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Bethpage State Park Golf Courses - Public FIVE 18-HOLE COURSES
Black Course: Ranked No. 1 in our Top 30 Head Pro: Justin Koff, PGA General Information and Wait Times: 516-249-0700
Credit Cards accepted: Yes, MC, VISA Carts: Pull - $7 for 18 holes; Power - $40 for 18 holes (Power carts not permitted on the Black course!!) Club Rentals: $60 for Taylor Made clubs Amenities: Pro Shop: Yes, full service Lessons: Yes; Clinics: Yes
Driving Range: Yes, 26 stalls Practice Putting Greens: Yes, 3 Practice Chipping Area: Sometimes Clubhouse: Yes Lockers/Showers: Yes, for men & women Restaurant: Open at dawn, serving breakfast, lunch & dinner Bar/Lounge: Yes ("The 73rd Hole") Snack Bar: Available on each course Red Course - at Nos. 10 & 15 Blue Course - at No. 10
Yellow Course - at No. 10 Green Course - at Nos. 9 & 11 Blac Course - at Nos. 6 & 12 Website: https://parks.ny.gov/golf
Bethpage State Park is one of the finest public golfing venues in the world, as evident by the fact that the Black Course was the first truly public course to hold a U.S. Open in 2002, and was so successful that the USGA brought the National Championship back in 2009. The four other courses that play out of the one clubhouse are also renowned, and rightfully so. Yet, the park itself has a long and very interesting history that dates back to The Depression and involves a terrific amount of intrigue and some murky and debateable information about how the five courses came to be as we play them today (if interested, read this). For our intents and purposes, we will use the consensus -- and park-supported -- ideas for the courses' information below. 18-Hole Black Course
Hosted 2 U.S. Open Championships Built: 1936 Architect: A.W. Tillinghast Description: What many like to call the “crown jewel” of Long Island public golf courses can also be considered more directly as one of the finest golf courses, public or private, anywhere in the world. One way to describe the Black is like an A.W. Tillinghast course on steroids, and is said by many to be his finest work. Although the greens are rather flat -- which isn't necessariy a link to Tillinghast -- the course is as tough as it gets, not just for the NY-Metro area, but anywhere.
Long neglected by the state park system, the Black course was revitalized when USGA President David Fay began to set into motion his long-standing idea of bringing the U.S. Open to a truly public course. The “Open Doctor,” Reese Jones, came in to tweak the original Tillinghast design, and the course was awarded the 2002 National Championship - the first fully public course to be bestowed such an honor. For the people of the area - Fay being one, as he grew up in Westchester - it was a long time coming. Difficult and extremely challenging, even for the finest, low-handicap players, the Black is noted for its elevated tees, hilly and rolling fairways, dense rough, and tremendous fairway bunkers. The small greens are also surrounded by huge, deep bunkers, and Tillinghast’s inventive use of depth perception makes any shot to the green challenging. The course has always been revered by the local golfing public, and often thought of as a little too tough. The length, even from the middle tees, is Herculean, and the classic sight lines and necessary course management are Tillinghast trademarks. The fairway bunkers are as dramatic as anywhere in the U.S. (maybe with Pine Valley the exception), and many of the small greens are surrounded by deep, fear-inducing sandtraps. It is a true test of golf, along with one’s mental capacity for pain. If you’re a high-handicapper, you might be better served keeping your clubs in the trunk and just reveling in the place where Tiger Woods won his eighth major and Lucas Glover won his first. Reader Comments: The ultimate golfing experience ... A masterpiece of golf course architecture .... By far the most spectacular round of golf I’ve ever played, be it on a public or private course anywhere in the world ... Humbling ... Heaven for the golf purist ... The first three holes start you off easy, to loosen up, then all Hell breaks loose ... Physically and mentally demanding as errant shots are severly punished; the whole place is just unforgiving ... The truest greens I’ve ever played on, public or private; just like putting on a billiard table ... More than your swing or your putting stroke, your head must be functioning at its highest efficiency to be successfull.
Built: 1935 Architect: A. W. Tillinghast Description: Probably the most popular course at Bethpage, it was completed about two years before its more famous sibling, the Black, came into fruition. Take the Red Course out of Bethpage State Park and it would get the recognition it deserves. Instead, it sits in the shadow of the Black, and for a lot of local players, that’s just fine with them.
Another A.W. Tillinghast design, the Red has hosted many prestigeous tournaments and hardly a bad word has been said about it. Although easier than the Black -- which curries favor from high- and mid-handicapers -- the Red is far from a pushover. It starts off in impressive fashion with an imposing, uphill 474 yard par-4 that has no bunkers -- and doesn't need them. Noted for its long par-4’s, many of them doglegs, and a grueling stretch on the back nine with 13, 14 and 15, the course requires both length and accuracy in from drives and approach shots. One of the most interesting holes in the whole park is at No. 13, where a bunker complex divides the fairway and makes for a decision into an angled and well-bunkered green. Playing with some holes that are treeless, and some that are tree-lined, makes for an interesting round, and one of the best in the area.
Reader Comments: As a 15-20 handicap, I’d rather play here than the Black ... Never boring ... Always beautifully maintained, with a varied assortment of holes that challenge the finest golfers. You’ll use every club in your bag. The most underappreciated course in the area. We just love it, challenging, but fair, and always a joy to play.
18-Hole Blue Course
Built: 1935 Architect: A.W. Tillinghast Description: The Blue has evolved over the years, getting rerouted and trading some holes with the Yellow course. The result is an outstanding mix of design features, with some rolling elevation on long par-4s and par-5s and The front nine of the Blue is without question one of the toughest and most enjoyable nine holes in the area. Some holes - most notably the 465-yard, par-4 sixth, with its sloping fairway away from the dogleg left - are as tough as almost anything on the Black. The back nine eases up a little bit, but does not pull back from the need for precision and accuracy that is consistent throughout this fully enjoyable golfing experience.
Reader Comments: The front nine is my favorite nine holes, private or public, in the area ... All four Par 3's will challenge even the finest golfer...A real great mix of doglegs, with some nice hills and deceptive approach shots ... Great golf for every skill level ... A real classic that has stood the test of time ... I could play it every day ... I’d say the sixth hole is tough as anything on the Black, except perhaps No. 15.
Bulit: 1924 Description: The original course at the Bethpage site (then called Lennox Hills Country Club), the Green was designed by Devereux Emmet for the Yoakum family in 1922, then sold to Lennox Hills Corporation to become their country club course, and was eventually touched up by A.W. Tillinghast in when New York State bought the land in the early 1930's. If that’s not enought to entice you (and it should be), a lot people like to call the Green a miniature Black course, in the fact that after the first hole, they both run under Round Swamp Road and play with the same rolling elevation the land offers. In general, the fairways are pretty open and the greens are small and well-protected. Some greens, most notably at No. 2, are extremely undulating, and seem odd and outdated. Most of the greens are subtle in their breaks, and now that the course is kept in such good condition with all the money brought in by the U.S. Opens, all those breaks are accentuated. The real test comes at the end, with two of the best closing holes anywhere on Long Island. The since-restored pond to the left of the 17th fairway (a 418-yard part-4) now comes into play, and 18 is a 398-yard uphill battle with a falloff to the left of the elevated green. Reader Comments: My favorite course of the whole Bethpage complex ... It was always fun, but the new conditioning really has brought out the best in what is a great course ... Tremendous closing two holes; gorgeous but brutal.
Built: 1958 Description: Considered to be the easiest of the five courses, the Yellow is a fun track for beginners and still has some teeth for those mid-to-low-handicappers. The spacious fairways Most of the greens are average sized and have some considerable protection with bunkers. Yet, with the length of the course where it is, a low-handicapers will have a lot of short-iron approaches and should make some putts on the relatively flat greens. It really is a nice round for any level of player, and the place to take a beginner when at Bethpage.
Reader Comments: The step child course at Bethpage and it doesn’t deserve that stigma, if this were a stand-alone course it would be much more highly rated ... I’m a 22 handicap, this course suits me just fine ... This is where I learned and as I've gotten better, I still love the course.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THESE COURSES? |
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