Walk towards the stairs that bring you down to the first tee box and the layout of the opening hole might distract you from the sign informing you of the test on which you are about to embark.
WARNING, the sign begins in big red letters, The Black Course Is An Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only For Highly Skilled Golfers.
“The Black Course” is Bethpage Black, a municipal course in the middle of Long Island, and since the track hosted the U.S. Open back in 2002, the warning sign hanging from an iron railing has become iconic. It is not a prop, however. It serves as a caution rather than a deterrent because Blacks history precedes it. And those who accept the challenge, as the Americans and Europeans will do this week at the 45th Ryder Cup, understand what they are about to experience.
The Black course is battle in a number of ways. You have the thick rough and large bunkers to deal with, plus there is over 7,000 yards (from the tips) to travel up hills and long, narrow fairways. And just like the pros, no carts are allowed, so make sure you stretch plenty and hydrate before your good walk gets spoiled.
“You know what you’re going to get when you come here,” said former U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson before the 2019 PGA Championship. “It’s posted on the sign, right?”
The famous Bethpage Black warning sign won’t be on display this week as it will be at the Ryder Cup Live Fan Zone inside Rockefeller Center in New York City. It was first given a worldwide platform during the 2002 U.S. Open when Tiger Woods won after shooting 3-under par and was the only player to finish in red figures, proving that even the greatest golfers in the world are susceptible to what the course offers.
Harder than finishing a round at Black with a respectable score is determining the exact history of the warning sign.
Ahead of the 2019 PGA Championship at Bethpage Black, Golf Magazines Josh Berhow did a deep dive into the signs history, reaching out to numerous people with ties to the course including current and former course employees and local golf historians, among many others. There were no definitive answers, with differing claims of seeing the sign in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. But one source had a convincing story that has stuck for many.
Mike Asheroff, a former deputy director of state parks, recalled an early 1980s Memorial Day when he was notified of an incident on Black. A man was instructing his wife and slowing up a group of golfers behind them. Tensions rose and the situation escalated into golf balls being shot at each other, with the husband and wife being escorted away by police.
The backstory of Bethpage Black’s warning sign may be murky, but it’s clear that playing the course has become a badge of honor for golfers of the non-professional variety. Even before your first tee shot you know what to expect.
“It’s just a hard golf course, said Rocco Mediate during the 2009 U.S. Open held at Black. “That sign is true that’s out front.”