Ryder Cup: 5 essential things we learned about Bethpage Black

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Just as nothing compares to the Ryder Cup, no place in golf is like Bethpage State Park, the monstrous piece of property that sits smack dab in the middle of Long Island, right on the Nassau and Suffolk County lines.

The Park prides itself on providing the public with five outstanding golf courses, a testament to what golf is all about. Over 300,000 rounds are played annually, proof that New Yorkers love this place, too. But the one course that ranks above the others is the almighty Black, which is always brought up when discussing North America’s most challenging courses. It hosted the U.S. Open in 2002 and 2009, with Tiger Woods and Lucas Glover winning, respectively. Brooks Koepka also emerged victorious at the 2019 PGA Championship, the most recent major tournament the Black has held. That also marked the first time the PGA was held in May. All three of these majors proved difficult, as only nine players combined finished their weeks under par.

But preparations are now underway for next year’s Ryder Cup, which Bethpage Black will host for the first time. The public will show up in droves, too, as New Yorkers everywhere will beam with pride when ‘The People’s Country Club’ hosts the American and European contingents.

New York crowds tend to lean more toward hostility than cordial—look at how the boo-birds rain down on the Yankees whenever the Bombers fail to meet expectations. Nonetheless, the home crowd will show plenty of pageantry for the Americans next year, as the Black Course will be decked out in red, white, and blue. Whenever this A.W. Tillinghast design hosts a major, the atmosphere is nothing short of electric. It will be that and then some in 2025, when the U.S. hopes to win back the Cup from the Europeans.

So, without further ado, here are five essential things we learned about the 2025 Ryder Cup related to logistics, course setup, and, yes, how organizers plan to create an unprecedented first-tee experience.

5. PGA of America working with local agencies to avoid Solheim Cup-like disaster

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Logistics are the key to staging a successful golf tournament, especially in the greater New York area, which over 20 million people call home. Hence, representatives from the PGA of America and Bethpage have met almost weekly with leaders from the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) to discuss strategies and schedules for next year’s Ryder Cup.

Since the Solheim Cup proved a logistical nightmare, recent conversations have revolved around avoiding such disasters. Thus, the MTA, which operates the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), has agreed to run dozens of trains out of Penn Station and Grand Central in the early morning hours, thus guaranteeing fans will arrive at the course in time for the opening tee shots. Visitors will take the train to the Farmingdale Station, and shuttle busses will transport them to the front gates.

But what makes the Ryder Cup so different from the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship is that so much happens at dawn. It’s an early rise for everyone involved, especially fans, who want to get there early to get a good spot. That explains why the PGA of America is getting out in front of things, ensuring the MTA has plenty of LIRR trains available.

4. Bethpage Black will not show it’s teeth

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There is a reason this sign hangs proudly over the first tee. Yes, the Black Course is that difficult, but it will not play that way at the 2025 Ryder Cup.

“We’re going to have more birdies than bogeys during this tournament,” explained Andy Wilson, the Superintendent of the Black Course.

“That’s what this tournament really is. It is all about more action, more back and forth between the teams. So I’m excited about it because, for every other tournament we’ve had, it’s, you know, the players are trying to beat par, and I’m trying not to let them beat par and have the course stand up and give them a battle.”

Mowers will chop down the thick rough that lines these fairways to about 2.5 to three inches, much shorter than the five inches that everyone is accustomed to. The rough will still be healthy and thick but not as penalizing as what we have seen at previous major championships.

Green speeds will remain the same, at about a 13 on the stimpmeter, or as Wilson says, “Championship speed.”

Nevertheless, this course will serve as a terrific match-play venue. The routing in and of itself never ceases to amaze anyone who plays it, always challenging and intimidating whoever steps foot on it. But it will not play as tough as a major.

3. Keegan Bradley made slight changes to the course

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Nobody on the PGA Tour knows Bethpage Black more than Keegan Bradley, who played this course hundreds of times during his days at St. John’s University in nearby Queens. It’s a defacto home course for him. Hence, Bradley, who will captain the U.S. team next year, wants to lean into an American strength: driving distance.

Since so many American players routinely hit drives that measure 330 to 340 yards, giving them a wedge or a short-iron into most greens, Bradley has requested that Bethpage Black widen a few fairways. He wanted to give players more room so they could play more aggressively off the tee, which he hopes will give them an advantage over their European counterparts. Although Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Ludvig Åberg can hit the ball a long way too.

Bradley requested that the Park widen the fairways on the par-4 6th, par-5 7th, par-4 10th, and par-4 11th instead of having 15 to 20 yards of healthy rough. The 11th fairway is the most noteworthy, now almost 20 yards wider than before. Other changes include extending the fairway bunkers on the par-5 13th, bringing them more into play for the modern game while making them less penal.

Bradley also wants play on the par-3 17th to commence from the middle and forward tees. He wants the PGA of America to construct a grandstand surrounding the penultimate teeing area, which would stand on top of the championship tees. Since the 17th tee box sits adjacent to Round Swamp Road, tournament organizers have no choice but to move the teeing grounds up a bit to cater to this potential spectator area. It’s a difficult hole from any length—the toughest par-3 on the course—so this change will not have too much impact—unless you are a European and the deafening American crowd surrounds you.

2. Biggest Ryder Cup of all time

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Since Bethpage Black lies about 30 miles east of Midtown Manhattan, next year’s Ryder Cup will have the largest corporate rollout in the event’s history. Over 350 companies have already signed on to have hospitality tents, which will line the 15th, 16th, and 17th fairways.

More than 50,000 people are expected to visit the Black Course during each day of play, an eye-opening number given that only four matches traverse the course at a time. Ticket demand for next year’s Ryder Cup is also sky-high, as the PGA of America had no choice but to implement a lottery system. The organization expects that roughly 10% of all who request ticket access will be able to purchase them. Registration for that access closes on Oct. 22, 2024, 48 weeks before the Ryder Cup begins.

If you are lucky enough to get a ticket, you will receive complimentary food and non-alcoholic beverages as part of that package. That makes it easier to visit the concessions, but it also substantially increases the price. Tickets for Friday are currently listed at about $500. Still, the demand for this championship in the New York area is so high that tickets will go fast, leaving many relegated to watching from home.

1. Opening tee shots will be insane

The par-4 1st hole at Bethpage Black will measure 397 yards for next year’s Ryder Cup, but as the crow flies, it will only play about 330. That’s because the Black’s opening hole is a sharp dogleg to the right, with its green hidden beyond a group of trees that intimidate you off the tee.

But given the nature of team match play, one player could take this green on while another can lay up short and into the fairway. It will undoubtedly produce fireworks out of the gate, but the hole itself is not the only reason why.

In recent years, the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup, and Solheim Cup have made a concerted effort to build large structures surrounding the first tee. It creates a stadium-like atmosphere that sets the tone for the day like no other. Fans sing and chant, cheering on their favorite players while booing their adversaries. The players embrace it, too.

The problem with the 1st tee on the Black Course is that it backs right up to the veranda behind the clubhouse. You cannot move all the brick, the famous ‘Warning Sign,’ or the starter’s hut adjacent to the tee. So, the PGA of America and Bethpage officials devised another idea instead.

They decided to build a new tee lower down the hill and to the left, which will sit much closer to the 18th green.

As such, the massive grandstands that have become so familiar with the Ryder Cup will wrap around the 1st tee and the 18th green, creating an unprecedented atmosphere for fans. The 6,000 or so spectators that will fit into these stands will be able to watch players begin and finish their rounds should those matches reach the 18th green. Granted, only 25 to 30 percent of matches do so, but this will still create an incredible atmosphere.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.