USGA Sends Green Section Help to 4 Long Island Muni Courses

By Staff Writer

October 11, 2026

3 min read

LoopGolf

Key takeaways

Four Suffolk County, N.Y. municipal courses will receive free or discounted USGA Green Section consulting following the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.
The courses are Indian Island Country Club, Santapogue Creek Golf Course, Timber Point Golf Course and West Sayville Golf Course.
The USGA has run the same program after three previous U.S. Opens, benefiting public courses near Torrey Pines (2021), The Los Angeles Country Club (2023) and Oakmont (2025).
A team of four USGA agronomists visited all four Long Island courses to assess turf, drainage and routing issues.
Shinnecock Hills is scheduled to host the U.S. Open again in 2036, alongside the U.S. Women's Open the same year.

Four municipal golf courses on Long Island are getting free agronomy consulting from the USGA's Green Section, part of a community-investment program the USGA runs around every U.S. Open host site. The latest round follows this year's U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, where Wyndham Clark held off Sam Burns to win his second national championship.

Which courses are benefiting from the Shinnecock Hills U.S. Open?

The USGA, Shinnecock Hills and the Metropolitan Golf Association are directing support to Indian Island Country Club in Riverhead, Santapogue Creek Golf Course in West Babylon, Timber Point Golf Course in Great River and West Sayville Golf Course. All four are Suffolk County-run public facilities near a cluster of private clubs that includes Shinnecock Hills, National Golf Links of America and Maidstone Club.

A team of four Green Section agronomists — East Region director Elliott Dowling, Brian Gietka, Mitch Leininger and Chris Neff, along with assistant director of championship agronomy Eric Tragnitz — toured the four courses after the championship. They worked with county superintendent Bennett Orlowski and parks official Peter Ganley Sr. to map out next steps at each site.

What issues is the USGA addressing at each course?

The needs varied by course. Timber Point, a Harry Colt and C.H. Alison design from the 1920s, is weighing a return to its original 18-hole routing using the architects' old blueprints after nine holes were added later. West Sayville is focused on weed control and tree management, while Santapogue Creek is dealing with rising sea levels pushing saltwater onto several fairways. Indian Island's priority is general agronomics, particularly improving putting green health and performance within a tight municipal budget.

The Green Section team brought its usual field tools to the visits, including a moisture meter that reads soil moisture, salinity and temperature, a sensor-equipped "smart" golf ball used to measure green conditions, and software that maps the data for ongoing tracking.

How does this compare with past U.S. Open host communities?

U.S. Open host (year)	Public courses supported
Torrey Pines (2021)	Balboa Park, Mission Bay (San Diego)
The Los Angeles Country Club (2023)	Maggie Hathaway Golf Course (Los Angeles)
Oakmont Country Club (2025)	Bob O'Connor, North Park, South Park (Pittsburgh)
Shinnecock Hills (2026)	Indian Island, Santapogue Creek, Timber Point, West Sayville (Suffolk County)

The USGA has provided on-site course consulting for 75 years, but offering it free or at reduced cost to public courses tied to U.S. Open communities is a newer addition to the championship's community-engagement efforts.

Free agronomy consulting from the USGA's top turf scientists is worth more to a municipal budget than any trophy ceremony.

"We are there completely for the golf facility," Dowling said of the team's approach.

What else is part of the Shinnecock Hills community initiative?

The initiative also includes youth golf programming for the Shinnecock Nation, expanding access to instruction, equipment and playing opportunities. Shinnecock Nation member Oscar Bunn competed in the first U.S. Open held at the club in 1896.

Frequently asked questions

Which courses are getting USGA help after the 2026 U.S. Open?

Indian Island Country Club, Santapogue Creek Golf Course, Timber Point Golf Course and West Sayville Golf Course, all public facilities in Suffolk County, N.Y.

What does USGA Green Section consulting involve?

USGA agronomists visit a course to assess turf, drainage, course conditions and resource use, then recommend management changes, typically at no or reduced cost in this program.

Has the USGA done this at other U.S. Open sites?

Yes. Courses near Torrey Pines, The Los Angeles Country Club and Oakmont received similar support after their U.S. Opens in 2021, 2023 and 2025.

When does the U.S. Open return to Shinnecock Hills?

It is scheduled to return in 2036, hosting both the U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open that year.

Shinnecock Hills will host the U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open in a back-to-back doubleheader in 2036, giving the Green Section team another decade to track how the four Suffolk County courses respond to the current round of work.