US Open 2026 at Shinnecock Hills: What Long Island Fans Need to Know About Getting There

The 126th US Open Championship is at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton right now — June 15 through 21. If you're going this weekend, you already know that getting there is half the battle. If you're still figuring it out, here's what actually works.

Shinnecock Hills is about 90 miles from the Nassau-Suffolk border. On a normal weekend in June, that drive takes under two hours. During US Open week, with every parking lot, shuttle, and access road within five miles of Southampton bottlenecked by 40,000 golf fans, it can take considerably longer.

The Official Plan — and Where It Breaks Down

The USGA worked with Suffolk County, the Town of Southampton, and the LIRR for 18 months to build a transportation plan for this championship. It's well-designed. It also assumes you planned ahead.

The LIRR option is the official recommendation, and it's genuinely the best option for most people. The railroad constructed a temporary station at Stony Brook Southampton specifically for the tournament, with a pedestrian bridge that drops you directly at the championship gates. Expanded Montauk branch service runs daily with morning and afternoon trains. Round-trip tickets are $55, weekly passes are $175.

The catch: bulk tickets required a minimum purchase of 15 round trips or 5 weekly passes for the group rate. Individual tickets are still available through the TrainTime app and ticket machines. If you're going solo or as a couple, you can still get on the train — just buy your tickets before you show up, not at the station day-of.

The Blue Lot at Calverton Airfield is the USGA's primary satellite parking — complimentary parking with shuttle service to the course. It sounds good. The problem is that shuttle wait times from Calverton run 30 to 90 minutes each way depending on Sunrise Highway traffic. The shuttles use a dedicated bus lane on NY-27, but that only helps so much when County Road 39 near the Shinnecock Canal backs up for miles.

If you park at Calverton, budget an extra 1.5 to 3 hours round trip for the shuttle. On championship weekend, that's a serious time commitment.

The Hampton Jitney serves fans coming from the east — Montauk, Amagansett, Sag Harbor, Bridgehampton, Water Mill, and Southampton itself. Drop-off is near Gate 2 at the Stony Brook Southampton campus. If you're already out in the Hamptons, this is the cleanest option.

Rideshare is technically available, with a designated drop-off zone at the Stony Brook Southampton campus. In practice, rideshare surge pricing on championship weekend in Southampton is significant, and availability for the post-round pickup around 6 to 7pm is limited. You may wait.

The Sunrise Highway Situation

Anyone who has driven out to the Hamptons in June knows what Sunrise Highway looks like on a Friday or Saturday. Now add 40,000 people all trying to funnel through Southampton. The USGA has implemented express bus lanes on NY-27 and CR-39 during peak morning arrivals. That helps for the shuttles. For cars, the area around the Shinnecock Canal is a specific chokepoint — traffic eastbound from Riverhead to Southampton can stack badly.

If you're driving from western Long Island — Nassau County, Huntington, Babylon, Islip — the honest recommendation is to either take the LIRR or be in the car by 6:30am. Both morning rounds start early. By 8am on US Open weekend, CR-39 near the canal becomes a parking lot.

Why a Car Service Makes Sense for the US Open

This is not a tailgate. This is a championship round at one of the most prestigious golf clubs in the country, with corporate hospitality tents and clients who flew in from other cities to be there.

If you're going with clients, if you're attending with a group, or if you simply don't want to spend three hours managing parking logistics on both ends of the day, a private car service handles the whole thing.

We know the Hamptons roads. We've done hundreds of runs out to Southampton, Bridgehampton, and East Hampton over 20 years. We know which back routes move during Sunrise Highway gridlock, when to leave to beat the afternoon backup, and how to coordinate a post-round pickup when you don't know exactly when you're leaving.

For the US Open specifically: we can drop you at the designated ride-share point at Stony Brook Southampton — or, for clients with access to premium parking near the course, we handle the drop-off there directly.

What to Actually Do This Weekend

The final rounds are Saturday June 20 and Sunday June 21. If you're going:

• Book your ticket situation now — LIRR day-of is possible, but trains fill up fast on weekend championship rounds
• Leave Nassau County no later than 7am if driving — the Calverton shuttle lot opens at 5:30am
• If you're in a group of 4 or more, a private car service is often more practical than managing the LIRR as a group with your gear
• Have a pickup plan — rideshare wait times after championship rounds are real, especially if everyone exits around the same time

The golf is worth the trip. Shinnecock Hills last hosted the US Open in 2018. Before that, 2004. It doesn't come back often.

If you want to book a car service for the US Open this weekend — out from Long Island and back — request a quote here. We'll handle the logistics so you can focus on the golf.