Bethpage Black golf guide: the public monster that hosts majors
The state-park muni on Long Island that staged two US Opens, a PGA and the 2025 Ryder Cup — and anyone can play. The course, the tee-time system, when to go, and getting there from NYC.
Bethpage Black is the great democratic experiment in championship golf: a brutally hard state-park muni on Long Island, an hour from Manhattan, that anyone can play — and that has hosted two US Opens, a PGA Championship and the 2025 Ryder Cup. The A.W. Tillinghast design (with park superintendent Joseph Burbeck) opened in 1936 and was restored by Rees Jones for the 2002 US Open, the first ever staged on a truly public course.
The catch isn't money or membership — it's the walking-only slog and the famous tee-time scramble. Here's the course, how the booking system actually works, when to go, and how to get there.
Where
Bethpage State Park, Farmingdale, Long Island, New York
Course
The Black (par 71) — one of five courses at the park
Nearest airport
JFK ~30 min; ~1 hr east of Manhattan; LIRR to Farmingdale
Best time
Spring–late autumn; peak summer; the Black is walking-only
Access
Public — NY State reservation system (residents get priority)
Nearby
The park's Red, Blue, Green & Yellow courses; NYC-area golf
A.W. Tillinghast (with Joseph Burbeck); restored by Rees Jones · 1936 · 18 holes · Public championship · par 71
2002 & 2009 US Opens, 2019 PGA, 2025 Ryder Cup — all on a public muni
A long, punishing, walking-only test that earns its warning sign at the 1st tee: 'The Black Course Is An Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only For Highly Skilled Golfers.' Deep bunkering, forced carries and thick rough make it a genuine championship examination from tees that stretch past 7,400 yards.
Its major roll of honour is stacked: Tiger Woods won the 2002 US Open here, Lucas Glover the 2009, Brooks Koepka the 2019 PGA, and in 2025 Europe won the Ryder Cup 15–13 on Long Island — their first win on US soil since 2012. Playing it, you walk the same holes for a fraction of the price of a private club — you just have to earn a tee time.
How to play Bethpage Black (the tee-time system)
This is the part that trips people up: Bethpage is cheap to play but hard to book. It runs on a New York State Parks reservation system that favours residents. Verified NY State residents can book roughly 7 days ahead (reservations open at 7:00 p.m. ET); non-residents get a shorter window (about 5 days) and pay more. Reservations are one booking of up to four players, and the Black is limited to roughly once every 28 days per golfer. Caddies and rental clubs are available through the pro shop.
The Black is walking-only — no carts — which, combined with the length and rough, makes it one of the most physically demanding rounds in public golf. Check the current rules and fees on the official NY State Parks / Bethpage golf site before you plan around them.
When to go
The course is open roughly spring to late autumn, with peak conditions in summer — but that's also when demand is highest and the walk is hottest. Late spring and early autumn give firmer turf and a more comfortable walk. Whatever the month, treat the Black as a full day: it's a long, tiring loop on foot.
Getting there
Bethpage State Park is in Farmingdale on Long Island, about an hour east of Manhattan. The LIRR to Farmingdale station leaves a short taxi to the park; by car it's roughly 35 miles. JFK is the nearest major airport (around 30 minutes), with LaGuardia also close.
How to play it
If you can't get on the Black, the park's other four courses — Red, Blue, Green and Yellow — are all public and worth a round, with the Red in particular a strong Tillinghast test in its own right. Bethpage also pairs well with a wider look at accessible bucket-list golf: see our best golf trip destinations guide for how a truly-public major venue stacks up against the resort trips.
What to pack
The kit this trip demands
The Black is a long, walking-only examination in changeable North-East weather — pack for endurance and a cool morning, and bring more balls than you think:
Yes — it's a public state-park course, so it isn't gated by membership or a big green fee. The barrier is the tee-time system: New York State residents get booking priority, non-residents have a shorter window and pay more, and the Black is limited to roughly once every 28 days per golfer.
How hard is Bethpage Black?
Very. It's a long, walking-only championship test — over 7,400 yards from the tips with deep bunkering and thick rough — and carries a warning sign at the 1st tee recommending it 'only for highly skilled golfers'. It has hosted two US Opens, a PGA and the 2025 Ryder Cup.
What has Bethpage Black hosted?
The 2002 US Open (Tiger Woods), the 2009 US Open (Lucas Glover), the 2019 PGA Championship (Brooks Koepka), and the 2025 Ryder Cup, which Europe won 15–13 — their first victory on US soil since 2012.
Do you have to walk Bethpage Black?
Yes. The Black is walking-only — no carts — which, with its length and rough, makes it one of the most physically demanding rounds in public golf. Caddies are available through the pro shop.
How do you get to Bethpage Black?
It's in Farmingdale on Long Island, about an hour east of Manhattan. The LIRR to Farmingdale station leaves a short taxi to the park, and JFK is the nearest major airport at around 30 minutes.
