the black course is an extremely difficult which we only recommend for highly skilled golfers

The Bethpage Black Course is famous for the warning sign at the first tee, placed in the early 1980s, which reads "The Black Course Is An Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only For Highly Skilled Golfers." The course is for walkers only and its slope rating is one of the highest in the northeast.

Full Answer

Is the PGA Championship’s Black course really that difficult?

May 14, 2019 · The Black Course Is An Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only For Highly Skilled Golfers. Mike Asheroff can still remember that day in 1981 — or was it 1982? — when the sign was first...

Is Bethpage Black the hardest golf course?

May 13, 2019 · “The Black Course Is An Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only For Highly Skilled Golfers.” At the PGA Championship this week TV cameras will focus on it and fans will pose for selfies...

How long does it take to play the Black Course?

May 16, 2019 · "The Black Course Is An Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only For Highly Skilled Golfers." The origins of the sign were a mystery for a long time, ...

What happened to Bethpage’s black and blue golf courses during World War II?

Apr 13, 2022 · The Black scares golfers with a sign at the first tee: “Warning—The Black Course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers.” The first fist to the golfer’s mouth comes at the 478-yard 5th, which plays uphill to a plateau green.

What is the hardest pro golf course?

1. Bay Hill Club and Lodge — 2.106 strokes over parRankCourseTournament1Bay Hill Club & LodgeArnold Palmer Invitational2Muirfield Village GCThe Memorial3PGA National (Champion)The Honda Classic4Olympia Fields CC (North)BMW Championship6 more rows•Jan 13, 2022

What makes a golf course tough?

The general feeling about bad, hard courses is that they punish players for good shots, have too many blind shots, have narrow playing areas (target golf), there are limited options for attacking a hole, similarity between the holes, forced layups, gimmicky design, unplayable rough.Jul 29, 2021

What golf course has the highest course record?

KIAWAH ISLAND / S.C. / 7,356 YARDS / PAR 72 (Eight of our top 50 were created by the man they call the "Marquis de Sod.") The Ocean has the highest combination of Slope Rating (155) and Course Rating (79.6) in America, according to the U.S. Golf Association.Jul 2, 2007

What is the slope rating for Bethpage Black?

155Bethpage Black CourseClub informationLength7,468 yards (6,829 m)Course rating77.5Slope rating155Course record63 – Brooks Koepka (2019)15 more rows

What makes a golf course good or bad?

Tee locations, green sizes, depth of bunkers, turf types and water hazards provide the personality of a golf course. That personality is the result of the architect's vision. Generally, golfers can sense the atmosphere of the golf course or feel the dread of a hazard but rarely understand why.

How do I make my golf course harder?

Want to make pro golf harder without a rollback? Let's try these 7 ideasSlow down the greens. ... Permit fewer than 14 clubs. ... Vertically graduated rough. ... Roll back the bunker. ... Grandstands are a penalty. ... Actually enforce pace of play. ... Here's a bold idea: rethink the Tiger Tee.Jan 26, 2021

What is considered the most difficult golf course in the United States?

Opened in 1991 before the Ryder Cup—and dubbed Looney Dunes for the mishaps there—the Ocean Course has the highest combination of Slope Rating (155) and Course Rating (79.6) in America. Pete Dye's Ocean Course tops our eclectic new ranking of America's 50 Toughest Golf Courses.Dec 7, 2011

Is Oakmont hard?

Oakmont is generally considered the toughest U.S. Open host course and, in many ways, the perfect Open venue. At Oakmont in 2007 there were just eight under-par scores all week.Jun 21, 2016

What is the hardest golf course in Australia?

For the men, Moonah Links Open Course has been rated the most difficult golf course in Australia with a scratch rating of 77, five shots more difficult than par for the scratch golfer off the black tees.Sep 26, 2013

How hard is Bethpage Black golf course?

The Black Course at Bethpage State Park is an extremely difficult course, recommended only for highly skilled golfers. The public course is strong enough to have hosted the U.S. Open twice and now gets a PGA Championship. In short, Bethpage Black is a beast — all 17 holes of it.May 10, 2019

Is Bethpage Black that hard?

But seriously, Bethpage is not only one of the toughest courses played, it's a public course that is such a force (much credif to Rees Jones for the revamping for 2002). Since it's a public course, Jones did leave you a little room to play. The tips are 7366 yards, sloped at 148 and rated 76.6.

Is Bethpage Black the hardest course in the world?

Panelist 3: While undoubtedly the toughest muni course around, it pales in difficulty when compared to the likes of Oakmont, Butler National, Pine Valley, Winged Foot, or Kiawah. Tee-to-green at Bethpage Black is quite demanding, yet once on the dance floor, the putting surfaces aren't nearly as challenging.May 14, 2019

Who is the director of Bethpage State Park?

Wintenberger has been the director of Bethpage State Park since 2011. She and her team have searched relentlessly for the sign’s roots, querying current and former staffers and poring over old photographs to no avail.

When is the Ryder Cup coming?

The Ryder Cup is coming in 2024. Back at the 2012 Barclays, Zach Johnson was asked to break down the daunting test that is Bethpage Black. He delivered a lengthy response — mentioning the scale of the property, the elevated tee shots, the uphill greens — before he finally summed up his answer.

How many holes are there in Bethpage State Park?

Bethpage State Park features an impressive five courses of 18 holes each — Green, Blue, Yellow, Red, and Black, with Black being the most difficult of the five.

Who won the 2002 US Open?

When Tiger Woods won the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, he was the only golfer in the field to finish his four rounds under par. Phil Mickelson finished in second, shooting even par, with Jeff Maggert (+2) and Sergio Garcia (+3) as the only other golfers to finish better than 5-over. Bethpage Black has a way of humbling even ...

Can you take out a cart at Bethpage Black?

Despite its length, Bethpage Black does not offer the option of taking out a cart for the round that will send golfers nearly 8,000 yards around the course. Instead, players can opt for a pushcart or a caddie to carry their bag.

Is Bethpage Black a public course?

Bethpage Black is a public golf course, and widely considered one of the best in the country. While many of courses that host majors have exclusive membership, Bethpage Black is a public course, open to any and all players ready to pay the greens fee.

Where is the Black Course in New York?

The Bethpage Black photos below picture Holes 1 through 18 of the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in New York. There are actually five public golf courses within Bethpage State Park, run by the State of New York. But the Black Course is the famous one. It is ranked among the best public golf courses in the world, ...

What is the best golf course in the world?

But the Black Course is the famous one. It is ranked among the best public golf courses in the world, and it it considered one of the best courses of any type in the United States. And it's a major championship venue, having hosted the U.S. Open and PGA Championship .

How many yards is the third hole in Bethpage Black?

The third hole at Bethpage Black is the longest of the par-3 holes on the course at 232 yards. The elevated putting green is well-guarded by three big bunkers, and the green is at a diagonal to the tee, which makes the green play shallower.

Who designed Bethpage Black?

Legendary architect A.W. Tillinghast is credited by most sources (including Bethpage itself) as the designer of Bethpage Black; however, Golf Digest has cited contemporaneous accounts describing Tillinghast as only a consultant, and argues that Joe Burbeck deserves design credit.

What is the toughest course in Bethpage?

The first fairway behind the warning sign that greets golfers to Bethpage Black. Of the five courses at Bethpage State Park, the Black Course is the most famous, and the toughest.

How many yards is the par 3 on the Black Course?

The shortest par-3 on the Black Course is this one, No. 14, at 158 yards. The front of the green is narrow and well-guarded by two large bunkers. The back of the green is on another tier.

How many yards is the sixth hole?

A very pretty hole, nearly the entire length of which is framed by a field of heather, the sixth hole is a 408-yard par-4. As you can see in the image, the putting surface is smallish and framed on both sides by large bunkers. The hole plays downhill for its full length. 07.

What is the hardest hole in golf?

The hardest hole location is front right; the “easiest” is back left.

How many yards to carry on dogleg?

On this sharp dogleg leg, it’s tempting to have a go at it off the tee because the left corner of the dogleg is protected by a bunker that requires “only” a 270-yard carry. But the temptation comes with considerable risk on a hole with the most intensely bunkered green on the course. Landing in the sand would be fine, but winding up in dense surrounding rough with a downhill lie would be real trouble. The smart play is a fairway medal/long iron to the top of the hill just in front of the bunker on the far right side. From there, it’s 160 yards in, a shot that’s far easier to control than an 80-yard wedge hit from thick greenside gunch.