In the 1920's a successful businessman by the name of Carl Fisher decided to build a "Miami Beach of the North". Approximately 120 miles east of New York City in a town called Montauk. Mr. Fisher purchased 9,000 acres of land in Montauk for $2.5mm. Carl Fisher hired noted English golf architect Capt H.C.C Tippet (whose grand daughter, Camilla Parker Bowles is the present wife of Prince Charles) to design a golf course. Although undocumented, it is common knowledge C.B. McDonald, the architect at Shinnecock assisted with the golf course design.
The 18 hole course was laid out on 175 acres in "North Neck" a piece of land between Fort Pond and Great Pond. The original setting was on the rolling hills of Long Island broken by woods, sloping ravines and fresh water lakes. A Stanford White designed colonial revival style clubhouse was built with a large reception room, restaurant, verandas, pro shop and men’s and ladies lockers. At the highest point of the clubhouse you could see 13 of the 18 greens. John Brophy was brought here from Miami Beach Bay Shore Golf Club to be the Head Professional and Glen L. Adams was manager.
In 1928 weekday green fees were $2.50 and weekend green fees were $3.50. Montauk Downs had two sets of tees with the regular course 5,930 yards and the long course 6,570 yards, with a par 71.
While the 1929 stock market crash ruined Fisher, the golf course remained open into the 1960s but fell into disrepair and the course was taken over by the bank of Israel. In the 1960s the bank approached Robert Trent Jones Sr., with the help of his son Rees, to redesign and reconstruct Montauk Downs.
The current architecturally award winning pyramid shaped clubhouse was built in 1968. With 4000 sq feet of interior space and a wrap around verandah the second floor of the clubhouse can accommodate up to 180 people. Its floor to ceiling windows offer unparallel panoramic views of Montauk.
The New York Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation acquired the former Montauk Golf and Racquet Club from the Montauk Improvement Company for $1,325,000 in April of 1978. At that time the Office of Parks was finalizing plans for the development of a golf course in Hither Hills State Park. Upon review, it was financially and environmentally advantageous to purchase the existing golf course than to construct a new one. The golf course has seen a steady increase of use from the 21,446 rounds in 1978 to the almost 50,000 rounds today.
After almost forty years of play, Montauk Downs was ready for a face lift. In 2003 Bernadette Castro then Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, approached Rees Jones and he agreed to put together a master plan for improving Montauk Downs once again.
