U.S. Open golf fans urged to take LIRR, free shuttles to Shinnecock Hills

Summer traffic on the East End is always bad, but the organizers of the 128th U.S. Open Championship at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club next week say they’ve taken steps to reduce the impact of the event and are calling on fans to get there by train or complimentary shuttle.

Practice rounds for the championship — Shinnecock’s first time hosting in eight years — will be Monday through Wednesday and open to the public. The competition begins Thursday and concludes June 21. Traffic through the Open's conclusion is expected to be the heaviest from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. eastbound and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. westbound on Sunrise Highway, County Road 39, Montauk Highway and other local roads, according to the U.S. Golf Association. Parking will not be available in the immediate vicinity of the golf course.

On the opening practice day of the U.S. Open held at Shinnecock in 2018, traffic backed up for about 10 miles on Montauk Highway and drivers complained about sitting for hours — though jams eased up later in the week, Newsday reported at the time.

LIRR expanding service

For this year's Open, the USGA is urging fans coming from the west to take the Long Island Rail Road or use shuttle buses from a park-and-ride lot in Calverton, 25 miles west. The LIRR is offering more trains and the USGA has built a temporary express lane for its shuttle buses along part of Sunrise Highway.

Summer tourism, people who work but cannot afford to live on the East End, and the area’s narrow geography all combine to make Shinnecock a regular choke-point for jammed roads.

“Add that traffic to this traffic, it’s going to be a nightmare,” said Bill Kienke, 70, of Southampton, who was among dozens of fans buying tournament merchandise Thursday morning at the course.

Kienke, who plans to take a rideshare from his home to the tournament, added, “the police and the state troopers do a tremendous job.”

The LIRR is the most convenient way to travel to the championship, according to organizers.

LIRR officials said they will double service to the temporary Shinnecock Hills station, adjacent to the golf course, compared to 2018.

The LIRR will run 22 trains daily (10 arriving and 12 departing Shinnecock) during practice rounds from Monday to Wednesday. On Thursday and Friday the railroad will run 25 trains, with 26 on June 20 and 21. 

A pedestrian bridge constructed over County Route 39 will accompany the station, allowing riders to walk to the championship grounds.

Riders can check the MTA’s TrainTime app for times and to buy tickets.

Parking at Calverton Airfield

Drivers are urged to use complimentary parking lots at Calverton's Enterprise Park, about 25 miles west of Shinnecock Hills.

The shuttle buses will operate continuously each day to and from the lot starting at 5:30 a.m. until one hour following the conclusion of play.

To bypass expected congestion, the USGA built exprthe ess lane for the shuttle buses along a several-mile section of the Sunrise Highway near Shinnecock.

While it’s expected to speed up shuttle service, the Shinnecock Nation, which owns part of the land on which the Sunrise Highway sits, has objected to the express lane, saying they were not consulted in the agreement between the USGA and the state DOT to construct it.

In 2018, the Open used a park-and-ride lot at Francis S. Gabreski Airport in Westhampton Beach, which is about 15 miles from the golf course, but that space has since been developed for commercial use.

The Town of Riverhead agreed to provide parking at the Calverton site of a former Grumman aircraft factory. But the town faced a legal challenge from the owner of a portion of the property, who said their easement prohibits the town from using it for parking for the event — though an apparent agreement was reached on Wednesday.

All local parking areas surrounding the championship grounds in Shinnecock are by permit only, according to the USGA. Several local roads will be completely closed to traffic or open only to residents.

Other options

For those who can afford it, BLADE, a charter helicopter service, is offering rides at $1,480 per seat, one-way, between the golf course and Manhattan on Thursday.

Hampton Jitney service is available for fans traveling from points east.

An official ride share and passenger drop-off lot at the Stony Brook Southampton campus will be accessible only via Montauk Highway, and will be equipped with bicycle racks. Ride-share users can also get dropped off at the Calverton site or anywhere along the LIRR's Montauk Branch.

Fans with a disability and the accompanying license plate or placard can contact the Championship Office at 2026usopen@usga.org for instructions about where to park.

Southampton locals who attended a merchandise opening for the tournament at Shinnecock Hills on Thursday morning lamented the potential traffic and transportation chaos, but others said the hassle was worth hosting a major golf tournament.

“It’s been crowded, but it’s doable, it’s not too crazy,” said Tim Healey, 64, who lives close to the course and has attended every U.S. Open at Shinnecock since 1986. “I’m going to take my bicycle."