Share your Bethpage Black stories

[He Wants Your Wallet]

Nature Boy wrote:

<quoted text>
Who is they...plz post a link.

I'll try to find it! I saw it in Newsday....oh wait a minute?!!!!

I'll try to get back to ya!

[Bethpage Black Girl]

Actually, plans to bring the US Open to Bethpage began in 1981, when I worked on the Black Course (the only girl on the greenskeeping team). The new superintendent came in and told us that one day we were going to host the Open. We thought he was crazy. He showed us.

nature boy wrote:

<quoted text>
If you recall, in 1996 Dave Catalano took over as Bethpage Park's administrator. As a golfer himself, he immediately started transforming all five courses back to great condition.
This took place a few years before there was any thought of the PGA coming to Bethpage.
Of course it was fun to watch professional golfers tear up a golf course that rarely sees a sub-par round.
Yet once the PGA left town, us locals were stuck with paying increased fees...and competing with the crowd of inconsiderate duffers who had no business playing this fine course.
Obviously we hold different opinions.
Enjoy your Open.

[Matt]

I grew up on Long Island and then moved to California weeks following the 2002 US Open @ Bethpage. I have played two incomplete rounds on the course - due to darkness - in the months before the '02 Open (11 over after 14 holes both times!!). Needless to say, 15, 16, 17 & 18, I have never played. I still live in California and always want to get back to Long Island for two things - Mamma Lombardi's in Holbrook and to play 18 @ Bethpage. My best friend got married in the summer of 2007, so I made the trip back home. Mamma's was my first stop the following a red-eye flight from L.A. The following morning, my buddies and I arrived pre-dawn to get the 3rd or 4th spot in line. We were sure that we had been early enough to ensure a Black tee time. We went aroun the corner to get some egg sandwiches at the bagel shop in town and returned in time to get into the clubhouse to find out what our tee time would be. As we got closer to the window we noticed a sign that read that the Black was closed that day. WOW - 3,000 mile red-eye flight and 18 on the Yellow. So I guess my story about the Black is about not playing it at all...Atleast I made it to Mamma's 3 or 4 more times before my flight back to Los Angeles.

[FredBird]

First played the Black in the mid-80's. Drove down from Hartford with a golf bud who insisted it was a classic. No wait to play mid-week, and cheap. I remember hitting it over the green at 3 by about 5 feet, and never finding my ball in the rough, which was more like a pasture. Maintenance was minimal, but the layout made a big impression -- golf on a grand scale.

Played it right after the Open in 2002. The greens were crazy fast, but after millions in USGA maintenance,
I still lost balls just a few feet off the fairway.

No matter how they cut the grass, the Black is the ultimate test.

[LVHS Golf]

The County high school tournament was on the Red and the Black every year. Black was and still is the hardest course i've ever played. I tell people it doesn't get hard until you cross a road and then it gets harder every time you cross a road.(so that's after 1, after tee shot on 4, after tee shot on 5, after tee shot on 7, after 13, and after 14.)

Back in the 70's the fairways were so wide both rows of sprinklers were in the fairways - now they're both in the rough. If you missed the fairway there may have been about 10-15 feet of rough before the fescue.

Bunkers were rocks and greens were barely covered with grass.

By the time you got to the shack after 5 you felt like you'd played 9.

8th green was surrounded by trees and brush. 9th tee was tucked left of the 8th green so you needed to hit a duck hook to find the fairway. 15 still had the corral.

Now it's prettier and more predictable. i don't know if its any harder though.

[Guy from Lido]

Doesn't anybody want to adress the issue at hand, what will the USGA do for the 40 thousand people that shelled out the $100 or more for a ticket and never got to see a ball hit!!! Are they that PIGGISH that they will not honor your ticker in any way shape or form, give us a break. If there is an additional day added we should be allowed to attend as a makeup. We are fans and should be given some consideration....

[danipman]

This should come as no surprise to anyone. The USGA cares only about VIPs and people with lots of money. They dont care about the average Joe at the "People's Open". They love to pump up the press about the press about New Yorkers and the average guy playing the course, but you what happens if they might have to extend themselves slightly.
THis is very much in line with the treatment of the Bethpage golfing public that has had to endure the removal of 2 of the best holes of the red course for the Entire season. They put these tents up 3 months ago instead of 3 weeks ago. All the courses have shortened holes and its seems the USGA wanted to take up as much room as possible
I will never give them another cent and hope this US Open turns into an embarrassing debacle. Tiger and Phil miss the cut, and Briny Baird wins on Wednesday with no one watching

[Fred Sprinter]

The USGA raincheck policy (or lack there of) is an insult to all golf fans. 42,500 fans @$100 minimum each per day = 4.2 million. Sounds like the auto industry or banks, screw all the little guys, give us your money.
Its a shame that an organization I grew up admiring and respecting would treat the people that support them like garbage. Very disappointing.

[Marg M]

The USGA's excuse for not offering another day to the Thursday ticket holders is that the venue would be over capacity. I would bet that most people who were there yesterday, particularly the corporate ticket holders, have multi-day passes. So the only people you need to accomodate are those of us who had Thursday only tickets, not the whole 42000 in attendance. And what happens if this thing goes to Monday? I'm guessing they'll sell tickets for that day and add another few million to their revenue."Peoples Open"? Ha!

[Fred Sprinter]

Looks like the USGA is judging any comments re: the rainout situation as spam or offtopic. It wont help.

[cue ball]

Fred Sprinter wrote:

Looks like the USGA is judging any comments re: the rainout situation as spam or offtopic. It wont help.

Wrong, Fred. I am the one characterizing these beefs with the USGA as off topic and spam.

Am I out of place?

[Jeff Boomer Pecht]

My fondest memories of Bethpage Black were when we wanted to play a round there it was quite a production. To play on a Saturday we would go out Friday night until say 2 AM then drive to Round Swamp Rd and wait for 6AM to get our ticket to sign in. Sign in and pay the Green fees get our time and go have breackfest either in the Dining Hall or a local Diner. After breakfest depending on our Tee Time either go to the range or the tee to wait to tee off. What really sticks in my mind from the first couple of times I played there was I came from New Hyde Park and when I got out on the course it was like you were not on Long Island any more. It was like you were upstate with the Tall Trees and esentially you could not see the surrounding area any more which gave you this feeling of being some place else. I remember seeing animals such as Foxes Black Squrrels Phesents Hawks and many other wild animals during my round it was really something. I later moved to Farmingdale by the Train Station which was only a few blocks from Bethpage and then I got to play their alot. I played every course may times but the Black was my favorite. I now live in Greenville SC which is also a good golf area, but nothing like the Black Course.

[Busey]

Guy from Lido wrote:

Doesn't anybody want to adress the issue at hand, what will the USGA do for the 40 thousand people that shelled out the $100 or more for a ticket and never got to see a ball hit!!! Are they that PIGGISH that they will not honor your ticker in any way shape or form, give us a break. If there is an additional day added we should be allowed to attend as a makeup. We are fans and should be given some consideration....

The USGA did a good job I think. They are letting you use your Thursday ticket on Monday....

Thats pretty sweet, you get to see the final round.

[Dave Hackford]

These hecklers who are drunk out in public should be arrested by the New York State Police Officers..These hecklers were harassing the golfer`s..HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF THIS WAS BEING DONE TO YOU..

If you were drunk in the city and doing this, you would be arrested..

[joel goodman]

The behavior of many attendees-can't call them golf fans due to their ignorant behavior-is a sad tribute to a once great sports city. NY is now the home of drunks, thugs, and crude idiots, trying to make a statement about their stupidity and crudeness. I hope the USGA has the sense to never return to this once great venue, that has been spoiled by the IDIOTS OF NEW YORK. YOUSE GUYS GOT THE METS AND THAT'S WHAT YOU DESERVE.
MEDIOCRITY PERSONIFIED.

[Charlie Howard]

I live in Vail Co. and a good friend of mine who grew up, caddied at Bethpage and played for the Dodgers before they left Brooklyn, taught skiing here in Vail for years was so looking forward to being at the open succumed to a long hard fight with cancer in feb. Another friend took his ashes and spread them at the tournament. Dick got his wish and was there!

[Rex Range]

Read about the drunk morons assailing these golfers around the course. Spot me Jack Nicholson, a 2-iron and a 3-iron and we'd clear 'em out of the gallery in about five minutes. I hereby volunteer to work security next year at the Open.

[Suellen]

I was surprised to read about the heckling. I have gone to the AT&T at Pebble Beach 13 years in a row and have never witnessed such behavior. I have always thought golf fans were polite and considerate, but...I would bet that won't happen next year when the Open is held at Pebble!!

[Steve]

Check out my YouTube video from the Bethpage Black: http://www.youtube.com/watch...

[eddie]

Nick T wrote:

I never have played the black course but, I remember going sledding there when we were kids back in the 70's. Some of those hills were amazing !!

Late 60's also . And 80's with my kids