Bethpage Black – the host of the 2025 Ryder Cup – is such a difficult golf course that there is a sign on the first tee warning amateur golfers who are about to play there.
The Ryder Cup players heading to Bethpage Black will be well aware of its reputation as one of the most challenging golf courses in the world.
When Bethpage has held the US Open in 2002 and 2009, the winning scores were three-under and four-under par respectively.
Meanwhile, Brooks Koepka won the PGA Championship at Bethpage in 2019 with a score of eight-under par.
The fans at Bethpage have always been incredibly intense and involved in proceedings.
However, things will be even more electric next week. The Bethpage Black crowd will be hugely influential at the Ryder Cup, making the golf course an extremely hostile environment for the visiting European players.
Even with no fans present, though, Bethpage is a monster. With that in mind, let’s check out how a scratch golfer got on in his attempt to break 80.
What a scratch golfer shot at Bethpage Black just weeks before the Ryder Cup
YouTube content creator Jared Civin – a scratch handicap golfer – has taken to Bethpage with the aim of breaking 80.
Civin, also known as the Headband Golfer, is obviously a very accomplished player.
However, Bethpage has made some of the best golfers in the world look silly in the past.
It stretches out to over 7,400 yards from the back tees and is a par 71, although the course drops down to a par-70 when they host major championships.
Remember, if you are heading to Bethpage to play, as the sign on the first tee says: “WARNING. The Black Course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers.”
So Civin clearly set himself a huge challenge by attempting to break 80, but break 80 he did!
Faced with a five-foot putt for par on the 18th the ‘Headband Golfer’ calmly rolled his ball in to the middle of the cup for an eight-over par round of 79.
A fantastic effort from the scratch golfer indeed.
How much it costs to play Bethpage Black
Bethpage is a public golf course, so anyone can turn up and play.
However, if you do, expect to wait in line for a very, very long time.
That said, the wait will be worth it, especially considering how reasonable the green fees are.
| Day and time | Non-residents | New York residents |
| Weekends | $160 | $80 |
| Weekdays | $140 | $70 |
| After 2pm | $88 | $44 |
Even for non-New York residents, that is some seriously good value-for-money golf on offer right there.
If you are ever given the chance to play there, snap it up with both hands. Whether you will be able to break 80 at Bethpage just like Jared Civin did is another matter entirely, though!
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