sailor
Merry Whatever ..R.I.P. dadkins
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join:2003-10-21
Long Island
| [Other] For Golfers
I'm not a golfer but thought for those here who are you might enjoy looking at these photos of The Black Course at Bethpage State Park.
Any of you ever play here?
»www.newsday.com/sports/golf/usop···ogallery |
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pro7070
BJ "The Prodigy" Penn
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join:2002-06-28
Inman, SC | As I understand it, the course doesnt accept tee times and is first come first served. And just to be able to play people will camp out in their cars the night before. It must be something special. |
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The Dv8or
DSLReports Forums -- The Mouse House 2.0
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Danbury, CT
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| I'm not a golfer, but from watching the 2002 Open, the Black Course is phenomenally difficult. It's unlike any course I've ever seen. The fairways can be very narrow, with trees in the most challenging of places, and huge valleys. The technical difficulty of the course makes it a joy to watch professionals take on, and it made you appreciate so much more how good Tiger is when he won in 2002. The New York crowd also brought an extra enthusiasm and energy to the crowd that some might look at as disruptive, but to many it was almost welcome. The 2002 Open was one of the most unique tournaments in history, and I hope the 2009 Open is similar.
One of the other things that makes it so special is that it's a truly public course. There are no restrictions as to who can play it, and is as affordable and accessible as any course gets. No other major tournament has been played on a truly public course. The lines start the night before, and they camp out in their cars, like if you were waiting for concert tickets or something. I think an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond (a show I despise) was about this. To have a major PGA event on the Black really helps to blur the line a little between the elitism of the PGA and the average guy going out with his buddies to shoot 18, although there is a sign warning you how incredibly difficult the Black is to play. There's three other courses at Bethpage State Park that are less difficult.
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Edge1
Workin' Ta Live
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| reply to sailor
Believe it or not a friend of mine caddied there for a while (not for tournaments but public play). He said you can't believe how long/tough it is. From the tips its downright ridiculous apparently. I'd love to play there sometime, but you gotta be the picture of patience. I think you're lookin at at least 6 hours, most likely more. That would drive me insane. |
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Lex Luthor
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1 edit | reply to sailor
I live very close to the course. I've played the Black only once. I'm a not that good of a golfer at all (upper 90s counting score legitimately). It was a brutal experience. My forearms were killing me by the end of the round from hitting out of all of the thick rough.
It's a beautiful course though. I particularly like the view of the par 3 17th. It's a 2 tier green and can lend itself to some interesting pin placements and the Par 4 15th with a tiny green surrounded by traps. Last time the 15th played as one of the hardest US Open holes ever.
On thing that I thought was great in 2002 is they really didn't have to "game" the course to make it difficult. They had US Open rough and tough pin placements, but they didn't have to make the greens like concrete to have ridiculous pin placements to keep the scores up, like they have to at some courses. They just played the course pretty much "straight up". I think the players really appreciated that. There was one hole where, I think on a day or 2 that there was some rain, a good many players had trouble reaching the fairway. I'm sure they'll have that corrected this year.
I have tickets on Friday that week, so I'm pretty excited.
Also, they do have a reservation system for the Black course for many years now. I think they do still hold some open slots every day for walk ups though.
For NYS residents, I think the fee is still under $40 for a round. Clearly the best bargain in all of golf.
I don't think you are looking at 6 hour rounds though. Probably closer to 4.5 hour rounds. Most people who play the black, know how to keep the pace of their play up.
Also, at the same complex, there are 4 other 18 hole courses, one of which, in particular, is also a very good course. I've played 6 hour rounds on the other courses though. Being public courses, there really are no rangers or anything pushing people's pace along and there are certainly a good many hackers out there every day. |
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ZZZZZZZ
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join:2001-05-27
PARADISE
|  reply to sailor
Look at all the sand traps..........I'd be buried in there for sure. 
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~~Get our troops home...now!!~~ |
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sailor
Merry Whatever ..R.I.P. dadkins
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join:2003-10-21
Long Island
| reply to sailor
slide-show of photos from Bethpage
»www.newsday.com/sports/golf/ny-s···ogallery |
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pro7070
BJ "The Prodigy" Penn
Premium
join:2002-06-28
Inman, SC
| Somehow, having to play with this around me all the time would make it alot less fun. |
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The Dv8or
DSLReports Forums -- The Mouse House 2.0
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join:2001-08-09
Danbury, CT
clubs: | When you're MJ, I'm sure you've gotten used to it by the 30th year.
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Flippant
So Much For Subtlety
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Katy, TX | reply to pro7070
After what happened to his Dad he is probably good with it. |
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Lex Luthor
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Very exciting around here. I drove by a couple of tiles today and there was a lot of activity at the course. I was trying to see if the foursome with Jordan and Timberlake were playing and how to watch that, but I didn't see anything.
Also, what a pita to get to thecourse now to the merchandise tent. You have to park a couple miles away and then they bus you over to the retail area. I got to the parking lot and it was packed just to get into the parking lot. I only had my lunch time, so I just turned around. |
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Lex Luthor
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| reply to sailor
15th Hole Entrance | 
17th Hole | 
15th Hole |
Here are some pictures from off of Round Swamp Road, which runs through the course.
The merchandise tent is the size of a Sports Authority. ESPN Radio's Brandon Tierney is there doing his show now. I won an ESPN Radio T-Shirt for answering a few Mets trivia questions |
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pro7070
BJ "The Prodigy" Penn
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join:2002-06-28
Inman, SC | Very nice pics, thanks.
I'd be interested to see some pics next week if you bike back by there. Maybe too crowded though I would guess? |
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sailor
Merry Whatever ..R.I.P. dadkins
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join:2003-10-21
Long Island
| reply to Lex Luthor
Good pics and cool that you won a T-Shirt. Are you , or anyone else posting here, going to the Open?
From today's Newsday.
Jordan, Timberlake, Big Ben have grand day
»www.newsday.com/about/ny-spuscha···74.story |
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pro7070
BJ "The Prodigy" Penn
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join:2002-06-28
Inman, SC
2 edits | Jordan is supposedly a single digit handicap at Medinah and shoots 86? I'd bet everything I own I can beat Jordan on any course he chooses. I know this course is hard but cmon Rothlesburger shoots 81 and only plays 3 or 4 months out of the year? A decent player could break 80 there. |
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Lex Luthor
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| reply to pro7070
said by pro7070  :Very nice pics, thanks. I'd be interested to see some pics next week if you bike back by there. Maybe too crowded though I would guess? I doubt I could get through on a bike starting Monday. The road will be closed, probably to bikers too.
I do have tickets for Friday, so I'm really looking forward to that. No cameras or cell phone though, so no pictures. |
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sailor
Merry Whatever ..R.I.P. dadkins
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join:2003-10-21
Long Island
|  said by Lex Luthor :I do have tickets for Friday, so I'm really looking forward to that. No cameras or cell phone though, so no pictures. Why no pictures at all? How is one to have memories of attending the event? I can understand no flash photos but none at all I have to question.
As for your tickets for Friday may I ask how much they cost you? I ask because a woman who I have known my entire life called me earlier in the week and asked me if I knew of anyone that would be interested in her tickets. Years back I was involved in concert tickets/promotions and she remembered that so thought I would be a good one to ask. She is elderly now and splits her time between here where I am on Long Island and Florida. Her career was as an executive secretary at Grumman when they had their Calverton plant in operation.
She told me every single year she is put in a lottery for tickets and ended up getting 4 what she called packages...All days and practice days and playoffs if necessary. She is going one day and wanted to sell the other days for $100.00 which she said is face value or below ( can't remember right now ) and practice days were I believe she said $40.00...When I asked her about parking she said parking was not included in any of the tickets/packages she had.
Since I'm not a golfer I gave her the phone number of a friend who plays often with other friends so I guess he bought them as I have not heard back from her. So I'm just curious as to what you paid for your day. |
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Lex Luthor
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4 edits | reply to sailor
Practice rounds Mon, Tue and Wed are $40 each. Championship rounds Thur, Fri, Sat and Sun are $100 each.
Package for all 7 days is $400 each.
I don't think there was any handling fee.
Tickets appear to be going for less then face value right now on Stubhub as the event is currently not sold out.
As of this morning, I know you could walk right up to the course and buy tickets directly from the USGA.
Cameras are allowed for the practice rounds, not for the championship rounds. I guess if you want memories or pictures of the course, go Mon-Wed.
I did receive a parking pass for each day's tickets I had (I sold my Sunday tickets). 7 years ago, they wanted me to park down at the beach about 20 minutes away and then be bused back. I would up just walking. This year, I got a parking pass at a college that's about 5 minutes away (I see they still have the beach parking, but maybe they gave only local residents the nearby parking passes). With the amount of time it'll take to get a bus at the parking area, it'll still be the better plan to just walk. |
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sailor
Merry Whatever ..R.I.P. dadkins
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join:2003-10-21
Long Island | Thanks and have fun Friday. |
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pro7070
BJ "The Prodigy" Penn
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join:2002-06-28
Inman, SC
1 edit | reply to sailor
said by sailor :said by Lex Luthor :I do have tickets for Friday, so I'm really looking forward to that. No cameras or cell phone though, so no pictures. Why no pictures at all? How is one to have memories of attending the event? I can understand no flash photos but none at all I have to question. Because the "click" of the camera causes a player to flinch during the swing causing bad things.
It's extremely disrupting while in perfect silence to hear a click at the bottom of the swing at impact.
Players tolerate it in practice rounds but even then if you get them in mid swing they will give you the evil eye. In tournament play, if professional photographers with media credentials do it mid swing they will be escorted out. Tiger's caddie has went so far as taking a camera from someone and breaking it. After the player has made contact with the ball and has followed through into his finish is the accepted time to snap a pic during a tournament for the pro photogs. |
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