Nestled in Southampton, New York, there’s a golf course that’s pretty much the stuff of dreams for golf lovers everywhere. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, with its breathtaking views and a slice of history in every fairway, is gearing up for a monumental moment in American sports by 2036. Come June that year, it’s going to be where the magic happens, as it hosts the 136th U.S. Open followed by the 91st U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally. The USGA dropped the news that this links-style beauty will be the stage for both championships one after the other, marking Shinnecock Hills as only the second place to pull off this back-to-back feat.
Digging way back, Shinnecock Hills is no newbie to the scene. It’s been around the block, boasting membership in the USGA’s founding club circle. Designed with a nod to the iconic British Isles courses—think rolling greens and scenery that’ll knock your socks off—it’s a course that’s played host to its fair share of USGA big deals, flaunting its deep ties to the game’s rich narrative.
Brett Pickett, Shinnecock Hills Club president, stated, “Shinnecock is deeply proud of our founding association with the USGA and our role in setting the course of history for golf in America.” Championship plans set to make Shinnecock Hills’ seventh U.S. Open to occur 140 years after their first one, which occurred in 1896.
After a 90-year absence, Shinnecock Hills hosted the U.S. open a second time in 1986. Furthering its illustrious history in the golf world, fans witnessed Raymond Floyd, who was 43, become the oldest player at the time to win the championship after a back-and-forth final round where 10 competitors shared the lead in this 1986 U.S. Open. While hosting the U.S. Open again in 1995, Corey Pavin’s 228-yard shot that finished 5 feet from the flagstick, cinching his major victory, is hailed as one of the greatest shots in U.S. Open history – making the green at Shinnecock Hills lush with golf legacies.
As the center of the golf world in 2036, Shinnecock Hills will further its rich sporting history as the only club to have hosted the U.S. open in three different centuries. Pickett spoke of the club’s excitement “to build on that legacy through this historic, back-to-back presentation of women’s and men’s major championship golf in Southampton in 2036.”
Shinnecock Hills was one of the first clubs in the U.S. to admit women as members from its beginning, and they have welcomed female athletes to the course throughout the years, playing host to the sixth U.S. Women’s Amateur in 1900. While the prestigious club has an impressive collection of years hosting the U.S. Open, the 2036 U.S. Women’s Open is the club’s first time hosting this event. “Our first U.S. Women’s Open will build on our proud history of advancing the women’s game in America,” stated Pickett.
Recognizing the historic importance of Shinnecock Hills, John Bodenhamer, USGA Chief Championships Officer, stated that, “As an organization, we felt that such an iconic venue would be an ideal stage for both our men’s and women’s premier championships.”
Only time will tell if birdies will make a presence in the 2036 U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open, but Shinnecock Hills invites history to be made on their course.
