Bethpage Black
A public course that humbles the best players on earth. The famous warning sign on the first tee tells you what you are in for, and the major championship roll of honor backs it up. A.W. Tillinghast laid out the Black in 1936 for the people of New York, and it has since hosted two U.S. Opens, a PGA Championship and the 2025 Ryder Cup, all on a state park course anyone can book.
Photo: Bethpage Black Golf Course via Google.
The verdict
There is no course in America quite like Bethpage Black. It is owned by the state of New York, it sits in a public park on Long Island, and yet it is hard enough that the United States Golf Association brought the U.S. Open here twice. The sign beside the first tee is not marketing. It reads that the Black is an extremely difficult course which the park recommends only for highly skilled golfers, and after a single long, uphill, brutally bunkered round you understand why. This is championship golf without a private gate in sight.
A.W. Tillinghast, the architect of Winged Foot and San Francisco Golf Club, routed the Black in 1936 as part of a Depression era public works project, and it was restored to championship teeth ahead of the 2002 U.S. Open. It is a par 71 of around 7,468 yards, with vast cross bunkers you must carry, fairways that tilt and narrow, and greens perched and pitched to repel a tired approach. For the travelling golfer who wants to test themselves on the same ground as Tiger Woods and Brooks Koepka, for a fee that would not cover a caddie tip at most resorts, the Black is one of the great experiences in the game.
Bethpage Black at a glance
- Opened
- 1936
- Designer
- A.W. Tillinghast
- Type
- Parkland
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- About 7,468 yds
- Green fee
- From around $44
Designer, opening year, par and length verified June 2026 from the park and leading databases. Bethpage Black is an A.W. Tillinghast parkland course of around 7,468 yards, par 71, publicly owned and host of the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Opens, the 2019 PGA Championship and the 2025 Ryder Cup. Green fees are indicative, from around 44 dollars for a New York resident twilight round to about 160 dollars for an out of state weekend round, with most resident rounds near 75 to 80 dollars. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The Black announces itself early. The par 4 fourth is one of the most demanding two shot holes in championship golf, a long left to right drive over a sprawling cross bunker followed by a forced carry up to a green set in the hillside, a true three shot hole for most amateurs. The par 4 fifth bends around another huge waste of sand, and the par 4 seventh keeps the pressure on with another diagonal carry that punishes the timid.
The back nine is relentless. The long par 4 tenth and the uphill par 4 fifteenth are the kind of holes that quietly take a card apart, while the par 3 seventeenth, played to a green ringed by deep bunkers, is the hole the U.S. Open leaders most feared coming home. Throughout the round it is the bunkering that defines the Black, the deep, ragged, hand built hazards that Tillinghast intended as both penalty and frame.
It is a long walk over rolling terrain, with no carts on the Black for most players, so come fit and pace yourself. Play it from a sensible tee, accept that par is a fine score on many holes, and you will enjoy one of the purest tests in the game. Played from the championship markers in firm conditions, it remains as hard as anything the professionals see all year.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A publicly owned, day fee course open to all; book through the New York state reservation system or queue for a walk up time |
| Green fee | Around 44 to 160 dollars by residency and day, with most New York resident rounds near 75 to 80 dollars (indicative, 2026); a separate reservation fee applies if you book ahead |
| Booking | Advance tee times open on a rolling window and go fast; the historic alternative is to line up early for a same day walk up slot |
| On the day | A long, walking course; carts are limited and generally not available on the Black. Smart golf dress |
| Getting there | At Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, central Long Island, about an hour east of Manhattan |
| Best months | May to October for the firmest, fastest conditions; the park closes for winter |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with the park or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
Bethpage has no lodge on site, so most visiting golfers base themselves in the hotels of central Long Island within a short drive of the park, which keeps an early walk up start manageable. The towns around Farmingdale and along the expressway offer plenty of straightforward, well placed options.
For a bigger trip, New York City makes a natural hub, with the Black an hour to the east and the courses and sights of the metropolitan area all around. Both LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy airports are inside an hour, so the Black pairs neatly with a few days in the city.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts on Long Island and in New York.
Build a New York golf trip
We build a trip around a round on the Black, add the best public golf within reach of the city and sort lodging, transfers and the early start logistics that make Bethpage work. 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 and when did it open?
Bethpage Black opened in 1936 as one of five courses at Bethpage State Park. The design is credited to the celebrated architect A.W. Tillinghast working with park superintendent Joseph Burbeck. It is a publicly owned course on Long Island, New York.
What is the par and length of Bethpage Black?
Bethpage Black is a par 71 that stretches to around 7,468 yards from the championship tees, with long carries, deep bunkers and steeply sloped greens that make it one of the hardest public courses in the United States.
How much does it cost to play Bethpage Black in 2026?
Bethpage Black is remarkable value for a course of its stature. Indicative 2026 green fees run from around 44 dollars for a New York resident twilight round up to about 160 dollars for an out of state weekend round, with most resident rounds near 75 to 80 dollars. A reservation fee applies if you book ahead rather than queue for a walk up time. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
What championships has Bethpage Black hosted?
Bethpage Black hosted the U.S. Open in 2002, won by Tiger Woods, and again in 2009, won by Lucas Glover. It staged the 2019 PGA Championship, won by Brooks Koepka, and the 2025 Ryder Cup, where Europe won by 15 points to 13.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.