Paul McGinley on Bethpage Black’s course set-up changes

Paul McGinley has spoken about Bethpage Black’s course set-up ahead of the 2025 Ryder Cup. The Irishman said the team did not feel surprised after seeing the New York venue on a scouting trip earlier this week. He explained that the American hosts had adjusted the course in ways that matched Team Europe’s expectations.

McGinley Admits: “Fairways Are Pretty Generous At The Moment”

The 2014 European Ryder Cup captain said the rough at Bethpage Black isn’t as punishing as in previous events. In past U.S. Opens and PGA Championships, the Bethpage Black Course featured thick, unforgiving rough that made recovering from a missed fairway very difficult. But the set-up is softer this time, giving players more opportunities to play attacking shots.

“The rough is not as penal as it would be in a US PGA or US Open that has been played there before,” McGinley said. “The fairways are pretty generous at the moment, because they’re soft and, you know, they may firm up next week. We don’t know yet.”

McGinley believes this is part of a deliberate plan to make the course play faster and more exciting, as is often the case when America hosts the Ryder Cup. The Irishman also spoke about the greens, which are currently running at speeds of around 12 on the Stimpmeter. McGinley expects the pace to increase to 13 once the competition begins, with firmer conditions making it more demanding. Players will need to adjust quickly, especially when putts begin to break more sharply on the faster surfaces.

McGinley Not Surprised Bethpage is Set up The Way It Is

Changes to some of the tee boxes also stood out. Officials moved the first-hole tee forward to make space for grandstands behind the players. But this also changes the strategy of the opening shot. Instead of the long, testing par-four many remembered, the hole now plays shorter, giving players different options off the tee.

McGinley Said: “The 17th is about 30 yards shorter than it was certainly for the US Open, when I played in 2002, and the first tee box has obviously been moved up about 35 or 40 yards in order to get the stand in behind the tee. So all in all, it’s what we expected. It’s right out of the American playbook of what they do when they play at home, and they’ve been very successful doing it. So why change, which is generally having rough that’s not too thick, trying to encourage a fast pace of low scoring. It’s been very successful in the past when they’ve played at home.”

Since officials confirmed Bethpage as the 2025 Ryder Cup venue nearly ten years ago, much of the focus has centered on the New York crowd. Fans have built a reputation for being loud and intimidating, but McGinley believes Europe will be ready for the challenge. The 58-year-old says he sees the atmosphere as part of a wider change in society. Fans have become more direct and more aggressive than they used to be, with the rise of social media and shifts in how people behave at sporting events. McGinley expects this to make the Ryder Cup environment even more intense.