Let's Review: Cherry Creek Golf Links

The Skinny

The East End of Long Island is devoid of solid public golf, but Cherry Creek Golf Links offers visitors an affordable, (relatively) convenient, and all around enjoyable day of golf to those nearby.

The Course

As is often stressed here at Let’s Links, the East End of Long Island is embarrassingly rich in country clubs and private tracks, but visitors and/or non-heirs can struggle finding public courses that have both availability on the tee sheets and somewhat playable conditions.

Enter The Links at Cherry Creek, a course in Riverhead surrounded by farms, located anywhere from 20-50 minutes near popular vacation spots in Long Island.

As a weekender who frequents this area without a Maidstone membership to my name, The Links has become a godsend when I’m out in Long Island. It’s a par-73 course (more on that in a second) with an awesome clubhouse, bang-average conditions, and nearly pro-level length (blue tees play over 7,100 yards).

If you’re up for the drive (it’ll be almost an hour from East Hampton on a weekend), I can’t recommend this place enough for a round. A single-digit handicapper will appreciate some tough par-3’s and lengthy par-5’s, and beginners will enjoy the cheap beers and relaxed atmosphere.

The Price

This is definitely graded on a curve, but riding at Cherry Creek on a Saturday will only cost $75. Management, don’t read this, but they could charge almost double that and I’d probably still show up once in a while.

You can also get a foursome on the weekends any time - another incredible rarity given the area.

Signature Hole

I’d be remiss not to mention their ‘signature’ is the ~620 yard par 6 18th. I think it’s pretty silly, but it’s a great equalizer for any matches that come down to the last hole.

Unrelated, I holed out from 200 yards for an albatross here once, but people are weirdly not excited about an albatross when it comes on a par 6…

Grabbing a Bite 

Pretty solid hot dog at Cherry Creek, and considering it’s a public course, their clubhouse/bar is a good hang post-round.

Nice to Know

The Links is actually one of two courses on the Cherry Creek property. If you finish up a round early on The Links and are jonesing for another 18, walk across the street to The Woods and play a completely new course.

Carts are standard with a map, and they’ve got a mat range that you need a token for.

How many sleeves: 1

Very open course, maybe the only thing that’s ‘Links’ about it. That said, check your scorecard before you start each hole; there are some very sneaky and frustrating pockets of OB that you won’t know about if you’re playing your first round.