Dom Furore
The menacing surrounds at Bethpage Black's sixth green.
Dom Furore
Stephen Szurlej
The view behind the sixth green from 7 tee.
Stephen Szurlej
The ultra-difficult stretch of Bethpage Black's par-4 10th (right), requiring extreme precision off the tee, with the 11th hole—a Pine Valley-like par 4 that also requires a ball stay out of the extended bunker lobes.
Stephen Szurlej
The 517-yard, par-5 fourth hole is guarded by a classic cross bunker.
Stephen Szurlej
Stephen Szurlej
The par-4 12th's widened fairway gives golfers a bailout option.
Stephen Szurlej
Behind the 16th green.
Stephen Szurlej
Bethpage Black's home hole.
Photo by Stephen Szurlej
Bethpage State Park: Black
Farmingdale, NY • Public
Bethpage State Park: Black
99 Quaker Meeting House Rd
Farmingdale, NY 11735-1847
United States
Telephone
Overview
Sprawling Bethpage Black, designed in the mid-1930s to be “the public Pine Valley,” became the darling of the USGA in the early 2000s, when it brought the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Opens here. Then it became a darling of the PGA Tour as host of the 2011 and 2016 Barclays. Now the PGA of America has embraced The Black, which hosted the 2019 PGA Championship (winner: Brooks Koepka) and the upcoming 2025 Ryder Cup. Heady stuff for a layout that was once a scruffy state-park haunt where one needed to sleep in the parking lot in order to get a tee time. Now, you need fast fingers on the state park's website once tee times are available—as prime reservations at The Black are known for going in seconds.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
100 Greatest: Ranked from 1967-1976, 1997-1998, & since 2001.
Highest ranking: 26th, 2007-2008.
Previous ranking: 39th.
2025-'26 ranking: 38th.
100 Greatest Public: Ranked since our inaugural ranking in 2003.
Highest ranking: 3rd, 2003-2004.
Previous ranking: 7th.
2025-'26 ranking: 7th.
Best in State: Ranked in Top 10 in New York since 2011.
Previous ranking: 8th.
2025-'26 ranking: 7th.
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Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“Bethpage Black Golf Course Review – A Majestic Test of Championship Golf Set to host the Ryder Cup this fall, Bethpage Black stands as one of the most formidable and revered public courses in the United States. Located in Farmingdale, Long Island, this masterpiece by the legendary A.W. Tillinghast is not only a triumph of design but a celebration of classical American golf architecture. With its dramatic terrain, strategic demands, and storied legacy, Bethpage Black is a symphony of challenge and beauty—demanding every club in the bag and every ounce of a golfer’s creativity. Legacy and Character From the moment you pass the iconic warning sign at the first tee—"The Black Course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers"—you know you’re stepping into something extraordinary. Built in the 1930s by Tillinghast and restored to national prominence through major events like the U.S. Opens in 2002 and 2009, Bethpage Black is now ready to take center stage for the 2025 Ryder Cup, and it’s a perfect venue. The course is an aesthetic marvel, carving through dense woods and across undulating terrain that feels worlds away from the urban sprawl of Long Island. It is remarkable how isolated and peaceful the property feels despite being nestled in one of the most densely populated areas of the country. Strategic Brilliance Bethpage Black delivers a thorough examination of every facet of the game: Tee shots require commitment and precision. The corridors are tight, the rough is thick, and the start lines must be exact. The course demands players who can shape the ball both ways and control trajectory to find optimal angles. Approach shots are no less daunting. Greens are perched, protected by vast and deep bunkers, with contours that reflect Tillinghast’s genius—deceptively simple at first glance but punishing if the wrong side is found. Short game variety is immense. Players face tight lies, deep rough, firm bunkers, and uneven stances—making scrambling a true test of technique and creativity. What separates Bethpage from other championship venues is the variety of holes. The routing rises and falls with the natural topography, offering long and short holes, uphill and downhill challenges, all integrated beautifully into the landscape. Hole Highlights Hole 2 – Par 4 A beast of a hole early in the round. This dogleg right plays uphill with a narrow fairway guarded by rough and fairway bunkers. The green is elevated and well-protected, demanding a precise long iron or fairway wood. It's a hole that asks for both power and discipline—a theme that will recur throughout the round. Hole 3 – Par 3 One of Tillinghast’s great one-shotters. Long, exposed, and typically playing into the wind, this hole features a deep green surrounded by dramatic bunkers. The putting surface has subtle contours that reward a well-placed tee shot. Par here is a significant achievement. Hole 4 – Par 5 A classic risk-reward par 5. It offers a rare chance to be aggressive if the tee shot avoids the fairway bunkers that dot the landing zone. The second shot must negotiate elevation change and a narrowing corridor, while the green complex demands thoughtful distance control. It's one of the few scoring opportunities—if managed properly. Hole 10 – Par 4 This hole sets the tone for the inward nine. A sloping fairway creates uneven lies, and the angle into the green is critical. The putting surface is slick and deceptive, often pushing balls away from hole locations. The natural contours of the land shine here, and strategy is paramount. Hole 11 – Par 4 One of the most underrated yet demanding par 4s on the property. It features a tough tee shot through a chute of trees, and the approach is to a narrow green with steep fall-offs. The green site is classic Tillinghast—simple in shape, but merciless in execution if approached from the wrong angle. Hole 17 – Par 3 An iconic and daunting penultimate test. This long par 3 is perched dramatically on a hillside with a green heavily fortified by bunkers. Wind, distance, and pressure—especially in match play—make this one of the most intimidating tee shots on the course. It’s a Ryder Cup theater in waiting. Final Thoughts Bethpage Black is a thinking player’s course, with architectural pedigree and championship rigor. It is not a course that yields to brute force alone. Instead, it rewards the complete golfer—someone who can shape shots, manage misses, recover creatively, and stay mentally composed over 18 grueling holes. For a municipal facility, its conditioning and character rival the finest private clubs in the country. The greens are quick, firm, and true. The bunkers are artistically shaped and strategically placed. And the sense of place—carved through dense woods with sudden open vistas—is unforgettable. As the stage for the Ryder Cup, Bethpage Black promises a dramatic and fitting venue for golf’s most intense competition. It will test courage, skill, and strategy, and it will do so in front of some of the most passionate fans in the game. In every sense, Bethpage Black is one of the great American golf courses."
Read More2025
Review
“An outstanding routing that makes excellent use of the natural landscape, the Black Course is a true championship-caliber test. The conditioning alone is remarkable—especially considering the heavy traffic it endures and its surprising affordability. In my view, it’s one of those rare courses where fun and challenge strike a perfect balance. The fairways are tight, and the rough is punishing—demanding precision and respect—but it doesn’t grind play to a halt or force you to empty your bag of balls. It’s tough, yes, but fair—definitely worth the walk."
Read More2025
Review
“This is possibly the most challenging course I have played as a Golf Digest panel member. Bethpage Black is constantly kept in US Open conditions, with long rough and very fast greens. It is one of the most demanding tests of golf, blessed by Tillinghast's genius and terrain that has a tremendous amount of movement."
Read More2024
Review
“A monster of a course. Lots of doglegs & up and down terrain. Many tee shots require long carry to get to target areas for approach shots. Good diversity on the Par 3's in length that bring 4 different clubs into play. Same on the Par 5's with one reachable in 2 and the two others offering risk reward on 2nd shots to set up for the approach. Front side cut mostly through trees and back more open. 10/12/15 from tips absolutely giant. Extremely healthy grass fairways/rough consistent throughout. Traps enormous!"
Read More2024
Review
“Yes….. this is the country club for the people. Black is one of the most demanding, fun golf courses you will ever play. Check your ego at the door, and experience one of the finest layouts in the country by one of its greatest architects. The risk reward quotient is perfectly balanced, and there are very few golf courses that have a collection of 18 holes with this sort of variety and challenge."
Read More2024
Review
“The course drained impressively after torrential rain the evening prior. Extremely challenging & penal rough made laying up and punching back out to the fairway the ideal option. Very interested to see the changes to some of the landing areas for the 2025 Ryder Cup & the implementation of the new closer tee box on hole #1 which brings going for the green an option. Note to hole #15 which had a front pin and chipping/putting anything that went long seemed impossible... just rolling a ball was tricky enough."
Read More2024
Review
“In terms of publicly available courses, Bethpage Black is about as good as it gets. Each hole is truly unique and the firm/fast/receptive conditioning is truly impressive given the number of rounds played here each day. Greens are fairly docile but the course is well protected with bunkers and length"
Read More2023
Review
“A true test of golf. Great green complexes, which, to access them well, one really needs to be in their slim fairways. A really really great piece of land"
Read More2023
Review
“The Black course's reputation as a beast is well-justified BUT it is a very fair test. Relatively narrow fairways surrounded by rough that was penal but not overly so made accuracy off the tee critical. Well-bunkered greens surrounded by equally difficult rough make one think twice about trying to get something up close to the green. No two holes were the same and the routing takes you through a variety of terrain and landscapes. The conditioning of the course was mixed. The fairways and rough were in excellent shape. The greens were surprisingly firm given recent rain and in decent shape given the volume of play and open public access. The bunkers were disappointingly undermaintained with many of them clearly unraked for days. The "Fun" score is low because this is course presents a significant challenge for a strong player; a player of any caliber less than that will have a long day and struggle to be sure."
Read More2023
Review
“This A.W. Tillinghast(1936) gem is located in Farmingdale, New York on Long Island and is one of the best public courses in the US. It's a very challenging, walking only course, with hilly terrain , narrow fairways and thick rough that's difficult to hit out of."
Read More2023
