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4.2
22 Reviews (22)
5 Stars
9
4 Stars
9
3 Stars
4
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
3.9
Value
4.2
Layout
4.6
Friendliness
3.5
Pace
3.5
Amenities
3.8
95.5%
Recommend this course
21 out of 22 reviews
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About

Holes 18
Type Municipal
Par 70
Length 7092 yards
Slope 133
Rating 74.4

Course Details

Year Built 1935
Fairways Rye Grass
Greens Rye Grass
Golf Season Year round. Weather permitting
Architect A. W. Tillinghast (1935)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes - $30 - $40
Clubs Yes
Pull-carts Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Golf School Academy Yes
Golf Simulator Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Indoor Practice Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Metal Spikes Allowed No
Walking Allowed Yes

Food & Beverage

Snacks, Restaurant

Available Facilities

Lounge, Showers, Lockers

Accolades

  • Golf Advisor: Top Courses in New York (2017 #23)

Reviews

4.2
22 Reviews (22)
Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Walked

First time on the Red Course. Course was in great condition. Its on the difficult side, longer Par 4 then you're use to. Greens were great. Look forward to another trip out.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 277
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 1000 Contributor
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
Incentivized Review
5.0
Previously Played

Bethpage Red Course

Bethpage Red is an excellent course with a great value for your money. It’s a par 70 that’s difficult but fair for amateur golfers. There is one par 5 each and two par 3 on the front and back nine. The 1st hole is a par 4 over 400 yards with an elevated green. Senior New York State residents weekday walk up rates is $28.00 only. Great bargain for retired senior citizens. The course has great features.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
Incentivized Review
4.0
Previously Played

Bethpage Black’s little brother

Many people come to Bethpage just to play the Black course and many might not know how good the Red course actually is. Yes, Bethpage Black should be on every golfers bucket list, but in my opinion the course conditions on Red parallel that of the Black & it is a much more golfer friendly track. At $43 walking rate for NYS residents this is an absolute steal. The layout is very good, as no two holes are alike. Mostly flat with a few uphill approach shots to the green, no two holes are the same. Greens are usually on the quicker side, compared to the other courses here (excluding Black). This is my go to track at Bethpage. Expect about a 4 1/2 hour round here on average.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Perfect weather
Used cart

Not as great as you think

First off i like the course. If you don't play in the first 5 groups it will take all day. Trying to get a time is near impossible. The office takes money for tee times. If you try to show up in the morning good luck. People pay car sitters that show up 2 in the afternoon the day before. As far as the course goes. its very good. hole 6 is buy far the worst hole on the course. they don't trim the trees so the landing area is very small for a look at the green. If you played you know what i mean. Its still a nicely balance course. The greens have been going down hill the last few years. Slow and too many ball marks. Do they know how to move the pin around? They really take a beating with the outings late in the season. I still love playing it and if the state didn't run it it would a great course

Conditions Average
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Fair
Pace Average
Amenities Poor
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 86
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
N Y N J Advisor
Top 500 Contributor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked

Enjoyable Round

The first tee box is officially open after setting up as a temporary par 3 as the fairways have been recovering from PGA Championship tents. With the exception of the first hole fairway and some beat up tee boxes, the course was in great shape. The long fescue has been cut down and the rough is not as long as it usually is making the Red a little easier than it normally plays. Pace of play was slow at 5 hours but expected given it was a weekend afternoon tee time.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 7
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart

SLOW Play - Loved the Course

Slow play - teed off at 236pm on a Wednesday. We finished AFTER 8pm. We did not have a single hole where we didn't wait on a tee shot except for #10 but that was because we paused for a few minutes to grab something at the snack shack. We never saw a single staff member out there moving groups along.

The greens were in decent shape - TONS of pitch marks but that's not the courses fault. They rolled reasonably true and were better than most public courses on the speed front.

Price is about average for a muni - can't really complain about that. Staff members were all fairly grumpy but not rude. Our starter for the day was a treat and was good conversation as we waited on our tee time.

Hole #1 still plays as a 95 yard par 3. The fairway was beat down by a huge tent / club during the PGA and it likely won't be playable from the looks of things until next year. The rest of the course was fairly interesting with doglegs everywhere - a lot of the fescue was knocked down giving a better chance of finding your errant swings.

We had the sprinklers turned on us at 3 as we were hitting into the green - so that was obnoxious. It was clear many of the holes were being or had been recently watered.

I will return and hopefully have a better experience with pace of play.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Poor
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 161
Handicap Don't know
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Top 100 Contributor
New York Advisor
Previously Played

Not fully recovered, decent to play

My favorite track of the 5 courses at Bethpage. First hole still recovering from the PGA championship will probably take all summer. Conditions weren't the worst but I have seen it better.
Had an earlier tee time but still played slow. Expect a 5 hour round at least.

Conditions Fair
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Fair
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
5.0
Windy weather
Used cart

Worst Customer Service

Most unprofessional experience ever on a golf course. I have played her countless times as i live less than 5 minutes away. Customer service was never a reason we went to play but HOWEVER; this time customer service plays a role in why i will NEVER go back there EVER again despite the convenience. Our cart died on the 7th hole of the red course after twilight hours. We were moving along nicely and could have finished the full 18, if not get pretty close. Because our cart died we were surpassed by 3 groups putting us way behind schedule that we were on pace for. The cart guy took 20 MINUTES!! to get to us after we called twice. It did not take 20 minutes to get back to the shop because at most it took us 3 whole minutes MAYBE. Because my partner and i were frustrated and did not want to get stuck behind 2 foursomes as we were only a twosome, and lost precious daylight as it was we decided we were unhappy and we felt because it took them so long to accommodate our needs for a working cart we decided to turn it in and request a refund. THEY REFUSED and had the audacity to say "Well you got your cart didn't you?" Are you kidding me? That is the response you have for a customer when you ruined our round because of your inability to hire competent workers to distribute fully charged carts? And then on top of that take 20 minutes to bring a cart to distressed golfers when the carts were AT MOST 3 minutes away?? NEVER AGAIN!!

Conditions Average
Value Poor
Layout Good
Friendliness Poor
Pace Fair
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 25+
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
First Time Playing

Setting up for US open

First hole was shortened due to US open set up. Group ahead of us was very slow and starter sent a single out behind us. We finally let him play through on a par 3.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 7
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Welcome Back

Haven't played here in a few years and was pleasantly surprised. Played in 4 hours! not the 6 I was expecting. Conditions were terrific, much better than blue, yellow or green. Although they sanded the greens they still played firm and true. Not many ball marks as others have commented.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 93
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 100 Contributor
N Y N J Advisor

One of the Best

This is an update with more pictures added. The Red course is right up there with the best public courses in the NY area. It is on a great piece of property and utilizes it wonderfully, routing through valleys and up and down the rolling grounds. It is a great course to walk. The bunkers are strategic, large and raised up. There are quite a few doglegs but they vary in severity and strategy. The greens are gently sloped and not heavily contoured, and most allow run-ups from the preferred placement in the fairways. A real classic.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 08/03/2018

I agree with your review when you state that it is one of the best public courses in NY.... that is spot on. Love the doglegs and find it to be a really fun track. It really is a true classic. As I stated in my review, I truly love the course and believe it is a great course. I have stated that the conditions have gotten a little worse over the years, but never said the greens are bad and I do play mostly municipal courses. Just thought I'd get my two cents in

Played On
Reviews 77
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 500 Contributor
First Time Playing

This should really be a 5

I’d like to start by saying I love red and have been playing it for 10 years now. I prefer playing it over black because it is much more playable than black, but still a challenge. Players be warned, do not let the 6600 yardage fool you. This course is a par 70, not 72, and has at least 5 par 4s well over 400 yards. The greens aren’t overalls big so you better be accurate. I think red number 1, which is a 450 downhill and then back uphill is the best starting hole in the state. I’ll stand by that. The front 9 is easier to play then the back. 15 is a gem of a hole with a group of bunkers running down the center of the fairway. I also find 9 super hard because it’s over 420 and the prevailing wind is usually in your face. If the greens are rolled and the rough is grown, this course can kick your butt.

The problem is the conditions have gotten worse over the years. The greens used to be super icy and rolled well, but that hasn’t been the case in the last two years. The greens are much slower and full of ball marks. That’s partially the lazy golfers fault that plays this course and either doesn’t care or doesn’t know how to fix it. I basically fixed my entire groups ball marks today. Full disclosure I was a single and they were a threesome. Very nice people, just didn’t fix their marks. There’s a lot of dead areas and hard pan just a few paces off the fairways. A few of the tee boxes are in really bad shape, like number 2. I also wish they would get better sand for the bunkers. The sand tends to be hard with a lot of rocks where the sand on the black is powder. I understand today was the NY open and black takes precedent, but honestly I’ve noticed some neglect on all the other courses recently. This shouldn’t be the case with all the money that comes in from the Barclays, PGA next year and eventually the Ryder Cup in 2024. Oh and one more thing, there’s ONE cart girl for 5 courses. I didn’t even see her today on red, but did see her on blue. Such a shame.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
59e18427-d6a5-566f-b664-e3c1dffc4a44
Commented on 07/30/2018

If you think the greens on the Red are bad, you must not play many muni courses. While not quite top country club level, the greens and overall conditioning of the Red is very good. I do agree the bunkers could be improved, both the sand and the edging.
I know everyone says the 1st hole is the greatest opening hole around, but it's really not. It is a very good golf hole, but not for an opener. Donald Ross said the opening hole should be a gentle handshake. Who wants to have to hit a fairway wood or long iron on your approach shot to a severely elevated green on the first hole of a round when you are barely warmed up? I understand that Tillinghast really had no better choice because he has to get the golfer from the elevated clubhouse area to the top of the ridge away from the tee area to get to the rest of the course, but that doesn't make it a great opener. And other than the elevation, it is a straight hole with not a lot else going on. I think 6, 13, 15, and 18, among others, are better par-4s on the Red.

Played On
Reviews 9
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart

Great option instead of playing the Black course

I decided not to play the Black course due to the difficulty and the walking requirement. Was glad on my decision. Enjoyed my round playing with 2 NY residents. Course is great for a mid-handicapper. Still long and challenging. Great condition for state maintained facility. Only downside was slower play ~ 5 hour + round.

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked

Great course, golf haven, slow greens

This is a fantastic course with every hole being challenging and well-designed. I am a regular here and consider myself lucky to have this course so close and so available. My only complaint is that they used to cut and roll these greens frequently, and they were fast and true. Now they only cut them and they are slow. Very slow. Although they are in great shape, the lazy maintenance staff only cuts them now, They don't rake the traps either. 5 hour rounds do not exist if you play before 900.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Fair
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 161
Handicap Don't know
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 100 Contributor
New York Advisor
Previously Played

Challenging track with length

The red course at Bethpage is the second toughest out of 5 courses at this golf mecca. Course conditions were great except for people not fixing ball marks on greens. With stratigically placed bunkers and length, the layout is one of my favorite tracks of all courses. Like the black course, errant tee shots will severely punish people especially if the fescue is out. For New Yorkers, $48 on weekends and $43 midweek prices is a steal to play a course this caliber.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 93
Skill Intermediate
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 100 Contributor
N Y N J Advisor
First Time Playing

A fun, challenging course, but repetitive

This is a terrific course. The 1st, 13th, and 18th are memorable holes that are a blast to play. The par 3s are also great. The one downside is that all but three of the par 4s and par 5s are severe doglegs. The course seems very repetitive because of that. This course also seems to get more play than the Black so pace of play can be tough. Still, an overall very good experience.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 8
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Fair weather
Walked

The other gem at Bethpage

Bethpage Red is clearly the second best track at this five-course layout. The tee times book fast and rounds are consistently 5 hours during busier times. The first hole is an intimidating par four but don't worry because 2-7 are very scoreable. The course toughens on holes 8-15, but eases up on 16-18 for chances to finish with some birdies. Well-bunkered especially in the fairways. No water. The rough can long in the summer. Trees come into play on 2, 3, 5, 6, 11, 16 and 18. Not a bad walk but does have some hills. Bethpage is notorious for poor food and limited practice facilities but don't let that dissuade you. The greens are large for the most part but you can have challenging putts. Only two par fives on this par 70 layout, but both are reachable in two.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 161
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 100 Contributor
New York Advisor
Previously Played

Great conditions late in the year

Played this course two days in a row but midweek golf for a New Yorker at $43 for this course is a steal. Did not wait on one tee box so my round was done in just over 4 hrs. Greens have been aerated but ball rolls ok. Just a great value course all around.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Walked

Bethpage Red, a great Tillinghast course

Having played the Black course two previous times, I was eager to play the Red course after hearing so many good things about it and being such a fan of A.W. Tillinghast courses. I had always heard that the 1st and 18th holes on the Red are better than their respective counterparts on the Black course.

To sum it up, I really enjoyed playing the Red course. As a single, I got paired up with two other gentleman than provided a good bit of local knowledge which helped. The course starts out with a brute of a 1st hole (449 yards from the whites, 466 yards from the blues). The remaining portion of the front nine gives you a bit of a breather before you hit the back nine, which is where the course's teeth bite into you. Five par 4's on the back nine over 400 yards from the white tees. The course finishes up on a terrific and intimidating 401 yard par 4 (463 yards from the blues). Such a better finishing hole than the Black course.

Overall, it was a great day and I recommend the course to both intermediate and more skilled golfers. My only complaint was the round took right at five hours (typical for Bethpage when teeing off late morning) and the greens on the Red were a little slow on the day I played.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
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