NYC Metro Area / New York

The take

NYC Metro is not a resort trip. It is a public-golf operation with one massive trump card: Bethpage Black, the A.W. Tillinghast municipal monster that hosted the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Opens, the 2019 PGA Championship, the 2025 Ryder Cup, and is scheduled for the 2033 PGA Championship. Bethpage State Park gives you five 18-hole public courses from one clubhouse, with Black and Red doing the heavy lifting and Blue, Green, and Yellow giving the trip useful depth.

The wider market adds three different flavors: Pound Ridge for high-end daily-fee Pete Dye golf in Westchester, Bally's Golf Links at Ferry Point for skyline golf in the Bronx, and Montauk Downs if your group wants the East End version with beaches, seafood, and a long drive that everybody underestimates. Hudson Hills is the practical Westchester municipal add-on. The architecture roster is absurdly good for a city market: Tillinghast, Dye, Nicklaus, RTJ Sr., Devereux Emmet, Alfred Tull, and Mark Mungeam, all hiding inside the traffic problem.

Read the full take

This is not the easiest destination on the site. Tee times are competitive, traffic can ruin smart plans, and lodging can be weirdly expensive without feeling special. But if the group wants Bethpage Black plus real New York food, bars, and energy, there is nothing else quite like it. Do it for the access, the grit, and the story. Do not do it because you want a frictionless resort bubble. That is not the product.

Best version

Base near Bethpage or Garden City for two nights, play Black and Red, add Pound Ridge or Ferry Point depending on the group's appetite for driving, then finish with one proper New York dinner. If Montauk Downs is part of the plan, make it a separate East End extension, not a casual "we will just pop out there" mistake. Manhattan can be the dinner night; it should not be the default golf base unless the city is the real trip.

Skip if

Groups that need a resort campus and one shuttle loop
Weak walkers who want carts everywhere and easy routing
Players expecting the Black tee sheet to behave like a normal booking engine
Anyone who says "we can stay in Manhattan and drive everywhere" with a straight face

Insider notes

Base near Bethpage or Garden City for two nights, play Black and Red, add Pound Ridge or Ferry Point depending on the group's appetite for driving, then finish with one proper New York dinner.
If Montauk Downs is part of the plan, make it a separate East End extension, not a casual "we will just pop out there" mistake.
Manhattan can be the dinner night; it should not be the default golf base unless the city is the real trip.

The courses

9 core rounds. Scan first, then click into the course detail when you want the full read.

Full destination course detailsExpand this section for the deeper course reads, then click again to hide it.Expand

#7GD Public

4.8(1,097)

99 Quaker Meeting House Rd, Farmingdale, NY 11735, USA

(516) 249-0700

Must play

Bethpage Black

Designer: A.W. Tillinghast / Joseph H. Burbeck
Year: 1936
Par: 71 public setup / 70 championship setup
Yardage: About 7,468 yards from the back tees
Difficulty: Very high
Green fees: 2026 posted public range: NYS resident Black rates roughly $70-$80; non-resident Black rates roughly $140-$160, plus reservation/cart-related fees where applicable.

Bethpage Black is the headline and the filter. If your group cannot handle the walk, the rough, the pace, and the possibility of shooting 92 with dignity, do not force it. If your group can handle it, this is one of the great public-golf days in America.

Strengths

Major-championship pedigree
Public access
Demanding tee-to-green test
Iconic identity
Serious value for what it is

Weaknesses

Hard to book
Hard to walk
Punishing for weaker players
Not relaxing in any normal sense

Must play / the reason this destination exists

0/5

Signature holes: 4, 5, 10, 15, 17, 18

4.5(33)

Unnamed Road, Farmingdale, NY 11735, USA

(516) 249-0700

Must play

Bethpage Red

Designer: A.W. Tillinghast
Year: 1935
Par: 70
Yardage: About 6,921 yards
Difficulty: High
Green fees: 2026 posted public range: roughly $43-$48 for NYS residents and $90-$100 for non-residents, with twilight/reservation fees varying by status.

Red is not the consolation prize. It is the course that makes the trip work when Black consumes all the oxygen. Play it before Black if the group needs a warm-up; play it after Black if the group wants a proper comparison.

Strengths

Real Tillinghast feel
Excellent opening hole
Strong test
Easier to fit than Black
Very good value

Weaknesses

Overshadowed by Black
Still not gentle
Tee times can be competitive

Must play / the smart companion to Black

0/5

Signature holes: 1, 4, 13, 17, 18

Image coming soon

Strong play

Bethpage Blue

Designer: A.W. Tillinghast / later Alfred Tull influence
Year: 1935
Par: 72
Yardage: About 6,676 yards
Difficulty: Medium-high
Green fees: 2026 posted public range: Yellow/Green/Blue rates roughly $38-$43 for 18 holes, with 9-hole/twilight options and reservation fees varying by status.

Blue is the practical third Bethpage course. It has enough bite to matter, especially early, but this is where you stop building the dream itinerary and start managing the tee sheet.

Strengths

Convenient
Affordable
Enough teeth for a supporting round
Good front-nine terrain

Weaknesses

Less memorable than Black or Red
Uneven routing
Not the trip anchor

Strong play / useful depth

0/5

Signature holes: 1, 5, 6, 14

4.5(15)

Round Swamp Rd, Farmingdale, NY 11735, USA

Strong play

Bethpage Green

Designer: Devereux Emmet / A.W. Tillinghast modification
Year: 1923
Par: 71
Yardage: About 6,378 yards
Difficulty: Medium
Green fees: 2026 posted public range: Yellow/Green/Blue rates roughly $38-$43 for 18 holes, with 9-hole/twilight options and reservation fees varying by status.

Green is useful, not essential. It is a good arrival-day round if you want the Bethpage campus without immediately making everyone question their life choices.

Strengths

Historic roots
Playable
Convenient
Cheaper
Easier rhythm than Black or Red

Weaknesses

Less distinctive
Not a destination round
Can feel ordinary after the headliners

Depth play / old-school warm-up

0/5

Signature holes: 1, 8, 12, 18

4.6(63)

99 Quaker Meeting House Rd, Farmingdale, NY 11735, USA

Strong play

Bethpage Yellow

Designer: Alfred Tull
Year: 1958
Par: 71
Yardage: About 6,310 yards
Difficulty: Low-medium
Green fees: 2026 posted public range: Yellow/Green/Blue rates roughly $38-$43 for 18 holes, with 9-hole/twilight options and reservation fees varying by status.

Yellow is the safety valve. There is no shame in using it for a casual day, but there is shame in flying a serious group to New York and pretending Yellow is part of the core rotation.

Strengths

Affordable
Easiest walk
Convenient
Useful for mixed groups

Weaknesses

Least essential Bethpage course
Limited trip identity
Can feel like filler

Depth play / easiest Bethpage option

0/5

Signature holes: 1, 6, 11, 18

3.9(172)

18 High Ridge Rd, Pound Ridge, NY 10576, USA

(914) 764-5771

Strong play

Pound Ridge Golf Club

Designer: Pete Dye
Year: 2008
Par: 72
Yardage: 7,165 yards
Difficulty: High
Green fees: Premium daily-fee dynamic pricing; verify direct before booking.

Pound Ridge is the right Westchester splurge if the group cares about architecture. It is not close to Bethpage in any useful way, so make it a deliberate day, not a casual add-on.

Strengths

Pete Dye's only New York design
Real architecture
Public access
Stronger than most metro daily-fee options

Weaknesses

Expensive
Not convenient from Long Island
Demanding for casual players

Strong play / best Westchester daily-fee option

0/5

Signature holes: 2, 7, 13, 15, 18

4.0(313)

500 Hutchinson Riv Pkwy, Bronx, NY 10465, USA

(718) 414-1555

Strong play

Bally's Golf Links at Ferry Point

Designer: Jack Nicklaus
Year: 2015
Par: 72
Yardage: About 7,400 yards
Difficulty: Medium-high, wind-dependent
Green fees: 2026 posted range: NYC resident 18-hole rates roughly $193-$231; non-resident roughly $246-$283, with twilight/sunset rates below that.

Ferry Point is a very New York golf product: dramatic, expensive, slightly overhyped, and still worth playing once if the skyline matters to the group. Do it for the setting and the "I played golf in the Bronx with Manhattan in the background" story. Do not do it because you think it is Bethpage with better views.

Strengths

Manhattan skyline
Public access
Strong conditioning
Event-ready operation
Easy if staying in the city

Weaknesses

Expensive
Manufactured feel
Not as good architecturally as the view suggests

Strong play / skyline experience

0/5

Signature holes: 2, 7, 10, 14, 18

Image coming soon

4.5(369)

50 S Fairview Ave, Montauk, NY 11954, USA

(631) 668-5000

Strong play

Montauk Downs State Park

Designer: Robert Trent Jones Sr. / Rees Jones
Year: Original 1927; RTJ Sr. redesign 1968
Par: 72
Yardage: About 6,976 yards
Difficulty: Medium-high
Green fees: 2026 posted range: NYS resident 18-hole rates roughly $48-$53; non-resident roughly $95-$106, plus reservation/cart fees where applicable.

Montauk Downs is excellent in the right trip and annoying in the wrong one. If you are staying out east, it belongs. If you are sleeping near Bethpage and "thinking about squeezing it in," go lie down until the thought passes.

Strengths

Great value for residents
Wind exposure
Fun East End setting
More interesting than the yardage suggests

Weaknesses

Logistically awkward
Not near the core Bethpage plan
Summer traffic can be brutal

Strong play / East End wildcard

0/5

Signature holes: 3, 6, 12, 18

4.2(259)

400 Croton Dam Rd, Ossining, NY 10562, USA

(914) 864-3000

Strong play

Hudson Hills Golf Course

Designer: Mark Mungeam
Year: 2004
Par: 71
Yardage: About 6,935 yards
Difficulty: Medium-high
Green fees: Westchester County Hudson Hills rates vary by season and park-pass status; posted non-pass spring rates reach roughly $71-$92 before cart/reservation extras.

Hudson Hills is the grown-up depth play. It is not trying to be Bethpage or Pound Ridge. It is a good public round when Westchester is part of the map and the budget needs one sane line item.

Strengths

Public access
Solid conditioning for the category
Strong county-golf value
Practical Westchester location

Weaknesses

Not a trophy round
Less memorable than Pound Ridge
Access/park-pass rules matter

Depth play / best Westchester county-muni angle

0/5

Signature holes: 4, 7, 13, 17

Full course library

Where to stay, eat, and stray

Lodging

Where to stay

The Garden City Hotel

The Garden City Hotel is the cleanest premium Bethpage base. It feels like a real hotel, not a roadside compromise, and keeps the Black/Red plan realistic.

Hyatt Place Garden City

This is the sensible version. Nobody will brag about the hotel. That is fine. You came for Bethpage, not thread count poetry.

Hilton Long Island / Huntington

Use this when the group wants rooms, parking, and less drama. It is a logistics play. Sometimes logistics wins.

Dining

Where groups actually eat

King Umberto

This is the right kind of Long Island dinner: loud enough, generous enough, and close enough to the golf plan.

Polo Steakhouse at The Garden City Hotel

This is the cleanest "we survived Bethpage Black and deserve dinner" option if the group is staying in Garden City.

Blackstone Steakhouse

Blackstone works when the group wants a proper steakhouse without dragging everyone into Manhattan after 36 holes.

Things to do

Beyond the golf

Manhattan night

One proper steakhouse or bar night is great. Two can become the reason the Black round dies on the first tee.

Citi Field / Yankee Stadium

Baseball works well if schedules line up. It is also a cleaner group activity than pretending everyone wants a museum afternoon.

Montauk extension

Beach, seafood, bars, and Montauk Downs can be a great add-on. It is not a same-day errand from Bethpage.

Planning mechanics

Logistics

Flights, driving, walking

Flights

The simple version: fly JFK or ISP for Bethpage, LGA for Ferry Point, HPN for Westchester, and stop trying to make one airport perfect.

Ground transportation

Rent cars or arrange black cars. Public transit can technically get you near some pieces, but this is a golf-bag logistics problem, not a backpacking experiment. For Bethpage, parking and early arrivals matter. For Manhattan, parking is punishment. Pick your base accordingly.

Walking

Black is the walk that defines the trip. Do not put weak walkers there for vanity. Carts are permitted on Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow, and supporting courses vary. The best version of the trip assumes serious walking at least once, then more comfortable pacing afterward.

Weather

When the trip works best

Best windows

May-June and September-October

Summer

Playable but humid; Long Island and Montauk traffic can turn ugly

Spring

Strong value, but conditions and wind can vary

Planning ranges

Cost and value levers

Bethpage Black

2026 posted range roughly $70-$160 by residency/day - One of the best value-to-prestige ratios in American public golf.

Bethpage Red

2026 posted range roughly $43-$100 by residency/day - The smartest second round on the trip.

Bethpage Blue/Green/Yellow

2026 posted range roughly $38-$43 for 18 holes, plus applicable fees - Useful depth and value, especially for arrival day.

Itinerary builder

Build your itinerary

The sample on the right is an illustrative Streamsong example.

It is meant to show the depth and shape of a real plan. Build your own around your group, dates, rounds, lodging, dining, and travel timing.

Build my itinerary

Illustrative sample output

Streamsong in 3 Days: 4 Rounds, Mixed Group

3 nights at Streamsong Lodge covering all 3 courses plus a repeat of whichever lands best with the group. With a mixed-skill group and a social thread running through the trip, the sequencing matters: start approachable, build toward bold, and protect evenings for the group to decompress together.

Recommendation

Start with Red to set the right tone for mixed players, not Black. Black's scale can deflate weaker players early and that poisons the rest of the trip.

Day 1

Morning: Arrive, check in to Streamsong Lodge, and get settled without rushing. Arrival timing is unknown, so do not force a same-day round.

Afternoon: If arriving early-to-midday, use the practice facilities to shake off travel; skip forcing an afternoon round on an unknown schedule.

Evening: Make this the nicer dinner night. Gather the group, debrief the plan, and use the evening to build energy for the heavy golf days ahead.

Insider note: Day 1 is the setup day, not a golf day. Burning a round here on travel legs is the most common mistake groups make at Streamsong.

Day 2

Morning: Tee off on Streamsong Red first thing. It is the most balanced course and the right anchor for a mixed-skill group on fresh legs.

Afternoon: Afternoon round on Streamsong Blue. It is more open and wind-affected, which rewards better players while staying manageable enough for the group.

Evening: Keep dinner casual and on property. Two rounds is a full day and the group needs to recover, not power through a production.

Insider note: Red in the morning lets the group settle in before Blue asks harder questions in the afternoon wind.

Day 3

Morning: Play Streamsong Black. Use it as the bold contrast round the guide describes, not as the centerpiece, and set expectations accordingly for higher-handicap players.

Afternoon: Replay the course that resonated most with the group. Red is the likely call for mixed groups, Blue for stronger players who want another look.

Evening: Final evening on property. Keep it relaxed since departure timing is unknown and no one should be grinding through dinner logistics.

Insider note: Black is the experience round, not the best round. Frame it that way for the group before the first tee so no one is quietly disappointed by the rougher edges.

Tradeoffs

Four rounds in two full golf days is aggressive but workable at a comfortable pace. The plan keeps Day 1 golf-free to protect legs and group cohesion rather than chasing a fifth round nobody would enjoy.

Black is scheduled for Day 3 morning rather than being skipped. It adds useful contrast and a memorable moment, but it was deliberately placed after the group already has two courses under its belt rather than as an opener.

The nicer dinner was placed on Day 1 rather than a golf day. This protects energy on the days that matter and gives the group something to build toward without splitting a long golf day around a formal meal.

Book first

Book all four tee times at Streamsong before lodging fills. The property manages its own tee sheet and availability tightens fast in peak season.

Confirm Streamsong Lodge rooms for all three nights in a single block. A small group of 3-4 makes this manageable, but winter weekends can still book out early.

Arrange caddies for at least Red and Blue if the group is open to walking. First-time looks benefit significantly from local knowledge on both courses.

Watchouts

Two rounds on Day 2 is the heaviest ask of the trip. If anyone in the mixed group is a high-handicapper or infrequent player, build in flexibility to skip the afternoon Blue round rather than grinding through it.

Streamsong is genuinely remote and there is no nightlife option off property. Groups expecting energy beyond the lodge bar will be disappointed, and that expectation gap kills trip morale faster than a bad round.

Black's scale and difficulty can frustrate less experienced players, especially after already playing 36 holes the day before. If the group's weakest player struggled on Day 2, consider swapping Black for a Red replay.

LodgingExpand

Do not default to Manhattan unless the non-golf part is the point. For a golf-first trip, Garden City, Farmingdale, Melville, or Huntington keeps the Bethpage part sane. Manhattan is great for dinner and terrible for morning tee times. Montauk is its own add-on. Westchester is its own add-on. This destination punishes people who try to make one hotel solve four geographies.

Classic Long Island hotel

The Garden City Hotel

0/5

Best for: premium Bethpage-focused trips

Cost: seasonal premium hotel pricing; verify direct

4.4(2,184)(877) 549-0400

45 7th St, Garden City, NY 11530, USA

Monday: Open 24 hours

The Garden City Hotel is the cleanest premium Bethpage base. It feels like a real hotel, not a roadside compromise, and keeps the Black/Red plan realistic.

Pros

polished, close enough to Bethpage, good first-class Long Island base, easier than Manhattan

Cons

not cheap, not walking-distance to nightlife, still requires cars

Practical hotel

Hyatt Place Garden City

0/5

Best for: budget-conscious Bethpage groups

Cost: variable chain-hotel pricing; verify current rates

4.2(1,046)(516) 222-6277

5 North Ave, Garden City, NY 11530, USA

This is the sensible version. Nobody will brag about the hotel. That is fine. You came for Bethpage, not thread count poetry.

Pros

practical location, lower cost than premium Long Island hotels, easy enough for groups

Cons

not special, car-dependent, no destination feel

Full-service suburban hotel

Hilton Long Island / Huntington

0/5

Best for: larger groups splitting Bethpage and Nassau/Suffolk rounds

Cost: variable chain-hotel pricing; verify current rates

3.8(3,145)(631) 845-1000

598 Broadhollow Rd, Melville, NY 11747, USA

Use this when the group wants rooms, parking, and less drama. It is a logistics play. Sometimes logistics wins.

Pros

group-friendly, parking, practical east-west access, easier logistics than Manhattan

Cons

corporate feel, not near the best dining without driving

NYC lifestyle hotel

The William Vale / Williamsburg

0/5

Best for: groups making nightlife and city dinners part of the trip

Cost: premium NYC hotel pricing; verify direct

4.3(2,928)(718) 631-8400

111 N 12th St, Brooklyn, NY 11249, USA

This is not the golf-first base. It is the New York weekend base with golf attached. That can be a great trip, but be honest about what you are optimizing.

Pros

strong city base, nightlife access, easier Ferry Point than most Manhattan options

Cons

bad Bethpage morning commute, expensive, parking friction

Boutique waterfront hotel

Delamar Greenwich Harbor

0/5

Best for: Pound Ridge / Westchester-focused trips and couples

Cost: premium Greenwich hotel pricing; verify direct

4.5(692)(203) 661-9800

500 Steamboat Rd, Greenwich, CT 06830, USA

The Delamar is the correct Westchester-adjacent luxury base if Pound Ridge is the point. It is not a Bethpage hotel, and pretending otherwise is how the day starts with traffic and ends with resentment.

Pros

Harbor setting, polished boutique feel, useful for Pound Ridge and Hudson Hills

Cons

Poor Bethpage base, expensive, more couple/premium than buddies chaos

East End resort

Gurney's Montauk Resort

0/5

Best for: Montauk Downs extension and couples/mixed groups

Cost: premium resort pricing, especially summer

4.1(1,665)(631) 668-2345

290 Old Montauk Hwy, Montauk, NY 11954, USA

Monday: Open 24 hours

Gurney's only makes sense if Montauk is part of the actual trip. Do not book it for Bethpage. That is not clever; it is cartography failure.

Pros

beach setting, strong non-golf appeal, makes Montauk Downs make sense

Cons

expensive, far from Bethpage, summer traffic can be savage

Practical Long Island hotels

0/5

Best for: Ferry Point day or city-based groups

Use this after Ferry Point or for the city night. Do not use it before an early Bethpage alarm unless the group has unusually strong survival instincts.

Pros

easy post-round city energy, outdoor tables, low ceremony

Cons

not worth dragging Long Island-based groups into Manhattan

NYC steakhouse

Peter Luger

0/5

Best for: Brooklyn-based group dinner

4.4(15,770)(718) 387-7400

178 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11211, USA

Monday: 11:45 AM – 9:30 PM

Peter Luger is for the group that wants the old-school New York steakhouse bit. Worth it if the group cares. Wasteful if everyone just wants protein and sleep.

Pros

iconic, simple, still a story

Cons

cash/card policy and reservation quirks matter, polarizing, not convenient for Long Island mornings

Montauk seafood

Inlet Seafood

0/5

Best for: Montauk Downs extension

4.2(989)(631) 668-4272

541 E Lake Dr, Montauk, NY 11954, USA

Monday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

If Montauk is in the itinerary, eat seafood. If Montauk is not in the itinerary, do not drive there for dinner like a person who lost a bet.

Pros

local seafood, water setting, right East End feel

Cons

irrelevant to the Bethpage core trip, seasonal demand

Post-round ritual

Bethpage clubhouse bar

0/5

Best for: immediate Black/Red debrief

Have the beer there. Have dinner somewhere else.

Pros

zero logistics, shared-war-story energy, exactly where everyone already is

Cons

not a real dinner plan