Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black: Fans sleep in line for a shot at the public course ahead of a U.S.-Europe showdown

Ahead of the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, a public course on Long Island, fans have turned the park’s parking lot into a makeshift queue in a bid to win one of a handful of daily tee times. The ritual has become a spectacle in its own right as construction squeezes the course’s normal reservation system and forces players to line up at dawn, sometimes after hours of sleep or none at all.

Around 3:30 a.m. on a Tuesday morning in early August, a car rolled into Bethpage State Park’s lot with a plan and a warning. A scorned mother told the occupants in spot No. 1, “Hey, I have to take your spot,” handed over $40 and a round of drinks, and lingered nearby. Her son Jake, asleep in the back seat, would later swap places with her at 8 a.m., sealing the deal so his group could chase the dream of playing Bethpage Black. They would wait another 24 hours in the car line before heading to the first tee. The scene, described by Daily Mail Sport, underscored a summer where amateur golfers of all ages tossed etiquette to the wind in pursuit of a chance to test themselves on the famous, punishing layout just outside New York City.

In normal years, Bethpage’s five courses — Black, Red, Blue, Green and Yellow — are available to the public via an online booking system. This summer, however, as crews turned the park into a backdrop for a Ryder Cup-ready venue, Black’s tee times were reserved only at dawn and allocated to walk-ups. The course was open only for a few hours each day, and the first 25 groups in the morning were guaranteed a crack at Black. Everything else — all the rest of the day’s tee times or even a round on the other layouts — hinged on who showed up first and who held their ground in line.

By sunrise, the parking lot looked like a festival ground. Golfers slept in cars, tents, hammocks and the back of pickup beds. They passed the time with Uno and poker, ordered pizza, paid $5 for showers in the clubhouse and made plans to skip work to chase a tee time. Some traveled from as far as Maine, Connecticut and Michigan. Others had driven 27 hours only to discover they would have to camp for two nights to secure a spot. The walk-up line had long been a tradition, but this summer it took on a new, lawless edge as everyone vied for a chance to play a single round on Black before the Ryder Cup.

The process was simple in theory but chaotic in practice. Every morning, around 4:30 a.m., a course marshal arrived with bakery tickets, each containing a different number. Minutes later, the clubhouse opened and the groups were called forward in order. Inside, a bank of screens outlined the available tee times for the day. Only groups occupying bays No. 1 through No. 25 were guaranteed the chance to play Black; those outside that range faced a grim wait, or the option of playing another course or waiting another night.

The atmosphere grew tense as the morning progressed. The line’s rules were clear on paper, but enforcement proved uneven. The marshal tried to police skip-and-jump tactics, yet indiscretions persisted. A PSA later notified the clubhouse that all Black tee times had been allocated, but one group inside the first 25 bays remained in line and pleaded with Bethpage officials as emotions ran high.

Two of the park’s longest-running traditions — the walk-up line and the aim to preserve fairness in access — collided with the reality of limited inventory and a high-stakes weekend ahead. The result was a summer where etiquette often gave way to strategy and sheer perseverance. “It’s extremely tough,” one amateur hoping for another crack at Black told Daily Mail Sport. “But it’s also the most fun you’ll ever have playing golf.” The same sentiment echoed across the parking lot: the challenge of a legendary course paired with the camaraderie and chaos of a stadium-like queue.

Amid the tidal wave of hopefuls, a few stories stood out. Some travelers scheduled their Ryder Cup timing around a two-day wait, planning ahead for a shot on Black while balancing work and family obligations. Others formed alliances with friends and strangers alike, trading spots or splitting time in line, all in pursuit of a single goal: a round on Bethpage Black. For many, the dream carried a practical incentive as well — playing the layout they’d watched from afar in televised Ryder Cups, and perhaps catching a glimpse of future competition on a course that could test even the world’s best.

The scene also offered a window into the evolving dynamic of Bethpage’s role in the event. Team USA captain Keegan Bradley and Team Europe captain Luke Donald would be deciding who plays Black and when, bringing an extra layer of drama to a week already charged with anticipation. The contrast between fans’ willingness to camp and the strict demands of careers and calendars underscored how much this course has become a symbol of the Ryder Cup’s allure, even for amateur players who simply want the chance to swing the same tee as the pros, if only for a day.

The competition on the course will be fierce, and the walk-up line’s reputation is equally intense. In May, some prospective players plotted trips to Bethpage with the expectation of securing a Black tee time. When the reality of the draw hit, plans shifted rapidly — some flights were rescheduled; others redirected to the Green or Red courses to squeeze in a round, then back to the parking lot for another attempt at Black the next morning. The cost of the weekend extended beyond entry fees or green fees; it included meals, showers, and the logistics of sleeping in cars in a place designed to host a major international event.

As Ryder Cup week nears, this year’s line represents a broader theme for Bethpage: a public course transformed into a stage for a global spectacle, where fans, players and organizers navigate a shared space under the scrutiny of a national audience. The tournament will unfold on a course whose reputation for testing every facet of a golfer’s game is matched only by the tension in the parking lot as hopefuls chase a fleeting chance to play 18 holes before the cameras arrive. And while the line’s outcomes are uncertain, the scene’s impact is clear: Bethpage Black has stepped into a new era, where access to its famed fairways is as much a story of patience and perseverance as it is about the score on the scoreboard.