Bethpage Black Course

The Public Course That Punishes the Best: A WPA Masterpiece of Wind and Will.

Bethpage Black Course is a public golf course at Bethpage State Park on Long Island, New York. Designed by A. W. Tillinghast, with Joseph H. Burbeck serving as the superintendent who oversaw construction, it is the most difficult of Bethpage's five courses. A warning sign placed at the first tee in the 1960s reads: "WARNING The Black Course Is An Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only For Highly Skilled Golfers." The course has hosted major tournaments including the 2002 U.S. Open, 2009 U.S. Open, and 2019 PGA Championship, and is set to host the 2025 Ryder Cup.

Quick Facts

Location

Bethpage State Park; Farmingdale, New York, U.S.

Established

1936

Elevation

125 ft / 38.1 m

Greens

Poa annua

Holes

Tournaments

PGA Championship (2019)
U.S. Open (2002, 2009)
The Barclays (2012, 2016)
Ryder Cup (2025)

Lore & Background

Opened in 1936, Bethpage Black was designed by noted golf architect A. W. Tillinghast, with Joseph H. Burbeck, the Bethpage State Park superintendent, overseeing construction. Tillinghast also designed the park's Blue and Red Courses in the mid-1930s. In 1972, Mal Galletta Jr. set the course record with a 65. Club pro Rick Hartmann tied that record in 2001 during the second round of the Metropolitan Open.

The record was broken in 2019 by Brooks Koepka, who fired an opening round 63 during the PGA Championship. Ryan Siegler broke the course record with a 62 during the second round of the 2022 Metropolitan Open. The 2002 U.S. Open was won by Tiger Woods, the only player to break par for the tournament. It was seen as one of the most difficult and exciting U.S. Opens in history, breaking attendance records and creating a more boisterous atmosphere.

Prior to 2002, all U.S. Opens had been staged at private venues or resorts; Bethpage being selected as the first publicly owned and operated course to host the tournament was seen as an egalitarian move by the USGA.

Reader's Guide

Visiting Bethpage Black during a tournament is an experience defined by raw energy and historic atmosphere. The 2019 PGA Championship was played at the Bethpage Black Course from May 16 to May 19. Brooks Koepka won the tournament by two strokes at 8 under par. The 2025 Ryder Cup was played at the Bethpage Black Course from September 26 to 28.

Bethpage was selected to host the 2024 Ryder Cup in 2013 along with the 2019 PGA Championship. The Ryder Cup was postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and returned to its original cycle of being played in odd years. The European Ryder Cup Team won the event 15–13, becoming the first away team to win the event since 2012. The annual Barclays tournament, the first of FedEx Cup playoff events, was played at Bethpage State Park in 2012 and again in 2016.

In 2016, Patrick Reed won by a stroke over Emiliano Grillo and Sean O'Hair, moving from seventh place to first in the standings. The tournament was the last qualifying event for the eight qualifying places for the American team in the 2016 Ryder Cup.

Did You Know?

In its July 2008 list, Golf Digest ranked Bethpage Black No. 26 overall and No. 5 of America's greatest public golf courses.
The course record was set by Mal Galletta Jr. in 1972 with a 65, then broken by Brooks Koepka in 2019 with a 63, and later broken by Ryan Siegler with a 62 in 2022.