WESTHAMPTON COUNTRY CLUB
🇺🇸 Westhampton Beach, NY, USA
Designed by Seth Raynor
Westhampton Country Club, a fixture of Long Island's storied golf scene, unfolds across terrain shaped by both sandy soil and the coastal breezes rolling in off the Atlantic. This creates a unique blend of challenges where accurate approach shots are paramount as any errant shot tends to find itself gathering sand.
Originally designed by Willie Park Jr., the course underwent a significant restoration by Brian Silva, returning the club to its former glory by accentuating Park's strategic vision. It's a course that respects classic design principles while subtly adapting to the demands of the modern game.
While not a regular host of major championships, Westhampton enjoys a strong regional reputation, and a membership that relishes the convivial atmosphere, perhaps best expressed at the halfway house. Known amongst the members for the "turn," which is a chance to refuel with their signature lobster roll and a refreshing beverage before tackling the back nine.
Reviews
Westhampton is the perfect precursor to the rest of Seth Raynor's career. He did an incredible job of turning a tight piece of land into a super fun golf course. I will start this review by saying that I believe my ranking of this course is low by most standards. The impression I got from the course is that you have to see it a few times before you can really understand the nuances within the design. Like a links course, most bunkers are hidden unless you actively look for them or, of course, you hit into them. Those bunkers are where the golf course gets its character. The course is short in length. It plays as a par 70 with two par 5s at 6500 yards from the tips. Its defenses are the bunkering, green contours, and prevailing winds that the course gets almost daily. I played on a not so windy day, so again, I'd need to return to see the course at its full potential. The routing is really fun. The first 3 holes and the last 3 holes run parallel each other, with the remaining 12 holes winding around the backside of the property. Westhampton's par 3 template holes are the stars of the show. Hole 3 has a punchbowl green with some super fun bunkers. Hole 7 is an amazing Redan, the best I've seen to date. Hole 10 is a Short template that plays over a small body of water and overlooks the Moriches Bay. Lastly, 17 is a Biarritz that has a full length green, which is a feature I love. From an aerial view, Westhampton is one of the most visually appealing courses. Given the nature of the flat land and hidden bunkers, those visual effects are lost in the golf course. I believe Westhampton would benefit by raising certain tee boxes to grant the golfer the opportunity to see a bit more of what's ahead of them. Additionally, that same hidden nature is what makes me want to get back to the golf course so badly. There are few better ways to spend a day than out at Westhampton. The place has some serious charm.
FAQ
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Westhampton at Westhampton Country Club has a Course Vaults score of 8.6 out of 10 based on 35 explicit golfer ratings.
Westhampton was designed by Seth Raynor.
Westhampton at Westhampton Country Club is listed as private on Course Vaults; guest access is typically restricted.
Par at Westhampton is 70.
Westhampton plays 6,548 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Westhampton is 137.