Bethpage Red a quality course, overshadowed by the Black course which runs adjacent to the Red. Bethpage Red is a strong course in its own right, holding up as a player’s course. Strategic ball placement and accuracy off the tee are vital to score well at the Red.

Bethpage Red’s par 4’s varies from fair to notoriously long, the Red is in my opinion the most playable course for single digit handicappers. Challenging doglegs and bunkers on approaches into greens, the Red is a quality venue.

What holds the Red course back are is the green complexes, as mentioned the Red course if great off the tee, and into the greens. Putting however leaves a lot to be desired, generally uninteresting green complexes is the biggest handicap to the Red.

Overall, however when thinking about Bethpage, a round on the Red is a must, Bethpage Red offers some delightful holes, with #1 #13 and #18 being my favorite holes all for different reasons.

#1 Is a long par 4 to start off 471 yards from the back tees, an uphill approach into a smallish green is like a punch in the stomach, welcome to the red.

#13 a blind shot off the tee with two fairways, bunkering splits the two fairways right down the middle. Strategically it doesn’t get any better than the 13th off the tee, hit it right if you want and easier tee shot and a more challenging angle of approach to the green, left if you want to challenge yourself off the tee but leave an easier approach into the green and straight if you want a double bogey.

Lastly #18 a strong finishing hole, a beautifully massive and deep bunker guards any shot hit right, an immensely attractive target off the tee. The pay here is to aim at the bunker and draw the ball over to the fairway, easier said than done of course. The green is perched and guarded uphill like a castle flanked with moats all around. The red is a must play for all who come to Bethpage, and I can say that I was happy to save it as my last course in my quest to play all Bethpage courses. Mission accomplished!