Golf on Long Island

Ryder Cup update: Hole 1 and 18 seating, entry times, recommended transportation

Evan Crowder, the 2025 Ryder Cup operations manager for the PGA of America, joined "The Road to the Ryder Cup" podcast with Dr. Jeff Poplarski and Frank Darby this week to discuss some details about the on-course fan experience at the tournament in September.  They also outlined some of the behind-the-scenes logistics and course-setup duties that go into planning a major golf event.

Here are some key takeaways from the interview, which is available for listening and viewing on Spotify and YouTube:

SEATING AND ADMISSION

• A 5,000-seat, stadium-style grandstand will wrap around #1 tee and #18 green.  General-admission ticketholders will have access to 3,000 of those seats.  Construction on the grandstand will begin shortly after July 4.

• Depending on timing, fans in this area might be able to watch the morning sessions end on #18 while the afternoon sessions tee off on #1.

• Gates will open into a "fan zone" at 5:30 a.m., followed by rope drop onto the course itself at 6:00.

AROUND THE COURSE

• There will be more than 20 large video boards displaying live action around the course.  "You won't miss the action no matter where you are," Crowder said.

• To help with fan flow around the Black Course, fencing will be removed along Round Swamp Road to allow easy movement between the starting and closing holes.

• There will be a celebrity match on Wednesday.

TRANSPORTATION

• The recommended method of transportation is the Long Island Railroad to Farmingdale, where shuttles will take fans less than a mile to Bethpage.  There will also be a large rideshare lot on site on the Yellow Course that can accommodate 150 to 200 drop-off vehicles at a time. 

• For fans who want to drive, parking will once again be available at Jones Beach with a 30-minute shuttle to the course.  There is a $50 parking fee at Jones Beach, which Crowder said is designed to promote use of mass transit.

SEE ALSO:
What to know about Bethpage course schedules, closures and modifications ahead of the 2025 Ryder Cup

Town of Islip implements updated reservation, no-show policy

The Town of Islip updated its reservation and no-show policy effective June 1, adding no-show fees that will need to be paid before account holders can book future tee times.

Islip charges a $4 reservation fee per player on tee times booked at Brentwood Country Club and Holbrook Country Club, and $3 per player at the nine-hole Gull Haven Golf Course.  Players can cancel or modify reservations as close as six hours before their tee time, and if tee times are not canceled, the reservation fees are charged.  If any players on the booking are no-shows, their fees are billed to the account holder.

According to the policy, player accounts will be inactive until fees are paid.  In addition, an account with four no-shows will be suspended for up to four weeks.

With demand for tee times still incredibly high, golf courses have turned to upfront payments and penalties to discourage players from holding multiple reservations and canceling them close to the designated time.  They are also meant to inhibit use of automated bots and third-party tee-time resellers.  The new Islip policy comes exactly one month after Bethpage State Park implemented a similar no-show policy to crack down on automation.  At Bethpage, players must pay a non-refundable $5 reservation fee at booking and cannot cancel tee times inside 48 hours.

For more on Islip's updated reservation rules, see the Brentwood golf website.