New Yorkers, forget the range: In a few weeks, the first tee comes to you. From Thursday, September 25 through Sunday, September 28, Rockefeller Plaza will transform into a pop-up playground for Ryder Cup Live, complete with a Toptracer simulator that recreates the nerves (and the glory) of piping one down Bethpage Black’s intimidating opening fairway. It’s free, it’s public and yes, you get only one shot—just like the pros feel when the grandstands are roaring and the cameras are rolling.
Here’s how it works: Anyone can pre-register (or simply walk up) to take a single swing from the “First Tee Experience.” Scores are recorded on-site, and a live leaderboard will pull names from the Ryder Cup app registration. Make the fairway and you’ll qualify for the long-drive board; miss it and, well, you’ve got a great New York golf story. Leaderboards are split into Men, Women and Juniors, so the whole crew can chase bragging rights.
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The week also has a broadcast moment worthy of the venue. On Thursday, September 25, at 7am, Carson Daly and Dylan Dreyer will “open” the First Tee live on the Today Show, so set the alarm if you want to wave at America from behind the ropes (or, better yet, stripe one on national TV).
Programming keeps rolling from there. Later that morning, from 9–10am, it’s FDNY vs. NYPD in a closest-to-the-pin showdown. Saturday turns community-forward: from 12–2pm, veterans and active-duty military from the HOPE Program step into the hitting bay for a casual closest-to-the-pin session. Then, from 1:30–3pm, PGA Jr. League members take over for a formal long-drive competition with two swings each, with leaderboards broken out by age and gender. Expect cheers. And tiny assassins of the sweet spot.
Between swings, the plaza will buzz with Ryder Cup energy, including photo ops, fans trading predictions and a steady drumbeat of “I swear I had the wind.” Whether you’re a single-digit handicap or a Subway-slapper who watches for the drama, this is a very New York way to feel the week’s jitters before Team USA and Team Europe square off at Bethpage Black.
