If you don’t believe in love at first sight, Montauk Downs might just change your mind. Tucked at the far eastern tip of Long Island, the Robert Trent Jones redesigned public golf course traverses wind-swept dunes framed by the Atlantic Ocean and Block Island Sound, just five miles south of the Montauk Point Lighthouse.
It feels untouched— quiet and teeming with wildlife—with deer, foxes and turkeys casually roaming the course, which they call home. It’s a majestic setting for a golf course, but don’t get too beguiled by its natural beauty and charm—at 6,988 yards and a rating of 75.2 from the tips, Montauk Downs is no walk in the park.
The land is fully exposed to the nearby ocean winds which are far more foe than friend to golfers—creating firm and fast conditions along the ground as well as some of the quickest greens you’ll find just about anywhere.
Montauk Downs is routed along the rugged and rolling natural landscape with many elevation changes throughout the course. You won’t be able to see the ball land on the putting surface half of the time as nine of the greens are elevated from the approach. With relatively small greens featuring Jones’ signature undulating and complex contours, they require an intimate level of familiarity to know where to hit the approach—or perhaps more importantly, where not to miss. Because of the lightening fast greens, you’ll want to be below the hole as often as possible and any short sided misses will require expert touch and a deft short game to save par.
That said, the Downs has its moments of respite with four par-5s which are all gettable with a good tee shot. The course rewards the smart and patient golfer who respects the difficult green complexes yet is aggressive when presented with the opportunity to pounce, and the greens, though fast, roll true, so birdies are out there (and not just the turkeys).
It’s a beautiful and well-maintained complex—a challenging yet fair test of golf. If the course doesn’t blow your mind, the price tag will. At just $53 on weekends for New York State residents, Montauk Downs is a steal so good it feels like you got away with something.
Taking a Page From Bethpage Black’s Playbook
Montauk Downs has the look and feel of a private course because it was for much of its history. Established in 1927 and originally designed by H.C. Tippett, the private course was sold to investors who created the Montauk Golf & Racquet Club in 1966. The course was redesigned by legendary golf course designer Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1968-69. It was sold to New York State in 1980 and renamed Montauk Downs State Park after the private club filed for bankruptcy two years prior.
The course underwent another major renovation in 2005, with Jones’ son, Rees, at the helm, bringing the greens back to their original contours and rebuilding the bunker complexes which had become eroded by the wind. The New York State Parks Department modeled Montauk Down’s renovation strategy after Rees Jones’ prior success in getting Bethpage Black ready for the U.S. Open in 2002, which has since vaulted Bethpage Black to the 28th ranked golf course in the country—private or public. Rees’ renovation work at both Bethpage Black and Montauk Downs were done pro bono, a passion project for Jones who lauded public golf courses as the future of the game.
Earlier this year Montauk Downs upgraded their driving range as well, making it a premier practice facility with covered bays featuring launch monitor data powered by Inrange Golf’s technology.
Autumn is an ideal time to visit Montauk when the vacation traffic is off-season, the fall foliage is vibrant and the tee sheet is comfortably accommodating. A no-brainer for eastern Long Island locals and well worth the over two hour drive from Brooklyn, Queens or Manhattan, Montauk Downs is another feather in the cap of the New York State Parks public golf program.
