U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills in 2026 will be a demanding test

The golf hoopla on Long Island will take off at next week’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, but it will not stop there.

Major championship golf is returning to the Island on June 18, when the 126th U.S. Open tees off at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton.

The United States Golf Association welcomed media members to Shinnecock Hills on Monday morning for a first-look event to start the journey toward the 2026 Open. The excitement surrounding the tournament’s return to Shinnecock Hills, which will host the Open for the sixth time and the first time since 2018, is through the roof.

“It's just exciting to have the world of golf focus on us for that week,” said Jon Jennings, the golf course superintendent at Shinnecock Hills. “It's a historic place. It's an amazing facility. If you haven't seen Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, whether you're watching it on television or coming out in person, it's just one of those striking places that will be in your memory for the rest of your life.”

The USGA wholeheartedly agrees.

“It's truly, I think, one of the cathedrals of the game of golf, and obviously a USGA founding club,” said Brent Paladino, the USGA senior director of championship administration. “So we're super excited to be back at Shinnecock Hills. It's going to be truly an amazing test of golf for the players. The elements out here can really dictate a lot of what will happen in June, and especially if you get some wind, it'll be really exciting to watch.”

The U.S. Open, which will also be held at Shinnecock Hills in 2036, is arguably the hardest of the four majors to win given the demanding courses. With a par-70, 7,434-yard setup that remains true to William Flynn’s original design from 1931, next year will be no different.

The course is built for the elements, with a wide-open layout and very few trees. The winds are certain to be a significant factor, regardless of direction.

“It's going to test every part of the player's game, their ability to control their golf ball, to hit shots, to curve the ball, to drive it well, to recover around the greens,” said Scott Langley, the senior director of player relations for the USGA and a four-time U.S. Open participant. “The greens are severe, so it's difficult to putt here, and it's really going to test the guys’ complete games.

“But it's certainly a different style of golf than other courses that the U.S. Open is conducted on, but that's part of what makes the U.S. Open so great.”

Course maintenance is a science at Shinnecock Hills, which needs enough moisture to start the day and can dry out quickly. The USGA has the option to syringe the golf course during rounds, applying a light film of water on top of the surface — something that could be very beneficial with dry conditions.

“If you walk around this place and you step outside the back of the clubhouse and you look around the property, it just feels like the U.S. Open should be held here,” Langley said.

The USGA conducts 15 championships over the course of the year, and preparation for June will heat up over the winter. Jennings said Shinnecock Hills will start working on road infrastructure in November, and the USGA will bring in their tents and other necessities to build up in March.

“Long Island is a very golf-centric community, and so to see the engagement, obviously, it's no surprise that the Ryder Cup is going to be probably one of the most amazing sporting events that we'll ever see,” Paladino said. “And hopefully the U.S. Open [is the] same way. Having Long Island sports fans out here will be really incredible.”

By Ben Dickson

benjamin.dickson@newsday.com@bendickson__

Ben Dickson is Newsday Sports' general assignment reporter. He joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.