Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale

Bethpage Black Course, located within Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, is one of the most famous public golf courses in the United States and one of Long Island’s most internationally recognized sporting venues. Known for its demanding layout, enormous bunkers, rolling terrain and famous warning sign at the first tee, the course has hosted the U.S. Open, PGA Championship, Ryder Cup and other major professional tournaments.

Unlike many of the celebrated championship golf courses on Long Island, Bethpage Black is not a private country club. It is operated by New York State and remains open to the public, allowing recreational golfers to walk the same fairways that have tested Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau and many of the world’s other leading players.

History of Bethpage Black

Bethpage State Park was developed during the 1930s as part of a major expansion of public recreation on Long Island. The property incorporated the former Lenox Hills Country Club along with surrounding land that was transformed into a large public park and golf complex.

Golf architect A.W. Tillinghast played the central role in the development of the Black, Red and Blue courses at Bethpage, working with Bethpage State Park superintendent and golf architect Joseph H. Burbeck. The Black Course opened in 1936 and was designed from the beginning as the most difficult of the new layouts.

Bethpage eventually became home to five 18-hole public courses: Black, Red, Blue, Green and Yellow. Together they form one of the largest public golf facilities in the region, but Black has always stood apart because of its difficulty and championship potential.

The Famous Warning Sign

Few golf courses announce their difficulty as clearly as Bethpage Black. Near the first tee stands one of the most recognizable signs in American golf, warning players that the Black Course is extremely difficult and is recommended only for highly skilled golfers.

The warning has become an attraction in its own right, but the challenge behind it is genuine. Bethpage Black combines considerable length with narrow landing areas, deep rough, large bunkers and substantial elevation changes. Missing a fairway can turn even a routine-looking hole into a difficult recovery, while many approach shots must be played to raised or well-protected greens.

The physical demands also distinguish Black from many recreational courses. The course is traditionally played on foot, with motorized golf carts generally not permitted for regular play. Golfers therefore have to contend not only with the difficulty of the holes but also with a lengthy walk across the course’s rolling terrain.

A Landmark in Public Golf

Bethpage Black reached a new level of national prominence when it was selected to host the 2002 U.S. Open. The event was historic because Bethpage became the first publicly owned golf facility to host the U.S. Open. Tiger Woods won the championship at three under par, defeating Phil Mickelson by three strokes.

The decision to bring one of golf’s premier championships to a state-owned public course helped establish Bethpage Black as something unusual in professional golf: a major championship venue that ordinary golfers could also play.

The U.S. Open returned to Farmingdale in 2009. Weather repeatedly disrupted the tournament, but when play was finally completed, Lucas Glover emerged as champion.

Professional Tournaments at Bethpage Black

Following its two U.S. Opens, Bethpage Black continued to attract major professional events. The PGA Tour brought The Barclays to the course in 2012, when Nick Watney won the tournament, and again in 2016, when Patrick Reed took the title.

In 2019, Bethpage Black hosted the PGA Championship for the first time. Brooks Koepka entered the final round with a commanding lead but faced a late challenge from Dustin Johnson before holding on to win his second consecutive PGA Championship.

The championship further strengthened Bethpage Black’s reputation as one of the country’s premier tournament courses and demonstrated again how demanding the layout can become when prepared for elite competition.

The 2025 Ryder Cup

Bethpage Black entered another chapter of golf history in September 2025 when it hosted the 45th Ryder Cup, the biennial competition between teams representing the United States and Europe. The event brought enormous crowds and international attention to Farmingdale as many of the world’s leading players competed for three days on the Black Course.

Europe built an 11½-4½ advantage through the first two days before the United States mounted a major comeback during Sunday’s singles matches. The Americans won eight and a half points in the final session, but Europe held on for a 15-13 victory, earning its first Ryder Cup win on American soil since 2012.

The Ryder Cup placed Bethpage Black among a select group of American courses to have hosted the U.S. Open, PGA Championship and Ryder Cup, further establishing the course as one of the most significant golf venues on Long Island.

Future Major Championships

Bethpage Black’s championship history is still being written. The course is scheduled to host the 2028 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, bringing a women’s major championship to Bethpage for the first time.

The PGA Championship is also scheduled to return in 2033, giving Bethpage another opportunity to host one of men’s professional golf’s four major championships.

The Course and Its Challenge

Bethpage Black is a par-70 layout that can stretch well beyond 7,000 yards when configured for championship competition. During the 2025 Ryder Cup, the course was set at approximately 7,350 yards, although yardage and tee positions vary depending on the event and daily setup.

Distance is only one part of the challenge. Tillinghast used the natural movement of the property together with large bunker complexes to influence where golfers should place their tee shots and approaches. Many hazards are positioned directly around desirable landing areas, forcing players to choose between safer routes and more aggressive lines.

The greens are generally less dramatically contoured than those found at some other famous Tillinghast courses, but they work in combination with the surrounding slopes, bunkering and elevated approaches. The difficulty often begins well before a golfer reaches the putting surface.

Notable Holes

The fourth hole is one of the most recognizable at Bethpage Black. The par 5 is viewed from an elevated tee and is defined by a series of large bunker complexes stretching from the drive zone toward the raised green. For elite players it can present a birdie opportunity, but recreational golfers must carefully navigate hazards that can influence all three full shots.

The 15th hole is among the course’s most difficult. The long par 4 bends left before climbing sharply to an elevated green. During the 2019 PGA Championship it played as the most difficult hole on the course, and its combination of a demanding drive and uphill approach has made it an important hole during major tournaments.

The closing stretch provides little relief. Long par 4s, strategically placed bunkers and the pressure surrounding the final holes have repeatedly influenced professional tournaments contested at Bethpage.

Playing Bethpage Black

Despite its championship reputation, Bethpage Black remains a public course. Golfers can reserve tee times through the New York State Parks golf reservation system, although availability can be extremely limited because of the course’s popularity.

New York State residents receive reservation advantages under the state’s booking system, while nonresidents can also obtain tee times subject to the applicable reservation window and fees. Policies governing advance reservations, cancellations, residency verification and how frequently golfers may book Black can change, so players should review the current rules before planning a round.

The Black Course operates seasonally. For 2026, New York State Parks scheduled the course to operate from April 15 through November 15, weather and course conditions permitting.

Golfers interested in playing should also be prepared for a walking round and for a considerably more demanding experience than a typical recreational golf course. Black was designed to challenge strong players, and the famous sign near the first tee remains an appropriate warning nearly a century after the course opened.

The Other Bethpage Golf Courses

Bethpage Black is one of five public 18-hole golf courses located within Bethpage State Park. The Red Course is also regarded as a demanding championship-quality layout, while the Blue, Green and Yellow courses provide additional options with different designs and levels of difficulty.

The five-course complex provides 90 holes of public golf in a single state park, giving Bethpage a scale that is unusual on Long Island. Golfers who cannot secure a Black Course tee time still have several other courses available from the same central clubhouse area.

Bethpage State Park

The golf courses occupy a major portion of Bethpage State Park, but the roughly 1,400-acre park offers considerably more than golf. Visitors also use the property for walking, running, biking, picnicking, bridle paths and other outdoor recreation, with cross-country skiing possible when winter conditions allow.

The park is located near Farmingdale in central Nassau County and is accessible from the surrounding Long Island road network, including the Bethpage State Parkway. Farmingdale’s Long Island Rail Road station also provides rail access to the general area, although reaching the golf facilities from the station requires additional transportation.

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Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale

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Key Facts & Details

Feature	Details
Location	Bethpage State Park near Farmingdale, Nassau County
Address	99 Quaker Meeting House Road, Farmingdale, NY 11735
Opened	1936
Design	A.W. Tillinghast, working with Joseph H. Burbeck
Course Type	Public, state-operated golf course
Holes	18
Par	70
Championship Length	Approximately 7,350 yards, depending on tournament setup
Major Events Hosted	U.S. Open (2002, 2009), PGA Championship (2019), Ryder Cup (2025), and The Barclays (2012, 2016)
Future Major Events	KPMG Women’s PGA Championship (2028) and PGA Championship (2033)
Notable Champions	Tiger Woods, Lucas Glover, Nick Watney, Patrick Reed and Brooks Koepka
2025 Ryder Cup	Europe defeated the United States, 15-13
Golf Carts	Generally not permitted for regular play on the Black Course
Reservations	Advance reservations available through the New York State Parks golf reservation system
Golf Information	(516) 249-0700
Operator	New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

Bethpage Black occupies a unique place in Long Island sports history. Few golf courses anywhere combine its championship pedigree with genuine public access, allowing everyday golfers to experience a course that has challenged generations of the world’s best players. From Tiger Woods’ historic 2002 U.S. Open victory to the drama of the 2025 Ryder Cup and major championships still to come, Bethpage Black remains both a world-class golf venue and one of Long Island’s most important public recreational landmarks.