Bethpage Black
Farmingdale, United States
Course Layout
395 features mapped — fairways, greens, bunkers, tees, water. Data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Course by the Numbers
Calculated from 395 mapped features. Areas are measured directly from the polygon geometry.
About Bethpage Black
The Bethpage Black Course is a public golf course at Bethpage State Park on Long Island, New York. The course was designed by Joseph H. Burbeck, who was assisted by golf architect A. W. Tillinghast. It is the most difficult of Bethpage's five courses, and has a famous warning sign at the first tee, placed in the early 1980s, which reads "WARNING The Black Course Is An Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only For Highly Skilled Golfers". The course has hosted a number of important tournaments, including the 2002 U.S. Open, 2009 U.S. Open, 2019 PGA Championship, and 2025 Ryder Cup.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What Should You Expect to Shoot?
These expected scores use the World Handicap System formula: your handicap index × slope ÷ 113, plus course rating. Use them to set a realistic target before you tee off.
Championship
Rating 74.5 · Slope 145 · Par 72 · 7,200 yards| Your Handicap | Course HCP | Expected Score | Over Par |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 9 | 83 | +11 |
| 10 | 15 | 90 | +18 |
| 15 | 22 | 96 | +24 |
| 20 | 28 | 103 | +31 |
| 25 | 35 | 109 | +37 |
| 30 | 41 | 115 | +43 |
Back
Rating 72.5 · Slope 138 · Par 72 · 6,700 yards| Your Handicap | Course HCP | Expected Score | Over Par |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 7 | 79 | +7 |
| 10 | 13 | 85 | +13 |
| 15 | 19 | 91 | +19 |
| 20 | 25 | 97 | +25 |
| 25 | 31 | 104 | +32 |
| 30 | 37 | 110 | +38 |
Middle
Rating 70.5 · Slope 130 · Par 72 · 6,200 yards| Your Handicap | Course HCP | Expected Score | Over Par |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 4 | 75 | +3 |
| 10 | 10 | 81 | +9 |
| 15 | 16 | 86 | +14 |
| 20 | 22 | 92 | +20 |
| 25 | 27 | 98 | +26 |
| 30 | 33 | 104 | +32 |
Forward
Rating 72.0 · Slope 128 · Par 72 · 5,400 yards| Your Handicap | Course HCP | Expected Score | Over Par |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 6 | 78 | +6 |
| 10 | 11 | 83 | +11 |
| 15 | 17 | 89 | +17 |
| 20 | 23 | 95 | +23 |
| 25 | 28 | 100 | +28 |
| 30 | 34 | 106 | +34 |
Scorecard
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 35 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 71 |
| Yards | 394 | 550 | 388 | 457 | 216 | 428 | 414 | 175 | 411 | 3,433 | 433 | 440 | 165 | 564 | 427 | 415 | 183 | 441 | 588 | 3,656 | 7,089 |
| Stroke Index | 7 | 3 | 13 | 11 | 17 | 1 | 9 | 15 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 16 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 18 | 12 | 14 |
Holes That Decide Your Round
Play for the fat of the green and take bogey off the table. Build your pre-round plan →
Three good shots beats two heroic ones. Bogey here is a solid result for anyone above 10 handicap.
Attack the pin — if your wedge game is on, this is where strokes get gained back.
Expected par or better. If you drop a stroke here, it's usually a mental mistake — which is trackable.
Pre-Round Checklist for Bethpage Black
Your Game Plan for Bethpage Black
The scorecard tells you the course. The Grand Plan assessment tells you you — which part of your game is actually bleeding strokes. Pair both, and you have a pre-round strategy tailored to this course AND your weaknesses.
Tee Sets
Championship
- Yards:
- 7,200
- Par:
- 72
- Course Rating:
- 74.5
- Slope:
- 145
Back
- Yards:
- 6,700
- Par:
- 72
- Course Rating:
- 72.5
- Slope:
- 138
Middle
- Yards:
- 6,200
- Par:
- 72
- Course Rating:
- 70.5
- Slope:
- 130
Forward
- Yards:
- 5,400
- Par:
- 72
- Course Rating:
- 72.0
- Slope:
- 128
Other Notable Courses near Farmingdale
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the par at Bethpage Black?
Bethpage Black is a par 71 course with 18 holes measuring 7,089 total yards. Front nine par 35 (3,433 yards), back nine par 36 (3,656 yards).
What is the longest hole at Bethpage Black?
The longest hole is hole 18, a par 5 playing 588 yards.
Which hole is hardest at Bethpage Black?
Hole 6 has the lowest stroke index (1). It's a par 4 playing 428 yards.
What should I shoot at Bethpage Black?
Use the expected-score table above — it's calculated from your handicap and this course's official WHS rating and slope. A 15 handicap typically shoots mid-80s to low-90s depending on the tee set; a 25 handicap mid-90s to low-100s. Track your actual scores against these targets to see how your game travels.