When playing golf, the test lies in the subtleties of the design and not the length of the course. Some holes at Bethpage Black have such challenging designs. Although it is a public golf course, some holes are difficult to conquer even for professionals. For instance, the 12th hole is a par 4, 515 yards, where the second shot is usually blind. The fact that it only gave 20 birdies in the 2009 U.S. Open proves its difficulty. However, the most challenging of all is the 15th hole. There’s no official name for this hole, but golfers and fans have named it Mount Olympus. But why Mount Olympus? Why not something else?

The hole gets its name from its mountain-like design at the green. The green for this hole sits 50 feet above the fairway, which resembles a mountaintop. Hence the name. It is so steep that locals have reportedly sledded down it in winter. To put the difficulty of this hole in numbers, it yielded only 17 birdies but 180 over-par scores during the 2009 U.S. Open. There are other courses with uphill holes that host major championships. The 18th hole at Augusta National comes to mind. However, what makes Mount Olympus unique and more difficult is its steepness.

What makes it more troublesome is that the green slopes diagonally from the rear left to the front right. It is a dogleg par 4 that can stretch to 484 yards for championship games. While most golfers dread the steep green and slope, other factors also play a significant role in making it tough. Bunkers and thick rough guard the green. Thus, the landing zone becomes very narrow to make the hole at or below par. If players make the slightest mistake, the ball can tumble down the green.

Basically, right from the tee shot, you have to be careful. If you fail to find the fairway, the chances are highly likely that you’ll get no real opportunity to reach the green in the regulation stroke. For those hitting the green, the key is being near enough to the pin, avoiding massive breaking putts. If you miss the green, either short, left, or worse, long, the penalties can be exacting.

Therefore, Mount Olympus has developed a reputation as a hole where tournaments can shift dramatically. In both U.S. Opens played here, Mount Olympus had a scoring average well above par 4. In 2002, it was 4.60 and slightly reduced to 4.47 in 2009.

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Iconic Moments at Mount Olympus

Bethpage Black has built a reputation for relentless difficulty. And there’s no hole more suited than Mount Olympus to embody it. Fans have witnessed many iconic moments here. Tiger Woods navigating the course like a pro in the 2002 U.S. Open was one of them. He completed the course at 277 (−3). Woods was three shots ahead of the runner-up, Phil Mickelson.

The U.S. Open championship was held for the second time at Bethpage Black in 2009. This time, Lucas Glover 276 (-4) won the tournament. This time, Woods struggled at Mount Olympus and double-bogeyed on both weekend rounds.

Bethpage Black will witness new iconic moments as it hosts the 2025 Ryder Cup. Fierce competition and immense pressure will take the difficulty of Mount Olympus to a whole new level. Known for changing tides, one heroic swing at the 15th hole can spark a momentum shift that can lead to victory. As we wait for the Ryder Cup, one thing is certain: Mount Olympus is again taking center stage.