Golf’s national championship returns to Long Island the week of June 15 when Shinnecock Hills hosts its sixth U.S. Open and fifth since 1986. When it was last played in Southampton in 2018, Brooks Koepka held on to win by a stroke over Tommy Fleetwood, who surged into second place with a Sunday 63. The U.S. Open will return to Shinnecock in 2036.
Golf On Long Island has you covered for info on the 2026 Open, from a look back at the championship history of Shinnecock Hills, course setup for this year’s event, valuable spectator info for those venturing to the East End, and much more.
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After controversial course setups in 2004 and 2018, the USGA has followed a core principle for the 2026 Open: “Let Shinnecock be Shinnecock.” That means embracing the original 1931 William Flynn design. GOLI’s Phil Carlucci breaks down this year’s setup and the William Flynn history in this piece published in the May 2026 edition of The Met Golfer.
Shinnecock Hills hosted the second-ever U.S. Open in 1896, played on the Willie Davis/Willie Dunn 18 that lasted into the 1910s. When the Open returned in 1986, golf fans were mesmerized by a course they had only heard about but never seen. Read more about Shinnecock’s mystique and championship history in the January edition of The Met Golfer.
You can also find another Shinnecock/U.S. Open preview by GOLI in the just-launched Early Summer edition of NY Golf Magazine. This issue also features photo spreads and other information about Shinnecock.
Heading out to the East End for a practice round or tournament round? Check out GOLI’s Spectator Guide for insight on what to expect at the course and on the way to and from Southampton, including opening times and train schedules.
Traveling to Long Island for the Open? GOLI’s Visitor’s Guide has plenty of valuable information for your time in the region.
The golf world doesn’t stop during U.S. Open week. Locals and visitors will still be looking for places to play. Refer to our Long Island Golf Guide for a handy directory of golf courses and indoor golf venues. The guide also links to our GOLI Long Island Golf Course Map.
There are plenty of Shinnecock Hills course tours available on the internet, but none are better than this one put out by the USGA. This video tour has everything you need to visually prepare for four tournament days at Shinnecock. If you want a course rundown with some expert insight, check out Golf Digest’s aerial tour narrated by architecture editor Derek Duncan. And if you’re looking for a more cinematic course tour, The Golfer’s Journal has you covered.
For a deeper dive into Shinnecock and its William Flynn design, make time for The Fried Egg’s architectural video tour, featuring Bill Coore and Flynn historian Wayne Morrison. You can also listen to detailed course analysis via The Fried Egg podcast’s “All About Shinnecock Hills” episode and the Designing Golf podcast on the course’s design strengths and how Shinnecock has evolved since its initial 1891 build. No Laying Up’s Shinnecock podcast goes through each hole and the key characteristics of the layout.