Bethpage Black Golf Course: The Beast of New York
There are golf courses that welcome you with wide fairways and postcard views… and then there’s Bethpage Black. Known around the world as one of the toughest and most iconic public golf courses, the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York, has humbled legends, hosted majors, and built a reputation so fierce it had to come with a warning sign at the first tee: “The Black Course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers.”
Bethpage State Park is a Depression-era public-works project, built to make golf accessible to everyone at a time when it was still considered for the elite only. Of the park’s five courses, it was the Black Course, opened in 1936, that became the crown jewel. Architect A.W. Tillinghast carved out a course of menacing bunkers, subtle doglegs, and brutal length. For decades, it was a New York secret of a local monster. But it wouldn’t be until hosting the U.S. Open that the world got its first taste of Bethpage Black.
In preparation for the 2002 U.S. Open, Rees Jones led a major restoration of the par-71 municipal course with more than 7,400 yards from the tips, sharpening the Black into championship shape without softening its bite.
The result?
Tiger Woods was the only player to finish under par.
Lucas Glover survived the soggy 2009 U.S. Open. Brooks Koepka muscled his way to a wire-to-wire PGA Championship win in 2019. Countless pros have walked off the 18th green shaking their heads. The Black didn’t just prove a public course could host golf but it could elevate the sport.
The real magic, however, lies in accessibility. Unlike most top-ranked courses that carry hefty fees and pride in exclusivity, Bethpage Black is open to the everyday golfer. Anyone brave enough to line up (sometimes overnight) for a tee time can walk the same steps and play the same fairways that Tiger and Koepka dominated.
That’s why it’s called “The People’s Country Club.”
Pros will tell you that Bethpage Black is brutally fair. Every bunker, slope and blind shot was placed with distinct purpose. The course rewards precision while punishing mistakes and demanding creativity.
It's signature hole, number 15, comes with monikers like "The Beast" and "Mount Olympus" intimidating those who attempt it. It's infamous double-slop fairway is so steep that locals love it for sledding.
Add in pressure from some of the loudest, most passionate fans in golf: New Yorkers.
What you’ve got is the recipe for an atmosphere players can never forget.
In September 2025, for the very first time, Bethpage Black will host the Ryder Cup. It’s shaping up to be one of the most electric sporting events in recent memory. The U.S. team has only won six times since 1985, and with the New York crowd at their back, the message is clear: this time, it stays here.
For fans ready to show rep their team, there’s no better way than with a patriotic touch. Get yours here ➡LINK
Bethpage Black Golf Course was born from the Great Depression, sharpened for majors, and now set to host the Ryder Cup. Standing tall as a symbol of grit, persistence, and boss-level difficulty, the course continues to stand tall among the 15,000+ courses in America, consistently ranking in Golf Digest’s Top 100 (and as high as #26 overall, #8 public) with a USGA course rating of 76.5 and a slope rating of 144.
Whether you’re a pro chasing history or a weekend golfer chasing survival, The Black Course offers an experience you’ll never forget.
Just remember: that warning sign on the first tee? It’s not a joke.