It's no secret that New York City sports fans are a different breed. The mix of moxie, unbridled enthusiasm, and passion for whatever team or athlete they're rooting for takes sporting events in New York to a new level of intensity. That type of raucous setting will be on full display this fall in the Long Island village of Farmingdale. There, 40 miles to the east of the heart of the city, lies Bethpage State Park Golf Course, whose iconic Black Course is set to be the host of the 2025 Ryder Cup
team competition.
Here, the U.S. and Europe teams' best golfers will square off in one of the most anticipated golfing events in years, which will play out on a world-class course accessible to golfers of all budgets. When the best golfers in the world aren't descending upon Bethpage — as they did when the venue hosted the PGA Championship and several U.S. Opens over the past two decades — Farmingdale is typically a quiet town with an urban-suburban feel that is home to just under 8,500 residents.
That will change for the 2025 Ryder Cup, which has seen a historic level of demand for attendance. Despite the $750 price tag, more than 500,000 fans from 47 countries applied for tickets, which sold out within a matter of hours.
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Black Course's Difficulty And Unique Tee Time Policy
Bethpage State Park Golf Course was developed in the 1930s, but its origins trace back to a single course that belonged to the Lenox Hills Country Club. Today, that course is known as the Green Course and is one of five color-coded tracks on the property. Alongside the Red, Yellow, and Blue courses is the Black Course, the most difficult of them all and regularly ranked as one of the top 100 golf courses in the United States.
The Black Course's combination of beauty and difficulty has golfers eager to play this historic track, even if it means sleeping in their cars before the course opens to grab a first-come, first-served tee time in the morning. Tee times can be reserved online, but fill up rapidly; the park leaves some tee times open for those dedicated golfers who show up in person. Dubbed "The People's Country Club," this public golf mecca offers green fees as low as $23 for New York State residents, with discounts for senior citizens and junior golfers.
Adding to its pedigree, Bethpage hosted the U.S. Open in 2002 and 2009, and the Black Course staged the 2019 PGA Championship. An ominous sign greets visitors at the first tee, warning of the course's extreme difficulty. The brutally long, walking-only course stretches to more than 7,400 yards, with tall, thick fescue grass looming nearly everywhere you look. Its punishing layout should provide a dramatic backdrop during the upcoming Ryder Cup, where golfers will go head-to-head for team points. With more than 200,000 fans expected to attend, both Farmingdale and Black Course will be buzzing with a golf-loving crowd.
Planning Your Trip To Farmingdale, New York
Farmingdale is about an hour's drive east of New York City and sits 23 miles from the John F. Kennedy International Airport — one of New York's busiest airports, in one of New York's most diverse neighborhoods. Additionally, visitors are an hour's train ride away from New York City's Penn Station via the Long Island Rail Road. Bethpage State Park is located just over a mile from Farmingdale Station and the village's downtown area, making it convenient for visiting at any time of the year.
Visitors can stay at a variety of standard-rate hotel rooms and suites from brands like Hilton, Marriott, and Holiday Inn. Bethpage State Park doesn't just host golf courses, either, and its 1,477 acres of park grounds make for popular picnic spots perfect for nature lovers to explore.
Families visiting Farmingdale will want to check out Adventureland, an amusement park that has been in town since 1962 and features rides for adults and kids as well as a state-of-the-art arcade. The RPM Raceway is an indoor go-karting adventure that has individual and group rates, and the American Airpower Museum is a great way to explore the history and evolution of aviation right in the heart of town. Visitors can also head to the nearby Jones Beach, a popular oceanside destination on the Atlantic coast that's just 15 miles away. One of the New York City area's least crowded swim beaches, it's an excellent way to wind down after a stressful day of golfing.
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