2025 Ryder Cup: Previewing the Venue at Bethpage Black

The 2025 Ryder Cup will be held at the Black Course of Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York September 26 – 28, 2025. Bethpage Black is a public golf course known for its punishing difficulty and for being one of the few publicly owned courses to host major championships.

A Public Course with a Legendary Reputation

Bethpage State Park is home to five 18-hole courses, but the Black Course is its crown jewel. Opened in 1936, the course was designed by renowned golf architect A.W. Tillinghast and Joseph H. Burbeck. Its fame is cemented by a now-legendary sign at the first tee that states: "WARNING — The Black Course Is An Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only For Highly Skilled Golfers.”

The course is widely regarded as one of the most challenging in the United States, featuring narrow fairways, deep rough, and strategically placed bunkers. It’s also a walking-only course, which adds to the physical and mental test, especially given its hilly terrain.

Major Championship Host

Despite being a public course, Bethpage Black has an impressive resume of hosting major golf tournaments. It was the first publicly-owned and operated course to host a U.S. Open, a distinction it holds for its 2002 and 2009 tournaments. The course also hosted the PGA Championship in 2019. Its history of challenging the world's best golfers makes it an ideal venue for the high-stakes, match-play format of the Ryder Cup.

• 2002 U.S. Open: Won by Tiger Woods, who was the only player to finish under par for the tournament.
• 2009 U.S. Open: Lucas Glover won in a field where only a handful of players finished under par.
• 2019 PGA Championship: Brooks Koepka won, setting the course record with a first-round 63.

The 2025 Ryder Cup will be the first time the tournament is held at Bethpage Black, making it only the second course in New York to host the event, after Oak Hill Country Club in 1995.

The Ryder Cup and Bethpage Black

The atmosphere at Bethpage is known for being unique, drawing boisterous and passionate crowds, particularly from the New York area. This energy is expected to be a major factor in the Ryder Cup, where the crowd's support for the U.S. team is an integral part of the home-field advantage. The course's demanding layout will test the world's best golfers in a format that requires both individual skill and team strategy. The challenging holes and punishing rough will undoubtedly produce some dramatic moments, making for an exciting competition.