Long Island National Golf Club, Riverhead, NY

At Long Island National Golf Club, expect a challenging round in a beautiful setting. Also important to note - this formerly public golf course became a member’s club in 2013. Most of the negative reviews of this course are from the transition period from public golf course to private club, and don’t necessarily reflect the quality of the golf experience itself.

This 18 hole regulation golf course is a links style course (which means lots of deep sand bunkers.) If you don’t like hitting out of bunkers, avoid this course! Even if you do manage to stay out of the bunkers, the fairways are surrounded with long fescue grass which is very difficult to hit out of (also, watch out for ticks.) The course was designed by Robert Trent Jones Junior.

In addition to the large number of sand traps and long fescue, you’ll also find a lot of water features on the back 9. The setting of the course is picturesque, being right near the ocean. This also means that the wind can pick up sometimes. It’s a beautiful course with rolling hills and views of the harbour. There are pretty much no flat lies on the entire course. The only hazard you won’t see much of is trees.

Now, don’t let the level of difficulty keep you away from this course. It’s arguably the nicest golf course on the Eastern end of Long Island. Even though it’s certainly not for beginners, experienced golfers will find the course to be a fair challenge and a way to expose weak spots in their game.

This course is very well-maintained, and features a bent grass fairway. The new owners have spared no expense on upgrading the course and clubhouse. You’ll even find a fully-stocked bar and a bartender waiting to greet you at the end of the 18th hole (a nice touch.) You’ll even find a 7,000 square foot putting green on-site.

Even though the owners have done an excellent job of maintaining the course, other players could be better at course maintenance. There are a lot of divots on the fairway that haven’t been replaced. As a member of this club, you’ll enjoy plenty of privacy, since the club doesn’t allow outside golf outings.

Now, all good things come at a price, and Long Island National is no different. Expect to pay $120 for a cart and 18-hole round in mid-season. With that being said, it’s a very satisfying course to play, and in my opinion, definitely worth a visit.

You may want to leave your driver in your bag for some of the more narrow holes. Even though the course appears wide open, hazards abound (whether they be fescue, sand or water.) I would recommend using a 3-iron on the more narrow holes, especially if you tend to fade or hook the ball. Accurate shots are key to enjoying your time on this course. So, take your time and choose your clubs carefully.

Pace of play is good, probably due to this being a member’s club. You can expect a round for a party of 4 to take about 4 hours. The last 3 holes are especially punishing, with Hole 18 being the longest on the course at 557 yards. If you want a slightly less challenging round, play the front 9 instead of the back 9.

Great, tough course with some good risk/reward opportunities and two great finishing holes. A test for any golfer and a great environment to play in.

links style course. lots of undulations. basically your never hitting from a flat lie even from the fairway.