bethpage black

The pros put this course on the map so no real need for a review, but that said Bethpage has five courses so check the others out. In particular the Red and the green.

The Black course I feel is the best course I have ever played.... I've played a lot of top courses. Now I may be a bit biased since I grew up near the course and I've played it a bunch of times. I just love everything about the course, from walking only to the condition to the allotted number of tee times per day. They don't try to cram as many foursomes out there in a day as possible. If you're a true golfer you need to get to Bethpage. I played it a few days after the Barclays and it was in insane condition. Only downfall is you can't really make a "golf vacation" out of it because all the other world class courses on LI are private. I can't say anything bad about the course. The people in the pro shop however think they're all high and mighty though. Like I should be thanking them for allowing me to play the course. No biggie though, that's only minutes of my day and they're New Yorkers so its to be expected.

The Black is best known of the courses in the park but there are four other excellent golf courses in this gem of a State Park

This is a great golf course. This is also a VERY hard golf course. The sign out front is correct - try to listen to it! There are only two tees to play for men and one for women. The slope from the back tees is 152 and measures 7400. The slope from the front is 145 and measures 6700! The slope for the ladies is 150! The rough is thick, the bunkers are deep and the elevation is tremendous. There are no marshals on the course and as with most public courses, it seems to be about getting people on the course rather than ensuring they are playing appropriately. The day we were there it had rained in the morning, which seemed to scare some people away. It then turned into a beautiful day. There are 5 total courses at Bethpage so lots to choose from and the Red is supposed to be excellent as well. Locals pay half the price of out-of-towners, but at $150, you won't play a better Open course for less. I recommend taking a caddie just to help you around. It is a walking course and it is a long 9 mile walk so having someone carry your bag is worth the extra $80. They have completely overhauled the caddie program in the last two years and it is far better. They are very good, well managed caddies who will help you and not just come up to you in the parking lot like previously. In terms of getting on, the best recommendation is to find a friend in New York state who can make a tee time 7 days in advance (they have to be there to play). Alternatively, if you are from out of state or out of country, you can still sign up for the phone reservation system, but can only call two days in advance. That is what I did when booking my Sunday round. Make sure to sign up for your reservation number in advance of when you plan to call and if they don't get back to you, just give them a call to confirm. Regardless, it took about 10 minutes of dialing (you can call at 7pm two days in advance - ie. Friday at 7pm for Sunday round), but got a time for 8:57am. Obviously a foursome will be harder than a single, but keep trying. I don't think I would have slept in my car. If you are a single or twosome, just show up early to the course and you will get on (within an hour or two). Also if you walk up and pay, they may just say - run to the tee if you like and there is a game going off right now (that actually happened to a person in my group)!This is a very hard course, but worth the trip. There is no reason to play from the back tees - so don't. I am a 10 handicap and I played the front tees and believe me, it is enough of a challenge. You are trying to enjoy a great course, not win the US Open so try not to hold everyone up behind you by shooting a 180 from the back tees!Finally, they actually have a locker room which you can use for a $5 fee. It is great because there is nobody there. The only catch is that they have showers, but no towels!! So if you want to use the locker room and shower - bring a towel.

Weekday afternoons the best way to play this wonderful venue. Carry your bag or take a caddy, pull carts are a real hassle as the grass is so heavy around the greens and the elevation changes can be daunting. A bit on the long side for me, had to lay up a number of second shots and play for one putt pars.Course is in great shape, greens smooth and consistent and traps well maintained as you would expect at one of America's great venues.I plan to spend the night next time and play the Red Course the next morning.

Site of two U.S. Opens and for low handicappers only. If you fit the bill it is truly a fantastic experience at really public golf course prices. Stay away on weekends.

I walked up on 6/17/14 as a single and got a 10:00 am tee time for the Black Course. They had me sign a sheet of paper stating that if I went to the range I would get a special gift from Taylormade. Walked to the range and the Reps from TM asked what kind of new SLDR driver I wanted. Really? A free $399 driver. Then the Rep told me Congrats on the tee time and said just wait till you get to the 1st tee. After hitting my small bucket ($8) I headed off to find the first tee. (Be early. Someone wants your spot and these guys will give it away or so I heard.) When I walked around the back of the Clubhouse there was a ton of people standing around the tee clapping and cheering when people teed off. OMG they were filming a commercial with Sergio Garcia. Once we got on the tee we watched Sergio hit a tee shot then we were announced on the tee and shook hands with SG then teed off with him watching. ( A bit nervous but I managed to hit one 240 into the first cut. After hitting SG came over to shake hands again and handed each player a dozen new tour TM golf balls. Experience of a lifetime!! Off we go down the number one fairway.....opening hole is great but wait... it only gets better my caddie says. Caddies are $80 plus tip (usually $20-$40 depending on the job they did) or you can carry your bag or rent a pull cart at the range. I recommend the caddie route. It's a tough walk up and down hills(Aprox. 8 miles I was told). I was spent by the time we got to #18 and it showed when I made a 7!! The course is unbelievable!! It's a classic!! The conditions were some of the best if not the best I have ever played for a bucket list course like this. Kudos to the Super and his crew. I will spare you all of the course details. Just get yourself there!! Also unless you can consistently hit your tee shot 300+ yards put your ego aside and play the white tees. I play to a 7 and shot an 84 from the whites. Staff was friendly and helpful.

I played this on my 40th birthday off a handicap of 6. I played mid week early June and simply walked up at 7 and was on at 8 as a single. At that time there was still a foursome free at 9, plenty of singles, and when I went back after the round after 2pm after some pro shop souveniring it was 100% open. So don't panic on a June midweek about the booking system - which one of my companions told me isn't as advertised. If you register they don't email you - you have to call for your number and then book.I took a pull cart but my companions all carried.You read lots about 'classic' layouts and memorable courses that don't stack, but this does. It is simply incredible. We played off the whites but the tips would have been terrifying. White was scary long enough - especially on the back 9. The greens weren't that tricky, but if you hit the rough my advice is just get back on the fairway anyway possible and take your medicine. It is bloody hard to hit long irons (which is what you will be using for second shots on par 4's no matter what) out of that rough. It doubles the pain when you flop one 50 yards further up into the same grief. It helps to watch the US open (kaymer 5 shots clear after day 3) and keep seeing bits of the black mentioned - long par 4's etc. It really was an incredible golfing experience and one which I won't forget anytime soon. I am especially looking forward to tracking highlights of the 2002 and 2009 opens, let alone the Ryder cup coming.If you love golf, it is a must do. For what my companions called a 'muni' or public course, it was immaculate. It was in A grade condition - I have never played a better conditioned course (including sand anywhere on the course) and I have played plenty of sand belt courses including Royal Melbourne and related and play regularly at RQ

Bethpage Black can only be described as the pinnacle of golf, one of the very best. I have been fortunate to play most of the highly acclaimed golf clubs and Bethpage Black takes the cake, one of the ultimate experiences. I played Bethpage Black again recently and it is just a "Religious Experience" the shear beauty of the golf course, the beauty is just indescribable. Take the beauty and add the tremendous golf history at The Black, it just make the experience "off the charts". I always think of the US Open events on the course as we play. Wow, what a magical place! Also put the incredible service, hospitality and pure elegance of the site. It does not get any better that this!

Fenway Park, Madison Square Garden, Wimbledon, Daytona International Speedway. No matter what sport you choose, there are certain arenas, courts, tracks, courses, etc. that transcend the sports they were created for and become holy ground. Now playing a few innings at Fenway or taking a couple laps at Daytona are dreams that few fans and sports lovers ever get to achieve in real life. This is just another reason why I love the game of golf so much. No other sport allows you the opportunity to try your luck in the same place as some of the greatest to ever play the game. Case in point: the round I was fortunate enough to play yesterday wasn’t on just any old golf course. I played 18 holes at Bethpage Black, the site of the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Open, as well as the future site of the 2019 PGA Championship and the 2024 Ryder Cup.For my full hole by hole review and pictures, visit my blog below!http://twilightteetime.wordpress.com/2014/05/23/bethpage-black/

My husband (7 handicap) has always wanted to play this course so when we decided to go to NYC, we had to try to get a tee time. While the course is notoriously hard to get on (stories about people sleeping in cars, arriving the day before to get bakery tickets etc), we were able to secure a tee time with relative ease. We played this on the Tues right after Memorial weekend and booked the time 36 hours in advance (we are out-of-state). We originally got a time for 12 pm but due to potential weather, we decided to show up way early to see if we can go out earlier. The tee time office located at the park is super efficient with all available tee times listed by course - we walked up to check in and amended our tee time to 10:54 am. Perfect!I was originally freaked out about the length of the course (6,300 yards for ladies tee box!) and there were several holes that I couldn't reach the fairway with a good drive. However, if you are a straight ball hitter, the course is actually not too bad - just stay out of the rough! I have a 20 handicap and managed to break 100 - probably the round of my life! Tips - it is walking only, pull carts allowed. While we do enjoy taking caddies, we decided not to on this course and am glad we didn't. The course has no real blind shots and you are able to see where you should hit to. The greens were not particularly tough to read. The walk is really hard though so if you can't push your clubs around, you may want to hire a caddie to lug your bag. Balls were not that hard to find in the rough but they are thick and really, really hard to hit out of.Also, make sure you bring enough water especially on a hot day. The snack shop is located on 6 and 12 and there are no beverage carts out there.The golf course is amazing and if you get the chance to play it, do so. You won't regret it!

I wanted to check the Black off my bucket list, so when I needed to make a business trip to New York I jumped at the chance. Following are some notes from my travel and golf experience.I went in early May, and the Pro Shop assured me on the phone a few days beforehand that I did not have to do the overnight car rodeo for a Thursday morning tee time. I needed to get out early, so I rented a minivan at JFK and drove the 40 minutes to the State Park. The car line is not easy to find if you arrive first, as I did at 9:45PM. I finally found the camping area and pulled into spot #1, and a few minutes later two Aussies pulled into spot #2. That was it for the overnight campers. The locals started arriving about 4:15AM, and the Park Ranger arrived at my car promptly at 4:30AM to hand out the bakery tickets. I was in the first group of the day, and we all decided to play the back tees. I'm a 6 handicap, and frankly the 7400 yards added about 6 strokes to my total score. Our pace of play was pretty quick at 4:30 minutes, but I suspect when the rough grows out for the summer you add at least 30 minutes to that time. The greens are very flat, but roll very true. I putted well, which helped off-set the length. The course design is brilliant, and the conditions were excellent. I packed a sleeping bag and my overnight in the mini-van was comfortable. The Aussies slept upright in their mid-size rental, and that did not help their score one bit. I will come back and tackle the black again.

Amazing golf course you'll love to hate. So difficult yet painful too. The last 3 holes will make you wish ya only played 15. But if you are golfer ya gotta play it.

You gotta be kidding. Best golf course on Long Island. A couple things to note: No carts, tough walk. Caddies available. Easy to get on if make a reservation. On some holes if you don't hit long use old balls. If you're a golfer on LI you must play this once.

I have been playing the Black Course since 1971.I played it when very few people wanted to play it because of it's poor conditions. I always thought it was a great layout and just needed proper care. I played Pebble Beach, Torry Pines, and Pinehurst in the mid 1970's. Bethpage Black is in their class. I have played it every year since 1971 except for the period it was closed for renovation. Don't miss playing this course. Study up on your sand play you will be using you sand wedge. Since I am a senior and New York Resident I can play this great course for under $50 during the week.