The Bethpage Black Course is a public golf course on Long Island, New York, the most difficult of the five courses at Bethpage State Park. In 2002, the Black Course became the first publicly owned and operated course to host the U.S. Open, which returned in 2009. Bethpage Black hosted The Barclays, the event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs in late August, in 2012, in 2016 and is scheduled to host again in 2021, and 2027.Bethpage Black opened in 1936, designed by noted golf architect A.W. Tillinghast, who also designed its Blue and Red Courses which also opened in the mid-1930s.Bethpage Black is one of the featured courses in the video game Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12, by EA Sports.RankingsIn its July 2008 list of America's greatest golf courses, Golf Digest ranked Bethpage Black #26 overall, #6 in the state of New York, #6 of America's 50 toughest courses, and #5 in its list of America's greatest public golf courses. It is also the top-ranked course in the Golf Digest list that is operated by a governmental entity.
