Well, there is much that can be said about the Black course at Bethpage State Park on Long Island, including people sleeping in their car in the parking lot to get a tee time all the way to how difficult the course is. In my case, I was able to secure an advance tee time via their phone system, so I at least was able to get a good night’s sleep before my round. However, that did not make the course any easier. I basically didn’t take any pictures of the back 9 – I was too focus on putting one foot in front of the other. The Black course is a pretty tough walk and I think I picked the hottest day of the year to play it.
Me with the iconic sign warning players
View from the 1st tee
Approach shot on 2nd hole
Par 3 3rd hole
Tough to hit the fairway on the 5th hole due to the angle. I hit my tee shot through the fairway into the rough on the bank.
Approach shot into the 6th hole
7th hole
Very difficult par 3 8th hole
Final thoughts: If you plan to play Bethpage Black, make sure you are in good shape and that it isn’t too hot. I have walked many difficult courses both in the US and Europe and this course is by far the hardest. Honestly, I found the walk to be harder than the course (although it is plenty hard enough). I did not play very well primarily because I wore down on the back nine – I’d love to get another crack at it. Hopefully someday I will be back in the area and play another round. I also want to tackle the Red course.
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