Figuring out the par at a prestigious venue like Trump National Golf Club Bedminster isn't just about finding a single number on a scorecard. It’s about understanding the deep challenge baked into its two championship courses and what par truly means when you're facing some of the most demanding golf in the country. This guide will walk you through the par for both the Old and New Courses, explain why that number barely scratches the surface of their difficulty, and give you a coach's perspective on how to tackle these incredible layouts.
Before we get into Bedminster's specifics, let's get on the same page about what exactly is "par." Think of par as the standard score an expert golfer is expected to make on a given hole, assuming two putts on the green. It’s the benchmark for excellence.
Holes are generally categorized based on length into three types:
A course's total par is simply the sum of the par for all 18 holes, which typically adds up to between 70 and 72.
Trump National Bedminster is home to two world-class 18-hole courses: the Old Course and the New Course. Asking "what is the par?" requires knowing which course you’re talking about because while their par might be the same, their personalities and the way they test you are unique.
The Old Course is the more famous of the two, having hosted the 2017 U.S. Women's Open and serving as a recurring venue for LIV Golf events. It’s big, bold, and unapologetically difficult. The New Course, while perhaps living in the Old Course's shadow, is a tremendous design in its own right, offering a similarly stern test of golf with its own set of strategic questions.
The Old Course at Bedminster, designed by Tom Fazio, is an absolute beast. It winds through picturesque New Jersey horse country, but don't let the idyllic scenery fool you. It's built to challenge the very best golfers on the planet.
For member and guest play, the official par for the Old Course is 72.
This par of 72 is typically composed of:
That breakdown is standard, but the holes themselves are anything but. The par 4s are long and require thoughtful approaches into massive, undulating greens. The par 5s are true three-shot holes for most players, full of risk and reward. The par 3s demand precision, often over water or deep bunkers.
This is where the story gets really interesting. One of the single best ways to understand a course's true difficulty is to look past its par and at its USGA Course and Slope Ratings. From the back tees (often called the "Championship" or "Trump" tees), the Old Course has a Course Rating of 77.2 and a Slope Rating of 151.
What do those numbers mean in plain English?
For events like LIV Golf, the setup often gets even tougher. Organizers will sometimes change a hole’s par to increase its difficulty on paper. For instance, a medium-length par 5 that pro golfers can reach in two might be converted into a very long and demanding par 4. For recent LIV Golf events at Bedminster, the course has been set up as a Par 71, making birdies even harder to come by and raising the scoring average.
Designed by Tom Fazio II, the New Course opened in 2008 and stands as an equal, albeit different, test of golf. It roams over a more open, rolling property with beautiful, fescue-lined fairways that give it a slightly more links-style feel than its sibling.
Just like the Old Course, the official par for the New Course is 72 for everyday play. It shares the same makeup of four par 3s, ten par 4s, and four par 5s. Players often note that the greens on the New Course are even larger and more complex than those on the Old, putting a premium on skillful lag putting to avoid three-putts.
The New Course is no slouch in the difficulty department, either. From its championship tees, its USGA ratings are similarly imposing:
While just a fraction below the Old Course's numbers, these are still astoundingly high. It confirms that the New Course is also an elite-level test. A scratch golfer is expected to shoot well over par, and the average golfer will find it to be a formidable adversary.
As a coach, here's the most important advice I can give you if you ever get the chance to play at Bedminster: your goal is not to match the scorecard's par. Trying to play to that standard will likely lead to frustration. Instead, focus on strategy, smart decision-making, and playing to a personal par.
Chasing a score of 72 on a course with a 77 course rating is a recipe for a bad time. You need to set a realistic goal. The best way to do this is to understand what a "good" score would be for you.
If you're a 15-handicap golfer, your course handicap here might be 18 or 19. That means a "par" for you - a completely successful round - would be a score around 90-91. Thinking this way transforms the experience. Making a bogey on the hardest par 4 isn't a failure, it's a success! It's your "personal par."
Playing well at Bedminster is all about managing your game and thinking your way around the course. Brute force won't work.
The par at both of Bedminster’s Old and New courses is 72, but that number is just the beginning of the story. The staggering Course and Slope Ratings reveal a truer picture of the profound difficulty built into these championship layouts. For the professional, it’s a demanding test of precision and power, for the amateur, it’s an unforgettable experience that rewards strategy and smart goal-setting far more than brute force.
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