Hundreds of thousands of spectators flocked to the East End this June to catch a glimpse of their favorite golfers at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club during the 2018 U.S. Open. With more fans than the area’s hotels could accommodate, many visitors looked to other arrangements for lodging. Using data from Out East, we found that many homeowners in the areas surrounding the course who had never considered renting their home for just one to two weeks changed their minds, and tried to cash in on the big event with short-term rentals.
This May saw a 14 percent uptick in the short-term rentals listed on the Hamptons market over the same month last year, while the number of full-summer rentals dropped 24 percent. With June typically considered an off-peak month for home rentals, many owners took a gamble and listed theirs specifically for the U.S. Open, hoping for a larger payout than usual. In fact, by mid-May, more than 300 homes listed for rent on Out East mentioned availability during the U.S. open in their listing descriptions. Short-term rentals in the towns directly adjacent to the course, including Shinnecock Hills and Hampton Bays, also listed for a premium — up 25 percent and 13 percent, respectively, over last year.
“With soaring demand for accommodations near the golf course, we saw more Hamptons homeowners put their houses on the rental market — particularly for short periods,” says Matt Daimler, general manager of Out East. “Many homeowners who’d once only considered renting out their homes for the entire summer came into this year with a different strategy, allowing short-term stays to accommodate spectators this June and make some extra money during this high-traffic week.”
| Towns close to golf course | Short-term inventory | Full summer inventory | Median asking price: short-term | Median asking price: full summer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shinnecock Hills | 145% increase | 24% decrease | 25% increase | No change |
| Southampton | 83% increase | 16% decrease | 14% decrease | 7% decrease |
| Hampton Bays | 232% increase | 15% decrease | 13% increase | 27 percent increase |
| Water Mill | 25% increase | 20% decrease | 17% decrease | 19% increase |
So was the switch in strategy worth it? During the week leading up to the tournament, there were still more than 1,600 short-term rentals available in towns within a 15 minute drive of the course, including Shinnecock Hills, Southampton and Water Mill. One that caught our eye: a Southampton home seeking $500,000 for the U.S. Open week, just a mile from the course and — true to theme — touting its very own putting green. From what we’ve found thus far, it seems demand for places to stay may not have been as high as expected. That’ll be good for homeowners to keep in mind when the tournament returns in 2026.
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