Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black is taking on epic proportions
At 5:30 a.m., the gates will open. At 6:00, the rope drops. And by 7:00, the PGA of America expects 25,000 fans will be on the grounds, yelling, chanting, and witnessing what promises to be the loudest opening shot in Ryder Cup history.
The PGA announced Thursday that the Black Course at Bethpage State Park is halfway through its transformation into the epicenter of golf’s most electric event, with the competition weekend set to tee off Sept. 26.
The scale is set to be massive. According to Evan Crowder, PGA of America’s operations manager, “this is twice the size of the PGA Championship,” which was held at Bethpage in 2019.
It shows.
The Ryder Cup build began May 19 and is already buzzing with 250 construction workers, which is set to double to 500 in the coming weeks. The layout will be unlike anything golf fans have seen on this course. For the first time at a Ryder Cup, the adjacent first tee and 18th green will have a dual-view amphitheater effect. It’s a new dynamic that championship director Bryan Karns says will define the spectator experience.
“There’s never been this much demand,” Karns said. “We had over 500,000 people register for tickets. Thursday through Sunday sold out in 48 hours. There’s only a handful left for practice rounds.”
And getting there won’t be simple unless you plan ahead.
Spectators arriving by train will be shuttled from both sides of the Farmingdale LIRR station to the Yellow Course’s 10th hole, now serving as the event’s main entrance. Rideshare drop-offs will be smoother than in years past thanks to a new lot on Yellow No. 11, just off Bethpage State Parkway. General parking will operate similarly to the 2019 PGA Championship, with fans parking at Jones Beach and taking a complimentary shuttle north to Bethpage State Park Road and the event entrance. Guests can purchase their parking passes alongside their tickets at www.seatgeek.com/ryder-cup-tickets.
After check-in, it’s a 15-minute walk to the first tee, but fans will have plenty to look at along the way. First on the left? A massive Ryder Cup merchandise shop that spans 63,000 square feet, the biggest in PGA event history. Merchandise is set to drop in the coming month. Outside the shop, spectators can snap a photo with a replica Ryder Cup trophy.
Players will warm up on Yellow Course No. 1, a nod to Bethpage’s sprawling layout and flexibility. The Black Course hasn’t been drastically altered for the event, but bunkers and tree lines have been cosmetically updated. The most visible transformation is a new first tee box, built to the left of the original tee box and now extending 340 yards to the front of the green. It's a 30- to 40-yard shift that adds to the spectacle.
Practice rounds will be held Tuesday through Thursday. Come Friday and Saturday, competition tee times start at 7:00 a.m., but fans can begin arriving at 5:30. Until 6:00, they’ll be held in the fan zone, when the official rope drop unleashes a mad dash for the grandstands. There will be 3,000 seats and 2,000 standing spots surrounding that first shot, meaning only the earliest risers will snag the best views.
With Empire Suites lining the 18th fairway and the 1st and 18th holes running parallel, fans can also follow the drama from start to finish without moving an inch.
More than 50,000 fans are expected daily on site Friday through Sunday and over 30,000 volunteers are on a wait list just hoping to be part of it. Keegan Bradley, Team USA’s captain, will round out his roster by Aug. 27. Until then, Bethpage will keep building faster, bigger, louder.
More golf news
