When the Ryder Cup comes to town, the spotlight of international golf isn’t the only thing that intensifies. At Bethpage Black, the crush of demand for tee times exposed a more modern challenge: bots and bad actors exploiting online booking systems.
Over the years, rumors have circulated about how some “family friends” or insiders could grab prized tee times at Bethpage, while ordinary golfers found the system frustratingly opaque. In the early days of Bethpage’s online tee-time system, slots would disappear in milliseconds–sometimes as a sign of overwhelming legitimate demand, other times as evidence of automated scripts sweeping up openings.
The result: many golfers felt the system was rigged in favor of insiders or the technologically savvy, and the public nature of “the People’s Course” was undermined.
Instituting Stronger Security: What’s Changing
On October 9, Bethpage’s online booking system rolled out a new two-step authentication/booking code requirement. What this means: when a golfer initiates a booking, a unique code will be emailed to them, which must be entered in real time to finalize the tee time. This ensures the individual trying to reserve is a real human with email access, not a bot with automated scripts.
This isn’t Bethpage’s first attempt at tightening controls in 2025. Earlier in the year, the course implemented stricter cancellation rules and required an upfront booking fee (rather than rolling it into the greens fee at play time) in order to discourage speculative “multi-slot” bookings. While those prior changes did improve availability, critics maintained that bot activity remained possible under the old regime.
The new system is meant to close that loophole. By requiring a fresh, unique code per booking and forcing real-time email authentication, Bethpage aims to purge automations and restore fairness to the process.
Why Now? The Ryder Cup’s Pressure Cooker
The timing of these changes is not accidental. Bethpage Black experienced what officials described as a historically busy season, with tee times selling out fast and waits for “parking-lot” (i.e. very early or late) slots stretching into multiple days. The Ryder Cup, besides bringing global attention to the course, also condenses demand from media, fans, international travelers, and local members all vying for access.
Part of the calculus is also reputational: if the “People’s Country Club” is perceived to favor insiders or exploit loopholes, that undercuts the ethos of Bethpage being a public course accessible to all.
Thus, the heightened pressure forced the hand of park administrators: more robust systems were no longer optional–they were essential to maintaining legitimacy.
Challenges, Expectations, and Possible Pitfalls
Implementing two-step email authentication and booking codes is a strong deterrent, but it isn’t foolproof. Determined actors might still find ways to proxy through disposable email accounts or use human farms to manually process bookings. The system will need continuous monitoring, flagging of suspicious booking behavior (e.g., many bookings from same IP, patterns of cancellations) and responsive enforcement to stay ahead of new circumvention strategies.
Another risk: the friction added by extra authentication could deter legitimate users–especially casual or less tech-savvy golfers. If the system becomes too cumbersome or opaque, it could dampen last-minute bookings or disenfranchise local players. Bethpage will need to balance security with usability.
It will also be instructive to watch how cancelations, no-shows, and refund policies adapt. Bots often exploit flexible cancellation rules to hold tee times temporarily. If those underlying rules remain lax, bad actors might still game the system by reserving slots and canceling closer to play time. The earlier 2025 rule changes (stricter cancellation rules, upfront booking fee) were aimed at reducing that danger.
Finally, enforcement is key. The best technical system can falter if there is no active oversight–spot audits, fraud detection, blocking IP addresses or user accounts, and clear penalties for abuse.
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