Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
Southampton, New York, USA

• Opened in 1891, 12 holes designed by Scottish professional Willie Davis.
• In 1894, head professional Willie Dunn added six additional holes.
• The present 18-hole configuration opened in 1931 and designed by William Flynn and built by his associate Dick Wilson.
• The design team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw began an extensive restoration in 2012. The multi-year project was completed ahead of the 2018 US Open.
• Total max length = 7,440 Yards / Par-70
• Course rating = 76.9 / Slope rating = 146

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The word “great” is often bandied about when discussion takes places concerning top tier golf courses. Often there’s little in-depth analysis — just lumping together courses more likely very good or just good.

True greatness is limited — standing apart from all others — pushing the bar to heights never reached then — or now.

When I hear the word “great” — I think of other truly incomparable contributors — Citizen Kane a great movie — Frank Sinatra a great singer — Sir Laurence Oliver a great actor. Greatness is certainty. There’s an old expression — whenever there is a doubt — there is no doubt.

I have played over 2,000 courses globally and my travels have taken me to a multitude of destinations in searching for top tier golf options. And when I return to my home area in the greater New York City metro region I marvel at the depth of so many superior courses in my “neck of the woods.”

This week the USGA will stage the 126th US Open championship at the storied Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. The iconic venue is hosting its sixth national championship of American golf — the others coming in 1896, 1986, 1995, 2004 and 2018, respectively.

Shinnecock Hills has an illustrious history. Founded in 1891 the club was one of the five original founding members of the United States Golf Association in 1894. The first clubhouse in the USA is attributed to Shinnecock Hills — built in 1892 by the firm of McKim, Mead and White.

The genesis of the course was a 12-hole layout by Willie Davis and expanded to 18 holes a short time thereafter. The course we see today was re-worked from the original and is the handiwork of William Flynn — built by later successful architect Dick Wilson – from the firm of Toomey and Flynn. Flynn created many fine courses in his career — but Shinnecock remains the quintessential result.

While the courses did host the 1896 US Open and a few other events of note — such as the 1977 Walker Cup Matches – the club was frankly invisible to the outside world.

Fortunately, that changed through the desire of then USGA Executive Director Frank Hannigan in seeking to return the US Open to Shinnecock Hills. The challenge was far greater than many might realize now. US Open venues were ones with an active ongoing membership. Shinnecock Hills is a seasonal club and while its membership is active the club let it be known that the USGA would need to handle all of the myriad tasks related to the staging of the event — most notably the recruitment of all volunteers and support functions.

Hannigan believed the inherent course qualities of Shinnecock Hills was long overdue in again playing a pivotal role in championship golf — most notably the US Open. In returning to the world stage — Shinnecock Hills opened the eyes of many.

Before delving into the course specifics — the greatness of Shinnecock can be fully appreciated by an outline I have long ago developed in assessing courses. The four key elements for me are the following:

1 – How good is the land the course is situated?
2 – How thorough is the routing in maxing out all of the internal attributes the property provides?
3 – How well does the course test all the clubs in one’s bag?
4 – How well is the course prepared on a daily basis so that inherent design elements flourish?

Shinnecock is blessed with ideal land — rolling but never so abrupt as to distort shots to the point where luck, rather than skill, is the determining factor. The routing is second to none. You’re taken too all corners of the property — all the attributes of the land are brought to the forefront.

Great routings never allow players to get too comfortable — able to fall into a repetitious pattern and therefore keep players on their toes to constantly improvise. At Shinnecock the land is exposed to the elements — the routing ensures the wind direction is always changing — therefore players must be able to adapt to the various situations as called upon.

Testing the fullest range of clubs is a key barometer. Golf is a game of dexterity with the various clubs in one’s bag. It is not enough to be good with a few — able to skirt by simply because the architecture at a design is not as thorough. Shinnecock mandates control with not only various clubs — but with knowing when to shape shots and apply the appropriate trajectory to secure the desired result.

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The final element is conditioning which cements the first three characteristics. Conditioning doesn’t mean manicuring to the point of excess. Rather it means a linking of turf quality to what the game of golf calls upon. Firmness and fastness is the essential element in conditioning. Turf must be able to provide a ground game option – one where the bounce of the ball is no less a factor than flying a ball an exact distance. The great courses accentuate the widest array of golfer skills — such layouts cannot be tamed simply by commanding a few clubs or the playing of one type of shot again and again.

When you stand on the 1st tee at Shinnecock the magnificence of the course is apparent. It is simply intoxicating.

You feel the rush of excitement just ahead. The 1st is the prototype for what an opening hole should be. Long enough to stretch the muscles but not so rigorous as to be beyond reason. The dogleg right asks the player to determine how much risk one wishes to take on at the tee. The green at first glance provides an ordinary look but there are falloffs on the sides so marrying the proper distance and trajectory is essential.

The outward nine provides an array of challenges. You face a long slightly uphill par-3 at the 2nd which can play to a max of 260 yards The 3rd is a muscle length par-4 of 501 yards but often played with a helping wind to a challenging green.

At the mid-length par-4 4th — you reverse course on the 476-yards hole — usually back into the prevailing breeze. At the par-5 5th you have a clear risk/reward hole of 592 yards. Strong players can reach the target in two shots but the need to gauge accurately the flight and bounce of the ball is critical in order to secure birdie.

The long par-4 6th is an epic hole — matching beauty and toughness in a seamless manner. The 6th provides the only water hazard on the course.

The 7th is a redan-like hole that gained much attention during the ’04 US Open. The USGA stupidly decided not to water the green and, as a result, the surface became nearly impossible to hold the surface — no more than 17% able to do so during the final round. The 7th generally played into the prevailing wind, and it behooves players not to miss to the right because of the pitch of the green away from the player on that side.

The 8th turns slightly right and the 440-yard hole gives the players an opportunity to rebound but only if played soundly.

When you reach the par-4 9th at 443 yards — you will experience one of the great two-shot holes in all of golf. Named “Ben Nevis” — after the tallest mountain in the British Isles — the genius of the hole begins with the terrain. When you stand on the tee you can make out the putting surface – high on a hill with the majestic clubhouse just to the right. The tee shot must be shaped as the fairway moves left — pushing shots in that direction. The putting surface is elevated and therefore gauging the proper club and trajectory is essential. When the pin is cut tight to the front side of the green it’s very possible for short shots to fall back and tumble back down the fairway.

As good as the outward nine is — it is Shinnecock’s inward half that is truly world class.

Interestingly, the first four holes on the back nine are located on the easternmost section of the course — it also means crossing a public thoroughfare – Tuckahoe Road — at the 12th and 13th holes.

The par-4 10th is a solid follow-up to the 9th. The tee shot presents a high degree of uncertainty — with landing areas not immediately discerned. One can lay-up before a major dip takes places roughly 240 yards from the tee. Those opting for the more daring play can secure additional yardage from the fall-off but then you are confronted with a short uphill pitch to an elevated green with a pronounced false front area — the half-hearted play faces the ignominious certainty of the ball coming back off the front edge of the green and rolling backwards at least 40 or more yards.

As demanding as finishing short is — those going long will then face an even more exacting play as the green slopes away. In the 1986 US Open Jack Nicklaus lost his first ball in the championship when hitting far right off the tee during the 1st round. The ball was never found.

The par-3 11th is certainly in the conversation as one of the best short holes in golf. The tee is set below the green and within a cluster of trees. The full impact of any wind is hard to gauge. The green is 157 yards away — resting high on an elevated crown of land. There is no background border of trees — the infinity look proves most unsettling in trying to assess club selection.

There are several bunkers to be avoided — anything missed left will likely add four or more on one’s card. A grand hole exposing nerve and forcing the player to demonstrate ability to rise to the occasion. The saving bogey by Brooks Koepka in the final round in 2018 was the critical moment that helped stabilize his round and propel him to defend the title he won the year prior at Erin Hills.

The next four holes are all par-4s — each well done and quite varied. The long 12th at 469 yards generally plays downwind but requires good placement in the fairway for the best approach angle. The mid-length par-4 13th at 371 yards marches back in the opposite direction — beginning from an elevated tee and generally into the prevailing wind.

The par-4 14th is another of the grand holes at Shinnecock. Named “Thom’s Elbow.” The hole was stretched considerably for the 2018 championship and now tops out at 522 yards.

Although the hole generally plays downwind, the fairway is a testing target to secure as the landing area is framed with diagonal fairway bunkers positioned to the right and left. The hole descends from the elevated tee to a fairway that moves slightly right and provides a narrowing landing area the longer the tee shot is played.

The approach is then played uphill to a vexing green with a puzzling array of various movements. In short – a playere able to leave the green with a par should rightly celebrate the accomplishment.

The par-4 15th plays from the highest point on the course — a mid-length par-4 of 409 yards that provides a birdie opportunity with two well-played shots.

The final trio of holes at Shinnecock complete the 18-hole journey with a rousing combination of par-5, par-3 and par-4, respectively.

The 16th hole is the second par-5 encountered and from the championship markers can play 614 yards. The hole turns left in the drive zone — staying on that side achieves a better angle for the remainder of the hole which provides more of an “S” shape. A cluster of greenside bunkers needs to be avoided. The hole provides a birdie opportunity but getting home in two shots with the wind against is only doable for the strongest of players. Often the smarter play is securing the best angle for a short iron into the target.

The par-3 17th plays 176 yards and heads due west — in a completely different direction. The championship tee is placed to the far left and forces a more severe angle that must avoid three bunkers on the left side. The toughest pin is the one used for the final round in the ’04 US Open — in the immediate front where the green narrows considerably.

The concluding hole at Shinnecock Hills can stretch to 490 yards and usually encounters a demanding cross wind from right-to-left. In the ’86 US Open the hole played extremely long, and winner Corey Pavin hit a 4-metal club to reach the putting surface. In the ’04 Open the grounds were extremely firm and fast — players hit short irons and even wedges into the green. No matter the approach club the 18th is a demanding closer — knowing how to flight one’s approach to the green is central.

The routing by Flynn is brilliant — two loops providing constant change — mandating critical adjustments by the player. In many ways Shinnecock’s routing is reminiscent of Muirfield — the Scottish gem. Thorough and precise is the constant requirement for the player to demonstrate high level of sound execution.

The role of Mother Nature is constant — benign at times — brutally unkind as seen during the 1st round in the ’86 Open when no player broke par in the first round with gusting winds and pelting rain. Shinnecock Hills was tweaked by the accomplished architectural duo of Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore. However, the core design genius of Flynn remains centermost.

There have been issues in how the course was prepared for the 2004 and 2018 championships. The sheer totality of what Shinnecock Hills provides is a tour de force examination. One in which the alluring landscape of east Long Island comes to life in all its glorious majesty with the 18 holes encountered.

For the 2026 Open – Shinnecock will play 7,440 yards and play to a par of 70.

Those fortunate souls able to play Shinnecock Hills will forever treasure the experience. In the world of golf this Long Island gem remains at the pinnacle of golf architecture. It is only fitting that the championship of American golf is contested at such a compelling venue.

Architect Tom Doak summarized succinctly the greatness of Shinnecock Hills in his original Confidential Guide book. He candidly opined — “A great course to play every day, as well as a proven championship venue, not many courses can claim both.”

Indeed.

Verdict — Double Eagle

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Related: Golf’s Longest Day Fills All but One U.S. Open Spot for Shinnecock Hills

Monday's 36-hole final qualifying marathon across 10 sites decided 42 of 43 available berths in the 126th U.S. Open field. One spot remains unresolved after darkness halted a playoff in Oregon.

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