US Open 2026: Preview
The 2026 US Open returns to one of America's greatest courses: Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York, from June 18 to 21, the historic Long Island links hosting its sixth national championship. Here is the preview, the venue and how to plan a trip around it.
Photo: Shinnecock Hills Golf Club via Google.
The headline: a major on hallowed ground
Shinnecock Hills hosts the 2026 US Open from June 18 to 21, with practice rounds from June 15. One of the five founding clubs of the USGA, Shinnecock is hosting its sixth US Open, and few venues carry more history or command more respect among players. The championship is expected to draw well over 150,000 spectators across the week.
Shinnecock is a true, windswept links on the eastern end of Long Island, a course that asks for precision, patience and command of the ground game. In US Open conditions, with firm turf and coastal wind, it is one of the sternest tests in major championship golf, which is exactly why it is so revered.
The venue: Shinnecock Hills
Shinnecock Hills sits among the dunes and scrub of the Hamptons, a rolling, natural links that looks and plays unlike most American championship courses. Its blend of exposed wind, fast greens and demanding approaches has identified worthy champions across more than a century of major golf.
For the spectator and the traveling golfer, the setting is part of the appeal: the genteel summer playground of the Hamptons, with the Atlantic close at hand. It is a major championship in one of the most distinctive corners of American golf.
How to plan a 2026 visit
The Hamptons are busy and expensive in midsummer, and US Open week will be more so, so plan accommodation and travel early if you intend to attend the June 18 to 21 championship. Tickets are sold through the USGA, and many fans base in or around Southampton or commute from elsewhere on Long Island.
Shinnecock itself is a private club, so a round there is not on the table for visitors, but the trip can be paired with the wider golf of Long Island and the New York area. Confirm dates, tickets and access through official channels before you travel.
Our take
Our take is that the 2026 US Open at Shinnecock Hills is among the most compelling major weeks of the year, a brutal, beautiful links test on historic ground in a glamorous setting. For the traveling fan, it is a bucket list spectating trip.
Plan early for the June window, base on Long Island, and pair the championship with the area's accessible golf, because the venue itself is private and best admired from inside the ropes.
Plan your the Hamptons golf trip
From a few days at the US Open to golf of your own around New York, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, with no obligation.
Questions
Where and when is the 2026 US Open?
The 2026 US Open is at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, from June 18 to 21, with practice rounds from June 15. It is Shinnecock's sixth US Open.
Can I play Shinnecock Hills?
No. Shinnecock Hills is a private club, so a round there is not available to visitors. A 2026 US Open trip can instead pair spectating with the wider public golf of Long Island and the New York area.
Why is Shinnecock Hills so highly regarded?
Shinnecock is one of the five founding clubs of the USGA and a true links on eastern Long Island. Its wind, firm turf and demanding approaches make it one of the sternest and most respected tests in major championship golf.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Venue, dates and history verified June 2026 from championship and tour sources; schedules can change, so confirm dates, tickets and access through official channels before you travel. Last reviewed June 2026.