The Most Intimating First Tee Shot in Golf Is About To Get a Little Less Scary

For years, players have stepped onto Bethpage Black’s opening tee without ever swinging a driver on the range. That is finally about to change.

David Derwin

The first tee at Bethpage Black Course, home to one of the most intimidating opening shots in golf. Photo by David Derwin.

Bethpage Black is one of the most iconic courses in the world. At 7,468 yards from the back tees, it’s an absolute beast. Black’s difficulty isn’t just spread by word of mouth by those who have played it, it’s printed on the iconic sign that hangs just behind the first tee: “-WARNING- The Black Course Is An Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only For Highly Skilled Golfers.”

With notoriously thick and punishing rough, the A.W. Tillinghast masterpiece is beloved for its nearly tournament-ready condition all season-long and the tough but fair test of golf it provides. Fair, because the Black Course isn’t gimmicky in its design. Everything is right in front of you and good shots are rewarded while poor shoots are punished—often severely. The greens are relatively benign in terms of slope; the main issue is getting to them. Keeping the ball in the fairway off the tee is a must, and if you get out of position you can find yourself in a world of trouble.

There are no “position” holes at Bethpage Black. If it’s not a par-3, it’s driver off the tee. Not only do you need to hit drivers all day, but you need to hit them long and accurately to avoid the penalizing rough and bunkers that line the fairways.

It’s a tall order made all the more difficult by one inconvenient fact: you cannot hit drivers on the practice range at Bethpage.

It’s been that way forever, as locals know all too well and visitors are surprised to find out. At just over 200 yards in length from the shortest angle, the boundary net is an easy carry for drivers. It’s not just a matter of wasting range balls into the trees, it’s a safety issue. Round Swamp Road is not far beyond the fence line at the end of the range, meaning drivers could easily send projectiles into unsuspecting traffic.

Not that this stops visitors and some locals who know better from trying to rehearse hitting a couple of big dogs before their tee time. The unmistakable “ping” of a driver can be heard every now and then on the range but the city employees at Bethpage have ears like hawks and are pretty quick to put the kibosh on such behavior.

The closest I can get to warming up with driver before playing Bethpage is hitting 3-wood off the mat, and even those I can carry over the fence depending on the line I take. It’s an unavoidable certainty that unless you are playing in the Ryder Cup, U.S. Open, or PGA Championship at Bethpage Black, the first driver you hit all day will be on the first tee of the most punishing courses in the country.

But that is about to change.

Why the First Tee May Soon Feel A Little More Comfortable

Renovations are under way to the Bethpage practice range which, among other improvements, will allow players to finally be able to hit drivers. It’s a welcome addition to the world-class facility which features five 18-hole regulation courses, including the famed Black and Red courses, making it one of the largest municipal golf complexes in the world.

A first look at the taller perimeter fence posts as viewed from the practice range at Bethpage State Park. Photo by David Derwin.

I played my first 2026 round on Bethpage Red yesterday and got a glimpse of the progress of the driving range renovations. The first thing that stood out to me was just how tall the new boundary net will be. The white poles are massive, at a height now capable of catching drives that were previously bound for Round Swamp Road.

The new perimeter net posts are now visible to the left of the clubhouse, as viewed from the first green on the Red course. Photo by David Derwin.

While I look forward to rehearsing my driver swing prior to the first tee, an unfortunate result of the taller poles is they are now visible from the course where the shorter fence was not. It’s a permanent alteration to the property’s skyline, one that is particularly noticeable when standing on the Black Course’s 18th tee.

Viewed from the 18th tee on the Black Course, the new range netting is significantly taller than before, a visible tradeoff for a more functional practice facility. Photo by David Derwin.

It’s a trade off for progress. In addition to a taller perimeter net, the range is pivoting toward the future with the installation of Inrange® technology, bringing radar tracking and data-driven insights to the facility. The renovation will also bring a new continuous hitting surface which will provide a uniform look and better feel off the mat.

The updated driving range at Bethpage is set to open around mid-May, according to pro-shop staff. Once open, players can finally rehearse their driver swings, making the first tee on one of the most intimidating courses in golf just a little less scary.

More From The Golf Player