
East Course
Maidstone Club



About this course
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.
Rankings
Ranked by CV ratings from golfers who've played this course. Positions are shown worldwide, by country, and by state; the Private column compares member-only and guest-restricted courses.
Best in World
Best in USA
Best in NY
Quick facts
- Location
- East Hampton, NY, USA
- Access
- Private
- Year built
- 1891
- Holes
- 9
- Designer
- Ben Crenshaw
- Par
- 36
- Length
- 2,668 yards
- Difficulty
- 35.4/126
- Course Vaults score
- 8.3
Getting there
The journey to Maidstone Club begins at one of three New York-area gateways - JFK, LaGuardia, or Newark - followed by a two-to-three-hour drive east along the Long Island Expressway as suburbia gradually yields to farmland, vineyards, and the moneyed quiet of the Hamptons. Those arriving by private aircraft typically touch down at East Hampton Airport, a discreet field mere minutes from the club's gates. The final approach threads through the village of East Hampton itself, past hedgerows and weathered-shingle estates, before delivering you to a low-slung clubhouse perched on a dramatic bluff above the Atlantic - one of the most breathtaking first impressions in American golf, where the roar of the ocean announces your arrival long before the links come into view.

FAQ
Common questions about East at Maidstone Club
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
East at Maidstone Club has a Course Vaults score of 8.3 out of 10 based on 21 logged golfers.
East was designed by Ben Crenshaw.
East at Maidstone Club is listed as private on Course Vaults; guest access is typically restricted.
Par at East is 36.
East plays 2,668 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at East is 126.





