Bethpage State Park (Black Course)
Course Date
Location New York, America
Yardage 7468 yards　Par 71
Course Rating 78.1
Playing Date September 14, 2016
Designer A.W. Tillinghast
Opened 936
Caddie Yes
Golf Cart No
Rating
Overall Rating
5.20
Course Layout
5
Difficulty Level
7
Greens Condition
5
Fairways Condition
5
Landscaping & Views
5
Level of Satisfaction
5


view from 12th green

Bethpage State Park consists of five 18-hole courses, four of which are designed by Tillinghast. The reviewed course has a courses rating of 78.1 Par 71 and is known to be one of the most difficult courses in the United States. The first 9 holes are a wooded parkland course, and change inot a heathland where long grasses frame the fairways on the back 9 that would look at home in Southern England. There are many tough par fours that consist of narrow fairways, long distances, small greens, and well-placed bunkers, which require both distance and accuracy starting from the tee shot all the way to the approach.

While there’s only one pond, there are many bushes and bunkers guarding the fairways and greens. The course has one loop. and players don’t return to the clubhouse after the 9th hole. It is a difficult course for players who do not hit long. The balck course presents a stern test of golf suitable for good players. The US Open was held here in 2002 and 2009. Ryder Cup will be held in 2024.

Scorecard

 
Hole 1　Par 4　430 yards

Hole 1　Par 4　430 yards (2)

Hole 1　Par 4　430 yards (1)
A strong dogleg to the right with a downhill tee shot landing on a tight fairway. The tee shots need to be long; otherwise, players can’t aim for the green on the second shot due to the trees in front. The green is long, double-tiered, and protected by deep bunkers both to its left and right sides.
 
Hole 3　Par 3　230 yards

Hole 3　Par 3　230 yards (2)

Hole 3　Par 3　230 yards (1)
An over-a-valley long par three. The green is diagonally set, with two deep bunkers guarding the left and one guarding the right. The green is surrounded by forest and offers a beautiful view.
 
Hole 4　Par 5　517 yards

A par five with a double dogleg bend that first turns to the right before swinging left. The tee shot is downhill and requires players to overpass a huge bunker. Long hitters can hit the green in two but holding the ball on the green is difficult as it is raised over 25 feet from the first landing area. The best angle to the green with the third shot is from the right. The green is small and surrounded by three bunkers. This hole was selected as part of the Best 500 Holes in the World (the latest version) in 2000 by GOLF Magazine.

 

Hole 4　Par 5　517 yards (3)

Hole 4　Par 5　517 yards (2)

Hole 4　Par 5　517 yards (1)
 
Hole 5　Par 4　478 yards

A double dogleg that turns right before turning left. The downhill tee shot needs to negotiate with a huge bunker. The far end of the trap is 240 yards from the back tee. The small and saucer shaped green is perched on a plateau (30 feet above the fairway), so the second shot is uphill. This hole was also been selected by the 2000 edition of GOLF Magazine as part of the best 500 holes in the world (latest version).
 

5th Hole seem from green

Hole 5　Par 4　408 yards (2)

Hole 5　Par 4　478 yards (1)
 
Hole 6　Par 4　408 yards

A dogleg to the left. The arracacha shot is downhill. The green is elevated and surrounded by two large bunkers.
 

Hole 6　Par 4　408 yards (3)

Hole 6　Par 4　408 yards (2)

Hole 6　Par 4　408 yards (1)
 
Hole 8　Par 3　210 yards

Hole 8　Par 3　210 yards (2)

Hole 8　Par 3　210 yards (1)
An over-the-pond downhill par three. The green is two-tiered, narrow and 46-yard deep, and is surrounded by bunkers guarding its left and back. Since the green apron is a steep downhill slope, if the ball does not reach the green, it will most likely roll down into the pond.
 
Hole 9　Par 4　460 yards

Hole 9　Par 4　460 yards (2)

Hole 9　Par 4　460 yards (1)
A par four with a left bending dogleg to the left. With an uphill tee shot, a large bunker on the left corner comes into play. A solid 280-yard drive will be necessary in order see the pin position off the second. The approach shot is gently uphill. The green is guarded by rough and two large bunkers. The putting surface has three large bumps to look out for.
 
Hole 10　Par 4　502 yards

A very long par four with a relatively straight 400 yards followed by a left bending turn for the remaining 100 yards. There’s a total of 7 bunkers on both sides of the fairway as well as fescue rough. Off the tee, large bunkers left and right come into play. The green is fronted by a deep hollow and two deep bunkers. The green is small, consists of a strong elevation, and slopes from back to front. The hole was selected by GOLF Magazine as part of their World's 500 Best Holes in 2000 (the latest edition).

 

Hole 10　Par 4　502 yards (3)

Hole 10　Par 4　502 yards (2)

Hole 10　Par 4　502 yards (1)
 
Hole 13　Par 5　608 yards

A long par five with a dogleg to the left. A long hitter may encounter a well-placed cross bunker 50 yards short of the green that are swung to the right. The green is long, two-tiered, and is guarded by a bunker to the right.
 

Hole 13　Par 5　608 yards (3)

Hole 13　Par 5　608 yards (2)

Hole 13　Par 5　608 yards (1)
 
Hole 15　Par 4　478 yards

A difficult par four with a dogleg to the left. The approach shot is uphill. The green is protected by two bunkers to the front, another bunker to the left, and a rough with a downhill slope to the right.
 

Hole 15　Par 4　478 yards (3)

Hole 15　Par 4　478 yards (2)

Hole 15　Par 4　478 yards (1)
 
Hole 16　Par 4　490 yards

A par four with a slight dogleg to the left. The tee shot is downhill, and the fairway is tight. The green is protected by a bunker to the left and another large bunker to the right.
 

Hole 16　Par 4　490 yards (3)

Hole 16　Par 4　490 yards (2)

Hole 16　Par 4　490 yards (1)
 
Hole 17　Par 3　207 yards

Hole 17　Par 3　207 yards (2)

Hole 17　Par 3　207 yards (1)
A par three with a gentle uphill launch. The green is surrounded by five bunkers. The green is a wide and horizontally two-tiered green with a high left side.
 
Hole 18　Par 4　411 yards

Hole 18　Par 4　411 yards (2)

Hole 18　Par 4　411 yards (1)
A relatively straight par four. The tee shot is downhill and both sides of the fairway are guarded by fescue rough and a series of bunkers. The uphill approach encounters a small green surrounded by bunkers on both sides.
 
19th hole
The course is an hour drive to the east from New York City and 40 minutes from LaGuardia Airport. The course is public and open to anyone. There is a warning sign is located at the entrance of the black course reading “The Black course is an extremely difficult course, which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers."

Warning
restaurant
Top 100 Golf Courses ranked the Black Course (top100golfcourses.com) as no.6 in 2018 in its category of top 70 courses in New York State that has nearly 1000 golf courses. Top 100 Golf Courses ranked no.27 in 2020 in its category of top 100 US courses. The course was ranked 53rd on the 2020 World Top 100 golf courses by GOLF Magazine.

There are 10 A.W. Tillinghast designed courses that are part of the US best 100 courses by Top 100 Golf Courses. Those are Baltimore CC (East), Bethpage (Black), Quaker Ridge GC, Ridgewood GC, San Francisco GC, Somerset Hills GC, Winged Foot GC (East) & (West), Sleepy Hollow GC (Upper) and Wykagyl GC. He was involved in the design and modification of 61 courses in all of New York.


Peter Luger Steak House

Peter Luger Steak House
Peter Luger Steak House
For dinner after I played the course, I visited the Peter Luger Steak House in Brooklyn. The food was incredibly delicious and lived up to the hype. The restaurant is considered as a representative and synonym for New York Steak Houses.