#37 - Bethpage State Park (Black) - The People’s Country Club
Accessibility is a word I think about often. It is embedded in the mission of The Quest, to make golf more accessible for kids with special needs. I consider accessibility when modifying lessons for my students. An accessible world is, at its core, a more fair and just world, where everybody gets an opportunity. To me, the beauty of Bethpage Black is centered in its accessibility. In addition to being a public course, it is probably the most affordable ($65-75 in-state, $130-150 out of state) on the Top 100 list. With a little determination to secure a tee time, anybody can play the #37 course in America.
For The Quest, that determination was put to the test. Flashback to August 12th, we planned an outing at Bethpage in celebration of Taylor’s and my birthday. Matt played a morning round and was going to loop for 36. Despite scattered thunderstorms throughout the day, it seemed that we had a clear window. As we were changing our shoes in the parking lot, we received a shattering email that the course would be closing for the day. Naturally, we called the Pro Shop to see if we could talk our way onto the course.
“I wouldn’t recommend it, but there won’t be anyone out there to stop you,” is far from a no, so off we went. Four holes later, we were being escorted off the course, followed all the way to our cars. Oh well.
Two weeks passed, and we were itching to get this round in the books. It can be so difficult to get a tee time that each night, determined golfers camp out in the parking lot for an early morning tee time. Joe and I planned to drive to Bethpage on Friday night and partake in the golfing rite of passage. As the weekend neared, even the most optimistic forecasts were littered with thunderstorms. We scrapped the plan to camp out.
Instead, we closely monitored the online reservation system and the forecast, hopeful that ominous skies would drive away the faint of heart away. By mid-morning, we had locked in an afternoon tee time. Taylor would rush over after work and meet us at the first tee. As long as we got some cooperation from the weather, it was on!
Located in Farmingdale, NY, the Black Course is 1 of 5 courses in the expansive state park. The spectacular A.W. Tillinghast and Joseph Burbeck design has risen in profile over the past 2 decades since hosting the 2002 (Tiger!) and 2009 US Open, as well as the 2019 PGA Championship. By the time the 2025 Ryder Cup comes to Bethpage, the raucous New York crowds should be back. The course is known to be a true test of even top tier golfers, with long carries, changes in elevation on nearly every hole, and punishing rough.
Needless to say, stress levels were high as Taylor pulled into the parking lot at 2:43 PM for a 2:40 PM tee time. If he didn’t show up soon, he would have to catch us out on the course.
Hole #1 has an elevated tee down to a thin fairway that doglegs to the right. Lose your drive left, and you have a long way home out of devastatingly thick rough. Leak right and your second shot is blocked by the trees. Hit it short, you’ll have to hit over the trees, and land the ball on the green between the two greenside sand traps. You can feel the eyes of the waiting groups on you after walking past the famous sign designating the Black Course for highly skilled golfers only.
Joe striped his drive down the left hand side, trickling into the rough. I drove my ball into the fairway, but relatively short. We were off, with no sign of Taylor.
Then, in a full sprint, Taylor came bursting out from behind the clubhouse. He had made it! What happened next was as close to a certainty in golf as I can imagine…
After slicing the ball onto the wrong fairway, Taylor was able to settle in and make a bogey. Joe made a double, and I made a bogey. The only thing that could stop us now is if the weather turned for the worse.
Hole #4 - Par 5 - 461 Yards
The layout of the gorgeous par 5, 461 yard hole, is splayed out in full view from the third green. The number 1 handicap hole is short for a par 5, but reaching the green in 2 is an epic feat. To really challenge the hole, you need to take on the bunkers running down the left side. Joe and Taylor executed, I did not, leaving me with 200 yards needed just to carry the Sahara bunker.
Joe and Taylor went for the green. Joe pushed his shot slightly right, and ended up with a par. Taylor quickly learned why going for this green in two is risky, landing in the front bunkers.
After barely carrying the cross bunkers with a hybrid, I hit a wedge just past the hole, and left the birdie putt just short. Taylor’s mishit, bladed, bunker shot, kicked off the lip of the bunker, rolled across the face of the hole, and nearly resulted in a miraculous eagle. He had to settle for a 2 putt par. Yet there were no complaints from The Quest after 3 pars on the hardest hole at Bethpage.
Hole #17 - Par 3 - 195 Yards
While listed at 195 yards from the middle tees, the hole was playing closer to 170 today. No matter the distance, this uphill par 3 looks like hitting into a sea of bunkers. With a two-tiered green, you must trust your distance or be left with in one of the expansive bunkers. With the sun starting to fall in the sky, the beauty of this hole cannot be overstated.
Hole #18 - Par 4 - 394 Yards
Every day at Bethpage Black, determined golfers trudge through 18 memorable holes. Some of them camp out overnight in the parking lot. Some drive from hours away. Some come alone. Some come with friends. Some play often. Some play once in a lifetime. Some get rained out. Some get escorted off the course. Some finish with a triple bogey. Some finish with a birdie. But at Bethpage, everyone can play, and that is how it should be. Like the sign says, “Welcome to Bethpage”
