Bethpage State Park is updating its tee-time policy starting next week in order to address the "supply and demand" issue that has escalated since the start of the pandemic last spring. Golfers in the online reservation queue typically outnumber available tee times by hundreds on a daily basis, according to the park.
According to a notice distributed by the park this weekend, Bethpage will limit tee-time account holders to four reservations per week on the Red, Blue, Green and Yellow courses, and extend the cancellation window for all courses from six hours to 12, in an attempt to make tee times available to more golfers. Changes will go into effect on Sunday, May 23.
The Black Course policy of one reservation every 28 days will not change.
"It's simply an issue of supply and demand," according to the park notice. "Way more golfers available to play and no way to increase the number of available reserved times without compromising course conditions and/or pace of play." The park says nearly 500 people log on to the online system each night to book fewer than 200 tee times per day for the following week.
Total rounds at Bethpage increased over the previous year by nearly 25,000 in spring/summer 2020 despite intermittent closures at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Rounds at all Long Island state parks jumped by more than 40,000 in the same time frame.
Tee times are made available through the NYS Parks online portal. Golfers register on the site and can book tee times at any state park, subject to residency restrictions and current tee-time policies. For more information, visit NYS Parks.