The best golf courses in New York, USA

Shinnecock is links golf in an American accent. The fairways are wide but deceptive, inviting you to swing freely, then punishing the wrong angle into its small, tilted greens. Native fescue frames every hole, and the wind off the Atlantic means no two rounds ever feel the same. The 11th, with its elevated green exposed to the breeze, can turn a wedge into a guessing game. What makes Shinnecock special is how natural it feels—the land was meant for golf, and you sense that with every shot.

Fishers Island Club, designed by Seth Raynor and finished by Charles Banks, is renowned for its world-class 18-hole links-style course on Long Island Sound. Regularly ranked among America’s top golf courses, it features classic strategic architecture, breathtaking ocean views from nearly every hole, and a tradition of exclusivity. The course challenges players with undulating greens and penal bunkering.

National Golf Links of America is an elite private links-style course in Southampton, New York, designed by Charles B. Macdonald with engineering by Seth Raynor. Established in 1908, it incorporates classic design elements inspired by historic British courses and offers world-class architecture, challenging play, and iconic holes along Peconic Bay.

Friar's Head is a private course in Riverhead, New York, designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw and opened in 2003. Set across dunes and former farmland with dramatic views of Long Island Sound, the layout is known for its wide fairways, massive greens, and bearded bunkers. The club prioritizes walking and caddie play, with a focus on options and creativity.

Winged Foot Golf Club (West) in Mamaroneck, New York is a legendary private course designed by A.W. Tillinghast in 1923, with contributions from Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Gil Hanse. Known for its demanding layout, iconic greens, and championship pedigree, it has hosted numerous major tournaments, including multiple U.S. Opens. The course features bentgrass fairways and greens and a traditional parkland setting.

Maidstone Club in East Hampton, New York, is an exclusive private club founded in 1891 and designed by Willie Park Jr. Often regarded as one of the top links-style courses in the country, Maidstone mixes historic charm with dramatic Atlantic coastal scenery. The 18-hole layout features natural dunes, ocean winds, and classic strategic design elements, earning frequent national top-100 rankings.

Bethpage Black is one of five courses at Bethpage State Park and is acclaimed for its demanding layout, challenging length, and championship pedigree. Designed by legendary architect A.W. Tillinghast and opened in 1936, it hosts major events like the U.S. Open and PGA Championship. Known for its penal rough, iconic bunkering, and walking-only policy, it is revered as one of America’s greatest public courses.

Sleepy Hollow Country Club's Upper Course, designed by Charles B. Macdonald and expanded by A.W. Tillinghast, is a celebrated parkland layout perched above the Hudson River, notable for its historic architecture and meticulously restored classic holes by Gil Hanse. The private club regularly features among America's top 100 courses, admired for strategy, scenery, and Golden Age pedigree.

Oak Hill Country Club's East Course, masterfully designed by Donald Ross in 1926, is renowned for its demanding layout featuring tree-lined fairways, strategic bunkering, and lightning-fast greens. Repeatedly ranked among the world's top courses, it has hosted multiple major championships and is celebrated for its immaculate conditions and classic parkland setting.

Garden City Golf Club is an elite men-only private club founded in 1899 in Garden City, NY. Originally designed by Devereux Emmet and later updated by Walter Travis, the course is known for its strategic design, deep pot bunkers, fescue rough, and fast-running fairways. The club has hosted major championships, including the U.S. Open and several U.S. Amateurs.

Quaker Ridge Golf Club, designed by A.W. Tillinghast and established in 1916, is a celebrated private club in Scarsdale, New York. Renowned for its challenging parkland layout, immaculate conditions, and historic clubhouse, the course has hosted prestigious events such as the Walker Cup and Curtis Cup. Quaker Ridge exemplifies Tillinghast’s 'strategic course' philosophy, offering both beauty and stern test.

Sebonack Golf Club is an ultra-exclusive private course on 300 acres in Southampton, New York, designed by Jack Nicklaus and Tom Doak. Opened in 2006, it quickly gained acclaim for its innovative architectural blend, undulating terrain, and breathtaking bay views. Sebonack has hosted prestigious events, including the 2013 U.S. Women's Open, and stands out for its unique blend of modern challenge and classic Hamptons scenery.

The Creek, a storied private course on Long Island’s Gold Coast, was designed by Charles B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor in 1923. This par-70 layout is celebrated for its blend of parkland and seaside holes, iconic golden age features, and epic Long Island Sound vistas. Fast greens, strategic bunkers, and world-class routing make it a truly memorable test for serious golfers.

Piping Rock Club is a revered Golden Age layout in Locust Valley, New York, designed by Charles B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor in 1911. Featuring bold template holes and restored by Bruce Hepner, the course combines challenging architecture, classic strategies, and squarish greens. It’s rated among the USA’s finest, boasting a storied history and an exclusive private atmosphere.

Winged Foot Golf Club (East) is a private course in Mamaroneck, New York, designed by legendary architect A. W. Tillinghast and opened in 1923. Revered for its strategic layout and challenging green complexes, the course features tree-lined fairways, deep bunkering, and classic Tillinghast design. It has hosted multiple USGA championships and offers year-round elite private golf in the New York metropolitan area.

Atunyote Golf Club at Turning Stone Resort is a Tom Fazio-designed championship layout featuring 18 holes stretching over 7,300 yards. Opened in 2004, the course is known for its immaculate conditioning, rolling parkland landscape, extensive water features, and tournament pedigree. It has hosted multiple PGA Tour events and stands as the resort’s premier golf experience.

The Kaluhyat Course at Turning Stone Resort Casino is a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design opened in 2003, stretching over 7,100 yards. Renowned for its challenging layout, dramatic elevation changes, and six lakes, it offers a true test for every golfer. Lush conditions and refined tournament-level amenity standards complete the experience at this acclaimed upstate New York destination.

Pound Ridge Golf Club is Pete Dye’s first and only golf course design in New York, offering a modern championship layout across 172 acres of dramatic cliffs, streams, and hardwood forest. Opened in 2008, the course features bentgrass throughout and contoured fairways, providing golfers a visually stunning and demanding challenge.

A Jack Nicklaus Signature Design built on a former landfill site, this links-style course offers stunning Manhattan skyline views and challenging Scottish-inspired golf just minutes from Manhattan. Features rolling fescue hills, strategic bunkers, and five teeing options.

Designed by A. W. Tillinghast in 1935, Bethpage Red is a standout among municipal courses with strategic bunkering, rolling parkland terrain, and a reputation for being playable yet challenging. The course features hilly, tree-lined holes and expansive greens, embodying the golden age of golf architecture in the heart of Long Island.

Trump National Golf Club Westchester is a private, 18-hole parkland course located just outside New York City in Briarcliff Manor. Designed by Jim Fazio, the course underwent a major renovation and reopened in 2002, providing expansive fairways, challenging bunkers, and immaculate bentgrass greens for members seeking an exclusive golf experience.

Trump National Golf Club Hudson Valley is a private Eric Bergstol-designed course in Dutchess County, New York, originally Branton Woods and acquired by the Trump Organization in 2009. The 18-hole par-72 layout offers dramatic elevation changes with scenic countryside vistas and is known for its polished conditioning, challenging play, and comprehensive upscale amenities for members.

Shenendoah Golf Course at Turning Stone Resort Casino, designed by Rick Smith and reopened in 2017 after a major redesign, offers an engaging parkland layout blending open pasture and wooded holes. Renowned for superb conditions, playability, and diverse shot options, it has hosted major regional events and is part of the multi-course casino resort destination.