Golf Digest's measured rollout of its 2023-24 Best In State golf-course rankings made its way to New York last week, and Long Island -- "one of the world's most desirable pieces of golf terrain," according to the mag -- dominates the list. The top three courses and seven of the top 10 are located right here in Nassau and Suffolk counties.
Representing the public side of Long Island golf, Bethpage Black places #7, just ahead of vaunted Sebonack in Southampton and two spots in front of East End royalty at the Maidstone Club. Golf Digest lists Shinnecock Hills, National Golf Links of America and Fishers Island as the three best courses in the state, followed at #5 by Friar's Head.
In all, 22 Long Island golf courses rank in New York's top 50 according to evaluations by Golf Digest panelists.
"What really sets the Empire State apart from almost everywhere else are the courses of Long Island," write Golf Digest's Derek Duncan and Stephen Hennessey. "The combination of sand soils, proximity to the ocean and winds on both coasts, and early golf architecture heritage is unmatched in the United States."
The Black Course at Bethpage State Park also ranks #39 in the magazine's list of America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses and #7 in America's 100 Greatest Public Courses. In a separate state-vs.-state comparison, Golf Digest's "definitive ranking" puts New York at #2 for best overall golf selection, behind only California.
After hosting several U.S. Opens and a PGA Championship, Bethpage Black will be on the international stage in the fall of 2025 when it hosts the Ryder Cup.
For more on Bethpage Black, check out the Golf On Long Island flyover and Golf Digest's variety of rankings (linked above).
Anyone who puts Bethpage Black ahead of Sebonack is an idiot.
Posted by: JLE | July 20, 2023 at 06:41 PM