Pros: 1 US Open course + 4 courses = variety, value, accessible by public transit, walkers abound
Cons: Slow play, hard to get tee times, 1 hour pre-arrival policy, did I say slow play?
New York City is made up of 5 boroughs, think 5 large arrondissements and Bethpage resembles NYC in so many other ways. The CostCo of golf course complexes, but the quality and condition of the courses belie the CostCo moniker. Thank you AW Tillinghast and FDR (I think the New Deal policies were partly responsible for the building of these courses.) As has been said, for the amount of play these courses get, the conditioning is very good although many people don't clean the traps or fix their divots. Overall, more holes favor a draw than a fade, but the ones that need a fade really turn right.
Black: Everything that has been written about Black has been written, so I can't really add much. If you're a single, it's alot easier to get on than you think. If you're not sure of the reservation policy, find a screen capture of the board that's posted near the car queue.
Red: Lots of long par fours, a long course in general, a hole with a split fairway and great views of Black, but holds up quite well on its own.
Blue: Tough front nine, never liked the 9th and 18th holes, doesn't fit my eye and usually other golfers agree with me. The long par 4 5th is always a challenge. Every par 3 except the first has a deep valley between the hole and tee box.
Green: I thought this was a walkers only course, but I'm not positive about this. Long par 5s, interesting elevation changes, love the 2 closing holes.
Yellow: Underrated. The shortest of the five, but more interesting than all the NYC munis, this is a course where you can unleash your driver on wide open short par 4s but has its fair share of difficult holes, like the long par 4 13th and a missed green on the following par 3 14th is no bargain.
If you're taking the LIRR, get off at the Farmingdale stop, not Bethpage. Closer to the clubhouse, cheaper fare. It's actually walkable to the clubhouse from Farmingdale station. I've walked 18 and to and from the station and it's not that bad, but a cab ride is much more convenient. I also uploaded the board listing the car line rules. Ya can't say ya didn't know. Enjoy.
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