10 Best Golf Destinations Within Driving Distance of New York
New York City is not a golf town in any obvious sense. The real estate economics of the metro area make municipal courses precious and private clubs extraordinarily expensive. But the geographic position of the city, within a day's drive of some of the best public golf in the eastern United States, creates an opportunity that metro-area golfers consistently underutilize. The destinations on this list range from courses reachable in an hour to destinations that require a short flight or a five-hour drive, but all of them are accessible for a long weekend without the logistical burden of a cross-country trip.
Bethpage State Park, Farmingdale, New York
Bethpage Black, the A.W. Tillinghast design that hosted the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Opens and the 2019 PGA Championship, is genuinely great. The course is long, demanding, and maintained to a standard that belies its municipal green fee. The famous sign on the first tee warning that the course is extremely difficult is not marketing. It is accurate. Tee times are available through an online reservation system and through the walk-up line that forms before dawn on weekends. Bethpage also offers four other courses, with the Red Course being a strong layout in its own right. The value proposition of a U.S. Open venue at a state park price is unique in American golf.
The best public golf near New York City is on Long Island, 40 miles from midtown Manhattan.
Pinehurst, North Carolina
Pinehurst is a five-hour drive from New York or a 90-minute flight to Raleigh-Durham followed by a 75-minute drive. The distance is real but manageable for a long weekend, and the destination justifies the effort. [Pinehurst No. The resort's nine total courses mean that a group can play four days without repeating a round and without leaving the property. The Village of Pinehurst is small and quiet, which is either a feature or a limitation depending on the travel party's expectations.
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Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach requires a flight or an eight-hour drive, but direct flights from the New York area are plentiful and affordable. The Grand Strand's 80-plus courses provide the deepest inventory of any destination on this list, and the price point is the most accessible. Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, True Blue, and Tidewater are the headliners, and the stay-and-play packages that bundle accommodations with rounds represent genuine savings. Myrtle Beach is the volume destination for New York golfers who want to play 72 or 90 holes in four days without breaking the budget.
Atlantic City Area, New Jersey
The South Jersey shore, within two and a half hours of Manhattan, contains several quality courses that fly under the radar of New York golfers oriented toward Long Island or the Hudson Valley. Ballamor Golf Club, the former Blue Heron Pines, is a solid public course. Sand Barrens in Swainton offers 27 holes on sandy terrain. The Pine Barrens region of southern New Jersey, with its sandy soil and pine forests, provides terrain that supports good golf architecture. The Atlantic City casino resort infrastructure means accommodations and dining are plentiful.
The Hudson Valley, New York
Within 90 minutes north of the city, the Hudson Valley offers golf in a setting that feels removed from the metro area without the commitment of a flight. Garrison Golf Club, designed by Dick Wilson on a dramatic site overlooking the Hudson River, is the standout. The terrain is hilly, the views are exceptional, and the drive from the city is manageable for a day trip or overnight. Further north, Wiltwyck Golf Club in Kingston and Mohonk Mountain House's course near New Paltz provide additional options.
The Poconos, Pennsylvania
The Pocono Mountains are roughly 90 minutes from the George Washington Bridge and offer several resort courses in a mountain setting. Pocono Manor and the courses in the Mount Airy area cater to the weekend getaway market. The quality ceiling is lower than the other destinations on this list, but the proximity and the mountain setting make the Poconos a practical option for a quick overnight golf trip.
Williamsburg, Virginia
Colonial Williamsburg's golf corridor, a five-hour drive or a short flight from New York, offers quality courses in a historic setting. The Golden Horseshoe Golf Club, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., is the anchor, with the Gold Course ranking among the finest resort courses in the Mid-Atlantic. Kingsmill Resort on the James River adds a Pete Dye-influenced layout that has hosted the LPGA Tour. The broader Williamsburg area's historical attractions and dining options make it a natural choice for mixed-interest travel parties.
The Catskills, New York
Three hours from the city, the Catskill Mountains are experiencing a golf revival alongside their broader tourism renaissance. The Monster at Bethpage gets the headlines on Long Island, but the Catskills offer a different kind of New York golf: mountain courses with elevation changes, cooler summer temperatures, and a rural character that provides genuine contrast to the metro area. The course inventory is smaller than other destinations on this list, but the combination of golf, hiking, and the emerging food and drink scene makes the Catskills a viable weekend option.
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Tip
Turning Stone Resort, Verona, New York
Turning Stone is four hours from Manhattan in the Mohawk Valley, and the resort offers three quality courses that have hosted the PGA Tour's B.C. Open. The Atunyote Course is the flagship, a Tom Fazio design that provides a resort experience competitive with any in the Northeast. The resort's casino, spa, and dining infrastructure make it a self-contained destination, and the drive is manageable for a long weekend.
Crystal Springs Resort, Hamburg, New Jersey
Less than an hour from the George Washington Bridge, Crystal Springs Resort offers six courses spread across the hills of northern New Jersey. The quality is resort-level rather than championship-level, but the proximity to the city is hard to match. Wild Turkey, the standout layout, uses the hilly terrain of the Kittatinny Mountains to create a course with significant elevation change and views across the Appalachian Ridge. Crystal Springs functions best as a convenient overnight trip rather than a destination, but convenience has its own value for time-pressed metro-area golfers.
The Distance Equation
New York golfers face a trade-off that golfers in Scottsdale or Myrtle Beach do not: the best courses are not close, and the closest courses are not the best. Bethpage Black is the exception, offering genuine quality at a manageable distance. Beyond that, the decision comes down to how much distance the trip can absorb. Pinehurst and Myrtle Beach require more travel but deliver more golf. The Hudson Valley and Crystal Springs require less travel but deliver less. The practical answer for most New York golfers is two or three trips per year: a quick overnight within driving distance and a longer trip that justifies the flight or the five-hour drive.