WARNING! The story you’re about to read won’t cause you to lose balls or pars, but it may make you want to play golf.
Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, Long Island, is known for its ominous sign near the first tee box and the numerous professional tournaments held on this course. It embodies the range of golf’s challenges – from exhilaration to disappointment – that the game brings.
Even though golfers of Tiger Woods’ caliber visit here – the 15-time major champion – and the course is considered one of the toughest in the country, there is one difference from many other legendary courses in the United States: Bethpage Black is open to the public.
Whether you’re visiting or a Long Island resident, you can join the chaotic challenge of playing the 18-hole course near Farmingdale, New York.
Of course, if you’re up for it.
Regardless of your level or how you see yourself as a golfer, the appeal of Bethpage Black lies in the fact that even experienced players can be daunted by the warning sign at the starting tee.
WARNING: THE BLACK COURSE IS an extremely challenging course that we recommend only for highly qualified golfers.
– Sign at Bethpage Black course
Why Bethpage Black Attracts Players
Bethpage State Park has four other courses – Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green – but Black is considered the hardest of them.
Schwartz called Bethpage his “home course” and noted that the aura of this place from his childhood has stayed with him forever.
As Schwartz recalls, Bethpage has always been part of his life: “The aura of Bethpage was part of my childhood; the company I used to work for also had an office in Bethpage, so I often moved from the warehouse to Bethpage’s greens.”
His first experiences playing holes on the Black Course lingered in memory when he recalls school days, but the impression goes beyond a simple game – it’s a special experience.
Players have a few ways to get a time: book it by phone a few days before the game, or arrive at the course early and park in your own car until a slot becomes available in the pro shop cabins.
“You really go through this process that is part of the game experience,”
– Ian Schwartz, CNN Sports
Schwartz recalled all the courses he had played before – Pebble Beach and Olympic Club in California, or Shinnecock Hills Golf Club farther east from Long Island in Southampton.
There is one main feature that sets Bethpage Black apart from others: its price. The cost for New York state residents is less than $100; for guests from other states the price rises, but it’s still substantially lower than most famous courses in the country.
“I’m an amateur golfer. We all have the same right to play on a professional course that stars play. It’s not just for them. And no course does it better than Bethpage Black, especially because of the affordable price,” Schwartz stressed.
“Pebble Beach is open to the public. Pinehurst (No. 2) is also open, but you have to spend hundreds of dollars to play on those courses.”
– Ian Schwartz, CNN Sports
“What makes golf so special, and Bethpage Black in particular so special, is that I can walk the same ground and play on the same course as Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy,” Schwartz noted.
“What makes golf so special, and Bethpage Black in particular – it’s that I can walk the same ground and play on the same course as Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy.”
– Ian Schwartz, CNN Sports
Starting Friday, Bethpage will host the top 12 American and top 12 European players – including Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, Rory McIlroy, and Jon Rahm.
After the Ryder Cup on Long Island, majors for men and women will return: the US Open 2026 at Shinnecock, and it was announced that the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will be held on the Black Course in 2028, and the PGA Championship will return here in 2033.
In recent years, many golf beginners are discovering courses across the country, learning to love the game. And, as Schwartz believes, Bethpage will remain a symbol of both accessibility and challenge.
“A million,” he laughed, when asked how many handicap strokes Bethpage Black can accommodate for a new golfer.
As of 2025, Bethpage Black remains one of the most popular places for those who dream of playing where golf legends have touched the course – a course that combines accessibility with a genuine test for every player.
