VOYAGESHINNECOCK HILLS GOLF CLUB
40°53'47.2"N 72°26'26.3"W
Architect: Willie Dunn Jr (1895)
Signature hole: 12
The vibe: Part of Long Island’s elitist cluster, this rolling course,
complete with an understated clubhouse sitting at
its highest point, has hosted two thrilling US Opens.havebreakfastandgoforasailinthemorning
andthenplayintheafternoon.Sailingfromone
littlebaytoanotherwassobeautiful.Butthen
we took a longer cruise across from Nantucket to
Long Island, which has some of the world’s oldest,
most challenging and exclusive golf courses.
We had written to all the courses beforehand
and in nearly all cases we were invited to play. It’s
amazinghowtheycreatedtheseunbelievablegolf
coursesoutofthebarrenlandandsanddunes.
Alotofthemwerefoundedinthe late 1800s and
have stood the test of time.
There are at least 20 on just the eastern tip
of Long Island but for me four truly stand out:
Shinnecock Hills, the National, Sebonack and the
Maidstone Club. All are right on the water, but the
one that really made me quiver was Shinnecock.
The back nine here are particularly dramatic;
having watched the great US Open duel between
Phil Mickelson and Retief Goosen in 2004, it felt
crazytobeabletoplaythesameholes.
But it was actually a course away from this
cluster where I felt an instant connection.
The Bridge Golf Club, five miles north of
Bridgehampton, is spread across about 300 acres
and has great views over Sag Harbor. It was once
home to the Bridgehampton Race Circuit and
theyusedtohavegreatsportscarracesthere.I
remember visiting back in the 1960s. “The Bridge”
had a reputation for being a fearsome circuit –
Stirling Moss called it the “most challenging
Shinnecock’s
clubhouse is
perched above its
dramatic course133