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United States · Parkland

Bethpage Black

Farmingdale, New York, United States

Down a fairway of the Black during the 2009 U.S. Open.
Down a fairway of the Black during the 2009 U.S. Open. Dov Harrington, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Opened
1936
Architect
A. W. Tillinghast
Length
7,426 yards
Type
Parkland
Access
Public (state park)
Championships
U.S. Open 2002, 2009; PGA Championship 2019; Ryder Cup 2025

Bethpage is a state park on Long Island with five golf courses, and the Black is the one the world knows. The land was a railroad executive's estate; New York State took it over in the 1930s, and A. W. Tillinghast designed three courses for the park commission, the Black opening in 1936. It is a public course, run by the state, and the sign at the first tee warns that it is recommended only for highly skilled golfers.

It was the first truly public course to host the U.S. Open, in 2002, and did so again in 2009 at 7,426 yards, par 70 for the championship. The PGA Championship came in 2019 and the Ryder Cup in 2025. The difficulty is plain: long carries over sand from the tee, deep bunkers, and thick rough on a course that walks up and down the whole way round.

One of the park's five courses.
One of the park's five courses. Bonnachoven, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
The 2nd tee sign at the 2025 Ryder Cup: 389 yards, par 4.
The 2nd tee sign at the 2025 Ryder Cup: 389 yards, par 4. Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources

Facts: Wikipedia · the club's own site.

Photographs: 1. Dov Harrington, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons · 2. Bonnachoven, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons · 3. Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.