Shinnecock Hills: 6 Things To Know About The 2026 US Open Host Course

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is set fair to host the 2026 US Open Championship after another famous layout - Oakmont Golf Club - staged a memorable victory for JJ Spaun 12 months ago.

Widely considered to be the hardest Major to lift in the men's game, any US Open host course must offer up a brutal challenge with tricky greens, devilishly thick rough and an abundance of length.

Some of the game's greats have retired without a US Open in their trophy cabinet - including Sam Snead, Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo - proving a US Open title is never a given, even for the best.

Two European golfers have claimed the men's Majors so far this term, with Spaun and co. hoping an American can finally break that run at the third attempt.

While we're yet to find out whether that will happen, we already know plenty about the course the action is taking place on. Here are six facts about Shinnecock Hills Golf Club you might not already know...

WHERE IS SHINNECOCK HILLS?

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is in Southampton on Long Island, New York. Shinnecock Hills itself is a hamlet in Suffolk County made up of fewer than 2,500 people, and it's most well known for the golf course.

The golf club is also in great company over in that part of the world. Long Island is regarded as one of the world's greatest golfing areas with the likes of Bethpage, National Golf Links of America, Friar's Head and Sebonack all in relatively close proximity.

WHEN WAS SHINNECOCK HILLS FOUNDED?

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club was founded in 1891 and is the oldest incorporated golf club in the United States. Not only that, but the Long Island layout was one of the five founding member clubs of the USGA.

The clubhouse was opened a year later and is widely believed to be the first clubhouse built in the United States.

While its character remains similar to the original in a lot of ways, the clubhouse has enjoyed several alterations and renovations over the years before undergoing major works in 2016 ahead of the last time Shinnecock Hills hosted the US Open.

The original plot of land (80 acres) was purchased by a trio of wealthy businessmen from New York for just $2,500. They were William K. Vanderbilt, Edward Meade, and Duncan Cryder.

HISTORY OF THE COURSE

Shinnecock Hills' original 12-hole layout was designed by Royal Montreal Club professional, Willie Davis. He and over 100 members of the Shinnecock Indian Nation built the first course, which was expanded to 18 holes by Scottish pro, Willie Dunn Jr in Spring 1895.

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club was built on sandy mild slopes which are akin to a number of links courses in the British Isles.

In 1931, the current course was laid out by William Flynn and built by Dick Wilson of Toomey and Flynn following four smaller renovations prior.

Per the USGA: "Flynn was known for routing his designs in a way that incorporated natural features and the prevailing wind. There are three sets of consecutive holes that form triangles, configured in such a way that regardless of the prevailing wind on a given day, players are faced with a variety of shot-making challenges throughout the round."

Following mid-20th century changes typical for the area, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw returned the layout closer to its original identity with very few trees, wider fairways and several areas of fescue rough in 2010.

FEMALE MEMBERS ADMITTED FROM DAY 1

Unlike many other golf clubs around the world at the time, Shinnecock Hills admitted female members from the beginning.

But because of the club's popularity, a separate nine-hole course was built shortly after it opened - specifically for ladies - to ease the congestion on the original 12-hole layout.

THE ONLY COURSE TO HOST IN THREE DIFFERENT CENTURIES

The 2026 US Open marks Shinnecock Hills' 10th USGA championship since its formation.

Shinnecock Hills hosted both the second-ever US Open and US Amateur in 1896 before staging the US Women's Amateur in 1900. Since then, four more US Opens alone have been held here.

However, despite welcoming the US Open for the first time in the 19th century, Shinnecock wasn't given the green light to do it again until 1986.

After that, it has hosted the men's Major in 1995, 2004 and 2018. 2026 will be the sixth US Open held at Shinnecock Hills, with 2004 ensuring Shinnecock Hills became the first (and so far only) course to host a US Open in three different centuries.

Meanwhile, the Long Island course has also staged the US Senior Amateur in 1967 and the Walker Cup in 1977. It is due to host the US Women's Open Championship and US Open back to back in 2036.

RANKED AMONG THE WORLD'S BEST

Shinnecock Hills is undoubtedly one of the best golf courses in the world, with the likes of Golf.com and Top100GolfCourses.com ranking it inside their respective top-fives.

And among the high-profile fans of the course were Charles Price and Ben Hogan.

In the New world Atlas of Golf, quoted by Top 100 Golf Courses in its review of Shinnecock, Price wrote: “Shinnecock Hills fully utilizes the outstanding features of the area – the strong prevailing winds off the Atlantic to the southwest, the sandy and rolling terrain and the thick, reed-like grasses that border the fairways.

“While not truly linksland – the grass of the fairways and greens is more of an inland texture – the ambience and windy bleakness of Shinnecock Hills on an average day evoke feelings of the British seaside links.”

Meanwhile, Hogan apparently once wrote a letter to a Shinnecock Hills Golf Club member in which he said: “Each hole is different and requires a great amount of skill to play properly.

"Each hole has complete definition. You know exactly where to shoot. All in all, I think it is one of the finest courses I have ever played.”