# The Full Day Bethpage Trip from Manhattan, Hour by Hour

Source: https://thecourserankings.com/blog/the-full-day-bethpage-trip-from-manhattan-hour-by-hour/

Downtown Manhattan Guides


A Bethpage day done right is the best golf day available to a New York golfer without a single connection. Done wrong it is a 7 PM booking fight, a missed train, and a five hour walk in the rough. Here is the right version.

**Our take:** Book the resident window at 7 PM seven days out, take the LIRR to Farmingdale, play the Red if the Black is gone, and be back in the city for dinner.

## The week before

New York residents book in the state parks system seven days out, with prime times released at 7 PM and gone in seconds. Non residents book on a shorter window. The booking fee is $5 per player. Set up the account, save the payment method, and log in at 6:55. Black first choice, Red as the planned fallback, not a consolation.

## Getting there

LIRR from Penn Station or Grand Central Madison to Farmingdale runs about 55 minutes. A taxi or rideshare covers the last few miles to the clubhouse. Driving from Downtown is 60 to 75 minutes off peak and worse on summer Saturdays. The train plus a book beats the car plus a parking lot nap, which remains the walk up tradition for the earliest times.

## On site

The Black is walking only, close to a nine mile loop with elevation, and the caddie program charges about $90 a bag plus tip in recent reporting. Carry light, take the pull cart, or take the caddie and enjoy the day properly. The Red walks easier and eats less of the afternoon.

## The money

Resident Black: $70 weekday, $80 weekend at 2025 published rates. Non resident: $140 and $160. Twilight drops to $44 to $50 resident and $88 to $100 non resident. Add rail fare and food and a resident's championship day lands under $150 all in.

## Back in the city

Trains run hourly or better off peak. A 9 AM tee time puts you back Downtown by about 5 PM. Dinner reservations at 7 are safe. At 6 they are a gamble you will lose in August.

## Reader responses

Post your Bethpage routine. Train or car, Black or Red, and your best score there.

Please cite a specific hole, a price, or a round you have played. Selected reader responses are featured in follow up coverage.

## FAQ

**Is the Black worth it for a 15 handicap?**

Once, for the experience, from the right tees. Weekly, the Red will make you happier and a better player.

**What if I cannot get a time?**

Play the Red, Blue, or Green same day, and try the walk up line early. The full guide to the other Bethpage courses is in this series. Prices in this guide were checked in October 2026 against published course listings and recent reporting. Greens fees move by season, day, and residency, so confirm the exact rate when you book. Private clubs do not publish initiation fees or dues. Every private figure here is an estimate band based on public reporting, labeled as an estimate, and the only accurate number comes from a club's membership office.

**Reader responses are open.** Please cite a specific hole, a price, or a round you have played.