How to Play Bethpage Black: An 18-Hole Aerial Tour & Play Guide | 2019 PGA Championship

Watch a drone tour of all 18 holes at Bethpage Black, host for the 101st PGA Championship. We break down all 18 holes of this massive course during a picturesque aerial tour.

[@TRRyan]

I grew up on Long Island and played this course 30 or 40 times in the late 1960's. Bethpage State Park has 5 courses and the other 4 colors were usually jammed, so my pal Gary and I normally chose the Black. Weekday greens fees: $2.00. The acres of sand traps made you think you were at Jones Beach, and the devilish upwards, downwards, and sidewards angles resembled the Fun House at Coney Island. Although I loved the exhilaration of this challenge, it was bad psychologically to keep hitting shots that turned out badly or were impossible to pull off for a teenager just learning the game. Hogan and Snead played an exhibition match here in the 1940's, neither broke par, and Sam supposedly quipped afterwards, "Great course, but please don't invite me back."

[@robertkelly6282]

Funny u called them sand traps more like concrete. Place was never taken care of but still a great day of torture lol

[@wahrscheinlichoder3017]

Holy damn this is a beast of a course. Good luck playing under par here

[@TheKraken32]

Or even getting a single digit on one hole

[@progressiveconservativekim4167]

It was an unforgettable round 9 years ago. I should have played with caddie's help. I don't remember my score. It must have been around 120 strokes with white tee.

[@myronalexander3054]

Dam....skinny fairways, long par 4s and 3s, and elevation. Its gonna be an old school score this week...I'm predicting -5 under for the week wins.

[@jjhlk6737]

Maybe even lower. Players aren't spoiled here with high scoring chances. I've played this course a dozen times. Long, narrow fairways, high rough and junk, small and often elevated greens, fast greens, hard to hold greens, slopes around the greens, etc. Even just walking the course is a beast - it's long and hilly and you have to often walk backwards to the next tee box from the green you're on. I was tired just walking by the 7th hole. There's a reason John Daly needs a cart to play this course.

[@30secondgolflessons]

Myron Alexander bold! We shall see!

[@MikeyJoJo6385]

That's generous

[@TheKraken32]

-9

[@57yipster57]

Palms are sweating just from watching. Can't wait to watch the pros go at it tomorrow. Nice fly-over views. Was lucky to play it a couple times after the first US Open there. Probably my favorite course along with Kiawah. Got on as a non-New Yorker single on bad weather days. It's a beast. The course makes you loose trust in your game. You start thinking about chunking simple chips just because of the bunkers. It's looooonnnng. I was on the regular back tee of the 7th, a par-5. Then, one of the locals pointed to a hill with a bunch of tall trees around it, about 40 yards back of the tee box, higher up and said the pros played from there and it was a par-4 for them. On the 15th, that second (or third) shot up to the Mt. Everest high green is impossible. It has to be a third shot. It has to be a third shot to get on. And the bunkers are everywhere. If I remember correctly, one dude I played with hit at least one bunker on every single hole. Ahhh man, what I would give to play it again. Hope it will be a great tournament, whomever the winner is.

[@bertraminc9412]

Come on Tiger! Let’s see the magic! And Rory too. I want all my clubs paid for!

[@3rdGorilla]

I think I could break 80 on the front nine!

[@Leartech81]

If you don't hit the fairway next week you're in a world of hurt... The guys playing the Byron Nelson this week are going to be spoiled with all of those 100-150 yard wide fairways...

[@mangoman2148]

I would still hit 2/14 fairways at the Nelson.

[@jamese1116]

I'm playing the black today! Wish me luck. I'm playing from the tips to truly understand how difficult it is. I'm hoping to shoot 85 or better

[@robertkelly6282]

Good luck

[@MinoruMikeAoki]

I'm looking forward to watching PGA Championship next week how the pros play on this great course on TV via satellite. This is my favorite course where I have played more than 200 rounds when I used to live in NYC.

[@blakespike8612]

thanks for letting us all know you're watching it on tv via satellite. we were all worried about how you were gonna watch it.

[@MinoruMikeAoki]

We Japanese golf fans can watch almost all PGA Tour, European PGA Tour and LPGA tournaments live on TV via satellite. So, many of us know what's going on in the Golf World.

[@blakespike8612]

Minoru Mike Aoki congrats! Apparently they don’t teach sarcasm in Japan. Nobody cares

[@lgb0217]

3 par 4's over 500 yards and most in the 470 range wow you gotta hit it long and straight here. I don't see a short hitter winning this week for sure. So Excited to play it 2 weeks after the PGA it will be my second time

[@Craig2760]

Went to Bethpage 30 yrs ago, Black course was closed for maintenance. Played the Red course. Amazing round of golf.

[@brendancoughlan3487]

Absolute beast of a course by the looks of it

[@robertkelly6282]

Hole 5&15 with windy conditions are pure hell

[@II-yq2jx]

They arent a breeze with no wind

[@dirkdiggler7713]

Easily one of the top 5 hardest golf courses.. Bethpage is brutal and downright nasty, a true golfing test. Gotta fancy Brooks.

[@blairmalfara6990]

How to play Bethpage... DONT😂💀

[@gfals2130]

It's going to be a bomber who wins.. the course will be fairly soft, carry will mean a lot.. love this course, I can't wait to watch..

[@DizzyTurtle77]

I wish they had something like this every week on the tour.

[@j.howard3445]

Sure wish this existed for the masters, I was looking for something like this

[@wallstreetoneil]

Koepka, Tiger, DJ, FInau, maybe Fleetwood. If Tiger has the 290-300 cut driver working it's going to be him and Koepka in the final pairing on Sunday.

[@sharkiesgirl8929]

KOEPKA, MOLIANARY FINAL ROUND.LL. SPEITH WILL BE CUT AFTER SECOND ROUND.. TIGERS DRIVER WILL BE AWFUL ITS WINDY AS HELL IN SPRING IN NY..

[@kjames460]

Paul O'Neil Has Tiger ever won at Bethpage Black?

[@wallstreetoneil]

@@kjames460 Double to start didn't help - but Koepka and Fleetwood are right there. That was my thought, take Koepka (best long pressure driver) and Fleetwood - (probably best iron player) - and both good pressure players.

[@joeblowmha]

they may have moved it up but its still the 4 th major

[@lucaluis1861]

best course on history

[@30secondgolflessons]

This is awesome! Now I’ll probably win!

[@kylerangerstown6461]

Can’t wait to go on Friday!

[@MoMoMyPup10]

Have fun! I'll be there on the weekend. Super excited for this one.

[@kylerangerstown6461]

MoMoMyPup10 Nice! enjoy!!

[@UmarKhan-zy5cw]

beast of a course.. fairways and greens. rinse and repeat. make the occasional putt and avoid double bogeys..

[@stratacaster74]

Holy shit. What a course!

[@Me37368]

That’s one of the toughest courses I’ve ever seen

[@MrMGR1986]

A truly intimidating golf course. I’ve never seen anything like it

[@MrMGR1986]

hanajinks didn’t they cancel Wingfoot?

[@mactheknight1248]

par will be a great score on any hole.

[@ethanpearson7461]

If Rory’s driving stays hot going into this weekend, he’s gotta be the favorite to win as long as he avoids 2-3 putting on holes

[@stylz1]

Very cool. Looks like a tough course.

[@Me37368]

I hope the winning score is around level

[@robertgray1756]

Watched this Video, as looking forward to US PGA 2019. I've played this course on T'W '2010 Xbox, quite a few times, it is very hard. I'm surprised and feel it's unnecessary for some of the bunkers and some are way too large, must be expensive to upkeep.

[@MrMGR1986]

Well is a major level course so it has to be super hard

[@MrMGR1986]

The bunkers are the scariest thing about bethpage black

[@DailyDrivenGolf]

I'M GONNA BE THERE THIS WEEK OOHHOO HOHOO HOOO!!!!!1

[@mpc77769]

Lucky sob... Enjoy!

[@DailyDrivenGolf]

mpc77769 thanks!!!:D

[@MoMoMyPup10]

Ditto. See ya there!

[@DailyDrivenGolf]

MoMoMyPup10 lol you again WOOO HOOO!

[@SethMacLeod95]

Have a great time man! Drink a lot of water haha

[@gorlaf]

knowing the PGA they will vary the tee boxes as well depending on the weather. They are more forgiving than USGA

[@ronniecoffman401]

Legendary

[@christopherfischer6998]

I played here. Insanely hard but so much fun

[@mightyx]

Tiger took a month off to prepare for this?

[@ronniecoffman401]

Because he knows

[@wodenoftheangles3339]

Tough course!

[@dylandavis2887]

I am rooting for tiger as I always do but I don't see him with his new game winning on this course. This course will suit the longer hitters.

[@funkster007]

Power AND accuracy are the key ingredients here. DJ would be a safe bet, and maybe Rory if he can stay consistent. But Tiger is Tiger. We know the drill. lol

[@kevinogill6726]

Easy to play the black ... hit it in play and putt lights out, no worries.

[@FunninGunnin1]

How PGAOA sets up the Rough will be the ONLY determining factor on the difficulty of this course. It will come down to that factor and that factor alone. If they get wimpy and let the players whine their way in to easy rough, this will be another Major with a -15 winner. If they make the Rough punishing, as Beth Page was intended, it will be one of those increasingly rare majors where Even par could determine the winner. These are Pro's....not babies. Punish them.

[@UmarKhan-zy5cw]

15 under ?! not a chance man. i dont care if we have benign conditions. theres just not many birdies out there and plenty of bogeys. no chance . i think winner will be closer to 5-7 under par..

[@MoMoMyPup10]

@@UmarKhan-zy5cw -- probably more like it. Maybe, just maybe, they get to -10 if they get rain and the greens hold.

[@tannerthompson3754]

Are you serious!? This course is harder than the National I promise you that. The rough will determine whether its an even par or even +1 for sure, but even with a little more forgiving rough, its not gonna be no -15, maybe -6 or -7 It will take some precision driving but then no room for error in pin seeking either as the greens are smaller and more heavily guarded

[@aidangriffiths5075]

this place is fckn terrifying 😂

[@paulfrombrooklyn5409]

That is putting it mildly. I played Bethpage Black Twice. For an average golfer, The last four holes are killer, in terms of just walking.

[@vamvra5498]

Lot of par 5's

[@JobeCourtney]

Jesus this course is long.

[@SethMacLeod95]

Jobe Courtney I’m a pretty solid player but just by watching these Ariels I know this would eat my lunch and dinner.

[@jamese1116]

The length isn't the problem haha. I'd rather play a course that's 8000 yards with wider fairways and shorter rough

[@lucaluis1861]

now this course is dificutily

[@sharkiesgirl8929]

KOEPKA GONNA WIN ME NEW SET OF CLUBS.. PUT 500 ON HIM TO WIN..... SEE ITS GONNA BE WINDY.. HE DOMINATES HARDER IT GETS..

[@andrewsandlin34]

Tiger will utilize long irons ans if his putter is on he wins again

[@robertgray1756]

Need to be very very good and long off the Tee. I don't expect Tiger Woods to be in the top 10 here. I would expect Dustin Johnson to do well here.

[@chrisdugan5555]

524 yard par 4?!

[@camelcase9225]

This looks insanely punishing. Even when you get on the green you're in for some difficult times. I'm predicting -9 wins it.

[@Moishe555]

Jesus.

[@Branulous]

Bethpage Black: the Death Valley for golfers

[@raulveron8168]

This field looks very difficult

[@wiltsunen8244]

Having courses this hard doesn't reward the players that much when they are playing to simply survive a lot of the holes, instead of going for shots close to the hole. Not in my favour, but if you like winning scores close to par, then here you go.

[@kenattaway721]

Why would any sane amateur want to play this...golf course??

[@ronaldrickard3551]

i'd be there for a week

[@Stewwwwww]

Winning score will be 14 under

[@adamboyle3331]

524 yard Par 4. Kill me.

[@ethanpearson7461]

Adam Boyle at the golf course I work at that’s our longest hole and it plays as a par 5😂

[@TheSupergan]

Once you play the Black nothing else will be the same...

[@nathandufc3785]

Beth Page on steroids.

[@jackvandecar8598]

It annoys the fuck out of me how he says bunkers when theres only one bunker

[@LA67895]

You don’t

[@richardoakley6560]

I wish they didn’t punk out with making every par 3 +200.

[@MoMoMyPup10]

Huh? Only 2 of 4 are over 200.

[@ethanpearson7461]

MoMoMyPup10 3 out of 4**

[@ethanpearson7461]

Richard Oakley but also the tees can vary a lot so some tees could go down to 180-70 maybe depending on tees

[@MoMoMyPup10]

@@ethanpearson7461 8 and 14?

[@shawnk1899]

God I hate this course on WGT

[@kevinmcclainsr.2706]

How to play Bethpage Black? Don’t play Bethpage Black! 🙂

[@mefirst5427]

Tiger will putt poorly, spray his driver all over and out of bounds and not win his 16th major

[@jjj1951]

Setups like this is what hurt golfers like Corey Pavin. Golf should be a game of accuracy, not brute strength.

[@Moishe555]

Who? Hold on I'll Google..

[@MoMoMyPup10]

Still gotta drive it straight. Long and crooked won't score a thing. Still gotta putt. Still gotta hit good irons. Still gotta have a short game.

[@paulfrombrooklyn5409]

It is a major! Majors are tougher than regular tournaments.

[@yearingolf]

Actually doesn't look that tough, the greens are quite generous.

[@RHMorty]

Moron.

[@paulfrombrooklyn5409]

@@RHMorty I agree. Matt Legend is a MORON!!!!!!

[@tannerthompson3754]

I don't think Matt has ever played golf before haha

[@Slinkbomb]

@@tannerthompson3754 Fro the average golfer, this place wouldn't even be fun.

[@tonysmario817]

what a ruined golf course. so many 500 yard par 4's to greens with no open approach...which only favors the 'bomb and gouge' style of golf, and essentially eliminates the shot makers that don't drive the ball 350 with their novelty drivers. any architect should cringe at the idea of 500 yard par 4's that require carry approaches!! it's a travesty of the game of golf. all to pimp plastic novelty equipment.