Bethpage Black Course

Bethpage State Park
Club information
Location Farmingdale, New York
Established 1936
Type Public
Total holes 18
Tournaments hosted U.S. Open (2002, 2009)
The Barclays (2012, 2016, 2021, 2027)
PGA Championship (2019)
Ryder Cup (2024)
Website Bethpage State Park Golf Courses
Black Course
Designed by A. W. Tillinghast
Par 71
Length 7,468 yards (6,829 m) [1]
Course rating 78.1
Slope rating 152 [2]

The Bethpage Black Course is a public golf course on Long Island, New York, the most difficult of the five courses at Bethpage State Park. In 2002, the Black Course became the first publicly owned and operated course to host the U.S. Open, which returned in 2009. Bethpage Black hosted The Barclays, the event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs in late August, in 2012 and is scheduled to host again in 2016, 2021, and 2027.[3]

Bethpage Black opened in 1936, designed by noted golf architect A.W. Tillinghast,[4] who also designed its Blue and Red Courses, also opened in the mid-1930s.[5]

Bethpage Black is one of the featured courses in the video game Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12, by EA Sports.

Rankings

In its July 2008 list of America's greatest golf courses, Golf Digest ranked Bethpage Black #26 overall,[6] #6 in the state of New York,[6] #6 of America's 50 toughest courses,[7] and #5 in its list of America's greatest public golf courses.[8] It is also the top-ranked course in the Golf Digest list that is operated by a governmental entity.[8]

Notable events hosted

YearDateTournamentWinnerScoreTo parClassification
2002 Jun 13–16 U.S. Open United States Tiger Woods 277 −3 Major championship
2009 Jun 18–22 U.S. Open United States Lucas Glover 276 −4 Major championship
2012 Aug 23–26 The Barclays United States Nick Watney 274 −10 FedEx Cup playoffs

2002 U.S. Open

Main article: 2002 U.S. Open (golf)

The Open was won by Tiger Woods, the only golfer to score under par for the championship. It was seen as one of the most difficult and exciting U.S. Opens in history, breaking attendance records and creating a more boisterous atmosphere for the U.S. Open. It was this event that the 17th hole became comparable to that of the 16th hole of the Phoenix Open due to the "Amphitheatre" atmosphere of the hole. This was partially caused by the giant stands erected parallel along both sides of the green, with a natural hill behind the green, creating a giant horseshoe of spectators.

Prior to 2002, all U.S. Opens had been staged at private golf or country clubs or at privately owned resorts that, while open to the public, were very expensive for the public to play, with greens fees of several hundred dollars per round. In 2002, Bethpage was selected as the first publicly owned and operated golf course to host the US Open.[9] The USGA's choice of Bethpage was seen as an egalitarian move.

2009 U.S. Open

Main article: 2009 U.S. Open (golf)

Lucas Glover won the 2009 U.S. Open.[10] The course was hit heavily by continuous rain throughout the week and weekend. This resulted in multiple suspensions of play. It was this U.S. Open that Phil Mickelson declared that this would be his last tournament before taking significant time off to tend to his ailing wife, Amy, who had been recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Tiger Woods was never a legitimate factor in this U.S. Open and after he sank his final putt, it took him no more than 10 minutes to leave Bethpage State Park.

Like the 2002 U.S. Open, the media coverage of the relationship between the New York gallery and Mickelson was one of the major headlines of the entire tournament. The most memorable moment was Mickelson teeing off on the short par-3 17th hole. As Mickelson walked down the path, toward the green he was met by thousands of spectators with thunderous chants of, "Let's Go Mickelson!" Mickelson came up short, but commended the New York golf fans and suggested a Ryder Cup should be played at Bethpage Black because, "We would have a big advantage."[11]

The USGA wanted to capture the entire venue that year at Bethpage Black for the 2009 US Open, so that the public could also experience every bunker, break, and ridiculous cut of rough during the real life tournament. So the USGA teamed up with World Golf Tour and co-hosted the 2009 Virtual US Open tournament that ended the day after the US Open tournament champion received his trophy. The winner of the virtual tournament won a trip for two to the next years live event in Pebble Beach. The Virtual U.S. Open attracted hundreds of thousands of players from more than 180 countries.[12][13]

2012 Barclays

The annual Barclays tournament, the first of FedEx Cup playoff events, continued its rotation around the New York metropolitan area and was played at Bethpage State Park in 2012 in late August.[14] As with the previous two U.S. Opens, the 2012 Barclays was played on the difficult Black course. Differing from the U.S. Opens, the 7th hole was lengthened slightly and played as a par-5 to make the course a par-71 at 7,468 yards (6,829 m), identical to the course's blue tees.[15]

Future events

Year Tournament Type Times hosted
2016 The Barclays FedEx Cup playoffs 2012
2019 PGA Championship Major championship Never
2021 The Barclays FedEx Cup playoffs 2012, 2016
2024 Ryder Cup International match play Never
2027 The Barclays FedEx Cup playoffs 2012, 2016, 2021

2016, 2021, 2027 Barclays

Bethpage will host the 2016, 2021, and 2027 Barclays tournament, the first of PGA Tour FedEx Cup playoff events.[16]

2019 PGA Championship & 2024 Ryder Cup

On September 17, 2013, the PGA of America in conjunction with the State of New York announced that the 2019 PGA Championship as well as the 2024 Ryder Cup will be contested at Bethpage Black.[17]

Scorecard

Bethpage State Park - Black Course [1][2][15][18][19][20]
Tee Rating/Slope 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Total
2009 U.S. Open 4303892325174784085252104603649 50843550460515845949020741137777426
2002 U.S. Open 4303892055174514084892104183517 49243549955416145947920741136977214
Par U.S. Open[19] 443544434 35 444534434 35 70
Par 443544534 36 444534434 35 71
2012 Barclays 4303892305174784085532104603675 50243550160816147849020741137937468
Blue 78.1 / 152 4303892305174784085532104603675 50243550160816147849020741137937468
White 74.0 / 145 4293541584614233865021913853289 43442143248015243045719539433956684
Red 71.2 / 137 4263461284384013764891522933049 37741240347213941743117834531746223
Handicap 81618241061412 9117317151315

References

  1. 1 2 "Bethpage Black scorecard" (PDF). Bethpage Pro Shop. July 2010. Retrieved June 9, 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Course Rating and Slope Database: Bethpage State Park - Black Course". USGA. Retrieved June 9, 2012.
  3. "Bethpage State Park to host Barclays in 2021, 2027". PGA Tour. February 3, 2015.
  4. "Outings at Bethpage Black Course" (PDF). New York State Parks. Retrieved June 9, 2012.
  5. "Outings at Bethpage Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green Courses" (PDF). New York State Parks. Retrieved June 9, 2012.
  6. 1 2 "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses 07/08" (PDF). Golf Digest. May 2007. Retrieved July 20, 2007.
  7. "America's 50 Toughest Golf Courses". Golf Digest. March 2007. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  8. 1 2 "America's 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses 07/08" (PDF). Golf Digest. May 2007. Retrieved July 20, 2007.
    In this context, "public" means a course that is open for the public to play, as opposed to a private club.
  9. "Five Facts Friday: Bethpage Black". TruGolf. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
  10. "Glover holds off Mickelson to win U.S. Open". CNN. June 22, 2009. Retrieved June 22, 2009.
  11. Williams, Jeff (July 4, 2009). "Pros endorse Bethpage Black for Ryder Cup". Newsday. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
  12. Gaudiosi, John (March 18, 2010). "GDC 2010: World Golf Tour Partners with USGA for Virtual Competition". GamerLive.TV. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
  13. "Wayne Stopak Crowned 2009 Virtual U.S. Open Champion". USGA. June 2009. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
  14. "The Barclays - Home". The Barclays. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  15. 1 2 "2012 Barclays - Course: Bethpage State Park - Black Course". PGA Tour. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  16. "Bethpage State Park to host Barclays in 2021, 2027". PGA Tour. February 3, 2015.
  17. Gray, Will (September 17, 2013). "It's Official Bethpage Black to Host '19 PGA, '24 Ryder Cup". Golf Channel. Retrieved September 17, 2013.
  18. "Inside the course: Bethpage State Park - Black Course". PGA Tour. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  19. 1 2 "2009 U.S. Open: course". ESPN. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  20. "Back to Black - 2009 U.S. Open course guide" (PDF). NBC Sports. Retrieved June 24, 2009.

External links

Coordinates: 40°44′32.32″N 73°27′18.81″W / 40.7423111°N 73.4552250°W / 40.7423111; -73.4552250

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