Bal Harbour

C O U R T E S Y T H E H I L L S , A D I S C OV E R Y L A N D C O M M U N I T Y; T H E R O U N DT R E E , A M AG A N S E T T I've spent the past decade immersed in golf—covering tournaments, walking championship fairways, and exploring golf destinations around the world. The game has taken me almost everywhere, but I find myself repeatedly pulled back to one place: the Hamptons. For golfers, the Hamptons occupies a near-mythical status. Part of that is the golf itself, of course, but much of the intrigue comes from what remains just beyond reach. Membership at many of the area's most sought-after clubs is famously difficult to secure. Waiting lists stretch for years. Existing members sponsor candidates. Vetting can feel more intensive than a college-admissions process. Even then, nothing is guaranteed. If you're fortunate enough to get the call, seven-figure initiation fees are not unheard of. But exclusivity has never really been the point. What people are ultimately chasing is access to history. The names alone carry weight: Shinnecock Hills, one of the game's great championship venues and host of this summer's U.S. Open; National Golf Links, revered among architecture obsessives; Maidstone, where old-world discretion still feels embedded in the culture; and more recent additions like Friar's Head and Sebonack, clubs that quickly earned permanent positions on private-club vision boards and wish lists. The Hamptons, however, has always offered more than tee times. Yet many of the clubs that built the region's reputation were designed with a singular focus. The golf came first; everything else was secondary. Which is why Discovery Land Company's The Hills in East Quogue is such an interesting evolution. In a landscape historically defined by standalone golf institutions, The Hills introduces a different model: membership is tied to home ownership, creating an immediate sense of community that has long been absent from the Hamptons golf scene. The Tom Fazio–designed course also brings its own distinction as the region's only course by the renowned architect. Beyond the fairways are racquet sports, wellness offerings, and access to the oceanfront Dune Deck Beach Club. The Hills positions golf as part of a broader lifestyle rather than the sole focus. For newcomers especially, it may offer something just as valuable as access: an easier way into one of golf's most traditionally insular worlds. Long Island golf has always been about tradition. The most interesting thing happening now may be watching the tradition evolve. PRO TIP INSIDE THE HAMPTONS GOLF SOCIETY Golf host and longtime industry insider Alexandra O'Laughlin on the clubs that define Long Island's most rarefied fairways—and the new address quietly changing the conversation. The New Taste of the East End The Roundtree's sought-after private dinners can now be had at Nourish. BY DEBORAH FRANK There's something refreshingly un-Hamptons about The Roundtree, Amagansett. No sweeping arrival moment. No overly polished performance of luxury. Instead, you settle in slowly, like a stay at a stylish friend's guesthouse. Set on two leafy acres, the property has built a devoted following around its personal approach to hospitality, where thoughtful details matter most. That same sensibility is now expanding to Bridgehampton, where the new restaurant Nourish by The Roundtree from owner Sylvia Wong and Executive Chef Dewa Wijaya has recently opened. Nourish grew naturally out of the private dining experiences for guests staying at The Roundtree: Intimate dinners served in cottages or around the table in the property's Main House, where Wijaya's wellness- driven cooking became one of the hotel's best-kept secrets. Born in Bali and classically trained in French technique, Wijaya brings a culinary philosophy rooted equally in nourishment and pleasure. "At Nourish, the inspiration begins with the extraordinary ingredients of the East End," he says. "The farms, the waters, and the people who cultivate them provide a natural foundation for cooking." The menu reflects that balance, weaving local seafood, produce, and meats with subtle Balinese influences. But the experience feels entirely aligned with The Roundtree's understated rhythm. Wong, who left the corporate world to create the hotel, has built the property around simple comforts: complimentary snacks sourced from local vendors, umbrellas thoughtfully placed by the door ahead of rain, and plush in-room touches like Matouk towels and robes, Frette linens, and a BMW house car waiting curbside. "Nourish reflects everything we value at The Roundtree," says Wong. "It's about creating experiences that feel personal, warm, and deeply connected to the Hamptons." A season-long celebration of nostalgic Americana viewed through a polished East End lens brings a mix of old-school pleasures and elevated touches to The Pridwin Hotel & Cottages on Shelter Island. Called "The Art of Summer," the experiences feature Dante NYC–designed martinis and Sunday Mahjong nights, a Tammy Fender wellness residency with treatments inspired by the surrounding coastal landscape, sunset rosé rituals with Château Minuty, and Barton & Gray yacht excursions. There's even a playful partnership with Vacation sunscreen, complete with retro- styled beach kits and a poolside lunch delivered directly to your lounge chair. It's summer-camp nostalgia, reimagined for grown-ups. —D.F. The Tom Fazio–designed course at The Hills

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