Hello, FEGC. It has been a slow week in golf architecture news, so let\u2019s do what every other golf media outlet does when running low on ideas: talk about the Ryder Cup!<\/p>\n
\u2192 In all seriousness, I\u2019m eager to share some thoughts on the venue of the 2025 Ryder Cup, the Black Course at Bethpage State Park<\/strong><\/a>, which I walked for the first time last week.<\/p>\n 1. Big takeaways. I\u2019ll admit that I wasn\u2019t terribly excited to see the course. Having watched past events at Bethpage on TV, I had formed an impression that the Black was an unsmiling brute with too-narrow fairways, too-thick rough, and pretty bland green designs.<\/p>\n {{inline-article}}<\/p>\n I found last week that this impression was basically correct but incomplete. Yes, Bethpage Black would benefit from wider fairways, lower-cut rough, and more varied green contouring. As it stands, though, it is a beautifully routed course on an outstanding piece of land. These two factors\u2014land and routing\u2014may not come through strongly on a tournament telecast, but they account for much of the Black\u2019s greatness, in my view.<\/p>\n Land:<\/strong> Bethpage Black\u2019s property sits in the Goldilock\u2019s zone for golf\u2014dramatic but not overly so. Its ridges and valleys are large enough to make each hole memorable and challenging, but not so large that the course must dodge them or struggle to maintain walkability.<\/p>\n {{chocolate-drops-bethpage-black-land-gallery}}<\/p>\n Routing:<\/strong> A masterclass. Every hole on the Black Course uses the terrain in a unique and compelling way, and the green-to-tee transitions are tight and intuitive.\u00a0<\/p>\n {{chocolate-drops-bethpage-black-routing-gallery}}<\/p>\n But my favorite aspect of the Black\u2019s routing is its narrative structure. It travels out and back, plunging deep into the rugged property and wandering through the woods before returning to the natural amphitheater where Nos. 1 and 15-18 sit. This type of routing fits with the course\u2019s identity as a test. When golfers play the Black, they venture into the wilderness, like Young Goodman Brown<\/a>, to have their skill and courage examined. They come back in an altered state\u2014perhaps stronger, or at least wiser and more self-aware.<\/p>\n 2. What\u2019s new? The Black has not undergone any major renovation work since it hosted the 2019 PGA Championship, but director of agronomy Andrew Wilson informed us that he and his crew have made a couple of tweaks. They took down a diseased oak tree that once loomed over the front-right corner of the eighth green, and they moved a pair of fairway bunkers on the 13th hole about 30 yards downrange in order to account for distance gains. Also, Wilson and his team reconnected a few fairways with surrounding bunkers, notably on the sixth, seventh, 10th, and 11th holes. The widening will be especially obvious on Nos. 10 and 11.<\/p>\n {{chocolate-drops-bethpage-black-fairway-widening}}<\/p>\n And, as you\u2019ve probably heard, the Black has a new first tee, built to accommodate a larger grandstand. We\u2019ll have content on this catnippy subject closer to the tournament.<\/p>\n 3. The Black Course as a Ryder Cup venue. Out-and-back, wandering routings can be problematic for tournaments, spreading out the action and attenuating the energy of the crowd. The Black, however, features enough \u201cgathering points\u201d\u2014that is, concentrations of tees and greens in particular spots\u2014to work as a spectator venue. If you attend the Ryder Cup, I would recommend spending some time near the ninth and 11th greens, where you\u2019ll be able to see a lot of shots on Nos. 9-12 simultaneously.<\/p>\n {{inline-course}}<\/p>\n Now, is the Black a great match-play course? That\u2019s a tricky question. I\u2019m still formulating my own take on it, potentially for an episode of Designing Golf<\/a>. In the meantime, let\u2019s talk about it in the comment section: what makes a good venue for match play?<\/p>\n