I'm from Scotland and I went on a Road Trip across the US this summer and planned to go to Bethpage for a round, eventually on the Green Course. As soon I got out of the taxi, I could sense that Bethpage is a pretty special place, and I found most of the staff on duty to be very helpful, especially in the fabulous, if slightly overpriced Pro-Shop. Lunch in the clubhouse was excellent, and excellent value. The Green Course itself doesn't look too pretty, renovating the bunkers would really tidy the course up, but it was a enjoyable round nonetheless. Where I live, you cant get a round on a decent course for under GBP17 ($30). Unfortunatly, I had to rent clubs, which were a total rip off considering the quality on on offer. I use regular shafts on my Mizunos, but these must have been seniors xtra-bendy. As I hadn't played in 3 weeks this was good for the first 3 holes or so as I felt a bit stiff, but after that almost every drive went left. Save yourself $30 and bring your own clubs! The Green is a lot like some of the older courses in Scotland, in that its quite short at 6,200 yards but it requires thought off the tee to master it, qualities that I feel are important in a golf course. That said, it took me a while to get to grips with this aerial game you guys play. Its strange to play on greens in the height of summer that are so soft that a chip shot makes a pitchmark. My only gripes are that there is very little info available in relation to getting a tee time (I eventually contacted NY tourist board who gave me the wrong number!) and that some of the staff were a bit rude. All, in all I really enjoyed my day out, and armed with my own clubs, the correct phone number and maybe a tee time for the Black, I'd definatly come back to Farmingdale for another game.

Great tests, awesome scenery, great conditions & great value. Driving range has been redone

Rounds take too long. Limited to 1 dial-in reservation per month. I'm too old for the overnight sleep in the car routine anymore.

Any of the courses are fun but my two favorites are the Black & Red courses. The Black is special, forget about it hosting the U.S. Open, it has always been a special course even in the 1980's when the conditions weren't that good. You just feel it as you walk each fairway. Tough, never really let's up, you are both mentally and physically drained at the end of the round. Par is special, birdies fantastic and bogeys somewhat acceptable. The Red course is a bit less demanding but makes you work the ball around the dogleg's both left & right. They have made renovations & hopefully continue because the course has character & could easily host a Champions or LPGA event in the near future. I play all over the country, but these 2 courses are still home to me.

Customer Service

Great, clubhouse, restaurant

The course is one of the best manicured courses anywhere. Crisp differences between green, fairway, second cut, and rough. Second cut is so lush that it is almost more beneficial to be on it for a 3 wood to the green on the longer holes. Greens are consistent as any.

Greens are deceptive, but roll true. If you don't have a caddy, be sure to bring a few balls b/c this course's rough will swallow balls to the point where you can walk over them and not see them. Watch out for the thick grass!

I've never played on Bethpage's Black Course, but I've caddied it twice for opposite styles of players. Once for two single digit handicappers, and once for a group of 13-18 handicappers. If you're not a single digit, or a long ball mid-handicapper, this course will eat your lunch. But if you are that single digit or long baller, you'll have the time of your life. The 18 handicap hole is a 170ish par 3 number 15. Standing on the tee you'll think your club selection more thoroughly than ever since anything short is in a bunker or in a ravine of gourse that is waist high.

Black - extremely long (even from the white tees), holes get harder as the course goes on...score on the first 3 holes b/c after that you are in for some tough golf. Red - tough but fair...one of my favorites Blue - fair with a few difficult holes

Getting an early tee time is next to impossible. The process of getting onto the Black course is more difficult than getting into the U.N.

Bethpage is an incredible value...period. The courses are all meticulously maintained for a course that gets the amount of use that it does. The greens fees could be any more reasonable. If you are one of the lucky few to get on the Black course then you are in for the challenge of your golfing life.

Customer Service

People in pro shop are friendly.

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The driving range needs improvement....a lot of improvement!!!

Classy golfers. Easy to walk. Well maintained.

long waits. tee times are very hard to get.

These courses are great public courses. Everyone knows about the black so I will write about the RED. This course is very challenging with long holes and deep, deep rough. It has no water but the sand traps come into play on many holes. The greens are fast but very, very well maintained. Fairways are good but the recent US Open destroyed the 1st and 18th holes. They should be fixed in time

Customer Service

very good

Courses are in awesome shape Smoothest and trickiest greens around Great views from the elevated tees For you firefighters out there, it offers a great view of a firefighter's training academy.

Trees and Bunkers and Price (almost $85 a person sometimes)...Oh My!!! Very long waits on the Black Course

What a golf course! These courses are perhaps the best in the state of New York. No wonder the Bethpage Black was chosen for the 2002 U.S. Open. The only problem I've had is that there are too many bunkers and the fairways are way too narrow. If you miss the fairway, you're in the woods. But overall, it's a great experience. There are 5 courses to choose from (yellow, red, blue, green, black) each with different difficulty levels. I'd gladly go back again.

Customer Service

Some of the best you'll ever see

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Driving range is top-notch Pro shop carries anything and everything.

Great course layout, excellent facilities (except for the driving range), true and fast greens, some good happy hour deals too. Best of all, its really cheap to play, one of the best values in golf!

Tee times a bit ridiculous (We camped out to play 18 holes of golf! thats unheard of), Pro shop is alittle pricey

I was one of the out of towners that came to play the famed Black course at Bethpage. Ive had the chance to play two other U.S. Open courses (Pinehurst No. 2 and Congressional Blue) and wanted to add this one to my portfolio. Well much to my dismay, we were unable to get on the Black course, it was closed for the week. However, we did get a chance to play the Red course and I was far from disappointed. True, it is probably not as great of a layout as the black, but its far from terrible. Id have to say it beats hands down, many of the private clubs that Ive had a chance to play on, both in condition as well as in layout. There isnt a bad hole on the course, each one challenging and well thought out. Tee to green, the course is well kept, especially for the amount of play the course gets each day. The greens are well paced, on par with your expensive private club. I was definitely expecting for Bethpage to pay attention to the Black course and allow the rest of the facility to fall by the wayside. I was extremely surprised, and plan on making a return trip whenever I can.

Customer Service

Everyone I encountered was extremely curtious and helpful.

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Difficulty. Excellent conditions. Great tee boxes and greens.

Try to get a tee time. The telephone dial up system sucks.

Probably the best golf bargain in the world. World class golf for peanuts. The new tee boxes are some of the best in the bidness and the greens roll true. I''m not sure how the pros are going to to do here, a part of me says that I think they are going to tear up the course. Tee to green is what''s difficult, but the greens are relatively flat and easy. But I''m sure the USGA will crank up the rough and quicken the greens. Should be interesting.

Customer Service

No complaints.

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Nice proshop.

Layout, Layout, Layout. Great conditions - perfect fairways and greens.

Poor practice facility (but it works for tune up). Need to Bring caddies back. Riding should never be allowed on the "Black."

Let too many 90+ players out there for a 140 slope. Dramatically slows down play!

I grew up playing at Bethpage and the transformation of the "Black" has amazed me. Ten years ago you would not go near the place - now, forget about it.... you can't get on.

A.W.Tillinghast must have been deranged when he built it. The toughest course I have ever played (next to Sawgrass). It is in great shape in prep for the Open - as good as any private club in Western Suffolk or Nassau.

If you have not played there, be warned.... you must be a 12 or lower to even enjoy it. The 15th hole is a 453 yd dog legged left, uphill to a severly slopping two-tiered green... from the WHITES!! If you can't handle that, try one of the 4 other courses.

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Conditions are incredible. Design is a masterpiece. Clubhouse (new!) is very nice. Good practice putting green. Great test of golf.

Practice range is terrible. Getting on the course is very tough. Starters are usually nasty (but then again, they have to contend with a lot of people bugging them -- EVERYONE wants to play this 2002 U.S. Open course!).

I live in NYC, only about 30 miles from Bethpage, but I never attempted to get on the "Black" course at Bethpage because of the horror stories I heard about getting a tee time. Well, I lucked out last July (2000) when a friend of mine had an open spot in a foursome on the Black. WOW! What an experience! This was far and away the best golfing experience I ever had (and it only cost me $34!!). This Tillinghast layout is everything (and more) that it is reknown for -- it's long and well bunkered and just plain relentless! It will wear you down mentally and physically. The greens are generally large with subtle undulations -- only a couple of two-tiered greens that I recall. However, an errant shot on any hole can easily lead to double or triple bogey. I enjoyed it so much that I went back a couple of weeks later -- on a Wednesday, got there at 4:00 a.m. as a single "walk-on" and didn't get out until 11:00! But it was worth it. I'm an 11 handicap and I shot 86 that day (91 the first time) -- I felt like I had accomplished something when I walked off the course. The course is in magnificent shape, what with a couple million dollars sunk into it by the USGA for the 2002 U.S. Open.