Bethpage Black Course
The people's major venue. A.W. Tillinghast built the Black as a Depression era public course in 1936, and it grew into a par 71 brute of about 7,468 yards that has hosted two US Opens, a PGA Championship and the 2025 Ryder Cup, all on a state park tee sheet anyone can join.
Photo: Martin McCrory via Google.
The verdict
Bethpage Black is the most famous public golf course in America, and one of the hardest. A.W. Tillinghast laid it out with park superintendent Joseph Burbeck as part of the Works Progress Administration, a Depression era jobs program, and it opened in 1936 as one of five courses at Bethpage State Park on Long Island. For decades it was a local legend, the impossibly tough muni you queued overnight to play. Then Rees Jones restored and stretched it for the 2002 US Open, and Bethpage Black became the first truly public course ever to host the national championship.
It plays as a par 71 of about 7,468 yards with a slope rating of 155 from the back tees, a long, uphill, heavily bunkered parkland test that punishes anything off line. The famous sign at the first tee, warning that the Black is recommended only for highly skilled golfers, is no marketing gimmick. Since 2002 it has hosted a second US Open in 2009, the 2019 PGA Championship and the 2025 Ryder Cup, cementing its place among the great championship courses while remaining a ticket any traveling golfer can secure with planning. It is the cornerstone of a New York public golf trip.
Bethpage Black at a glance
- Opened
- 1936
- Designer
- A.W. Tillinghast
- Type
- Parkland
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- About 7,468 yds
- Green fee
- About $80 to $160 (2026)
Designer, opening year, par and length verified June 2026 from Bethpage State Park and leading course databases. Tillinghast laid out the Black with Joseph Burbeck in 1936, later renovated by Rees Jones; it plays as a par 71 of about 7,468 yards in Farmingdale, New York. Public green fees are indicatively about $80 for New York residents to about $160 for non-residents on weekends in the 2026 season, with a surcharge structure that changes; always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The Black announces itself early. The par 4 fourth is one of Tillinghast's masterpieces, a sweeping double dogleg that climbs to a green guarded by a great cross bunker, asking for two precise long shots in succession. The fifth, a long par 4 played uphill to a tilted green, and the brutal par 4 seventh keep the pressure on through a front nine that rarely lets you exhale.
The defining feature throughout is the bunkering, deep, ragged and everywhere, paired with rough that swallows the wayward and greens set on the high points of a rolling, glacial site. There is almost no water, no need for it; the length, the elevation changes and the sand are defense enough. The par 3 17th, with its angled green ringed by sand, and the demanding uphill 18th give the Black a finish worthy of the majors it has hosted.
What stays with players is the sheer scale and the democratic spirit of the place. This is championship golf on public land, walked by everyone from scratch amateurs to weekend hackers, the same tees the world's best have played. It is exhausting, exhilarating and unforgettable, the rare bucket list course you do not need a member to reach.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Public course at Bethpage State Park; open to all, with tee times in heavy demand |
| Green fee | Indicatively about $80 for New York residents to about $160 for non-residents on weekends, 2026 season; always confirm directly before booking |
| Booking | Advance tee times via the state reservation system or a New York State Parks golf card; walk up lines also form early |
| On the day | Walking only on the Black for most players; collared shirt and a traditional dress code expected; caddies available |
| Getting there | Farmingdale, central Long Island, about 45 minutes to an hour east of Manhattan by car |
| Best months | May through October, when the course is at its firmest and daylight is longest |
Access and fee details verified June 2026; Bethpage State Park fees and reservation rules change seasonally, so always confirm directly before planning a visit.
Where to stay nearby
Central Long Island has ample hotels around Farmingdale, Melville and Plainview within minutes of the park, with easy highway access for an early tee time. Many traveling golfers base in Manhattan and drive out, or stay closer to the course the night before to make a dawn start manageable.
Bethpage Black anchors a New York public golf trip and pairs well with the championship courses of Westchester and the legendary privates of the South Fork. We can build the lodging, transfers and tee times around your round, and arrange access to the harder tickets where possible.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Long Island.
Build a New York golf trip
We help secure the tee time, plan the round at Bethpage Black and book the lodging and transfers around it. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Bethpage Black questions
Who designed Bethpage Black?
Bethpage Black was designed by A.W. Tillinghast with Bethpage State Park superintendent Joseph Burbeck and opened in 1936 as a Works Progress Administration project. Rees Jones later renovated the course ahead of the 2002 US Open.
What is the par and length of Bethpage Black?
Bethpage Black plays as a par 71 of about 7,468 yards, a long, muscular parkland test with a slope rating of 155 from the championship tees.
Can the public play Bethpage Black?
Yes. Bethpage Black is a public course at Bethpage State Park, open to anyone, though tee times are in heavy demand and the famous sign at the first tee warns that it is for highly skilled golfers only.
What championships has Bethpage Black hosted?
Bethpage Black hosted the US Open in 2002 and 2009, the PGA Championship in 2019 and the 2025 Ryder Cup. It was the first public course ever to host a US Open.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; the championship hosting record and public fee structure verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.