What Would A Handicap Golfer Shoot At Bethpage Black? (Course Ratings & More)

Bethpage Black comes with a warning sign before teeing off and is renowned as one of the toughest golf courses, but what would a handicap golfer shoot at the 2025 Ryder Cup venue?

The iconic sign at the first tee says “WARNING: The Black Course Is An Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only For Highly Skilled Golfers”.

It sets the tone for what lies ahead across the 18 holes of Bethpage Black, and even seasoned golfers have claimed it as the most intimidating start in public golf.

If you’re wondering what a player of your golfing handicap or ability would score across the daunting New York golf courses, we’ve got the answer – and it is a lot!

What Score Would An Average Golfer Be Expected To Shoot at Bethpage Black?

For an average male golfer (U.S. GHIN index around 14.2, average score of 94), Bethpage Black plays brutally tough.

The course’s rating and slope are extreme and a 17.5 handicap golfer would have a course handicap of 24 at Bethpage Black and is predicted to shoot about 102 on a good day.

Shot Scope and leading golf outlets have provided data that for average and mid-handicappers breaking 110-120 is more typical at Bethpage Black.

The reason is that the average drive for most golfers is about 204 yards and on at least half the holes that won’t reach the fairway. Players often face a second shot from thick rough or bunkers, with 200+ yards still to the green.

Par-4s frequently play as “long par-5s” for average golfers and it takes three solid shots just to get on the green.

Highly skilled amateurs and single-digit handicappers often shoot in the 90s or higher from the back tees, according to the latest stats.

Bethpage Black Predicted Scores By Handicap

Scratch players are likely to struggle to break 80 under normal conditions and scores balloon quickly for mid- and high-handicappers.

A 10-handicap player could expect scores of 91-96 on a calm day, or 106+ in tougher setups according to advanced score calculators and USGA predictions.

Mid-handicappers (12-17) routinely report scoring well over 100, with most never carding better than double bogey on any hole.

Average handicap (14-15) golfers are expected to score on Bethpage Black is 105-120 for a first-time player, sometimes even higher under tournament conditions.

Handicap Group	Expected Score at Bethpage Black
Scratch (0)	77–79
1–5	80–88
6–10	91–97
11–15	101–110
16–20	110–120
21+	120+

How Many Shots Would I Get At Bethpage Black?

With one of the highest course ratings (77.5) and slope ratings (155) from the very back tees, Bethpage Black is where you can revel in getting additional shots – but you’ll need them.

Reflecting the extreme difficulty of the course, a scratch golfer would actually get six shots and a three handicapper a staggering 12 shots.

If you are a 10 handicap golfers, you can expect to play off a 26 course handicap which aligns with expected scores of 97+ for mid-handicappers.

An index of 18.0 would result in 42 shots around Bethpage Black, while it would be more than three shots a hole for a 25 handicapper as they play off 56 course handicap.

Handicap Index	Course Handicap (Back Tees)
0.0	6
1.0	8
2.0	10
3.0	12
4.0	14
5.0	16
6.0	18
7.0	20
8.0	22
9.0	24
10.0	26
11.0	28
12.0	30
13.0	32
14.0	34
15.0	36
16.0	38
17.0	40
18.0	42
19.0	44
20.0	46
21.0	48
22.0	50
23.0	52
24.0	54
25.0	56