This podcast takes an in-depth look at Bethpage Black, host of the 47th Ryder Cup from September 26–28, 2025. It provides a hole-by-hole breakdown, describing the course’s unique challenges, strategic demands, and broadcast details for viewers in Europe and the United States. The text also places Bethpage in historical context, highlighting its past majors and its reputation as one of the most demanding public courses in the world.
Bethpage Black stretches 7,436 yards, par 70, from the championship tees. Ranked 37th on Golf Digest’s list of America’s 100 Greatest Courses, it has hosted the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Opens and the 2019 PGA Championship. Its difficulty is legendary: the sign at the first tee warns that the course is “extremely difficult” and recommended only for highly skilled golfers.
Layout and Strategy
Bethpage Black contains four par 5s: the 4th, 5th, and 13th, plus the 7th, which plays as a par 4 in championships. Together they define a course that constantly tests decision-making, accuracy, and nerve.
Terrain and Routing
- Elevated tees and greens: The 1st hole requires a driver from an elevated tee, with a steep green front. The 6th drops 60 feet from a plateau. The 15th has a tiny two-tiered green perched 50 feet above, while the 16th tumbles 60 feet from the tee.
- Doglegs and carries: The opener is a dogleg right where trees force a shaped drive. The 2nd curves left through an oak valley. The 7th demands a bold line over scrubland bunkers, and the 16th also bends left.
- Canyons and valleys: The 3rd, a par 3, plays across a canyon to a diagonal green. The 2nd threads through rolling oaks.
- Water hazards: Only the 8th has water, with a pond short of the green, reshaped for majors and compared to Augusta’s 12th and 15th.
Bunkering and Traps
- Extensive hazards: The 2nd has a hilltop green with a gully left. The 3rd is fronted by traps, with a steep chasm beyond. The 4th, designed with A.W. Tillinghast’s input, showcases dramatic bunkering restored by Rees Jones.
- “Lethal” bunkers: The 5th has a daunting fairway bunker. The 15th, the toughest hole in two U.S. Opens, is ringed by what Jones called “lethal bunkers.”
- Unique placements: The 6th has bunkers larger than the green. The 10th runs alongside dunes-style bunkering. The 12th features a giant bunker left, while the 17th green is surrounded by yawning traps.
- Greens and Approaches
- Precision surfaces: The 1st slopes steeply from front to back. The 5th is shallow and subtle, where even short putts are tricky.
- Hidden flags and tilted slopes: The 2nd conceals the flag. The 11th has a tilted green encircled by sand with a new pin. The 17th, the widest yet shallowest green, creates severe angles.
- Small targets: The 13th tempts players to attack a tiny green beyond a cross bunker. The 18th has a compact surface meant for wedges.
Risk and Reward
- The 13th is a gamble: lay up or attack the green.
- The 7th, normally a par 5, plays as a punishing par 4.
- The 18th, reshaped in 2018, tempts players to hit driver; champions rarely lay up.
- The 9th is one of the hardest tee shots, uphill over gullies to a tabletop fairway, often leaving a long approach.
Broadcast Information
- UK & Ireland: Live on Sky Sports, with a dedicated Ryder Cup channel and streaming via Sky Go and NOW.
- Germany, Austria, Switzerland: Every session live on Sky Sport Golf.
- France: Canal+.
- Spain: Movistar+.
- Sweden: All matches live on Viaplay/V Sport Golf, day sessions 13:00–20:00, Sunday singles 17:00–24:00.
- United States: Coverage on NBC, Golf Channel, USA Network, with streaming on Peacock.
- Time difference: New York is six hours behind Central Europe, so sessions starting 7:00 am EDT air 13:00–midnight CEST.
Bethpage Black blends difficulty, history, and prestige. Each hole poses a distinct challenge, ensuring the 47th Ryder Cup will be a battle not just between the United States and Europe, but also against one of golf’s toughest courses.
