Bethpage Black Playing Tips

The Bethpage State Park Golf Course facility (nysparks.state.ny.us) is located in Farmingdale, N.Y. Of several golf links at the site, the Black course has gained the most notoriety by hosting the U.S. Open in 2002 and again in 2009 despite being a public club. A sign at the first tee of the Black course warns golfers that the course is recommended for only "highly skilled golfers." But there are ways to score well there.

  1. The Toughest Part

    • You can't play the golf course if you can't get to the first tee, and Bethpage Black is a famously tough "ticket." New York residents can book tee times up to a week in advance, but the rest of us can only try to get in two days ahead of time. Three methods can be used to get on the course: using the Bethpage reservation system, walking on that day, or paying a premium to a private company that may be able to get you a tee time.

      To use the reservation system, you must become a registered user by faxing your driver's license information, telephone number and your Social Security number to the club along with the information clearly written on paper. After one to three days, you can start calling the line at 7 p.m. two days before you'd like to play.

      The walk-on system involves some early-bird tactics. The first hour's tee times, and one per hour after, are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Hopefuls should arrive at the course the afternoon before they wish to play, because officials disperse one wristband to each car to confirm the order of the next morning's tee time allocation. The tickets are handed out about 4:30 a.m. the next day.

      If money is no object, NY Golf Shuttle charges $850 per person, or $450 per person of a foursome, for what the company claims includes a guaranteed tee time, greens fees and a limousine to and from the golf course. Prices are current as of 2011.

    Be in Good Shape

    • Though caddies are available at $60 per bag plus tip, there are no golf carts allowed at Bethpage Black, and the terrain of the course includes severe elevation changes. There is also much dirt and sand among the pathways and within the holes themselves. The Golf For Beginners website suggests playing either the Red or Green courses "if your legs are not as sturdy as they used to be." A writer for the site who took a push cart during his round recommends others abandon that idea, lighten their golf bags and carry the clubs themselves.

    Play the Right Tee Markers for You

    • The tournament tee markers are designed for professional golfers or those with single-digit handicaps. To get the most enjoyment out of the round, men with double-digit handicaps should play the white tee markers and women the forward tee markers.

      At 6,684 yards, the white tee marker distance is dwarfed by the 7,426 yards the tournament tees were set for the 2009 U.S. Open. That's an average of more than 40 yards more per hole

    Strategy

    • Above all else, drive your ball in the fairway at Bethpage Black. A tee shot in even the first cut of rough may disappear in the fescue grass. If your drive does not find the "short grass" of the fairway, do not throw caution to the wind. Take a shorter club than a shot to the green would require and simply get the ball back into play.

      Bunker shots at Bethpage Black often fall into one of two categories: long or steep. Inexperience with either one may lead to more strokes and higher frustration, so work on your sand game before making the trip.