Cherry Creek Golf Links

Cherry Creek Golf Links occupies a site in Riverhead, on the eastern end of Long Island's North Fork. Designed by Charles Jurgens and opened in the mid-1990s, the course was conceived as a links-style layout despite its inland setting, utilizing the relatively open terrain and sandy soils characteristic of this part of Suffolk County. The property sits several miles from Peconic Bay, but the design references traditional seaside golf through its emphasis on ground game options, naturalized fescue areas, and exposed playing corridors. The routing takes advantage of modest elevation changes and incorporates water features that come into play on several holes. Jurgens, a Long Island-based architect whose work includes several courses in the region, shaped fairways with strategic bunkering and created green complexes that reward thoughtful approach play. The layout generally favors players who can work the ball along the ground and manage wind when present, though the "links" designation refers more to playing style than to true coastal dunesland. Cherry Creek serves as a daily-fee facility and has become a fixture in the Riverhead golf market, offering a contrast to the more heavily wooded parkland courses common in other parts of Long Island. The course appeals to golfers seeking a walking-friendly experience and a design that emphasizes strategy over length, with firm conditions and open sightlines defining much of the character.