Number 2: Shinnecock Hills Golf Club

Ceiling: 99

Rating: 97.5

Trend over Time: 7.5

This is one of the key spots in my top 25 that caters very much to me. If I were rating courses for the masses, Shinnecock likely would not edge out Cypress because anyone can handle Cypress and almost no one can handle Shinnecock. But, the challenge the Shinnecock presents is what I love about it, and these are MY top courses. So here we are. Shinnecock is built on the best “non spectacular land” I have ever seen for golf. It is not on the ocean, or a river, or anything quite like that, but its rolling hills and varied terrain coupled with long grass and sandy soil make it a plot of land on which it was not possible to make anything other than a spectacular golf course. Shinnecock is really hard. Just ask Zack Johnson… But that’s what is respected about it. No one is asking for Shinnecock to be friendly or softened. It is known to be one of the hardest tests in the country and I can confirm, it is just that.

Culture:

Shinnecock has an old school Long Island feel coupled with a brash test of golf that is celebrated internally. You can tell when you talk to members, employees, caddies, etc. that they are proud to have not only an amazing golf course, but a tough one as well. Nothing about the golf course or experience is gimmicky or intentionally made excessively difficult. It just is (USGA is excluded from this write-up for purposes of editorial integrity). When you have sandy ground, rolling hills, a 7500 yard golf course lined with fescue, and greens that are meant to run north of 11 on a consistent basis, the birdies typically don’t outweigh the bogeys, or doubles for that matter. But that’s what Shinnecock is known to be. Its flat out challenging, but its also flat out spectacular.

Competition:

I may over use this term, but Shinnecock is undoubtedly one of the more resolute tournament tests we have in the states. Like mentioned above, it is what it is, and what it is works perfectly for a US Open. 5 of them to be exact, with more on the way starting in 2026. Similar to how I mentioned Oakmont producing a consistent outcome at the US Open, in Shinnecock’s 4 Opens from 1986-2018 the winning scores have been -1, E, -4, and +1. That’ll do. Shinnecock is a full game examination that starts at the tee and doesn’t end until you’ve found the bottom of the cup on each hole. Miss the fairway? Approach play is irrelevant. Miss the green? Let’s see how good your short game is. And finally once you reach the green the fun is just beginning. There are a certain set of courses that mentally feel like you’ve gone for more like 36 holes than 18, and that is how Shinnecock feels, especially in competition. From the moment you peg it, the smoke is upon you, and you’ll continue to get the smoke until you hole out on the 18th all too many strokes later.

Architecture:

William Flynn is the architect of the current course at Shinnecock. It is without a doubt his masterpiece. The routing follows a West-East format with the front nine covering the west side of the property and the back nine covering the east. What makes the golf course to me is its terrain and number of shots hit uphill, downhill, or to perched up greens. Most of the hardest holes at Shinnecock are a product of greens that sit above the level of the fairway so that when they have any speed and firmness to them, if you can’t hit a high, well-struck iron shot, good luck. The reason I enjoy a course like Shinnecock so much is due to these sorts of shots and what they require. While it doesn’t always mean good golf and low scores, it does mean high reward and satisfaction when shots are hit right. A birdie at Shinnecock is a real accomplishment and even a good shot in and of itself is something to celebrate. While a day at Shinnecock will bring plenty of frustration, the one or two good shots you hit will feel like you’ve really done something and stick out much more than on your hometown muni. This is why I love it so much.