Winged Foot East Course

The verdict

When A.W. Tillinghast was hired to build Winged Foot, he was asked for two courses on the same Westchester ground, and he delivered them together in 1923. The West became the muscular championship venue that has hosted six US Opens, but the East has always had its own devoted following. Shorter and more intricate, a par 72 of about 6,808 yards, it shows off Tillinghast's gift for routing and green design on gently rolling, wooded terrain just north of New York City.

Where the West overwhelms with length and severity, the East persuades with variety and finesse. Its greens are smaller targets that ask for precise, thoughtful approaches rather than brute force, and the par 3s are widely considered among the best collection of one shotters Tillinghast ever assembled. The East hosted the US Women's Open in 1957 and 1972, and a long line of architects and low handicappers have argued it is the more enjoyable of the two courses to play day in, day out. Like the West it is private, reached through a member, but it completes one of the finest 36 hole experiences in American golf.

The holes worth the trip

The East is celebrated above all for its par 3s, a quartet so good that many who know both courses argue they outshine even the West's. Each asks a different question, with greens angled and contoured to reward the player who studies the pin and the slope before committing. The variety of length, line and shape across the short holes is a clinic in how to design a one shotter.

Across the rest of the round, the East trades the West's intimidation for charm. The fairways move through the same mature trees, but the holes are a touch more open off the tee and the strategy lives nearer the greens, where Tillinghast's bunkering and putting surfaces do the work. It is a course that asks for shot making and imagination rather than raw power, and it gives a good round to the thinking player who places the ball well.

For visitors fortunate enough to play both, the East often becomes the surprise of the day, less famous, less fearsome and, to many tastes, more fun. It is the kind of subtle, beautifully made course that rewards repeat play and reveals new angles every time around.

Where to stay nearby

Westchester County and nearby New Rochelle and White Plains offer hotels within minutes of the club, while many traveling golfers base in Manhattan and drive north. Both LaGuardia and Westchester County airports are close at hand.

A day at Winged Foot ideally takes in both the East and the West, one of the best 36 hole experiences in the country, and the club pairs naturally with the wider New York golf scene, from the Westchester privates to Bethpage Black and the historic Long Island links. 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 Westchester.