Can You Play Bethpage Black on Awesome Golf? Here’s How

Bethpage Black is not a fun golf course. It is a fight. The fairways are narrow, the rough is ankle-deep, the greens are fast and hard, and the course does not give you a single hole to relax on.

On Awesome Golf, it is exactly that. The LIDAR data captures the elevation changes that make Bethpage so distinctive. The uphill second shot on 1, the elevated tee on 4, the long climb on 10 — all of it is there. The course plays long because it is long. The rough punishes because Awesome Golf’s physics engine treats thick grass as a real penalty.

How It Plays on Awesome Golf

The elevation changes are the defining feature. Bethpage Black is built on a hill, and the course uses every inch of the vertical terrain. The 1st hole at 478 yards uphill plays more like 500. The 4th hole from the elevated tee plays shorter than the card says. On Awesome Golf, the LIDAR data makes these adjustments automatically.

The rough is the other defining feature. Bethpage Black’s rough is famous for being ankle-deep and punishing. On Awesome Golf, the rough affects club selection and shot shape. A ball in the thick stuff comes out lower and shorter. The lie matters. You cannot just blast a wedge from the rough and expect spin.

The greens are firm and fast. Awesome Golf’s green physics handle the speed well. The 15th hole with water left and a green sloping back to front plays correctly — the approach shot needs to land below the hole or you face a downhill putt that will test your nerve.

How to Access It

Open Awesome Golf on your iPad. Select Virtual Golf. Browse the course list for “Bethpage Black.” Play it from the back tees with firm conditions. Prepare to have your game exposed.

How It Compares

GSPro’s community version of Bethpage Black is more detailed in the bunker shaping. The Crazy Canuck version is excellent. FSX Play’s version is the best-looking. Trackman’s version is the most physically accurate.

Awesome Golf’s version is licensed, the elevation changes are accurate, and the rough is punishing. For $199 a year for the entire library, it is a solid value.

For the full list of courses worth playing on Awesome Golf, read The Best Courses on Awesome Golf. Need the full software breakdown? Check the Awesome Golf Review.

Awesome Golf brings a more arcade-friendly approach to simulator play, focusing on game modes and social features. While the course selection isn’t as deep as GSPro, the courses that are available are well-rendered and the gameplay modes make it a strong choice for multiplayer sessions and family play.