EAST END ELITES.

The article profiles the six best Long Island golf courses, including Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, the site of the 2004 U.S. Open. The Hamptons and their equally swell neighboring townships are home to some of America's most celebrated golf clubs, replete with 19th-century pedigrees and exclusive memberships defined by old and new money. Shinnecock Hills, host of next week's U.S. Open, is the most famous of the East End clubs, but it is only one of many sandy jewels. Here's our peek behind the hedges of the top six. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Course description: 18 punches to the nose. Cost of membership: $50,000. What guests remember: The glorious vista from the 1st tee; losing two sleeves of balls--on the front nine. Atlantic Golf Club. Course description: Brutal and linksy, replete with forced carries and well-fortified greens. Cost of membership: $275,000. Notable members: Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Senator Frank Lautenberg, Senator Jon Corzine, Boomer Esiason, Larry Brown, Rees Jones. Signature pretension: Original club logo was a lighthouse, even though none are visible from the course. National Golf Links of America. Course description: Quirky design makes it thrilling mini-golf for serious players--with a windmill to prove it. Typical member: Works at Morgan Stanley, gets the best table at Sparks and considers cigars a major food group. What guests remember: The drenching shower heads and the whole lobsters that are served with every lunch.