New York State, with the Big Apple at its heart, requires no introduction. Everybody knows about the shopping, Broadway and a host of other world famous sights that can be found in and around the USA’s most populous city.

Some golfers may therefore be surprised to hear that the New York metropolitan area boasts more world-class golf courses than any other urban area in the world.

Long Island, to the east of the city, is a veritable hotbed and it’s not only home to numerous world-ranked golf courses, it also has its own Long Island Golf Association (formed in 1922) which currently comprises more than 70 affiliated golf clubs, including Shinnecock Hills, National Golf Links of America and Bethpage State Park.

Upstate, the quantity thins out, but you’ll still find Golden Age treats from Donald Ross at Whippoorwill and Oak Hill. Further west in New York State you’ll find another classic from Dornoch’s most famous son at the Country Club of Buffalo.

It’s not easy to accurately count the number of golf courses in New York State because many facilities have multiple courses and varied playing options. For example, some facilities claim three different courses from three 9-hole loops. It’s likely that there are between 875 and 1,000 courses spread across the Empire State.

However, we can say with accuracy (at the time of writing) that there are 504 golf clubs affiliated to the New York State Golf Association, but there are also 481 golf clubs affiliated to the Metropolitan Golf Association and many of these golf clubs are attached to both organizations. If anyone has counted the number of New York’s golf courses be sure to let us know!

Our New York Best In State Rankings were last updated in December 2020. Click the link to read the story.