Garden City Golf Club
One of the oldest and most historic clubs in America, a links across the sandy plain of central Long Island. Garden City opened in 1897 to a Devereux Emmet design, was reshaped by the great amateur Walter Travis, and hosted the 1902 US Open. A par 73 of about 6,926 yards, timeless and intensely private.
Photo: Anthony Mason via Google.
The verdict
Garden City Golf Club, known to its members simply as the Men's Club, is a living piece of American golf history. It opened in 1897 as the Island Golf Links, a nine hole layout for guests of the Garden City Hotel, was quickly extended to 18 and incorporated as a club in 1899. Devereux Emmet laid out the course on the flat, sandy plain of central Long Island, an unusual links style canvas this far inland, and the great amateur Walter J. Travis, who won the 1900 US Amateur here, later reshaped the bunkering and greens into the bold, penal style the course still wears.
It plays as a par 73 of about 6,926 yards, a quirky and characterful number that hints at how different the course feels from the manicured parklands around it. Garden City hosted the US Open in 1902, won by Laurie Auchterlonie, and remains one of the founding institutions of the game in the United States. The membership keeps the club fiercely private and time has barely touched the design, so for a traveling golfer it is both a hard ticket and a rare chance to play golf much as it was a century ago.
Garden City Golf Club at a glance
- Opened
- 1897
- Designer
- Devereux Emmet, Walter Travis
- Type
- Links
- Par
- 73
- Yardage
- About 6,926 yds
- Green fee
- Members and guests
Opening year, designers, par and length verified June 2026 from the club and leading course databases. Devereux Emmet laid out the course, opened in 1897, with later modifications by Walter J. Travis; it plays as a par 73 of about 6,926 yards in Garden City, New York. It is a private club; access is generally only through a member, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Garden City is a course of deep, intimidating bunkers and firm, fast turf, the legacy of Walter Travis, whose hand turned an Emmet routing into one of the most strategically demanding courses of its era. The bunkering is the signature, steep faced and unforgiving, set to catch the timid and the over ambitious alike, and the greens are quick and full of subtle movement that rewards a deft touch.
The 2nd, a long par 3 over sand to a green ringed by trouble, and the closing holes show off Travis's love of the half shot and the run up, where the ground game matters as much as the air. There is little water and almost no rough in the modern sense; the defense is the sand, the firmness and the wind that sweeps across the open plain, a genuinely links like challenge a short drive from New York City.
What stays with visitors is the sense of stepping back in time. The course has been preserved with unusual care, the clubhouse and culture little changed, and a round here feels like golf as the founders of the American game knew it. It is a connoisseur's course, understated, severe and quietly brilliant.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Private members club, often called the Men's Club; not open to public play, with access usually only through a member |
| Green fee | No published public fee; any guest play is hosted by a member (indicative, 2026) |
| Booking | An introduction through a member, arranged well in advance, is essential |
| On the day | Caddies available and walking is the tradition; a collared shirt and a traditional dress code expected |
| Getting there | Garden City, Nassau County, central Long Island, about 40 minutes east of Manhattan by car |
| Best months | May through October, when the links plays firm and fast across the open plain |
Access arrangements verified June 2026; Garden City Golf Club is a private club and policies change, so always confirm directly before planning a visit with the club or your trip planner.
Where to stay nearby
Garden City and the surrounding Nassau County towns offer hotels within minutes of the club, the historic Garden City Hotel among them, while many traveling golfers base in Manhattan and make the short drive east. Both LaGuardia and JFK airports are close by.
Garden City pairs naturally with a wider New York golf trip, from the championship public golf at Bethpage Black just down the road to the legendary links of the South Fork. We can help with the introductions where possible and arrange the lodging and transfers around your rounds.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Long Island.
Build a New York golf trip
We help arrange access where we can, plan the visit to Garden City and book the lodging and transfers around your round. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Garden City Golf Club questions
Who designed Garden City Golf Club?
Garden City Golf Club opened in 1897 to a design by Devereux Emmet, and Walter J. Travis made significant modifications to the bunkering and greens after the club hosted the 1902 US Open. The course is credited to both men.
What is the par and length of Garden City Golf Club?
Garden City Golf Club plays as a par 73 of about 6,926 yards, an unusual and characterful links style course on the sandy plains of central Long Island.
Can visitors play Garden City Golf Club?
Garden City Golf Club, often called the Men's Club, is a private members club and is not open to public play. Access is generally only through a member, so a visit must be arranged well in advance.
What championships has Garden City Golf Club hosted?
Garden City hosted the US Open in 1902, won by Laurie Auchterlonie, and the US Amateur, and remains one of the oldest and most historic clubs in American golf.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Opening year, designers, par and yardage verified June 2026; the 1902 US Open hosting verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.