Sports

COLORS OF BETH PAGE

Sure, everybody knows how great the Black Course is at Bethpage State Park. Everybody knows it’s one of the nation’s top-ranked courses and, yeah, it’s going to host the 2009 U.S. Open. But what about the other four courses at Bethpage?

The beauty of Bethpage is that you don’t need a tee time on the Black to play Cinderella golf. The four other “stepsisters” – the Red, Blue, Green and Yellow courses – each boast some beautiful holes.

Tee times are easier to get, and the greens fees are affordable. Anybody can play the Blue, Green or Yellow for $31 weekdays, $36 weekends. On a weekday, it’ll cost a New York State resident $36 ($41 weekend) to play the Red as opposed to $50 and $60 (weekend) for the Black. Out-of-state residents pay double on both courses.

Here, in no particular order, are nine of the best holes at Bethpage you won’t find on the Black Course:

No. 2 Blue – A.W. Tillinghast designed most of the Blue Course before it was incorporated into the Yellow Course in 1958. The new Blue’s front nine is just about as tough as anything you will find on the Black. This quirky hole, at 446 yards, is a testy par 4 that requires a big tee shot over a valley to the right side of the fairway. From here, you might have a decent look at a huge green set back to the left among some trees.

No. 6 Blue – Arguably, this hole is tougher than any one hole on the Black. It’s a 465-yard par 4 that plays into a prevailing southwesterly wind. A sharp dogleg left, you need a perfect tee shot around the corner and hope the slope of fairway doesn’t carry it too far to the right, where sits a nasty bunker. The second shot is uphill to a big green fronted by deep sand bunkers on the left and right.

No. 9 Green – For pure enjoyment, the Green Course may be the most fun to play. On this 554-yard par 5, unload your best tee shot down the middle, then belt your second shot over a menacing sand bunker that guards the left corner, about 160 yards from a tricky green.

No. 13 Yellow – Conventional wisdom says the Yellow Course is the easiest of the five courses at Bethpage, but this 429-yard dogleg right will test any low-handicapper. Steer clear of that scary-looking sand bunker which guards the corner to set up a long approach shot to a slick, sloping green.

No. 13 Red – Take your pick. The Red Course, also designed by Tillinghast, is loaded with dogleg holes, but this is not one of them. At 400 yards, the fairway is dissected by a huge sand area. To the left is a narrow landing area that offers a clear shot to the green. To the right, there’s more fairway, but you’ll face a longer approach shot that must carry an annoying sand trap protecting the right side of the green.

No. 14 Yellow – Splendid Tillinghast par 3 that originally was the seventh hole on the old Blue Course. It plays 185 yards over a deep valley to a well-pitched green.

No. 15 Red – Brutal hole. This demanding 452-yard dogleg right usually plays into the wind. Beware of the trees down the right side if you’re looking to take a shortcut.

No. 15 Green – Talk about downhill shots! This par 3 from an elevated tee box usually plays about 200 yards or more from the tips. Keep it straight or you’ll find the bunkers left and right.

No. 17 Green – There are only a handful of water hazards at Bethpage, and here’s one hole where you can splash your tee shot. At 414 yards, this rugged dogleg right punishes anybody who belts a long, straight drive.

rwimbish@nypost.com