Those Other Bethpage Courses

Absolutely, if you have the opportunity to play "The Black," do it, by all means! Be ready to have your clock cleaned, to eat a chunk of humble pie, to be glad you didn't quit your day job. Prepare to be demoralized, to consider going back to fishing or bowling, to replace/repair/give away/throw away your clubs, shoes, bag and balls. Be ready for that odd feeling after teeing off on 18 that you are glad it's almost over. Glad it's almost over! You love to play golf, you eagerly anticipate a round on the legendary Black, and your glad it's almost over! What does that tell you about biting off more fairway than you can chew?
Here's my advice, try the Yellow, the Blue, the Green or the Red... There's a ton'o fun to be had on those courses, and none of them are pushovers. Many call the Red the next best course, and I'd agree. The Green is, by some accounts, the original golf course of the private club that existed on the site before Robert Moses began to build the State Park. It's a bit of an oddball, that Green course... I don't see a lot of rhyme or reason to it, but it is a collection of excellent holes, each different and challenging in it's own way. It's as hilly as the Black, not as long, and not as tight. Red is generally flatter, but 1 and 18 are two of the major exceptions. Bring extra balls. For my money, Blue may be the second toughest test next to Black, but Red has a charm to it that's hard to pinpoint. I live the Yellow quite a bit - it's geared down for us weekend golfers, but not necessarily an "easy" course. You'll need to play well to shoot to your handicap, but it's a more realistic course for us regular dubs for whom a good drive is 225 yards.
The point: The Black is definitely the "Lobster and Steak" on the menu at Bethpage, but sometimes that big plate full of food leaves you wishing you chose something a little lighter. Give the Yellow Course lamb chops a try!

GF