Courtesy of the club
Courtesy of the club
LC Lambrecht
Courtesy of the club
LC Lambrecht
LC Lambrecht
LC Lambrecht
Courtesy of Maidstone Club
Courtesy of Maidstone Club
Picasa
Courtesy of the club
Maidstone Club
East Hampton, NY • Private
Overview
Not only one of America’s earliest links courses, Maidstone is also one of the country’s earliest golf residential communities. Legend has it that Bobby Jones felt that Maidstone’s final three holes made it one of the great match-play courses in America. If so, that’s because the 17th has one of the tightest greensites in America, the putting surface sitting just in front of a major street intersection, with roads right and left less than 12 paces off each collar. As befitting a seaside course, Coore and Crenshaw cleared out brush and restored many sand dune areas and removed turf in some of the roughs to expose the sand beneath, while shaper Jeff Bradley returned the jagged, windswept edges to the bunkers. The result: ensuring Maidstone Club remains one of the greatest courses in the U.S.—a standout even in golf-rich Long Island.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
100 Greatest: Ranked since 1969.
Highest ranking: 34th, 1997-1998.
Previous ranking: 52nd.
2025-'26 ranking: 53rd.
Best in State: Ranked Top 10 in New York from 1983-2007; Top 15 since 2009.
Previous ranking: 9th.
2025-'26 ranking: 11th.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“Maidstone exhibits several linkslike attributes and provides endless opportunities for interesting shots, with views and charm to make anyone want to return. Inventive green shapes, ocean breezes and diverse hazards and contours ensure a good test on a classic layout."
Read More2025
Review
“Does Maidstone have 18 great golf holes? No. Is Maidstone a course that I would crawl on my belly to go back and play again? Yes. Just a joy to play and some of the most interesting and challenging green complexes in golf. A stunning piece of land that fills the senses with anything and everything a golfer could ever want from a round of golf. Challenging but not overly penal, Maidstone is the kind of course I would join in a heartbeat if money or access were no object. If "golf vibe" were a category, Maidstone would score a 10."
Read More2025
Review
“What a way to end an amazing golf trip....Maidstone is a great day of golf! This is easily one of America's greatest clubs. From the iconic clubhouse and beach club to its family oriented / lifestyle, you know that you are in a special place. The opening holes provide a true challenge, especially the 4th hole, a par 3 over water to a challenging green. The wind hits you smack in the face on this hole, which makes your club selection much more important. The highlight of the round is between holes 7-10. The 7th wraps around Hook Pond, the 8th is a unique, partially blind par 3 to an impressive green complex. And don't miss this green or you will be in big trouble! The famously tight 17th green lets you know that your day is coming to a close, but don't end your day before heading down to the beach club to experience the family fun and Maidstone refreshments."
Read More2025
Review
“The stretch of 6-10 is as good as anywhere you will play. The two par 3s played into the dunes are fantastic. Fantastic walk and the green surrounds, run offs, collection areas make it a lot of fun with a wedge. I would imagine you appreciate it more and more each time you see it. Truly special place."
Read More2025
Review
“Undoubtedly one of the 15 best courses in America"
Read More2025
Review
“Links from tee-to-green, precision around the greens. Somehow a challenging course and a fun, casual course wrapped into one round."
Read More2025
Review
“It’s heartening to see a course like Maidstone not only survive but thrive in today’s golf landscape. After a somewhat understated opening stretch, the course quickly reveals its true character—unfolding into sweeping vistas, dramatic dunes, and all the unpredictability that comes with coastal weather. It’s a layout that feels timeless, shaped as much by nature as by architecture. What makes Maidstone so special is how irreplaceable it is. In today’s world, replicating a course like this would be virtually impossible—costly, environmentally complex, and likely halted by zoning regulations before a shovel hit the ground. That’s why its continued existence and preservation feel so important. Courses like Maidstone are living links to golf’s past, and we’re lucky to have it as part of the present."
Read More2025
Review
“Maidstone is one of America's greatest clubs. From its iconic clubhouse and beach club to its fabled stories of its exclusive membership, the golfer can get caught up just where he is playing that day. Simply, you know that you are in a special place the second you walk onto its grounds. However, don't fool yourself, the golf course is very deserving. Certainly, many golfers remark about the impressive dunes holes, which are definitely worthy of attention., but its finishing holes should not be overlooked. While the opening holes provide their own challenge, the round truly starts with the 4th hole, a stout par 3 over water to a challenging green. The wind is often in the player's face on this hole, providing an additional challenge. The highlight of the round is between holes 7-10, which are as good as any stretch of 4 holes on Long Island. The 7th is a great cape hole around Hook Pond (I don't know why it isn't Slice Pond as it plays as a dogleg right). The 8th is a unique, partially blind par 3 to an impressive green complex. Miss the green and the golfer is likely in trouble. My favorite hole on the golf course is the 9th hole, a par 4 playing between the dunes to a raised green that requires nothing but a well struck iron shot. The 10th is then another great hole playing to a raised green in the dunes. The round isn't over though. The green at the 13th hole is one of the best on the golf course and the 14th hole is the best par 3 on the course.....and maybe in the Hamptons (my apologies to the Redan at National Golf Links). Then, the stretch from 15-18, while no longer in the dunes, include some incredibly strategic golf holes, especially the risk/reward doglegs at 16 and 17. In sum, playing at Maidstone is a surreal experience. While there is a lot of great golf in the Hamptons, I think Maidstone, with its beach and dunes landscape and general vibe, is representative of the lifestyle in the Hamptons more than any other club. At all times during your round, you just feel like you are in the Hamptons. When a golf course provides those types of feelings, you know it is special."
Read More2024
Review
“A day of golf you will never forget"
Read More2024
Review
“Exceptional golf experience along the coast. Fantastic routing with some of the most beautifully contoured and strategic greens I have encountered."
Read More2024
