Getting a tee time on Bethpage Black will never be easy.
But landing one of the toughest tee times in public golf did get easier.
You can now book online tee times for the famed major championship municipal course on New York's Long Island and other munis run by New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. The state's old antiquated phone reservation system that caused so many headaches for golfers was phased out in 2018.
Since it's on everyone's bucket list, here's how to get on:
To book, simply go to the parks and rec website. Select the facility you want to play and then sign up and log in for an account and pick your tee time. There is no booking fee. Green fees for non-residents are $130 weekdays and $150 on weekends. New Yorkers play for $65 weekdays and $75 on weekends.
The system still favors state residents over out-of-towners. State residents may book a reservation one week in advance stating at 7 p.m. for all courses at Bethpage. Non-residents may make reservations five days in advance starting at 7 p.m. for all courses. Reservations for the Black Course are limited to once per 28 days. For instance, if you make a reservation for a tee time for July 1 on the Black Course the next reservation tee time you can make a reservation for is July 29.
You can also make same-day reservations through the online system. You can only reserve three hours out. For instance, if you look online at 8 a.m., you will only be able to reserve a time starting at 11 a.m. If you have any questions or problems registering, call the front office at 516-249-0700 or email BethpageSP@parks.ny.gov.
The word "reservation" is the key to the above policies. The first hour of tee times every morning are open on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you want to spend the night in the parking lot to snag one of these tee times, someone will knock on your car window about 4:30 a.m. to give you a ticket guaranteeing a spot. Just don't fall back asleep.