Engineers Country Club logo
Golf Course Review & Scouting Report

Engineers Country Club

78

Roslyn, New York

Established
1917
Architect
Herbert Strong (original), Devereux Emmet & Frank Duane (1921 renovation), Tripp Davis (2000 renovation)
Access
Private
Par
Par 71
Length
5,584 – 6,839 yds
The verdict

Historic Long Island test of strategy

Engineers Country Club offers classic strategic golf and early-championship prestige, challenging golfers with wild contours and deep-rooted architectural character. Not a national pilgrimage, but a must-play for serious New York golf fans and architecture devotees.

Course DNA
Difficulty
80
Scenery
68
Conditioning
78
Shot Variety
83
Walkability
70
Green Complexity
87
Wow Factor
75
Design Quality
81
Don't miss

Before your round, check out the historical display of Engineers’ major championship memorabilia in the clubhouse foyer—it’s a walk through golf history.

At a glance

Quick facts

Early major venue
Hosted 1919 PGA and 1920 U.S. Amateur
Estate origins
Built on W.R. Willet Manor lands
Signature fescue
Penal rough flanks open fairways
Architect pedigree
Herbert Strong, Devereux Emmet, Tripp Davis
Metropolitan Open
1924 championship won by Mike Brady
Historic clubhouse fire
Original clubhouse destroyed in 1917 blaze
Match-play roots
Deliberately wild design encourages bold strategy
Private exclusivity
Play strictly limited to members & guests
The design

The architecture

Engineers Country Club is a living snapshot of early American golf architecture, blending Herbert Strong’s original bold contours with Devereux Emmet’s 1920s refinements and modern Tripp Davis input. Open fairways, pronounced fescue, and creative green sites demand strategic thinking and precise execution. The course rewards positioning and classic shotmaking but never lets up with subtle greens, sloping banks, and layout quirks unique to its championship roots.

Devereux Emmet’s remodeling introduced adventurous features and strategic nuances, preserving Strong’s essence but refining playability for national-caliber championships.

Defining features
  • Wild, sloping landforms shape holes and views
  • Dense fescue rough lines the open fairways
  • Original greens with pronounced movement and segmentation
  • Strategic risk-reward short par 4s and long par 3s
  • Mid-century and modern renovations maintain classic character
  • Canted green sites and bunkering for positional play
Hole by hole

Signature holes

Hole 4

Risk-On Par Five Challenge

PAR
5
YARDAGE
534

A sweeping par five that dares the long hitter to reach in two yet punishes anything less than precise execution. Bunkers and fescue frame a fairway demanding ambitious angles and real risk-reward strategy.

Play it smart

Big hitters can take on the green in two, but the safest play is a well-placed layup setting up a strategic wedge approach.

Where it bites

Wayward drives veer into thick fescue or awkward angles, while greenside bunkers and subtle slopes create headaches for the greedy.

Course management

Shots to think about

Laying up on the par five 4th
Play to your favorite wedge distance—getting too greedy can bring fescue or bunkers into play.
Tee shot on the short par four 7th
Resist auto-driver; smart placement can yield both safety and a straightforward pitch.
Approach to the canted 13th green
Favor the safe side—short siding yourself can spell disaster with the bold interior contours.
Club choice on the 228-yard par three 3rd
Take enough club to carry the trouble, but don’t be long; par is a real win here.
Second shot to the back nine opener (10th)
Don’t chase the green in two unless you have the angle and lie; lay back for the uphill wedge.
Attacking the flag on 14
Play for the middle—swirling winds can trick the eye, and missing short is far safer than long.
On the day

What to expect

Conditions

Excellent turf, old-school fescue rough, subtly quick greens

Pace

Private club—expect a brisk, orderly round with minimal wait

Vibe

Traditional, understated, with a sense of historical gravity

Before you tee off

Your game plan

01

Practice your wedge distance control

Many scoring holes, especially par fives and short par fours, reward precise wedge play—dial in your approach yardages.

02

Bring recovery shots

Expect to play from challenging fescue and sloped banks; hone your punch-outs and creative around-the-green options.

03

Map out green slopes

Review green complexes before you play—many have bold internal movement and favor smart, defensive putting.

04

Check wind forecast

Wind swirls particularly on par threes; be ready to change club choice on the fly.

The lore

How it came to be

  1. 1917

    Engineers Country Club founded; course opened by Herbert Strong

  2. 1917

    Devastating fire destroys original clubhouse

  3. 1919

    Hosts PGA Championship; Jim Barnes wins

  4. 1920

    Hosts U.S. Amateur; Chick Evans defeats Francis Ouimet

  5. 1921

    Course renovated by Devereux Emmet and Frank Duane

  6. 1924

    Metropolitan Open held (Mike Brady wins)

  7. 2000

    Tripp Davis oversees course renovation

Stories & legends

What makes it special

history

A Blaze and a Bold Rebirth

Shortly after opening, Engineers Country Club was rocked by a major fire that decimated the original clubhouse in 1917, forcing quick rebuilding. The disaster helped shape its determined, tradition-rich identity and set the stage for its early championship hosting run.

tournament

Back-to-Back National Championships

In an extraordinary feat, Engineers hosted both the 1919 PGA Championship (won by Jim Barnes) and the 1920 U.S. Amateur (with Chick Evans beating Francis Ouimet), cementing its place in American golf's golden era. The course's adventurous layout was built to test bold play for match-play trophies.

origins

Manhattan’s Engineers Seek Sporting Escape

Members of Manhattan’s prestigious Engineers Club founded the course on the former Willet estate, desiring an exclusive North Shore retreat with architectural flavor and challenge. This society pedigree fueled early prestige and a tradition of strategic design.

architecture

The Forgotten Major Stage

Despite its historic stature, Engineers has faded from the national limelight, sometimes called one of the ‘forgotten’ championship venues of the 20th century. Today, it stands as a touchstone for golf history buffs eager to walk in the footsteps of early legends.

For the group chat

Fun facts

1

Engineers hosted the PGA Championship just two years after opening—one of the youngest major venues ever.

2

The club’s name comes from its founding by members of Manhattan’s Engineers Club.

3

Fire destroyed the newly built clubhouse in 1917, resulting in a hasty but impressive rebuild.

4

Engineers was once considered an essential part of national match-play tournament lore thanks to its bold contours.

5

The course has outlasted many neighboring North Shore clubs from the 1910s and 1920s boom.

Build the trip

If you're making a Nassau County golf trip out of it

CourseAccessWhy it's on the listTrip
Bethpage Black
Public

A world-renowned public U.S. Open and PGA Tour host; a thrill for any golfer.

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
Private

A U.S. Open anchor with impeccable prestige and peerless design—an architectural pilgrimage.

Wheatley Hills Golf Club
Private

Classic nearby club with strong local reputation and solid design.

The Creek
Private

C.B. Macdonald classic on the North Shore, renowned for its views and strategic architecture.

Bethpage Red
Public

A highly regarded public-access test adjacent to Black—playable, fun, and historic.

Roslyn, Manhasset, or Great Neck for central Nassau convenience and access to both private and public gems.

Course DNA

If You Like Engineers Country Club

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

The architect's other work

More from Devereux Emmet

Garden City Golf Club

Garden City, New York

Historic strategy and pure shotmaking on Long Island

Congressional Country Club (Blue Course)

Bethesda, Maryland

Washington’s championship parkland stage, fully reborn

Nassau Country Club

Glen Cove, New York

Classic Long Island pedigree, tradition, and challenge

Keney Park Golf Course

Hartford, Connecticut

Hartford’s classic parkland muni with vintage pedigree

Bidermann Country Club

Wilmington, Delaware

Secretive du Pont legacy, now artfully revitalized

Leatherstocking Golf Course

Cooperstown, New York

Classic Emmet golf on picturesque Lake Otsego

From the community

Community Sentiment

See something inaccurate in this listing?