The Bethpage Black Course is a public golf course at Bethpage State Park on Long Island, New York. Opened in 1936, it was designed by Bethpage State Park superintendent Joseph H. Burbeck, who was also responsible for the park’s Blue and Red Courses in the mid-1930s. Brief consultation was also provided by noted golf architect A. W. Tillinghast. It is the most difficult of Bethpage’s five courses, and is known for the warning sign at the first tee, placed in the early 1980s, which reads “The Black Course Is An Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only For Highly Skilled Golfers.” How much is Bethpage Black Course rate?
In 2002, the Black Course hosted the U.S. Open, which returned in 2009, as well as the 2019 PGA Championship. Bethpage Black also hosted The Barclays, the event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs in late August, in 2012 and 2016, and is scheduled to host again in 2021 and 2027. The course is also scheduled to host the Ryder Cup in 2024. How much is Bethpage Black Course rates in 2020?
Why you should try Bethpage Black Course
1. IT’S LONG – Bethpage Black is long. Specifically, it’s 7,459 yards and boasts just one par-3 under 200 yards and one par-4 under 400 yards (and one of its two par-5s clocks in at over 600 yards). Even Dustin Johnson thinks it’s long. “You have a lot of long to mid-irons in your hand,” he said on Tuesday. “There’s only four holes where you can get a fairly short iron in your hand. So that’s the difficult part of this course.”
The par-4 10th hole at Bethpage Black.GETTY IMAGES
2. IT’S A PAR 70 – This goes hand in hand with No. 1, but consider that everyday golfers play Bethpage as a par 71 (and from much shorter tees). Turning No. 7 from a par-5 to a par-4 doesn’t inherently make the hole any easier; it just makes players’ scores one shot worse relative to par. Enter D.J. with his practice-round description of No. 7: “I played it all the way back, and I hit a good drive and I had 231 hole,” he said. Two thirty-one! For Dustin Johnson! That’s no joke.
3. IT’S ROUGH – There was talk that the event’s move to May would prevent the rough from growing up enough for a proper major championship test. Matt Fitzpatrick has something to say about that.
4. GREAT SEASON -It’s been raining quite a bit, which is hardly surprising — that’s what it does in New York in the spring. Rain means receptive greens, which should prevent any “they’ve lost the golf course” proclamations a la Zach Johnson at Shinnecock last year. But wet also means long. This course is 7500 yards to begin with and, as Brooks Koepka pointed out on Tuesday, “Wet, it’s going to be playing about 77. That’s a long golf course. You’re going to need to be able to hit the ball far and hit it straight.” Easier said than done.
5. IT’S LONG ISLAND – It’s hard to say if the crowds make Bethpage hard for the everyday golfer; that would depend on the company you keep. But it’ll definitely make things interesting for players in contention on the weekend. Just ask Sergio, who flipped off this Long Island crowd back in the day, or Greg Norman, who challenged one fan at Shinnecock to a fight in the parking lot.
Garcia, for one, says he’s learned how to deal with it. “You’ve just got to realize that it’s New York and they’re a little bit louder and if you take it the right way it’s good fun,” he told GOLF.com on Monday.
6. IT’S HILLY – Take a peek at No. 15, which played as the most difficult hole the last two times Bethpage hosted a major championship. The 457-yard par-4 is long, but plays plenty longer thanks to a green that’s perched some 50 feet above the fairway, with a two-tiered green that slopes from back to front. Nearly every hole has its ups and downs, leading to more calculations and challenges than players would normally face.
7. THE BACK NINE STARTS FAST – GOLF.com’s own Jeff Ritter ranked Nos. 10, 11 and 12 the third-, seventh- and second-hardest holes on the course, respectively. The brutish par-4s ensure that players begin the back nine with a grunt. No. 10 is 502 yards with a bunker-filled tee shot and a sloped green. No. 11 is “only” 435, but has a tight landing zone and two bunkers guard the green. And No. 12 is a 515-yard dogleg left with a blind approach shot. The hole yielded just 20 birdies in 2009. Hang on for dear life through this stretch.
8. THE PRE-ROUND ROUTINE SETS YOU UP TO FAIL – This one doesn’t apply so much to this week’s pros, but you’ve heard legend of the Bethpage tee time process — parking overnight, lining up in the dark, registering bleary-eyed for an early morning ticket. How would you play anywhere if you’d spent the night in your car? Make sure to break out this excuse when pros inevitably better your personal low score at Bethpage by 20-30 shots this week.
The par-4 18th hole at Bethpage Black.GETTY IMAGES
9. IT’S SANDY – Bunkers, bunkers, bunkers. “Eight acres of sand” is how the PGA of America’s Kerry Haigh described it. They intimidate on tee shots. They guard greens. They’re broad and they’re deep and they pack a major punch. There will be plenty of laying up on par-4s this week, and plenty of tough up-and-downs, too. You can thank the bunkers for that.
10. IT’S A HIKE – PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh said it best. “That warning sign is for real. It’s a big ol’ golf course, and you’ve got to be ready for it. It’s tackle football, both playing it and walking it.” It’s easy to make fun of “walking” being hard, but combined with the mental grind of prepping for and taking on a major, players will be worn all the way out by the time Sunday afternoon comes around, and jealously eyeing John Daly’s golf cart.
Waugh summarized the course’s complete test on Tuesday. “The interesting thing is, nobody ever says it’s unfair. They say it’s a great test, and it’s a happy place. It is hard, but it’s fair and it’s in front of you and you understand it. You can’t beat it—but you can understand it.”
How much does it cost to play?
It is public
The 2019 PGA is the third major championship to be held at Bethpage Black. The first, the 2002 U.S. Open won by Tiger Woods, was affectionately known as the “People’s Open.” And it got that name for a reason.
Unlike Augusta National Golf Club, the very private home of the Masters, or Pebble Beach Golf Links, the pricey resort course and site of June’s U.S. Open, Bethpage Black is a true public course. It’s part of Bethpage State Park, a public complex run by the State of New York.
Thanks to its public nature, the rates at Bethpage Black are low enough to give all golfers, and especially New York golfers, the opportunity to play one of golf’s top courses.
Course Rates, Greens Fees, Costs
If you are a New York State resident, you can play Bethpage’s Black Course for less than many hard-scrabble munis. The NYS resident weekday rate for 18 holes is $65. Or, you can play a twilight round for just $39. Those prices rise on the weekend but not by all that much. Weekend rates for New Yorkers are $75 for 18 ($45 for twilight). Senior citizens and juniors can play during the week at a discounted rate of $42.
If you’re coming from out of state you’re going to pay more, but the rates are still reasonable considering the quality of the course. On a weekday, a tee time on the Black will run you $130 ($78/twilight). On the weekend, the price jumps to $150 ($90 twilight).
That’s a considerable amount of money, but compared to Pebble Beach ($500+) and Augusta National (you’re best bet is to pray for a tee time at ANGC) it’s a hacker’s dream come true.
Tee Time Rates: Red, Green, Blue, Yellow Courses
The good news is that the Black Course isn’t the only option if you want to get a round in on a quality course at the same property. The Black is one of five 18-hole golf courses at Bethpage State Park. And the others — the Red, Green, Blue and Yellow courses — offer much cheaper rates.
For a NY resident, a tee time at the Green, Blue or Yellow costs only $38. Or, you can play nine holes or a twilight round for just $23. Weekend rates are $43/26.
Some golfers swear that the Red Course is actually better than the more heralded Black Course. So even though greens fees on the Red are higher than Green/Blue/Yellow, it may represent the best value.
Resident rates on Bethpage Red are $43/$26 during the week and $48/$29 on the weekend. For non-New Yorkers, the Red rates are $86/$52 (weekday) and $96/$58 (weekend).