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.

Bethpage adjusts tee-time policies in attempt to combat automated bot reservations

Starting May 1, Bethpage State Park will implement several new policy measures that officials hope will discourage users from utilizing automated methods to gain unfair access to tee times. 

The park announced this weekend that the $5 online reservation fee normally collected at check-in will instead be charged as a booking fee and collected at the time of reservation.  The fee, which is charged per person, is non-refundable.  In the event the course is closed on the date of play, the booking fee will be credited to the player's account and available for future use.

Tee times must be canceled 48 hours prior to play — the $15 no-show fee remains in place and must be cleared before making future reservations.  Players must check in 45 minutes prior to tee time or they will be considered a no-show.  The number of allowable monthly cancellations will be reduced from eight to six under the new measures.

"We understand the challenges created by the high demand at Bethpage and are working with our reservation system provider, foreUP, to implement new tools to help prevent potential unfair access to tee times through automation," the park stated in its announcement.

The presence of automated bots and third-party tee-time resellers hoarding reservations via the park's online reservation system (and, previously, the park's phone system) gained nationwide attention this winter when No Laying Up's Kevin Van Valkenburg aired an investigative podcast about Bethpage tee times.  The podcast featured a local player who acquired reservation data from New York State through a FOIL (Freedom of Information Law) request and was able to successfully purchase a Black Course tee time from a third-party seller using an out-of-state account. 

Van Valkenburg also interviewed an engineer who described his creation of a bot to purchase tee times.  The reason automation is successful, he said, is because there is no penalty for cancellation.  

Under the new measures, a reserved foursome will be charged $20 at booking, and the fee is non-refundable if canceled or modified.

Bethpage Black starts its Ryder Cup season with rain-slicked opening

Opening weekend at Bethpage Black is wet and wintry, with first tee-time temps barely breaking 40 degrees, but still, the course's Ryder Cup season is officially underway.

The Black Course's 2025 golf year will certainly be unique.  Along with the Green and Yellow courses, the Black will close in mid-August and reopen after the Ryder Cup clears out in late September.  (Reopening date is October 4.)  Red and Blue will stay open a few weeks longer.  Overall, thousands of tee times at the height of summer will be spread out around all other Long Island courses and indoor venues.

For a full primer on Bethpage's 2025 season, refer to GOLI's previous post:
What to know about Bethpage course schedules, closures and modifications ahead of the 2025 Ryder Cup

On the golf course, players can expect a rare gift — shorter rough.  Black Course superintendent Mike Hadley said maintenance crews will keep the rough around the 2 1/4-inch height to be used for the Ryder Cup, which is more forgiving than typical public play (2 1/2 to 3 inches) and far shorter than past majors.  

The only offseason modification, according to park staff, involved moving the left-side bunker on #7 closer to the fairway.  This follows last winter's updates to the bunkering on #5 and #13.

The Black Course will operate on a normal schedule through the spring.  In early July, the course will start limiting daily play — walk-ups only with no tee times after 12:30 p.m.  It will close to the public on August 18.

Check GOLI and the above link throughout the season for scheduling updates.

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

It's going to be a unique season at Bethpage State Park.  Unlike past years when the Black Course hosted a U.S. Open or PGA Championship before the summer officially arrived, the presence of late September's Ryder Cup will loom over the whole complex for the entirety of the playing season.  Ryder Cup festivities begin on September 23 and the tournament concludes on September 28.

Here's what you need to know about playing golf at Bethpage this spring and summer before the world's international superstars take over at the start of fall:

BLACK COURSE

The Black Course opens for the season on April 12 and is tentatively scheduled to close to the public from August 18 to October 3.  The course will operate under normal procedures until July 6.  From July 7 to August 17, Black will be walk-ups only with no tee times after 12:30 p.m.

GREEN and YELLOW COURSES

Bethpage Green opens for the season on March 15.  Both the Green and Yellow courses will operate with a normal schedule until August 17.  (See below for course modifications.)  Green and Yellow are tentatively scheduled to close to the public from August 18 to October 3. 

As of June 1, the Green Course is walk-ups only.

RED and BLUE COURSES

Bethpage Red opens for the season on April 1.  Both Red and Blue will operate with a normal schedule until August 17.  (See below for course modifications.)  From August 18 until early September, both courses will remain open for play until 2:00 p.m.  Red and Blue are tentatively scheduled to close to the public from either September 8 or September 15 to October 3.

That means once Bethpage Black closes for final Ryder Cup preparation on August 17, the only courses available for play will be Red and Blue, until their September closing date.

COURSE CONDITIONS

As noted here last fall, the rough on the Black Course will be shorter for the Ryder Cup than it's been for previous tournament play.  In fact, at the planned 2 1/4-inch height, the rough will be shorter than it is for regular public play (2 1/2 to 3 inches).  Black Course superintendent Mike Hadley said in October that the rough will be maintained short throughout the 2025 season.  This way there's no need to cut the entire course back before the Cup.

The only hole modification this offseason, according to park staff, involved moving the left-side bunker on #7 closer to the fairway.  This follows last winter's updates to the bunkering on #5 and #13.

TEMPORARY TEES, GREENS AND MODIFICATIONS

Some holes around the park will be shortened or closed to accommodate all the facilities required for the event — merchandise tents, bus parking, rideshare lots, full-size driving range and practice areas, and more.  Expect the holes closest to the clubhouse and Black Course to be impacted the most.

As of May 21, the Yellow Course is shortened to nine holes.  

The following holes have or will soon have temporary tees in place:

• Green Course #18
• Green Course #1
• Red Course #1
• Red Course #5
• Blue Course #1

All scheduling is subject to change as the season progresses.  Bethpage suggests that all players check the park website, social-media outlets and email blasts for any updates to course availability.

SEE ALSO:
For guidance on where to play in the lead-up to the Ryder Cup, view the 2025 Long Island Golf Guide:

Bethpage Black and Red land in GOLF Magazine's Top 100 Courses You Can Play

Another list of top public golf courses, another chance for Bethpage State Park's marquee layout to shine.  Bethpage Black is featured near the top of the latest course ranking, this time GOLF.com/GOLF Magazine's 2024-2025 list of Top 100 Courses You Can Play, though for once the Black Course is forced to step back and cede some of the elite-tier spotlight to another course with Long Island roots.  Well...sort of.

GOLF posted its Top 100 last month, rating America's best public golf courses (and publicly accessible private clubs) from Pebble Beach at #1 to Wine Valley (#100) in Washington.  Bethpage Black and Red, New York State's only representatives on the list, came in at #5 and #65.

The Black Course cracking the top five of a national ranking is noteworthy, especially when it's slotted directly in front of headliners like Kiawah Island, TPC Sawgrass and Bandon Dunes.  But it's the course ahead of the Black at #4 that's of unique local interest.  The Lido — the Tom Doak reincarnation of the long-lost Long Island club — has been a hit since it opened at Sand Valley in Wisconsin in 2023.  (GOLF ranked Lido #68 in its Top 100 World list during its debut season.)  The course is nearly a down-to-the-inch replica of the vaunted C.B. Macdonald club in Lido Beach once considered among the greatest American golf courses.  For a brief period from the Black's opening in 1936 to Lido's demise in 1942, the two courses were active at the same time, separated by just 20 miles.

Of the two existing Long Island courses on the list, GOLF writes: "The Black enjoys one of the great routings, highlighted by the masterful way Tillinghast placed the fairways and greens from the second hole in a valley all the way through the dogleg left ninth.  The par-5 fourth and its iconic cross-bunkering is a world-beater."

The Red Course "more than holds its own, albeit with much less fanfare than its fellow Tillinghast design.  There’s no warning sign at the first tee like at the Black, the rough is friendlier and the bunkers less dramatic (except for the fistful that split the fairway on the par-4 13th).  But locals know none of that makes the Red a pushover."

Newsday: Kelley Brooke to become new course operator at Harbor Links

Harbor Links Golf Course, a municipal golf facility owned by the Town of North Hempstead, will be operated by Brooke Holdings LLC starting in 2025, according to a Newsday report.  Brooke Holdings LLC is owned by golf professional Kelley Brooke, who also operates the pro shops and instructional programs at several New York State and Town of Hempstead golf courses, including Bethpage State Park.

The agreement between North Hempstead and Brooke Holdings includes a 20-year contract and an expected $18 million in rent and revenue, reported Newsday's Joshua Needelman.  The current contract with longtime operator Century Golf Partners will expire on December 31.  North Hempstead's Town Board voted 4–3 in favor of the new agreement.

Brooke, the 2018 LPGA Professional of the Year and longtime contributor to The Golf Channel, has managed golf facilities across New York City and Long Island since the 1990s.  In 2018 she took over operations of the pro shop and instruction at Bethpage State Park and immediately bolstered the facility's social media presence and marketing reach, then later became operator at Montauk Downs.  Earlier this year Brooke began a 10-year contract with the Town of Hempstead to operate and rebrand the Lido and Merrick Road Park golf courses.  Instructional programs at all four facilities are now marketed under the Golf Channel Academy with Kelley Brooke umbrella.

Harbor Links has been a fixture in Port Washington since its opening in a reclaimed sand mine in 1998.  The 27-hole facility hosts a highly popular series of youth and adult instructional programs.  There is no word yet on Brooke's plans for instruction or marketing at the course.

Expect short rough and deep tees at next year's Ryder Cup, say Bethpage, Cup officials

Prepare to see massive drives and aggressive lines at next fall's Bethpage Black Ryder Cup.

The Black Course's notoriously lush rough, what the pros typically encounter during championship play at Bethpage, will be rocking quite the buzzcut when the Ryder Cup tees off nearly a year from now in late September 2025.  More notably, it will be clipped shorter than what sleep-in-the-car Bethpage golfers experience when they set out on their Tuesday morning foursome. 

At a press event for members of the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association on Tuesday, longtime Black Course superintendent Mike Hadley said he expects the rough will be cut to a "thick but more playable" 2 1/4 inches during the three-day international tournament.  Bethpage Black's rough typically measures 2 1/2 to 3 inches during regular public play, Hadley said, and more than 4 inches for events like the U.S. Open and PGA Championship.

"With shorter rough you get more birdies, which means more action," Hadley said.

The relatively tame rough will accommodate Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley and the "team of bombers" he is expected to put together on the American side, one that has little interest in gouging irons out of a 5-inch tangle.  Bradley also wants to tee off from as deep as the holes allow, Hadley said, the only exception being the par-3 17th.  There, a stadium-style setup will include bleachers on the back of the teebox that envelop the American and European players and set up a potentially raucous conclusion to the tournament.

At #1, the newly built lower tee should coax many players, especially the Americans, to take a run at the green.  The official Ryder Cup yardage on the dogleg-right opener is 397 yards.

Ryder Cup championship director Bryan Karns said a spacious grandstand will occupy the current #1 teebox and wrap completely around the first tee and 18th green.  The setup will elevate the Ryder Cup's "one-of-a-kind first-tee experience," Karns said.

In addition to the tweaks already made on the Black Course, specifically this spring's bunker expansion and relocation on holes 5 and 13, Hadley said the sixth and seventh fairways could be widened per Bradley's preference.  Rough will be maintained short throughout the 2025 season, meaning Long Island's public players will get a rare break on the course during the spring and early summer.

Bethpage park director Scott Matson said the Black Course will likely close six weeks prior to the Ryder Cup.  Plans and schedules related to the other four Bethpage golf courses will be determined early next year.

The 2025 tournament will be played from September 26–28 and is the second Ryder Cup to be hosted at a New York course (Oak Hill, 1995).

Sandy Pond Links debuts new routing, state-of-the-art mini golf course

Two years into its rebrand in Riverhead, Sandy Pond Links continues to spruce up its nine holes on Roanoke Avenue all while it cuts the ribbon on a newer and much shorter 18 right next door.

The first of two planned attractions at Sandy Pond made its debut last week, a state-of-the-art miniature golf course complete with in-play waterworks, a snack bar and a locally brewed house beer.  Sandy Pond's new clubhouse, the second development in the works on the north end of the property, is tentatively scheduled for a 2026 grand opening.

On the course, crews remain busy installing new irrigation and refurbishing Sandy Pond's nine greens.  When new ownership took over during the 2022-23 offseason, much of their focus was on restoring the greens to their original size.  Time and maintenance changes had reduced the greens to small, circular targets, far from what co-owner Brian Stark recalled from his early days living near and working on the course.  "You can still see areas where the contours were lost, and how the greens have shrunk significantly over time," Stark told Golf On Long Island in 2023.  "They used to have more character and pin positions."

The most startling change at the moment is the rerouting of the course to accommodate the new starter's booth, currently housed at the mini-golf course until it's eventually relocated to the clubhouse.  Players now start on the former ninth hole, continue to the old opener and finish on what had long been #8.  Along the way they'll pass the landmark red shack, which will likely stay in place.  Players will also have access to a patio near the first tee that's lined with Adirondack chairs, yard games and even a mini version of the iconic Big Duck down the road in Flanders.  The snack bar is stocked with a house IPA from Riverhead's Long Ireland Brewery, and cupholders built into each mini-golf hole sign serve as handy beer caddies.

Co-owner Earl Truland says the mini-golf 18 will be a family-friendly destination that doubles as a community gathering spot and a vehicle for revenue to cover upgrades on the par-3 course.  The mini golf includes uphill and downhill holes and a series of waterfalls, one of which flows into an in-play stream that carries balls under a bridge and onto the tenth green. 

"We've had people tell us they'd love to play mini golf while they wait to tee off," Truland says.  "Now instead of passing by when we have leagues on Wednesday mornings, they can come in and spend time here before they play."

Plans for Sandy Pond's future clubhouse include a simulator room, a small bar and food service, Truland says.  The structure still needs approval form the Town of Riverhead, and ownership hopes to break ground by spring 2025.

For more on the planned changes at Sandy Pond Links, see this post from January 2023.

Bethpage, Montauk Downs listed among Golfweek's 2024 Best Courses You Can Play

There are certainties in Long Island golf life — group photos at the Black Course warning sign, wind at Montauk Downs, and Bethpage and Montauk ranked highly in Golfweek's list of the region's top public golf courses.

Golfweek's 2024 Best Courses You Can Play rankings were published earlier this month and Bethpage Black finds itself on familiar ground atop the local list, followed closely by its next-door neighbor Bethpage Red and its New York State sister course at Montauk Downs.  The Best Courses You Can Play list ranks the elite publicly accessible courses in all 50 states.  The three courses are typically locks for New York's top eight with the Red Course and Montauk Downs jockeying for position.  This year the Red Course at #6 edged out Montauk by a spot.

Also of local interest, Bally's Ferry Point (formerly Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point) in the Bronx is ranked third behind only the Black Course and Leatherstocking in Cooperstown.

Bethpage Black is featured prominently on Golfweek's broader lists as well.  The Black moved up one spot to #9 on the national Best Courses You Can Play list, jumping ahead of the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island.  It also held its #26 spot on the Best 200 Classic Courses list, which ranks public and private courses built before 1960.  That list showcases Long Island's enormous depth of internationally renowned golf courses, with three courses in the top 10 (Shinnecock Hills, National Golf Links and Fisher's Island) and a total of 15 courses overall.

For many years, Golfweek included a fourth Long Island course in its annual Best You Can Play — Tallgrass Golf Course in Shoreham.  Tallgrass is gone, of course, but another "lost" course with local ties — sort of — did crack the list.  The resurrected Lido at Sand Valley in Wisconsin lands at #15 on the national list and #2 in the state.  That course is a nearly identical replica of C.B Macdonald's original Lido Club located on Long Island's south shore from 1917 to 1942.

For more on the three Long Island publics, including a Closer Look breakdown of Red #13 (and Tallgrass #8, just for old time's sake), check out the course flyovers via the above links.

[PICTURED: Bethpage Black #5 in spring 2024.]