Bethpage Black

About Bethpage Black

You absolutely need to experience A.W. Tillinghast's masterpiece while you still can walk it as a true public course. This is the Black Course that humbled the world's best professionals during the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Opens, where Tillinghast's strategic bunkering and demanding approach shots sorted the wheat from the chaff. The routing flows beautifully across rolling Long Island terrain, with each hole presenting a distinct tactical puzzle that rewards thoughtful course management over pure power. What makes this place special isn't just the championship pedigree. It's how Tillinghast crafted a design that scales with your ability, offering multiple ways to play each hole while punishing lazy swings and poor decisions. The conditioning rivals many private clubs, which is remarkable considering the daily traffic this place sees. Getting a tee time requires patience and planning, but walking these fairways where Tiger won his third U.S. Open is worth every effort. The green complexes showcase Tillinghast at his finest, subtly contoured surfaces that demand precise iron play and reward local knowledge. This isn't a course you'll master in one round, but rather one that will have you plotting your return before you've even finished the 18th hole.

Key Facts