EAST END GOLF

WITH A HOST OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COURSES ALIKE, EVERYONE CAN TEE OFF IN LONG ISLAND

-  JEFF WILLIAMS

For more than a century, the East End of Long Island has been an A-list destination for golfers. Those with connections seek out private clubs such as Shinnecock Hills and National Golf Links of America, which are part of the seminal history of the game in the United States. And there are a host of other private courses that rank highly in desirability, venerable tracts such as the Maidstone Club, Westhampton Country Club, and Southampton Golf Club, and the relatively new and highly regarded Friar's Head, Sebonack Golf Club, and the Bridge. These courses offer the well-maintained terrain that's elemental to the game, with sandy soils and heathland providing ideal playing conditions as well as a connection to the "olde sod" of the British Isles.

But if you don't have an "in" with a member, there are publicly accessible courses that can satisfy your desire for the game while providing a day of exhilaration (or is that exacerbation?) in the refreshing, salty air of the East End.

PRIVATE CLUBS

Atlantic Golf Club | Bridgehampton | atlanticgolf.org |

When Lowell Schulman opened Atlantic Golf Club in 1992, it was the first new course on the East End in nearly 30 years. Designed by Rees Jones, the course in the hills above Bridgehampton encompasses kettle holes left over from the last ice age, which make for interesting hazards.

The Bridge | Bridgehampton | thebridgehamptons.com |

Another Rees Jones design, the Bridge opened in 2002 on the site of the former Bridgehampton Motor Racing Circuit. The ruins of the racetrack, including guardrails and flag stations, can be found abutting lush fairways that span 350 acres.

East Hampton Golf Club | East Hampton | ehgc.com |