Bethpage Black Course facts for kids
| Club information | |
|---|---|
 Location in the United States
Location in New York
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| Coordinates | 40°44′31″N 73°27′18″W / 40.742°N 73.455°W |
| Location | Bethpage State Park Farmingdale, New York, U.S. |
| Established | 1936 |
| Type | Public |
| Total holes | 18 |
| Tournaments hosted | PGA Championship (2019) U.S. Open (2002, 2009) The Barclays (2012, 2016) |
| Greens | Poa annua |
| Fairways | Ryegrass / Poa annua |
| Black Course | |
| Designed by | Joseph H. Burbeck & A.W. Tillinghast (1936), Rees Jones (2015 renovation) |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 7,468 yards (6,829 m) |
| Course rating | 77.5 |
| Slope rating | 155 |
| Course record | 63 – Brooks Koepka (2019) |
The Bethpage Black Course is a famous public golf course located in Bethpage State Park on Long Island, New York. It was designed by Joseph H. Burbeck, with help from golf architect A. W. Tillinghast. This course is known as the hardest of the five courses at Bethpage.
A special sign at the first tee warns golfers about its difficulty. It says: "WARNING The Black Course Is An Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only For Highly Skilled Golfers." This course has hosted many big golf tournaments, like the 2002 U.S. Open, the 2009 U.S. Open, and the 2019 PGA Championship.
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Bethpage Black Course Rankings
Golf experts often rank Bethpage Black as one of the best and toughest courses. In 2008, Golf Digest magazine placed it as the 26th best golf course in America. It was also ranked 6th in New York and 6th among America's 50 hardest courses.
It was also listed as the 5th greatest public golf course in the U.S. In September 2020, Golf Advisor named Bethpage Black the #1 toughest golf course in the United States.
History of the Course
The Bethpage Black Course opened in 1936. Joseph H. Burbeck, who was the superintendent of Bethpage State Park, designed it. He also designed the park's Blue and Red Courses around the same time. Famous golf architect A. W. Tillinghast also gave some advice on the design.
In 1972, Mel Galletta Jr. set a course record by shooting a score of 65. Club professional Rick Hartmann matched this record in 2001. The record was finally broken in 2019 by Brooks Koepka, who shot an amazing 63 during the PGA Championship.
U.S. Open Tournaments
Bethpage Black has hosted the U.S. Open twice. This is one of golf's biggest tournaments.
2002 U.S. Open
The 2002 U.S. Open was won by Tiger Woods. He was the only player to finish with a score under par (meaning better than expected). This tournament was considered very difficult and exciting. It set new attendance records, with many fans cheering loudly.
The 17th hole was especially exciting. It had large grandstands and a natural hill, creating a huge horseshoe shape of spectators. Before 2002, all U.S. Opens were held at private golf clubs. These clubs often charged very high fees to play. The USGA chose Bethpage Black in 2002 because it is a public course. This was seen as a way to make the tournament more open to everyone.
2009 U.S. Open
The 2009 U.S. Open had many delays because of continuous rain. Lucas Glover won this tournament. Tiger Woods, who won in 2002, did not play as well this time.
After his round, Phil Mickelson announced he would take time off to support his wife, Amy. She had recently received a health diagnosis. The fans in New York showed a lot of support for Mickelson. One memorable moment was when fans chanted "Let's Go!" as he approached the 17th green. Mickelson later praised the New York golf fans. He even suggested that if the Ryder Cup was played at Bethpage Black, it would give U.S. players a big advantage.
The USGA also worked with World Golf Tour to create a "2009 Virtual US Open tournament." This allowed fans to experience playing the tough Black course online. The winner of this virtual tournament won a trip to the 2010 U.S. Open. Hundreds of thousands of players from over 180 countries joined the Virtual U.S. Open.
Recent Tournaments
Bethpage Black has also hosted other important tournaments.
The Barclays (2012 & 2016)
The Barclays tournament is part of the FedEx Cup playoffs. It was played at Bethpage Black in 2012 and 2016. Like the U.S. Opens, these tournaments were played on the challenging Black course. For these events, the 7th hole was made a bit longer and played as a par-5. This made the course a par-71, measuring 7,468 yards (6,829 m).
In 2016, Patrick Reed won The Barclays by one stroke. He moved from seventh place to first in the overall standings. This tournament was also the last chance for players to qualify for the American team in the 2016 Ryder Cup.
2019 PGA Championship
The 2019 PGA Championship was held at Bethpage Black from May 16 to May 19. Brooks Koepka won the tournament. He finished two strokes ahead of the next player, with a score of 8 under par.
Major Golf Events Hosted
Bethpage Black has been the site of several major golf tournaments.
| Year | Date | Tournament | Winner | Score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | May 19 | PGA Championship |  Brooks Koepka |
272 | −8 | 2 strokes | Dustin Johnson |
Major championship |
| 2016 | Aug 28 | The Barclays* | Patrick Reed |
275 | −9 | 1 stroke |  Emiliano Grillo Sean O'Hair |
FedEx Cup playoffs |
| 2012 | Aug 26 | The Barclays* | Nick Watney |
274 | −10 | 3 strokes | Brandt Snedeker |
FedEx Cup playoffs |
| 2009 | Jun 22 | U.S. Open | Lucas Glover |
276 | −4 | 2 strokes | Ricky Barnes David Duval Phil Mickelson |
Major championship |
| 2002 | Jun 16 | U.S. Open | Tiger Woods |
277 | −3 | 3 strokes | Phil Mickelson |
Major championship |
* The Barclays is now known as the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Upcoming Events
Bethpage Black is set to host another major international golf event.
| Year | Event | Type | Times hosted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Ryder Cup | International match play | Inaugural |
Ryder Cup in 2025
On September 17, 2013, the PGA of America and the State of New York announced that Bethpage Black would host the 2019 PGA Championship and the 2024 Ryder Cup. The Ryder Cup was postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It then returned to being played in odd-numbered years. The Ryder Cup will be held at Bethpage Black in late September 2025. This will be the first time Bethpage Black hosts this exciting international team competition.
