To mark the reopening of the online reservation system for the crown jewel of New York State’s public golf courses, Bethpage Black, following its prior closure for the 2025 Ryder Cup, New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang released a report highlighting the ongoing work needed to give all golfers a fair opportunity to tee it up like the pros, despite the threat posed by automated software programs – or “bots.”
Prompted by a surge in public complaints and media reports that Bethpage Black tee times were often snapped up within seconds of release and even canceled and strategically rebooked in a suspected effort to transfer them, the Inspector General undertook a review of the course’s reservation process. This investigation confirmed that bots pose a serious threat to the integrity of the Bethpage Black booking system, and that while the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) has made significant strides in combatting manipulation of its booking systems, and there is no verifiable evidence of the reselling of tee times, further safeguards should be implemented to ensure a level playing field for golfers seeking to play.
“Bethpage Black is a shared treasure — open to all by design,” said New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang. “When bots beat out real life New Yorkers for tee times, the spirit of communal access is lost, eroding public confidence in the integrity of New York’s public systems. Our office is working hard with OPRHP to guarantee that walking the grounds of one of the country’s best courses isn’t reserved for those who misuse technology to cut the line.”
“Ensuring fair and affordable access to all New York State Parks is central to our mission,” said OPRHP Acting Commissioner Kathy Moser. “Our office worked closely with the Inspector General’s team on this matter, and we appreciate their thorough and detailed review. Our Parks team has already put in place multiple safeguards to protect the reservation system including two-factor authentication and we will continue strengthening those measures so that access to Bethpage tee times remains open, transparent, and equitable for all visitors.”
The report details several reforms that OPRHP has and is in the process of implementing to curb abuse. These include the introduction of a non-refundable $5 booking fee (credited toward play), double factor authentication for user accounts, limits on how frequently golfers can reserve tee times, stricter controls on excessive cancellations and duplicate accounts, and a staggered re-release of canceled tee times to make it harder for bots to exploit the system. Lang also urged OPRHP to evaluate the tee time reservation systems across all 23 state-run golf courses in the interest of maintaining consistent access statewide.
“At a course long known as the ‘People’s Country Club,’ the message of this report is clear: public golf is for the public,” said Inspector General Lang. “Many thanks to my team for their diligent work on this investigation and for identifying additional measures to protect equal access — so that fairness, not software, determines who gets to play.”
The Inspector General thanked members of her team for their work on this investigation and today’s report, including Investigative Counsel Jack Gamber, Senior Investigator Donnalynn Gazza, and Digital Forensic Investigator Tony Provenzano, working under the supervision of Long Island Deputy Inspector General Jean Carsey, Downstate Chief of Investigation Ben Defibaugh, and Chief Technology Officer Matt Petell. Inspector General Lang also thanked the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation for their collaboration.
