Warning: The Black Course at Bethpage State Park on Long Island will humble you

Jason Scott Deegan

October 1, 2014

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- The Black Course at Bethpage State Park has a championship pedigree like no other municipal golf course in the country.

It hosted rowdy crowds for U.S. Opens in 2002 and 2009. On tap are the 2019 PGA Championship and 2024 Ryder Cup. The Black, originally designed by A.W. Tillinghast in 1936 and renovated by Rees Jones in 1997-98, is a ferocious test of golf famous for its sign at the first tee that reads: "Warning -- The Black Course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers." Sheer length, bold bunkering and burly rough challenge anybody lucky enough to nab a tee time through the state's phone-in registration system.

The par-71 golf course plays 6,684 yards from the whites and 7,468 yards from the blues. Paralyzing par 4s come one after another on the back nine -- 434 yards at no. 10, 421 yards at no. 11, 432 yards at no. 12, 430 yards at no. 15 and 457 yards at no. 16. Imagine a putting green on top of a four-story skyscraper. That's what it's like trying to hit the 15th green in regulation.

Bethpage Black's 411-yard 18th hole has been dubbed the "weakest" final hole in championship golf by some golf insiders, although for most of us it's just another bogey waiting to happen.

Jason Scott Deegan

Jason Scott Deegan has reviewed and photographed more than 1,000 courses and written about golf destinations in 20 countries for some of the industry's biggest publications. His work has been honored by the Golf Writer's Association of America and the Michigan Press Association. Follow him on Instagram at @jasondeegangolfpass and Twitter at @WorldGolfer.

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