It started with Shinnecock Hills.
The Long Island club’s opening of its clubhouse in 1892 marked more than just a new building; it introduced what is now recognized as America’s first golf clubhouse.
Stanford White’s design harmonizes with the championship course it overlooks, featuring a modest wood‑shingled exterior and a wraparound veranda that subtly frames expansive views of the links and the Atlantic.
While it was the first of its kind, it was far from the only one.
Over the ensuing century, thousands of clubhouses emerged across the United States. Some served purely utilitarian purposes—simple cinderblock structures housing a pro shop and snack bar—while others evolved into architectural landmarks embodying history, character, and regional identity.
In the past year, GOLF.com has toured several of golf’s most memorable clubhouses to uncover what sets each one apart.
At Oakmont, our videographers explored halls filled with priceless memorabilia, passed beneath the portrait of founder Henry Fownes, and entered a locker room where wooden benches still bear the spike marks left by legends such as Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus.
At Sleepy Hollow in New York’s Hudson Valley, we captured the evolution and Gilded Age elegance of a clubhouse that originally stood as a Vanderbilt mansion.
At the Olympic Club, our cameras documented two iconic venues: the stately clubhouse overlooking the Lake Course on San Francisco’s western edge and the grand downtown athletic club that has long been a cornerstone of the city’s sporting heritage.
In Scottsdale, we visited Desert Mountain, where architect Bob Bacon guided us through the design philosophy of a masterpiece that seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor spaces.
Finally, we focused on The Bridge, an exclusive Long Island club whose striking modernist clubhouse defies convention in the most compelling ways.
The result is a video series that transcends conventional tours, delivering an insider’s view of clubhouses celebrated as much for their architectural significance as for the narratives they embody.
Although we have not yet created a standalone video focused solely on Shinnecock Hills’ clubhouse, we have captured the full experience of visiting the club—from its iconic clubhouse to its legendary course. You can watch that video here.
