Shinnecock Hills Begins Hosting 2026 U.S. Open at 7,434 Yards
The 126th U.S. Open opened Monday at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. The course will play as a par-70 layout with fairways averaging more than 40 yards wide.
CBS SportsU.S. Open on Monday. The 126th edition of the tournament marks the sixth time the venue has staged the event. Founded in 1891, Shinnecock Hills is the oldest incorporated golf club in the United States and one of the five founding clubs of the USGA.
U.S. Open in history. S. Opens at the course, only three players have finished the week under par. Retief Goosen finished at 4 under par to win in 2004. Raymond Floyd finished at 1 under par to win in 1986.
Phil Mickelson finished at 2 under par in 2004 but did not win. Corey Pavin won at even par. Brooks Koepka won at 1 over par. The USGA will set up the course at 7,434 yards as a par-70 layout. Fairways will average more than 40 yards wide.
5 at Oakmont on Thursday in 2025. Wind at Shinnecock Hills typically blows from the south-southwest at 15 miles per hour or more. During a May media day round, wind measured 24 miles per hour with gusts over 30 miles per hour.
Hole 4 is a par-4 measuring 476 yards.
CBS Sports reported that the course presents difficulty through wind and green complexes rather than extreme length or narrow fairways. The routing forces players to play into shifting wind directions, and greens feature slopes, tiers and ridges that reduce effective landing areas.
The same report noted that green surrounds are pitched above the fairway with runoffs that can carry shots 30 to 50 yards from the putting surface.
Bunkers sit below the greens with firm sand that requires precise contact. CBS Sports reported that the 4th hole features a wide fairway but a second shot into a green with severe slopes and runoff areas. The 7th is a Redan par-3 where a media-day shot rolled into a firm bunker and led to a three-putt double bogey.


