Bethpage Black
Bethpage Black is a state-run public course on Long Island that has hosted two U.S. Opens, a PGA Championship and the 2025 Ryder Cup. It’s long, hilly, walking-only and very hard. But anyone can book a tee time, and few rounds in American golf carry this much history for the price.
2025 Ryder Cup Course
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America’s Toughest Public Test
A.W. Tillinghast designed the Black in 1936 as the flagship of Bethpage State Park, a five-course complex in Farmingdale about 30 miles east of Manhattan. Rees Jones restored it in the late 1990s ahead of the 2002 U.S. Open, and it has stayed on the championship rotation ever since. From the back tees it plays as a par 71 of more than 7,400 yards. There’s no gentle warm-up stretch.
The course rolls through wooded hills. Big, rough-edged bunkers guard the fairways, and the greens sit up on raised ground. The variety comes from the land rather than gimmicks: uphill approaches, long carries, sidehill lies and a set of demanding par 3s. Two holes stand out:
- The 4th is the one most people remember, a par 5 where the fairway steps up over tiers of cross bunkers to a perched green.
- The 15th is a long uphill par 4 to a green set well above the fairway, and one of the hardest holes in championship golf.
Conditioning is excellent for a public course, though the greens see a lot of traffic. Pace is slow, so plan on a full day. Bethpage Black anchors any New York golf trip, and its sister Red Course makes a strong second round if you’re staying nearby. The appeal is simple: you played the course the pros struggle on, and you’ve got the scorecard to prove it.
at a glance
Bethpage, NJ
Ryder Cup Course
U.S. Open Course
Rees Jones Re-Design
Deals
Play the 2025 Ryder Cup CourseTravel from May through September 2027
2 to 16 people | Bally's Golf Links at Ferry Point, Pound Ridge Golf Club, Bethpage Red & Bethpage Black | Carts included
Now From$3,345pp
Key Information
The Black is a walk, and a hard one. There are no carts, and the terrain rolls more than most people expect from Long Island. Several holes climb steadily from tee to green, especially on the back nine. Wear comfortable shoes and carry a light bag.
Sand and rough are the main defenses. Tillinghast’s bunkers are large and deep, with ragged grass edges, and many sit right in the landing zone. The rough is kept thick through the season, so a missed fairway often means chipping out sideways. Water only really comes into play on the 8th, a downhill par 3 over a pond. Elsewhere, trees and elevation do the work.
Some numbers give you a feel for it:
- The 5th: a par 4 of around 480 yards with a carry over a big bunker complex.
- The 13th: a par 5 of roughly 600 yards.
- The 15th: close to 480 yards, all uphill.
- The par 3s: these range from about 160 yards on the 14th to well over 200 on the 3rd and 17th. The 17th is pinched by deep bunkers on both sides of a shallow green.
Long Island summers are warm and humid, with temperatures often in the high 80s and the occasional afternoon thunderstorm. Late spring and early fall are the best times to play, with cooler air and firmer, faster conditions.
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Why Play Bethpage Black?
Very few courses let you book the same tee box that hosted major championships and a Ryder Cup. Bethpage Black is one of them, and walking these fairways is a big part of the draw:
- 2002 U.S. Open: Tiger Woods won here.
- 2009 U.S. Open: Lucas Glover won a rain-soaked Open.
- 2019 PGA Championship: Brooks Koepka held on for the win.
- 2025 Ryder Cup: Europe won 15–13 in front of a loud New York crowd.
Bethpage has a unique character. It’s not a private club or a resort. It’s a state park with a no-nonsense, everyday-golfer atmosphere. The warning sign by the first tee, telling you the course is recommended only for highly skilled golfers, sets the tone. Locals famously sleep in their cars overnight for walk-up tee times. Out-of-state green fees are also a fraction of what you’d pay at most courses on major championship rotations.
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