collar, with a fine selection of suds by the bottle or on tap.
A classic course calls for a classic post-round cocktail. Specifically, a Southside, sipped on the small porch outside the clubhouse, which overlooks the 18th green and Long Island Sound.
Stuffiest — Maidstone
This rule isn’t always true but it applies here: the more roman numerals at the end of members’ names, the less relaxed the atmosphere is bound to be. Then again, if your club sat on one of the most breathtaking stretches of property in American golf — ocean views, a private beach, a beach club that would make most resorts blush — you might carry yourself with a certain contentment too.
Most fraternal — Garden City Golf Club
Jackets are required inside the clubhouse, which doesn’t make this men’s-only enclave overly formal. “The guy at the bar is going to be wearing a sport coat,” one course rater says. “But he might not be wearing pants.”
Best locker room — The Creek
Just as a round at The Creek is a throwback adventure on a splendid C.B. Macdonald design, a locker room stop is a trip through time. No frills. No fuss. Just spot-on service and trapped-in-amber atmospherics, right down to the metal spike marks on the benches and the old course photos on the walls.
Best practice facility — Friar’s Head
While preparing for the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock, Phil Mickelson would chopper over to Friar’s Head to take advantage of the practice grounds. No wonder. A cart ride from the 1st tee, the facilities feature an expansive driving range running east to west, an elaborate short-game area, a Himalayas-style putting green and three indoor/outdoor Trackman bays that allow you to seek answers in the data no matter the weather.
Best logo — Maidstone
At some tweedy clubs, the most interesting adornments on members’ attire are dandruff flakes and mustard stains. Not so at Maidstone, where the whimsical logo is a cheeky-looking blue whale spouting mist from its blowhole.
Best shower — Friar’s Head
Spacious stalls. Forceful and unfailing water pressure. And a boundless assortment of high-end toiletries. It’s as if Niagara Falls and a luxury spa had a baby.
Most underrated public course — Bethpage Red
All the artistry of A.W. Tillinghast at a scale more manageable — and, some would argue, more entertaining than what’s on offer at Bethpage Black.
Most underrated private course — St. George’s Golf and Country Club
It’s not on the water and has never hosted major national events. But the firm fairways and compelling green complexes at this 1917 Devereaux Emmet design (restored by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner) delights aficionados for good reason.
Best on-course view — 17th tee at National
With apologies to the walking bridge between the 15th and 16th hole at Friar’s Head, our survey gave the nod to the teeing area on this par-4 Leven template, which sits near National’s windmill, on a high point of the property, and commands a panorama that makes it hard to focus on the shot at hand.
