Bethpage Black
Plan your round at Bethpage Black
Bethpage Black is the A. W. Tillinghast design that opened in 1936 at Bethpage State Park on Long Island, the hardest of the park's five public courses and a state-run course anyone can book. It was restored by Rees Jones and has hosted the U.S. Open (2002, 2009), the Barclays (2012, 2016), the PGA Championship (2019) and the 2025 Ryder Cup. Expect hilly terrain, huge bunker complexes, thick rough and elevated greens. Par 71, 7,486 yards from the championship tees (rated 77.5, slope 155).
- Public
- 18 holes
- Par 71
- Designed by A. W. Tillinghast
- Opened 1936
Course strategy
Read the card before you play it
Hole by hole
Walk the course
Par 3Par 4Par 5
Hole 1
429
yds ·Regulation
An elevated tee and a fairway that bends right around trees, so the left side gives the better angle in. The green is the smallest on the course, with a front-right bunker and a steep front third that sends short approaches rolling back off.
Hole 2
354
yds ·Regulation
The shortest par 4, played from an elevated tee to a fairway bending left between trees; position matters more than distance, so many players hit less than driver. The raised green falls away on the left and has deep bunkers on the right.
Hole 3
158
yds ·Regulation
A long par 3 to a shallow green angled from back left to front right. Deep bunkers on the left hide much of the flag, and anything long runs down a steep slope behind the green.
Hole 4
461
yds ·Regulation
A short par 5 with Tillinghast's big cross bunkers splitting the fairway; the green sits about 50 feet above the landing area, elevated and ringed by bunkers. Laying up to the right of the green leaves the easiest pitch.
Hole 5
423
yds ·Regulation
A long par 4 from an elevated tee, with large cross bunkers on the right that only the longest hitters carry and trees on a ridge to the left. The approach climbs to a small, heavily bunkered green.
Hole 6
386
yds ·Regulation
Big bunkers on both sides make the fairway look narrower than it is, and the fairway drops about 20 feet beyond them. A drive that reaches the lower level leaves a wedge to a small, bunkered green.
Hole 7
525
yds ·Regulation
A par 5 for daily play (a par 4 in championships) that runs straight and then turns right, with tall trees limiting how much of the corner you can cut and a large bunker to carry off the tee. The green is flat and lets the ball run on, with a big bunker right and a smaller one left.
Hole 8
191
yds ·Regulation
A par 3 from an elevated tee to a green fronted by a pond, the only water on the course. The bank in front is shaved, so short shots roll into the water; a tall oak sits right and bunkers left, and a back ridge can stop longer shots.
Hole 9
385
yds ·Regulation
A dogleg left with a large bunker complex on the inside of the landing area. Carrying it leaves a short iron; laying out right leaves a longer approach from a contoured fairway with a limited view of the green, which is guarded in front by two deep bunkers.
Hole 10
434
yds ·Regulation
A long, straight par 4 that demands a solid drive, since misses left find tall fescue, bunkers or hollows and a gully sits short of the green. The elevated green is guarded by bunkers front left and front right.
Hole 11
421
yds ·Regulation
A blind tee shot to a fairway between dunes, where the right side gives the best angle. The green is one of the most severe on the course, with a false front and two tiers; chips and putts from above the hole are hard to stop.
Hole 12
432
yds ·Regulation
Often called the hardest tee shot on the course: a huge cross bunker sits in the landing area, and carrying it shortens the hole while playing right is safer. The large green has strong undulations.
Hole 13
559
yds ·Regulation
The longest hole, a straight par 5 with a large bunker on the left off the tee. Cross bunkers about 30 yards short of the green catch layups and go-for-it shots that come up short, and a deep bunker guards the right side of the green.
Hole 14
149
yds ·Regulation
The shortest hole, a short iron across a valley to a narrow, long green that slopes back to front and right to left. Deep bunkers catch anything short, and crosswinds are the main test.
Hole 15
430
yds ·Regulation
The number one handicap hole bends left and then climbs a steep hill over the final stretch to a two-tiered green perched well above the fairway. Deep bunkers guard the front, and from the rough the smart play is a layup short of them.
Hole 16
457
yds ·Regulation
The tee shot drops sharply to a narrow fairway angled left to right, with a tree guarding the left side. A sprawling bunker sits short and right of the green with another on the left; the right rough leaves no angle into the opening.
Hole 17
195
yds ·Regulation
A slightly raised par 3 green about 43 yards wide, split by a central spine into two sections, with the left side longer and higher. A deep bunker guards the front and more bunkers catch misses right, long and left, so club for the pin.
Hole 18
368
yds ·Regulation
A downhill tee shot to a narrow fairway lined by bunkers and fescue; many players lay back short of the bunkers. The approach climbs to an elevated green below the clubhouse that slopes hard from back to front.
ScorecardView the full scorecard+
Distances in yards
| Hole | Par | Hcp | Championship | Regulation | Forward |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 7 | 430 | 429 | 426 |
| 2 | 4 | 13 | 389 | 354 | 346 |
| 3 | 3 | 17 | 230 | 158 | 128 |
| 4 | 5 | 1 | 517 | 461 | 438 |
| 5 | 4 | 3 | 478 | 423 | 401 |
| 6 | 4 | 11 | 408 | 386 | 376 |
| 7 | 5 | 9 | 553 | 525 | 489 |
| 8 | 3 | 15 | 210 | 191 | 152 |
| 9 | 4 | 5 | 460 | 385 | 293 |
| Out | 36 | 3,675 | 3,312 | 3,049 | |
| 10 | 4 | 8 | 502 | 434 | 377 |
| 11 | 4 | 10 | 435 | 421 | 412 |
| 12 | 4 | 4 | 516 | 432 | 403 |
| 13 | 5 | 6 | 608 | 559 | 472 |
| 14 | 3 | 18 | 158 | 149 | 136 |
| 15 | 4 | 2 | 484 | 430 | 417 |
| 16 | 4 | 12 | 490 | 457 | 431 |
| 17 | 3 | 14 | 207 | 195 | 178 |
| 18 | 4 | 16 | 411 | 368 | 332 |
| In | 35 | 3,811 | 3,445 | 3,158 | |
| Total | 71 | 7,486 | 6,757 | 6,207 | |
| Rating / Slope | 77.5 / 155 | 74.2 / 148 | 71.4 / 144 | ||
Before you go
Everything to know on arrival
Know before you go
- ✓Read the warning sign behind the 1st tee: the park recommends the Black only for highly skilled golfers.
- ✓Walking only. No golf carts on the Black; rent a pull cart or book a caddie.
- ✓Book through the park's online reservation system; it's the only way to reserve.
- ✓NYS residents: get your account verified with your NYS license or non-driver ID to book 7 days ahead instead of 5.
- ✓Non-residents pay double the resident rate on the Black.
- ✓You can reserve the Black only once every 28 days.
- ✓The person who booked must be present to claim, pay and play; reservations can't be transferred.
- ✓Claim and pay at least 1 hour before your time and be on the tee 20 minutes early.
- ✓Cancel at least 48 hours out to avoid the per-player fee.
- ✓Closed Mondays (except holidays); season runs about April 15 to November 15.
- ✓Walk-ups: the first 6 to 12 morning times and one foursome per hour are held for walk-ups.
- ✓Spikeless shoes; no outside food or drink on the course.
Arrival & check-in
Check in at the golf office in the Bethpage clubhouse, where reserved rounds must be claimed and paid at least one hour before the tee time or the time is released to walk-ups. Be on the tee 20 minutes before your time. The Black Course's first 6 to 12 tee times each day, plus one foursome per hour, are kept for walk-ups, which is why golfers famously line up overnight in the parking lot.
Dress code
The park doesn't publish a dress code on its course page. Its Black Course outing rules recommend collared shirts with slacks or knee-length shorts and require spikeless shoes, so plan on standard golf attire and check with the pro shop if unsure.
Carts & walking
The Black is a walking-only course: golf carts are allowed on the Red, Blue, Green and Yellow courses but not on the Black. Hand pull carts can be rented, and caddies can be booked through the Bethpage pro shop at (516) 249-4040. Only pro shop caddies are allowed in the park, except that children 12 to 17 may caddie for their own family members.
Practice facilities
There is a driving range at the park, open daily when the courses are open, with a ball-tracking system and target games. The pro shop offers private and group lessons, clinics and a junior golf camp, and there is a Golf Channel Academy on site.
Rentals & pro shop
Rental clubs are available through the Bethpage pro shop and should be reserved ahead by phone or through bethpagegolfcourse.com. The shop also sells Black Course and Ryder Cup merchandise.
Food & drink
The Heritage Club at Bethpage in the clubhouse serves breakfast, lunch and dinner most of the season, with shorter winter hours. Halfway houses and refreshment stands operate on the courses, opening about two hours after the first tee time. Outside food and drink, including alcohol, aren't allowed on the courses.
Policies
Tee times are booked only through the park's online reservation system, which requires a free account. Verified New York State residents (NYS driver license or non-driver ID) can book 7 days ahead at 7 PM, while non-residents and unverified residents book 5 days ahead. Non-residents pay twice the resident green fee on the Black. Each golfer can reserve the Black only once every 28 days, for up to four players, and reservations are non-transferable: the person who booked must claim, pay and play. A per-player booking fee is non-refundable, cancellations inside 48 hours or no-shows bring a per-player fee, and accounts are limited to 6 cancellations a month. The Black is open roughly April 15 to November 15 and closed Mondays except holidays.
Info last reviewed October 20, 2026. Policies change — confirm with the course before your round.
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