The Creek in Locust Valley, NY, is a private, member-owned golf and beach club known for its C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor–designed course, restored by Gil Hanse in 2017, and ranked No. 53 in GOLF’s U.S. Top 100 for 2024–25.
It’s accessible only as a guest of a member, so keep reading for a full breakdown of the course, facilities, and what to expect when you visit.
Overview and Location
You’re heading to a private, member-owned golf and beach club on Long Island’s North Shore. Here’s where it sits and the easiest ways to get there.
The Creek is at 1 Horse Hollow Rd, Locust Valley, NY 11560 and you can reach the clubhouse at (516) 676-1405.
The club ranks No. 53 on GOLF’s U.S. Top 100 (2024–25), which signals both pedigree and steady conditioning without needing any fanfare.
From Midtown Manhattan, the drive is roughly 33 miles under normal traffic.
If you prefer rail, take the LIRR Oyster Bay Branch to Locust Valley; the station sits about one mile from the gate, and local taxis are easy to arrange for the short hop.
The club publishes step-by-step driving directions, so ask your host for the latest version and follow those once you’re off the highway.
Plan your route and pickup details before you enter the property, since phone use is restricted to designated areas and your car.
Access, Guest Protocol, and Dress Code
Getting on property happens only through a member host.
If you’re invited, your day goes smoothly when you line up expectations with your host in advance and follow the club’s standards to the letter.
Access & guest protocol.
The Creek is strictly private and invitation-only—all arrangements run through the member who hosts you.
Ask your host to share the club’s step-by-step driving directions and confirm your arrival plan before you leave; this matters because phone use is limited once you’re on site.
If you’re coming by train, ride the LIRR Oyster Bay Branch to Locust Valley; the station is about one mile from the gate and local taxis are available for the short transfer.
“Visitor Information” is written for invited guests, so treat it as guidance you follow rather than something you negotiate.
Dress standards (golf & clubhouse).
Plan your outfit before you pack your bag and you won’t need to scramble in the parking lot.
- Overall: “Smart club attire” at all times; remove hats indoors.
- Not allowed: denim/blue jeans, cargo shorts, T-shirts, tennis attire.
- Shorts: Bermuda-length is fine.
- Men: collared shirts required; turtleneck/mock acceptable for long sleeves.
- Women: sleeveless or collarless is permitted, not both at once.
- Shoes: spikeless required; metal spikes prohibited.
Devices & posting.
Expect to be offline.
Talking, texting, and checking devices are prohibited anywhere on property except in your car or in designated phone areas.
If you share content, do it only with pre-authorization; guests are asked not to name the club or tag the location on social platforms.
Set rides, pickups, and meeting spots before you arrive so you don’t need to message your host at the last minute.
Arrival tips that save stress. Build extra time into your schedule to account for traffic, the last mile from the station, and the no-phone environment at the gate and around the clubhouse.
If you’re rail-to-taxi, book the car ahead or confirm there’s a queue at Locust Valley.
A quick final check in your trunk—collared shirt, belt, spikeless shoes—helps you meet the dress code without a detour to the pro shop.
Course Layout, Playing Environments, and Conditions
You’ll play a bluff-to-beach routing that feels like three courses in one.
Understanding the landscapes, elevation, and wind patterns helps you choose smarter targets and clubs all day.
The course is a par 70 at 6,583 yards from the back tees (73.0/142), and it unfolds in distinct phases that shape how you manage the round.
The opening stretch in the Woodlands plays through parkland corridors with clearer sightlines and more defined tee shots.
As you move to the Hillside, the ground drops away from the ridge—expect changing stances, downhill tee balls that run, and approach shots that play shorter than the number.
The Sound holes down along Long Island Sound introduce a beachside aesthetic with tighter visuals and more exposure to wind, followed later by a steady climb back to the ridge that puts your legs and your yardage control to the test.
Elevation matters here.
The fall from the 5th green to the shoreline is about 136 feet, and that relief shows up in your distances and trajectories.
Plan for extra rollout on downhill landings, adjust loft to control spin, and rehearse balance for sidehill lies you don’t often see at flatter venues.
On the way home, uphill approaches tend to come up short when you swing the same club you’d use on level ground, so give yourself a preferred yardage and commit.
Wind off the Sound is a frequent factor, especially on exposed holes.
Use treetops and distant flags to read direction rather than relying on what you feel on the tee, pick a conservative start line that keeps the ground game in play, and flight the ball to a window you can repeat.
Crosswinds magnify misses into and across the green complexes; a safer miss that leaves an open-faced chip is usually better than chasing a tucked angle you can’t hold.
Strategically, the DNA is classic C.B. Macdonald/Seth Raynor, expressed through template ideas that reward planning more than brute force.
You’ll see Reverse Redan, Leven, Biarritz, Double Plateau, and Short concepts adapted to a narrow bluff-to-beach property.
That means angled greens that accept a running approach, feeder slopes you can use instead of flying it to the pin, and tiers or troughs that demand landing on the correct section for an easy two-putt.
If you’re unsure, play to the fat side that sets up an uphill chip; the architecture gives you room when you choose the right side.
The 2017 restoration by Gil Hanse refreshed period visuals and recaptured Macdonald’s intent without changing the club’s character.
Expect sightlines and green surrounds that make angles matter again, with hazards and slopes positioned to influence decisions rather than just punish them.
Paired with the routing’s three environments, that work amplifies the course’s variety: a parkland start where position sets up the next shot, a downhill journey where elevation shapes club choice, a windy shoreline stretch demanding trajectory control, and a final climb that rewards smart pacing and disciplined yardages.
Practical prep pays off.
Bring a light wind layer for the Sound, confirm your tee set with your host so the rating/slope match your comfort, and talk with your caddie about wind and elevation adjustments before each tee shot.
Aim for conservative lines that use contours, choose the club that lands on the right tier rather than the flag, and stay patient as the routing changes speed and scenery.
Key Hole Strategies and Standout Moments
These are the shots you’ll remember—and the decisions that turn a good card into a great one.
Use the contours, play the right angles, and decide your plan on the tee.
No. 6 — “Sound View” (par 4). The tee shot runs downhill to a punchbowl green with reverse-Redan influence. Pick a start line and trust it; feeding approach shots off the high left is usually safer than flying one all the way to a back flag. Misses that release through the bowl often finish closer than you expect.
No. 8 — Reverse Redan (par 3). Aim high left and let the slope work the ball right. Avoid pin-high right; chips and putts from that shelf can get slick fast, especially in a crosswind.
No. 9 — Transition to the beach. Visuals tighten as you drop toward the Sound. Keep the tee ball controlled and on a favored side to open up a full-faced approach—chasing extra yards brings the bunkers and sandy waste into play without gaining much.
No. 10 — Leven (par 4, 313 yds). Decide your strategy on the tee. A safe play up the left leaves a blind wedge over the dune; bold drives up the right can reach in the proper breeze but flirt with water and a tougher angle. If you’re laying up, pick a number that gives you a full swing.
No. 11 — “Island” Biarritz (par 3). The green is about 86 yards deep and can feel island-like at higher tide. Club to the correct front or back plateau—distance control matters more than line here. Check the tide chart before you go out so the look (and carry) matches your plan.
No. 14 — Frost Creek decision (par 4). Lay back short of the creek for a level stance and a full yardage, or take on the carry to get closer. The uphill second plays longer than the number, so plan an extra club for anything past the creek.
No. 15 — Double Plateau (par 4). Position around the Principal’s Nose feature. A cautious lay-up leaves a flatter lie to a green with bite; pushing farther up shortens the approach but often adds a steeper stance into multiple tiers.
No. 17 — Short (par 3). A diagonal trough cuts across the green. Land on the correct side for the day’s hole location; finishing on the wrong tier turns even a short putt into a defensive two-putt.
No. 18 — Uphill, semi-blind finish (par 5). Play to a preferred lay-up yardage and commit. Elevation and false fronts make half-swings costly; take enough club to fly your number and use the slope past the front to hold the surface.
Facilities, Caddies, and On-Site Culture
You’re stepping into a club that blends golf with an easy beach rhythm.
Plan for a walk-first round, a caddie on your bag, and post-play time down by the Sound.
The Beach House/Beach Club anchors summer life.
The complex—rebuilt in 2010—sits on Long Island Sound with pool, beach access, and full dining, and it often hosts post-round functions.
Expect members and guests to flow from golf to the beach scene, so pack a light wind layer for the shoreline and stick to smart club attire when you transition indoors (hats off inside, no denim).
If your group plans to linger after the round, confirm with your host whether you’ll meet at the Beach Club or the main clubhouse so you can time showers and wardrobe changes.
On the course, the culture favors walking.
Caddies are the norm, and they’re excellent at reading the property’s slopes, wind windows, and tide nuances you’ll see near the Sound holes.
Ask your host in advance to arrange a caddie and share your preferences—yardage units, green-reading help, and whether you like full numbers or front/middle/back.
The club operates carts, but availability is limited and tied to club policy and your host’s arrangements; if a cart is necessary, clear it before arrival so the staff can stage it without last-minute phone calls you can’t make on property.
Gratuities for caddies are customary. Align with your host on local norms and payment method (cash vs. member account).
A quick pre-round handshake and a clear plan—club cleaning, sand/divot help, and pace—set the tone and usually lead to better yardages and calmer decisions down the stretch.
Golf and social spaces are integrated rather than siloed.
You’ll feel it in the way groups migrate from the finishing holes to the Beach Club terrace on long summer days, and in how the staff moves play along so dinners stay on schedule.
Keep the dress code in mind as you move between venues, and remember the property-wide device restrictions; coordinate timing and pickups with your host before you tee off so you’re not trying to text from the wrong place later.
History, Competitive Events, and Visitor Pathways
Knowing where The Creek comes from helps you read the place—its routing, its customs, and how guests fit in.
Here’s the context that matters and the practical ways you can put it to use.
The property’s story stretches from Matinecock land to the Frost family homestead—the family cemetery still sits behind the 17th green—then to attorney Paul Cravath’s “Veraton” estate, whose linden-lined drive is the modern entry.
In 1922, a syndicate that included Astor, Morgan, Whitney, Mackay, and C.B. Macdonald formalized the club, and the New York Times dubbed it the “Million Dollar Golf Club” on opening in 1923.
That pedigree shows up in the course’s bluff-to-beach identity and in a culture that blends golf with low-profile seaside life.
Tournament history reinforces the course’s demands without turning it into a museum piece.
The club hosted the Met Amateur in 2005 (won by Ron Vannelli) and again in 2014—the 112th edition—and welcomed the WMGA/MGA Women’s Met Amateur in 2013.
Expect green speeds, wind windows, and angles that reward patient targets, which is why caddies emphasize landing on the correct tiers rather than aiming at every flag.
Access remains straightforward in concept and selective in practice.
You’ll need to be a guest of a member; that’s the practical route and the only reliable one.
On occasion, charity auctions or raffles surface single spots or foursomes; treat those as rare opportunities and read the fine print—caddie and cart fees are typically extra, blackout dates are common, and host approval is often required before you book a time.
If you score an auction slot, coordinate with the club early, confirm the day’s routing and guest rules, and ask whether the Beach Club is part of the access that day.
Smart prep for first-time guests
- Confirm your tee set and comfort with the back-tee metrics (6,583 yards, 73.0/142) so pace and scoring expectations align.
- Pack spikeless shoes, a collared shirt, and a light wind layer for the Sound holes; leave denim and cargo shorts at home.
- Set rides and meet-ups before arriving; device use is limited to designated areas or your car.
- If photos matter, ask your host in advance—authorization is required and location tagging is discouraged.
- Check the tide chart if the “Island” look of No. 11 Biarritz is on your wish list; visuals and carry feel different at higher tide.
Conclusion
The Creek offers a rare mix of strategic golf, seaside scenery, and understated member culture that rewards preparation.
As a guest, knowing the rules, the routing, and the small details—like tide timing and dress code—will make your visit smoother.
Arrive ready, play smart, and you’ll see why this bluff-to-beach layout holds its place among the country’s best.
