Campgrounds Available As U.S. Open Lodging Option

Renting a house on the South Fork during the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in June has a hefty price tag attached—and hotel rooms are few and far between. To compensate, Suffolk County has reopened lodging at about 350 campsites after county parks were recently slammed by four nor’easters.

“There will be nearly 200,000 people converging upon Suffolk County next month to watch the best golfers in the world, and Suffolk County is prepared to provide a diverse and convenient list of accommodations for visitors staying the weekend,” Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said in a statement. “With over 8,000 hotel room nights expected to be booked for this event alone, we have made the necessary upgrades at our county campgrounds and parks to offer a convenient, accessible and affordable visit for golf fans.”

Discover Long Island put the estimate even higher: The tourism agency says more than 245,000 attendees are expected to watch the tournament in Southampton.

To streamline the application process for space in one of four county campgrounds, Suffolk County upgraded its online reservations portal. U.S. Open attendees can search through campsite descriptions and locations, as well as additional information on county golf courses and camper rentals. People who are not from the county can use the promo code USOPEN18 to have access to the system without having to pay a fee.

Also, the county will not enforce its four-night minimum restriction for reservations at Sears Bellows County Park in Hampton Bays during the golf tournament. Indian Island in Riverhead and Southaven in Brookhaven have four-night minimums from Thursday to Sunday and two-night minimums during other weekdays. Cedar Point in East Hampton has a two-day minimum.

In order to reopen the 350 campsites that had been closed due to nor’easters, the county has removed debris from roads, trails and campgrounds. In total, Suffolk offers 750 campsites at county parks, according to the county’s Department of Parks and Recreation.

There will be 12 transitional boats slips available for rent at the Shinnecock Marina for visitors traveling by boat, for a two-day minimum.