Hamptons Beach Clubs: The Complete Guide for 2026

The woman in the pink parasol barely glances up as you walk past. She’s been summering at the Bathing Corporation since before you were born. Her grandmother held the same membership. Her granddaughter will inherit it. Welcome to Hamptons beach clubs, where entry has less to do with wealth than with lineage, and the waitlist measures in decades rather than months.

Many club members are among the Hamptons’ most prominent residents. See our guide to celebrity Hamptons homes.

Understanding Hamptons beach clubs requires distinguishing between three distinct categories: the ultra-exclusive private clubs where membership passes through generations, the accessible resort-style beach clubs offering day passes and seasonal memberships, and the public beaches that remain free to all (if you can solve the parking puzzle). This guide covers all three, from the storied institutions of Southampton to the practical realities of beach access for everyone else.

Club membership significantly impacts property values. Our Hamptons Real Estate Guide explains how club access factors into buying decisions.

The Ultra-Exclusive Private Clubs

Five clubs stand atop the Hamptons social hierarchy. Membership in any of them signals arrival in ways that real estate purchases cannot. These institutions predate most Hamptons wealth and remain governed by social codes established generations ago.

Club culture embodies quiet luxury at its most concentrated: understated elegance, generational membership, and codes understood rather than explained.

Club membership represents one pathway into Hamptons society. To understand the broader context, see our guide to what is a socialite.

Where do these residents dine? Our Hamptons Restaurants Guide covers the establishments favored by the famous.

The Bathing Corporation of Southampton

Founded in 1923 on Gin Lane, the Bathing Corporation represents the apex of Hamptons exclusivity. Members refer to it simply as “The Beach Club.” Located across from Agawam Lake on Southampton Village’s most prestigious street, this private oceanfront club operates by rules that seem designed to exclude rather than include.

Members often joke that someone has to die before new members are considered. The club’s membership roster reads like a Social Register directory. Names like Rockefeller, Astor, and Vanderbilt carry weight. The annual Blue Book, a Hamptons society phonebook, identifies members each Memorial Day.

The facilities occupy a narrow ledge between pond and surf, featuring a pool, covered restaurant, shaded pavilion, and Spanish hacienda-style clubhouse. Perhaps 400 carefully screened families share 400 feet of beach. Nannies in white dresses and floppy straw hats watch towheaded children in the sand. Pink parasols shelter the old guard surveying the scene. If you need to ask about membership, the answer is already no.

The Maidstone Club

Founded in 1891, Maidstone Club anchors East Hampton’s social scene. The club derives its name from East Hampton’s original designation, named after Maidstone in England. Consistently rated a “Platinum Club of America,” Maidstone features two golf courses (18-hole and 9-hole) along the Atlantic Ocean shore, ranked among the Top 100 Courses in the country.

The Tudor-style clubhouse overlooks both courses and the beach club with its string of 120 cabanas. Facilities include 19 grass tennis courts, two Har-Tru courts, two all-weather courts, paddle tennis, croquet, a 25-yard swimming pool, and banquet facilities. The club hosts eight summer dances in a white ballroom hung with chandeliers strung with crystal beads.

Initiation fees are rumored to run between $500,000 and $1 million. However, money alone cannot secure membership. The club values lineage over liquid assets. Your great-grandfather’s membership carries more weight than your hedge fund’s performance. Jews were not admitted until the late 1970s. Through the 1990s and early 2000s, journalists reported no Black members. Groucho Marx famously stated that he would not want to join a club that would allow him to be a member.

Each Hamptons village attracts different types of celebrities. Our guide to where are the Hamptons explains these distinctions.

The Meadow Club

Founded in 1887 on the estate of J. Bowers Lee, one of Southampton’s first summer residents, the Meadow Club established itself as a tennis association before expanding to broader social functions. The club’s creaking clubhouse hosts tournament days where pink parasols appear among the spectators.

Meadow Club focuses on tennis rather than beach access, though its social events define Southampton summer life. The younger set of Hamptons society has traditionally gathered here. Membership passes through families with the same exclusivity as the Bathing Corporation and Maidstone.

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club

One of the five founding member clubs of the United States Golf Association, Shinnecock Hills has hosted five U.S. Opens. The course, designed by William Flynn, consistently ranks among the top golf courses in America and the world. Located in Southampton, the club maintains the same rarefied membership standards as its peers.

Initiation reportedly costs well into six figures, with annual dues adding significantly more. The waiting list extends for years. Golf credentials help but cannot overcome social deficiencies in the membership committee’s eyes.

National Golf Links of America

Adjacent to Shinnecock Hills, the National Golf Links represents another pinnacle of American golf. Founded in 1911, the course was designed by Charles Blair Macdonald to incorporate the best features of British links courses. Membership remains extremely limited and difficult to obtain regardless of financial resources.

The Accessible Beach Clubs

Not everyone arrives on the Mayflower. For those seeking Hamptons beach clubs without generational credentials, several options provide genuine beach club experiences with more accessible entry points.

Many celebrity homeowners belong to the Hamptons’ most exclusive clubs. See our guide to Hamptons beach clubs.

Southampton Peconic Beach Club

This private membership club on Great Peconic Bay offers the beach club experience without old-money gatekeeping. Located on a beautiful white sandy beach with stunning views, the club operates Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Membership grants access to the entire facility including a heated swimming pool monitored by lifeguards, a floating raft in the bay for swimming and diving, and a private beach suitable for families with young children. The club offers diverse activities for children and adults including sailing lessons, tennis lessons, and swimming instruction.

An onsite restaurant serves daily lunch and dinner. The atmosphere emphasizes relaxation over social positioning. Membership information is available through their website, with pricing accessible to upper-middle-class families rather than requiring hedge fund fortunes.

Gurney’s Montauk Resort Beach Club

Gurney’s Montauk offers the only on-beach dining experience in the Hamptons, with 2,000 feet of private beach. The Beach Club provides a leisurely day in the sun with daybed and cabana rentals available to both hotel guests and day visitors.

Day visitors can rent Daybeds or Cabanas or simply drink and dine at the bar. The Sound Waves Music Summer Series brings DJ sets and live entertainment throughout the season. Beach chairs are reserved for resort guests, but the bar and restaurant welcome all.

Gurney’s offers three membership tiers: Resort Membership, Spa Membership, and All-Access Membership. The Seawater Spa features a 30,000-square-foot wellness experience with ocean-fed swimming pool, caldarium, thermae baths, cold plunge pools, and treatment rooms. Spa Day Passes include thermal circuit access and heated indoor pool use.

Full Beach Club service runs from late May through Labor Day. Memorial Day Weekend launches the summer season with special programming. The Firepit provides nighttime atmosphere with cocktails and live entertainment.

Bridgehampton Tennis and Surf Club

This club hosts numerous charity events throughout summer, including the Ellen Hermanson Foundation Summer Gala and LGBT Network benefits. While primarily a tennis club, it offers beach and surf access along with social programming. Membership provides entrée to Hamptons philanthropic circuit events held on the premises.

Public Beach Access

Every Hamptons beach is technically public. New York law guarantees beach access to all. The practical challenge involves parking. Understanding the permit system unlocks the same sand enjoyed by billionaires.

 

Southampton Village Beaches

Cooper’s Beach: Rated Dr. Beach’s No. 1 Beach in America in 2010, Cooper’s Beach offers deep sand, miles of walking, bathrooms, concessions, and stunning views. Non-resident parking permits cost $375 for the full season. Day parking is available on weekdays. The beach fills early on summer weekends.

Road D Beach: This “hidden” free parking beach on Meadow Lane has approximately 30 spaces that fill immediately. No restrooms or showers. Worth attempting early on weekday mornings.

Southampton Town Beaches

The Town of Southampton regulates beaches from Westhampton to Sagaponack. Resident permits cost $50. Non-resident seasonal passes cost $500. Day passes are available at Tiana Beach, Ponquogue Beach, Mecox Beach, Sagg Main Beach (not Mondays), and Foster Memorial Long Beach.

Southampton Town permits do not work at Southampton Village beaches, and vice versa. This distinction confuses many visitors. Verify which jurisdiction controls your intended beach before purchasing permits.

East Hampton Village Beaches

Main Beach: Named Dr. Beach’s No. 1 Beach in America in 2013. Non-resident full season permits cost $750 (May 15 to September 15). Monthly permits available: $250 for May 15 to June 30, $300 for July, $300 for August 1 to September 15. Only 3,100 non-resident full-season permits are available, and they sell out quickly when released in February.

Daily parking at Main Beach Lot 2 and Two Mile Hollow Beach costs $50 through the ParkMobile app, available Monday through Thursday. Weekend daily parking depends on Beach Manager discretion.

Other East Hampton Village beaches include Georgica Beach, Egypt Beach, Wiborg Beach, and Two-Mile Hollow Beach. Village permits work at all five beaches. East Hampton Village permits do not work at East Hampton Town beaches.

East Hampton Town Beaches

Beach parking permits are required 24/7 year-round. Non-resident fees: $600 for parking, $450 for drive-on sand access, $175 for boat ramp launching. Resident permits are free. Day parking available at Atlantic Avenue Beach in Amagansett ($25) and Kirk Beach in Montauk (sometimes free).

State and County Beaches

Hither Hills State Park: Ocean beach in Montauk with camping available. Empire Pass ($80 annual) grants access.

Camp Hero State Park: Montauk oceanfront with historic military installations.

Montauk Point State Park: Dramatic oceanfront at Long Island’s eastern tip.

Suffolk County residents can purchase Green Key Cards ($30 for three years) for reduced parking at county beaches.

Free Alternatives

Bicycles require no permits at any beach. Park in a hamlet and cycle to the beach legally. The Circuit (formerly Hamptons Free Ride) provides free transportation within East Hampton Village to Main Beach with five stops including LIRR Station, Jitney Stop, Main Street, Main Beach, and local hotels.

Parking violations cost $100 per ticket. Multiple tickets can exceed seasonal permit costs. Purchase the appropriate permit or use alternative transportation.

For those without club membership, Polo Hamptons offers access to the social scene without the waitlist.

Beach Permit Summary for 2025-2026

Southampton Village: Non-resident $375 full season, drive-on $275

Southampton Town: Resident $50, Non-resident $500 full season

East Hampton Village: Non-resident $750 full season, monthly $250-$300, daily $50 weekdays

East Hampton Town: Non-resident $600 parking, $450 drive-on, daily $25-$35

Permits typically required from Memorial Day through Labor Day, with some locations enforcing year-round. Permits go on sale in early February and sell out quickly for popular locations.

 

The Bottom Line on Hamptons Beach Clubs

The private club hierarchy exists but affects few visitors. Unless your family helped settle Southampton in the 1600s, focus on the accessible options. Gurney’s Beach Club provides luxury beach experience without ancestry requirements. Southampton Peconic Beach Club offers family-friendly atmosphere at reasonable membership rates.

Public beaches provide the same sand and surf enjoyed by members of the Bathing Corporation. The permit system requires advance planning, but $375 to $750 buys a season of beach access at the same locations featured in decades of society photography.

Understanding Hamptons beach clubs means accepting the social stratification while recognizing that ocean water treats everyone equally. The Atlantic doesn’t check your membership status. Buy your permits early, arrive before the lots fill, and enjoy the beach that’s made the Hamptons famous for over a century.

Increasingly, celebrity homes favor the quiet luxury aesthetic: understated elegance over obvious displays of wealth.

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