Ryder Cup fuels windfall for Long Island homeowners as rentals surge

Ryder Cup week at Bethpage Black is turning into a windfall for Long Island homeowners, as fans scramble for scarce accommodations. With the Ryder Cup set to begin Sept. 26, locals are leasing everything from spare bedrooms to driveways, and prices are eye-popping. Listings near the course show five-night stays running from about $25,000 to more than $50,000, while even farther-flung properties command sizable sums. Organizers expect as many as 50,000 spectators per day, and Discover Long Island says more than 12,000 regional hotel rooms are already booked, underscoring the scale of demand for the event.

Nearby examples include a four-bedroom Farmingdale home within walking distance to Bethpage Black listed at more than $25,000 for five nights, and a three-bedroom about six miles away asking more than $34,000 for the week. A Bethpage-area listing with five bedrooms and three baths is near $30,000 for four nights. Farther afield, a Northport property with four bedrooms and an attached apartment is $16,000 for four nights, while a 10-person home in Westbury is priced at nearly $20,000 for Ryder Cup weekend. One Bethpage listing is pushing close to $30,000 for just four nights. Prices for badges add to that cost: entering Bethpage Black for one of the main match days now runs about $750 for a single-day badge, which includes unlimited food and non-alcoholic beverages. Practice days aren’t cheap either — Tuesday and Wednesday run about $255 each, and Thursday, which includes opening ceremonies, is set around $424.

That kind of demand is spreading beyond the course footprint. A four-bedroom home in Northport is $16,000 for four nights, despite the roughly hour drive to Bethpage with traffic. Parking is becoming a revenue stream as well, with driveways near the course advertised as convenient options for spectators who can walk to Bethpage Black.

Plainview’s Matt Lenner told Greater Long Island that renting out his home through a hospitality company produced a figure that “definitely” made it worth it, especially with his daughter’s Bat Mitzvah and his son starting college this year. “My daughter is having her Bat Mitzvah this year and my son just started college, so this extra cash is nice,” Lenner said. His wife was hesitant at first, but, as he put it, “money talks.” Sarah Bogaty, also of Plainview, said the family planned to leave for Florida after securing a renter: “We were never going to the Ryder Cup anyway, so it’s not like we’re missing out by not being here.”

Realtors and brokers say demand has been intense. Wantagh-based realtor Al Laquinta said many places were booked a year in advance at regular prices, but last-minute demand is driving higher prices this week. “I’ve seen listings for $50K for the week,” he said, noting that the golf clientele are particularly willing to pay for the once-in-a-lifetime experience. Realtor Stephen Gaon said the price range can run from about $20,000 for the week to over $60,000 for the Ryder Cup week, with much of the demand coming from corporate sponsors seeking privacy and convenience for executives and clients. Local residents are also turning to parking arrangements; Farmingdale resident Ken Amato told CBS News he plans to open his driveway for daytime parking, allowing fans to walk to the course, though he did not disclose exact prices. Retirees Alfonso and Giusephina Saccone said they could command about $100 a day for their own driveway.

The market has not been limited to a handful of homes. Al Laquinta noted that listings previously booked in advance are now filling quickly as crowds arrive, while Lenner and Bogaty’s cases illustrate a broader pattern of homeowners weighing personal needs against the extraordinary demand. The region’s hospitality industry reports that more than 12,000 hotel rooms across the region are already booked, underscoring the scale of the Ryder Cup’s economic footprint. The Ryder Cup, often described as a hybrid of the World Series and the Super Bowl, is expected to draw tens of thousands of spectators per day over the week, with organizers cautioning that parking will be a major challenge and that local transit, trains, and driveways could be the keys to mobility.

The event also highlights a broader dynamic in which lodging, parking, and private homes become a major component of the competition’s footprint, especially as executives, sponsors, and fans seek convenient access to Bethpage Black. While some residents welcomed the extra income, others view the week as a disruption. As the tournament unfolds, the rental market around Bethpage Black will serve as a high-profile case study on how major sporting events reshape local economies, housing markets, and daily life for an entire region.