National Golf Links of America

Overview: National Golf Links of America occupies sandy ground on Sebonac Neck between Shinnecock Hills and Peconic Bay. Charles Blair Macdonald designed the course as a bold American answer to the great links of Great Britain and Ireland, using strategic angles, ground contours and template-inspired holes to make placement and imagination central to the round. The open landscape gives the routing room to reveal its features, while wind and firm ground keep the same hole changeable from one day to the next.

History: Macdonald settled on the Southampton site after searching for land that could support his architectural vision. Play began before the course was fully established, but the layout opened to Macdonald’s satisfaction in 1911. The name reflected its 67 founding members, who came from different parts of the United States. National then hosted the first Walker Cup in 1922 and welcomed the match again in 2013, tying Macdonald’s design to the history of international amateur golf.

Did You Know? The windmill beside the 16th green is both a landmark and a working piece of course history. It replaced an earlier water tower and helped tell the story of Macdonald’s early struggle to establish grass on Long Island’s sandy soil. The structure still contains the original water tank and maintenance details, so the most recognisable object on the property also points to the practical problems involved in creating the course.