Maidstone Club

The Maidstone Club's East Course sits on a dramatic stretch of Atlantic coastline in East Hampton, where Long Island's South Fork meets the ocean. The club dates to 1891, making it one of America's oldest seaside golf establishments. While Willie Park Jr. and John Park designed the original layout in 1894, Ben Crenshaw undertook a significant restoration and redesign that shaped the course golfers play today, working to honor the property's links character while adapting it for modern play. The routing takes full advantage of the coastal terrain, with holes playing across rumpled dunes, through natural hollows, and along elevated ground that offers views of the Atlantic. The land's movement is pronounced, creating uneven lies and wind-influenced shotmaking that recalls traditional British seaside golf. Several holes play directly beside the ocean, while others weave through the property's interior dune valleys. The turf conditions and firm playing surfaces reinforce the links aesthetic, with the ball often running considerable distances after landing. The club maintains a traditional, understated character consistent with its long history in the Hamptons. Maidstone has hosted regional amateur competitions over the decades, though it remains primarily a members' club focused on golf in its most elemental form. The setting—with the ocean, beach grass, and open sky—defines the experience as much as the golf holes themselves, offering a rare American example of true seaside links golf.