Farmingdale Restaurants, Bars Were 'Packed' All Weekend Thanks To Ryder Cup

FARMINGDALE, NY — While the U.S. came up short in the Ryder Cup golf tournament, the downtown Farmingdale business district was victorious.

"Things did get going on Friday night," Chamber of Commerce President Joseph Garcia told Patch. "Saturday and Saturday night were very busy in the downtown area and at a lot of the local restaurants."

The village hosted the prestigious three-day golf event, showcasing the best golfers from the U.S. against those from Europe.

“Once again with the eyes of the world upon us, the women and men of the Nassau County Police Department performed magnificently at and around the Ryder Cup," said Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. "We also thank our local, state and federal partners for stepping up and doing their part in keeping all safe, including our local firefighters. Congratulations!”

Although Garcia doesn't have specific numbers yet, he told Patch that there was clearly "an increase in business due to the Ryder Cup, at all, or most of, the restaurants and bars."

Farmingdale businesses rolled out the red carpet for tourists visiting from across the country and around the world, as the iconic Bethpage Black course hosted the Ryder Cup for the first time.

"It was packed. I was out here Saturday night and I got to meet people from all over the world, or all over Europe," Garcia said. "They were raving about how nice Farmingdale is."

For those unfamiliar with Farmingdale, the majority of eateries are on Main Street, with additional restaurants and pubs near the train station.

"The night crowd was definitely next level," he said. "A lot of them were doing their socializing and their post-golf festivities here," he said.

The downtown area doesn't have hotels, so guests had to find other locales. For example, Garcia said, most of the people he spoke to were staying in the city.

Some local residents also cashed in on the excitement, renting out their homes for exorbitant sums — while others charged fees for attendees looking to park in their driveways.

Aside from the festivities, Garcia said there was a "very small" protest against President Trump. Garcia estimates a dozen people gathered on one intersection. Meanwhile, videos on social media showed large crowds of protesters in other areas.

There were protests on Friday, Nassau County police confirmed to Patch, with those both for and against President Donald Trump gathering to express their views. Police said there were no arrests.

Garcia offered his opinion on the protests: "It got more attention than it probably deserved, based on how few people were involved."

The hardest part of the Ryder Cup for Farmingdale residents and employees was dealing with the road closures, especially when Trump attended on Friday, he added.

"[Also] the intersections leading directly into the golf course. That was difficult. There was a lot more traffic in those areas," Garcia said.

Ultimately, having the Ryder Cup in the village with huge crowds won out.

"The vast majority of Farmingdale had planned for it and understood what that was going to be like with this many people coming," Garcia said. "[They] enjoyed meeting people from around the world and enjoyed seeing their downtown filled with people spending money."