{"id":161583,"date":"2025-09-22T14:35:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T14:35:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/161583\/"},"modified":"2025-09-22T14:35:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T14:35:13","slug":"iconic-bethpage-black-warning-sign-removed-ahead-of-ryder-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/161583\/","title":{"rendered":"Iconic Bethpage Black \u2018Warning\u2019 Sign Removed Ahead Of Ryder Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"

Around 250,000 fans are expected at Bethpage Black<\/a> throughout Ryder Cup week, and many will have been hoping to get a photograph with its iconic sign between the clubhouse and the first tee.<\/p>\n

The sign has offered a sobering warning to recreational players and pros alike for decades: \u201cWARNING – The Black Course Is An Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only For Highly Skilled Golfers.\u201d<\/p>\n

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However, it has been temporarily removed for Ryder Cup week. Per the New York Post<\/a>, the sign will instead be on display at the Ryder Cup Live Fan Zone at the Rockefeller Center in Manhattan.<\/p>\n

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According to Ryder Cup director Bryan Karns, the reason it has been removed is to accommodate a grandstand built for the match, necessitating the first tee moving 40 yards further forward.<\/p>\n

He told the New York Post: \u201cThe sign is gone. The Ryder Cup will use a brand new tee that\u2019s 40 yards in front of the existing tee.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we had built that grandstand with the existing tee, it would almost go into the clubhouse. [The sign] would\u2019ve been underneath the grandstands. It just wouldn\u2019t have worked out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udeab\ud83e\udea7 NO SIGN: the Black Course is no longer for highly skilled golfers ahead of this year\u2019s Ryder Cup pic.twitter.com\/xcQlXTcOojSeptember 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

The origins of the sign are disputed, with some reports suggesting it has been there since the 1960s and others dating its first appearance to the 1970s or 1980s.<\/p>\n

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Regardless of when it was introduced, it didn\u2019t truly catch the attention of the public until the TV coverage of the 2002 US Open.<\/p>\n

That was the first time the public course in Farmingdale, New York, had hosted such a high-profile event. In typical US Open fashion, it proved a brutal test, with only the winner, Tiger<\/a> Woods, finishing the tournament under par, adding credence to the sign\u2019s daunting message.<\/p>\n

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\"Tiger\n<\/p>\n

The sign shot to prominence at the 2002 US Open, when Tiger Woods was the only player to finish under par <\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Nowadays, the sign is known throughout the golf world, and earlier in September, apparel brand Under Armour even released a \u2018Warning’ collection<\/a> paying homage to it.<\/p>\n

Per the Golf Channel<\/a>, a big reason for the sign\u2019s removal was to prevent fans from congregating for photo opportunities alongside it.<\/p>\n

However, all is not quite lost, with several replicas of the sign on display elsewhere at Bethpage Black for the match.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, for gift hunters, there is also good news as the pro shop sells an array of souvenirs and miniature replicas featuring the warning.<\/p>\n

With or without the sign, the 24 Ryder Cup players will learn soon enough just how accurate it is.<\/p>\n

Bethpage Black measures 7,400 yards in length and is known for its plateaued greens, punishingly deep bunkers and penal rough.<\/p>\n


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