Golf in New York State
No state packs more golf history into its borders. New York gives you the public theatre of Bethpage Black, host of the 2025 Ryder Cup, the sandy links royalty of the East End at Shinnecock Hills and the National, the Tillinghast majesty of Winged Foot in Westchester and Donald Ross's Oak Hill upstate. The courses that matter, the short, glorious season, the costs and how to plan a trip.
Photograph: Bethpage Black, Long Island, Martin McCrory, via Google
Why golf in New York State
New York is a golf state of extraordinary range, from a public course that hosts Ryder Cups to a cluster of private links on Long Island that rank among the finest in the world. The headline act for the travelling golfer is Bethpage Black, A.W. Tillinghast's brutal public masterpiece on Long Island, built in the 1930s to be the people's championship course and now the host of two US Opens, the 2019 PGA Championship and the 2025 Ryder Cup. It is the rare bucket list course that anyone can book, and the warning sign at the first tee has become a piece of golf folklore.
Drive east on Long Island and you reach the sandy, windswept East End, home to the greatest concentration of classic golf in America: Shinnecock Hills, William Flynn's five time US Open host, the neighbouring National Golf Links of America, C.B. Macdonald's 1911 template masterpiece, and the modern Sebonack alongside them. Westchester gives you Tillinghast's Winged Foot, and upstate near Rochester, Donald Ross's Oak Hill has staged majors for a century. Most of those are private, accessed through a member, but New York also offers superb, affordable public golf, led by Montauk Downs at the very tip of the island. The catch is the calendar: the season runs roughly April to October, which makes a New York golf summer feel all the more precious.
The regions
The East End of Long Island
The Hamptons and the sandy South Fork, home to Shinnecock Hills, the National, Sebonack, Friar's Head, Maidstone and Atlantic, the richest seam of classic golf in America.
Central Long Island and Bethpage
The public golf heartland, anchored by the five courses of Bethpage State Park and the Black in particular, an easy run east from New York City.
Montauk and the tip
The wild eastern point of the island, where the state run Montauk Downs gives a genuine Robert Trent Jones test in ocean wind for a fraction of the marquee fees.
Westchester and the Hudson Valley
The leafy suburbs north of the city, where Winged Foot, Quaker Ridge and Sleepy Hollow form one of the great clusters of Tillinghast and golden age design.
Upstate and the Finger Lakes
Rochester and the lakes country, led by Donald Ross's Oak Hill, the public Green Lakes by Robert Trent Jones and the resort golf of Turning Stone.
The Capital Region and the Catskills
Saratoga Springs and the mountains to the south, with the handsome public Saratoga Spa course and a scenic, quieter region to add to an upstate tour.
The courses that matter
Bethpage Black
The people's championship course and the host of the 2025 Ryder Cup, the 2019 PGA Championship and the 2002 and 2009 US Opens. A long, brutal Tillinghast test in Bethpage State Park, fully public, with the famous warning sign at the first tee. The bucket list round anyone can book.
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
Usually rated the best course in the state and among the finest in the world, a windblown links over sandy ground on the East End that has hosted five US Opens, most recently in 2018. One of America's founding clubs from 1891. Private, accessed through a member.
National Golf Links of America
C.B. Macdonald's seminal 1911 design beside Shinnecock, the course that brought the great template holes of British golf to America and shaped a century of architecture. Endlessly studied and revered. Private, accessed through a member.
Winged Foot Golf Club, West
Tillinghast's stern Westchester masterpiece, host of US Opens across a century, including the 2020 championship won by Bryson DeChambeau, with its fearsome closing stretch and small, crowned greens. Private, accessed through a member.
Oak Hill Country Club, East
The grand old champion of upstate New York, a Donald Ross design that has hosted US Opens, PGA Championships, most recently in 2023, and a Ryder Cup, played through mature oaks and beside Allen's Creek. Private, accessed through a member.
Montauk Downs
A wind blown Robert Trent Jones redesign at the very tip of Long Island, run by the state and regularly rated among the best public courses in America. One of the great value rounds in golf, and the smart everyday counterpoint to the East End's private clubs.
Designers, opening years and host events verified June 2026. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm access, opening dates and fees directly before booking.
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| May to June | Warm, settled, courses at their best | Prime golf, the ideal window statewide |
| July to August | Hot and humid downstate, cooler on the coast and upstate | Fine on the East End and upstate, busy |
| September to early October | Crisp, dry, beautiful autumn light | The connoisseur's season, excellent value |
| November to April | Cold, frost and snow | Off season, most courses closed |
The New York season is short, roughly April to October, with late spring and early autumn the sweet spots. The ocean keeps the East End of Long Island cooler in high summer. Always confirm course opening dates before you travel.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bethpage Black, resident | From around $80 weekday | New York State resident rate, walking, public booking |
| Bethpage Black, non resident | Around $150 to $180 plus | Weekend non resident rate, a major championship course |
| Montauk Downs, state park | A fraction of resort rates | Excellent value public golf at the tip of the island |
| A week, all in | Around $3,000 to $6,000 per person | City or Hamptons base and stay, excluding flights |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown in US dollars to set expectations only. The great private clubs do not publish a visitor fee and are accessed through a member. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
For Long Island and downstate golf, the New York City airports are the gateway: JFK is closest to Bethpage and the East End, with LaGuardia and Newark also within reach. Bethpage State Park is around forty minutes east of the city by car, and the Hamptons and Montauk a further hour and a half to two and a half hours out along the South Fork, longer in summer traffic. Westchester courses sit just north of the city. For upstate golf, fly into Rochester for Oak Hill or Syracuse for Turning Stone. A hire car is essential everywhere outside the city to link the courses and reach the East End, and the Hampton Jitney is a comfortable alternative out to the Hamptons.
Where to stay
For a Bethpage and Long Island trip, base in Garden City or along the North Shore for an easy run to the park, or out in the Hamptons if the East End is your focus, where Southampton and East Hampton offer some of the finest small luxury hotels in America within minutes of Shinnecock and the National. Westchester has handsome country hotels for a Winged Foot focused stay, and New York City itself is a viable base for a downstate golf and culture trip. Upstate, the Finger Lakes wine country and the Turning Stone resort give comfortable bases for Oak Hill and beyond. One planner can match the base to your courses, your group and your dates.
Plan your New York golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge holds the Bethpage tee times, arranges any private introductions, costs the whole trip to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
New York golf questions
When is the best time to play golf in New York State?
The New York golf season runs roughly from April to October, with the prime window in late spring and early autumn, May, June, September and early October, when the weather is warm and settled and the courses are in peak condition. High summer is hot and humid downstate but excellent upstate and on the East End of Long Island, where the ocean keeps things cooler. Winter closes most of the state's golf. Always confirm course opening dates and tee times before you travel.
Can you play Bethpage Black as a visitor?
Yes. Bethpage Black is a public course in Bethpage State Park on Long Island, host of the 2025 Ryder Cup, the 2019 PGA Championship and two US Opens, and anyone can play it. New York State residents pay a lower rate than non residents, and tee times can be reserved through the state booking system, though prime weekend times are famously hard to land. Carts are restricted and the course is a brutal walk, with the celebrated warning sign at the first tee. Always confirm rates and booking rules before you travel.
What is the best golf course in New York State?
Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, a William Flynn design that has hosted five US Opens, is usually rated the number one course in the state and one of the best in the world, closely followed by the neighbouring National Golf Links of America, C.B. Macdonald's 1911 masterpiece. Both are private. For courses a visitor can book, Bethpage Black is the marquee public round, and Montauk Downs at the tip of Long Island is the great value play.
How much does golf cost in New York State in 2026?
It spans a very wide range. Bethpage Black carries an indicative 2026 green fee from around $80 for New York residents on a weekday up to roughly $180 or more for non residents at the weekend, exceptional value for a major championship course. Montauk Downs and the other state park courses are cheaper still. The great private clubs, Shinnecock, National, Winged Foot and Oak Hill among them, do not publish a visitor fee and are accessed through a member. Always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Course openings, ranking shake ups and the trips worth taking. Every other week.