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Looking to try out the best golf courses this summer? Golfweek compiled a list of the best classic and modern courses in the U.S. and several New York courses came out on top.
Golfweek’s Best 2025 list of top courses were rated by a panel of hundreds based on 10 criteria: routing, integrity of design/quality of shaping, overall land plan, greens and surrounds, variety and memorability of par 3s, 4s and 5s, tree and landscape management, conditioning and ecology and a “walk in the park” test — if it’s worthy of spending four hours on.
Each course also received a single, overall rating from each panel member, which were then averaged to produce all of Golfweek’s best course rankings. With the Top 200 Modern or Top 200 Classic lists, courses also must have a minimum of 25 votes to qualify, which means the courses could have made the Best 2025 list but not the top modern or classic lists.
“Why do we split our rankings between Modern and Classic, with 1960 as a break point? Because they are two very different eras,” Golfweek says.
Here’s which New York golf courses are some of the best in the country.
Classic New York courses in Golfweek’s top 100
To be considered a classic course by Golfweek, the course has to have opened before 1960 in the U.S.
“As written in our rater’s handbook, the Classic style of architecture was basically natural with intimate routings that enabled holes to cling to native landforms,” according to Golfweek. “Greens were built from native soil that was pushed up and shaped, giving Classic designers enormous freedom to build oddly shaped putting surfaces with more contour than typically seen in the Modern era, when green speeds became much greater.”
Here’s which classic golf courses in New York are in Golfweek’s top 100.
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club2025 ranking: No. 4Average rating: 9.26Where the course is located: 200 Tuckahoe Road in SouthamptonWho designed the course: William S. Flynn, Howard C. ToomeyWhen the course opened: 1931Type of course: PrivateNational Golf Links of America2025 ranking: No. 5Average rating: 9.24Where the course is located: 149 Sebonac Inlet Road, SouthamptonWho designed the course: Charles Blair MacdonaldWhen the course opened: 1911Type of course: PrivateFishers Island Club2025 ranking: No. 9Average rating: 8.79Where the course is located: 20449 East Main Road, Fishers IslandWho designed the course: Seth RaynorWhen the course opened: 1926Type of course: PrivateWinged Foot Golf Club (West)2025 ranking: No. 16Average rating: 8.42Where the course is located: 851 Fenimore Road, MamaroneckWho designed the course: A.W. TillinghastWhen the course opened: 1923Type of course: PrivateMaidstone Club2025 ranking: Tied for No. 24Average rating: 8.09Where the course is located: 50 Old Beach Lane, East HamptonWho designed the course: William H. Tucker, Willie Park Jr.When the course opened: 1899Type of course: PrivateBethpage State Park Golf Course (Black)2025 ranking: No. 26Average rating: 7.99Where the course is located: 99 Quaker Meeting House Road, FarmingdaleWho designed the course: A.W. TillinghastWhen the course opened: 1935Type of course: Daily fee/municipalGarden City Golf Club2025 ranking: No. 27Average rating: 7.95Where the course is located: 315 Stewart Ave., Garden CityWho designed the course: Devereaux Emmet, Walter J. TravisWhen the course opened: 1901Type of course: PrivateSleepy Hollow Country Club2025 ranking: Tied for No. 30Average rating: 7.88Where the course is located: 777 Albany Post Road, Briarcliff ManorWho designed the course: Charles Blair Macdonald, Seth RaynorWhen the course opened: 1913Type of course: PrivateWinged Foot Golf Club (East)2025 ranking: Tied for No. 32Average rating: 7.87Where the course is located: 851 Fenimore Road, MamaroneckWho designed the course: A.W. TillinghastWhen the course opened: 1923Type of course: PrivateOak Hill Country Club (East)2025 ranking: No. 35Average rating: 7.86Where the course is located: 145 Kilbourn Road, PittsfordWho designed the course: Donald Ross, Andrew GreenWhen the course opened: 1926Type of course: PrivatePiping Rock Club2025 ranking: No. 38Average rating: 7.82Where the course is located: 150 Piping Rock Road, Locust ValleyWho designed the course: Charles Blair Macdonald, Seth RaynorWhen the course opened: 1913Type of course: PrivateQuaker Ridge Golf Club2025 ranking: No. 40Average rating: 7.79Where the course is located: 146 Griffen Ave., ScarsdaleWho designed the course: A.W. TillinghastWhen the course opened: 1926Type of course: PrivateThe Creek2025 ranking: Tied for No. 59Average rating: 7.53Where the course is located: 1 Horse Hollow Road, Locust ValleyWho designed the course: Charles Blair Macdonald, Seth RaynorWhen the course opened: 1925Type of course: PrivateSt. George’s Golf and Country Club2025 ranking: Tied for No. 67Average rating: 7.34Where the course is located: 134 Lower Sheep Pasture Road, SetauketWho designed the course: Devereaux EmmetWhen the course opened: 1917Type of course: Private
Glens Falls Country Club2025 ranking: Tied for No. 72Average rating: 7.33Where the course is located: 211 Round Pond Road, QueensburyWho designed the course: Donald RossWhen the course opened: 1912Type of course: PrivateCountry Club of Buffalo2025 ranking: Tied for No. 74Average rating: 7.31Where the course is located: 250 Youngs Road, WilliamsvilleWho designed the course: Donald RossWhen the course opened: 1926Type of course: PrivateFenway Golf Club2025 ranking: No. 77Average rating: 7.29Where the course is located: 384 Old Mamaroneck Road, ScarsdaleWho designed the course: A.W. TillinghastWhen the course opened: 1924Type of course: Private
Modern New York golf courses in Golfweek’s top 100
Golfweek’s modern course list includes all courses opened since 1960 in the U.S.
“As noted in our rater’s handbook that guides these rankings, design and construction techniques for courses shifted fundamentally after 1960,” Golfweek said. “Mechanized earth-moving became the norm, and the USGA developed sophisticated methods to build sand-based greens … The skills required to build a great course became those of professionally trained landscape architects, not just creative golf visionaries.”
Here’s which modern golf courses in New York are in Golfweek’s top 100.
Friar’s Head2025 ranking: No. 2Average rating: 8.65Where the course is located: 3000 Sound Ave., RiverheadWho designed the course: Bill Coore, Ben CrenshawWhen the course opened: 2003Type of course: PrivateSebonack Golf Club2025 ranking: No. 11Average rating: 8.05Where the course is located: 405 Sebonac Road, SouthamptonWho designed the course: Tom Doak, Jack NicklausWhen the course opened: 2006Type of course: PrivateHudson National Golf Club2025 ranking: Tied for No. 76Average rating: 7.27Where the course is located: 40 Arrowcrest Drive, Croton-on-HudsonWho designed the course: Tom FazioWhen the course opened: 1996Type of course: Private
Emily Barnes reports on consumer-related issues for the USA TODAY Network’s New York Connect Team, focusing on scam and recall-related topics. Follow her on X and Instagram @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@gannett.com.