Seeking to crack down on the automated ‘bot’ behaviors, Bethpage Black State Park has added a new layer of security to its tee-time reservation system. Long-irritated golfers are competing for a spot, especially as the 2025 Ryder Cup draws near. The improvements, in effect from October 9, reflect a concerted attempt to maintain equitable access to what is occasionally termed ‘the people’s course.’
Every booking attempt will start a new email verification step under the updated system: golfers must enter a one-time code delivered to their inbox in Real-time to fulfil the reservation. Earlier this year, Bethpage Black State Park implemented policies, including changing the reservation charge into a non-refundable booking fee and stiffening cancellation rules, to deter hypothetical reservations and reduce abuse. Officials argue, however, that those actions did not sufficiently restrain automated booking systems.
Demand for tee times has risen at Bethpage as the Ryder Cup nears center stage; timing is striking. Black in particular has seen slots snatched up within minutes of release, often vanishing in milliseconds, feeding suspicions of algorithmic abuse over real demand. Park officials point out that continuing disparities in access undermined the philosophy of a public golf course. Although the new authentication layer increases the hurdle for robots, critics and experts note it is not a silver bullet.
People with drive may still seek solutions, like disposable email accounts or distributed human operators, and keeping a close eye on booking patterns is still vital. Some worry, meanwhile, that additional friction could bother actual users, especially those less at ease with digital authentication methods. As Bethpage advances into this next stage, it must strike the fine line between maintaining openness for daily golfers and fulfilling the requirements of a prominent global competition. The new two-step booking system represents a major upsurge in the fight to retrieve tee time from unseen hands.