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Golf Course Review & Scouting Report

Atlantic Golf Club

81

Bridgehampton, New York

Established
1992
Architect
Rees Jones
Access
Private
Par
Par 72
Length
5,255 – 7,151 yds
The verdict

A Rees Jones regional showpiece

Atlantic Golf Club delivers a championship-caliber private golf experience on Long Island’s famous Hamptons turf. Rees Jones’s routing around potato field wetlands produced a challenging, links-inspired design with real shot variety and a crisp, high-end vibe. It’s a top regional must-play for those lucky enough to get the invite.

Course DNA
Difficulty
83
Scenery
78
Conditioning
90
Shot Variety
81
Walkability
72
Green Complexity
84
Wow Factor
76
Design Quality
81
At a glance

Quick facts

Clubhouse
Traditional Long Island shingle style by Jaque Robertson
Wetlands
30–35 acres of protected wetlands shape the layout
Best New Course
Debuted as Golf Digest's 1992 Best New Private Course
Property Origin
Built on a 205-acre potato farm
Landscape Features
Characterized by naturalistic mounds and moguls
Award History
Historical Top 10 in New York (1993–1999)
Private Prestige
Elite Hamptons golf destination
The design

The architecture

Atlantic Golf Club takes the open canvas of a classic Hamptons potato farm and overlays it with Rees Jones’s modern, links-inspired sensibility. The routing splays out across rolling ground, deftly circumnavigating 30-plus acres of protected wetlands with a blend of heroic carries, framed vistas, and bold mounding. Players will spot Jones’s signature: large, complex greens and sculpted bunkers punctuate fairways designed to evoke the wind-swept look of a seaside links, even without true ocean exposure. The result is a circuit that tests both cerebral play and technical execution, all within a crisp, high-society environment.

Rees Jones described his shaping as purposely 'links-like,' using knobs and moguls to create the illusion of natural ground movement and strategic shot choices.

Defining features
  • Large, tiered green complexes with bold contours
  • Strategic bunkering influenced by naturalistic mounding
  • Routing that skirts protected wetlands for variety
  • Expanses of native grasses and rolling farmland feel
  • Wide fairways with links-like visual framing
Hole by hole

Signature holes

Hole 2

Wetland Challenge

PAR
4
YARDAGE
426 yds

A dogleg right that hugs the edge of a protected wetland, the 2nd hole epitomizes Atlantic’s identity: natural beauty and high-stakes strategy. With a broad fairway lined by moguls and deep fescue, players must choose the safe line—or tempt fate by cutting the corner.

Play it smart

A bold drive over the furthest visible knob rewards with a short iron in, but the prudent play steers away from the marsh edge.

Where it bites

Long and right find wetlands; short left leaves a blocked, uphill approach.

Course management

Shots to think about

Tee shot into a crosswind on a rumpled fairway
Favor control over distance and use native landforms to feed the ball safely into the widest part of the fairway.
Approach to a tiered green with a back pin
Land the ball short and let natural contours funnel your shot up—aggressive aerial attacks can run off fast back slopes.
Par 5 layup with wetlands left
Lay up right center, keeping wetlands fully out of play even if it leaves a longer next shot.
Short-sided in a greenside bunker
Accept a 12–15 footer for par; don’t flirt with the pin, just escape safely.
Downwind approach to a raised green
Take less club than you think—firm surfaces and wind can send shots deep over the green.
Long uphill par 3 on a windy day
Dial up an extra club and trust your line, ignoring trouble short where recovery is difficult.
On the day

What to expect

Conditions

Crisp, manicured fairways and superbly fast greens define the play, with firm, links-like surfaces in dry months.

Pace

Efficient, expects quick four-ball play—member driven

Vibe

Quiet exclusivity and privilege—classic Hamptons private club

Dress code

Traditional country club attire; collared shirts, tailored shorts or slacks

Before you tee off

Your game plan

01

Bring a Reliable Long Iron Game

Par 3s and longer approaches call for precise distance and control—brush up before arrival.

02

Study the Green Complexes

Get a greens map or play with a regular—subtle undulations can confound even confident putters.

03

Travel Light for Walking

Though carts are available, Atlantic’s moderate terrain and club culture encourage walking, so pack accordingly.

The lore

How it came to be

  1. 1988

    Lowell Schulman purchases potato farm for future golf club

  2. 1990

    Site plans approved after extensive environmental review

  3. 1992

    Atlantic Golf Club officially opens for play

  4. 1992

    Wins Golf Digest’s Best New Private Course honor

  5. 1997

    Debuts in Golf Digest’s America’s 100 Greatest (#65)

Stories & legends

What makes it special

origin

Potato Fields to Premier Fairways

The story of Atlantic Golf Club begins with founder Lowell Schulman’s dogged search for the perfect property, transforming old potato fields into a modern-day Hamptons classic. Rees Jones’s design cleverly worked around protected wetlands, turning a challenge into the very identity of the course.

accolades

Best New—and Still a Benchmark

Atlantic was the ’it’ club from the moment it opened in 1992. Awards and rave reviews poured in, earning ‘Best New Private Course’ and setting the standard for high-end, postmodern New York golf.

clubhouse

Shingle Charm

The clubhouse, designed by Jaque Robertson, is often praised nearly as much as the golf itself. Its classic Long Island shingles and deep porches offer panoramic views and coastal sophistication, blending a sense of place with members-only exclusivity.

design

A Routing Born of Restraint

Wetlands protection forced Rees Jones into a puzzle; the final course twists and turns around ecological no-go zones, creating variety and signature movement at every turn. This constraint is now Atlantic’s enduring design strength.

For the group chat

Fun facts

1

Atlantic Golf Club’s sprawling mounding was crafted to feel as if nature—rather than bulldozers—shaped every ridge and hollow.

2

Founder Lowell Schulman’s personal persistence overcame years of red tape and local resistance, paving the way for Hamptons golf luxury.

3

The clubhouse is a favorite backdrop for Hamptons social events, offering panoramic course and farmland views from deep porches.

4

Golf Digest once placed Atlantic among America’s top 70 courses within just five years of opening.

Build the trip

If you’re exploring the Hamptons golf scene

CourseAccessWhy it's on the listTrip
Montauk Downs State Park
Public

Famed public play with elevated coastal holes, designed by Robert Trent Jones

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
Private

True historic masterpiece—no. 1 on Long Island and several U.S. Opens hosted

National Golf Links of America
Private

C.B. Macdonald’s American original, an architectural pilgrimage

Sag Harbor State Golf Course
Municipal

A relaxed, local Hamptons nine for a friendly loop

Bridgehampton, Southampton, or East Hampton to access the full range of elite Hamptons courses.

Course DNA

If You Like Atlantic Golf Club

Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.

From the community

Community Sentiment

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