Black is open for season

[flap]

Played my first round of the year on the Black today.The course was in early season shape ie greens bumpy rough short traps thin.Fairways were in good shape.15mph wind kept temps a little cold and made course play LONG!Shot 88 ans hit ball fairly well but was nice to get out on Black again.

[Dent]

nice to hear your course is open, but next time you might wanna try posting this here

[erova]

nah, I think Flap posted it in the right section. He's letting people know a destination course is open for the season. His score is just ancillary to the condition of the course.

[iacas]

nah, I think Flap posted it in the right section. He's letting people know a destination course is open for the season. His score is just ancillary to the condition of the course.

Agreed. Yup.

[AmenCorner]

Do you speak of Bethpage? Heard of that place of course, how is it?

[erova]

definitely one of my favorite tracks I've played. real brutal though; it's reputation is definitely deserved. just a great place to play golf in general, with the courses, bars/restaurants, and people.

here's some photos if you want to see a few shots:
http://flickr.com/photos/erova/sets/72157601414531843/

[AmenCorner]

definitely one of my favorite tracks I've played. real brutal though; it's reputation is definitely deserved. just a great place to play golf in general, with the courses, bars/restaurants, and people.

Awesome pics man. That place is beautiful. And it's a muni?

Oh, and tuck in that shirt!

[Finn07]

Ive played it three times in my life, never broke 90 there (92, 92, 93), played from the tips every time. Its an experience, I can tell you that....The course kicks my ass. I love it though.

[Eustace1080]

Great pics. I am heading there in June and I cant wait.

[erova]

hey thanks. it will be a great time, if you're in to a good butt-whupping. but in all seriousness, i always recommend it, as (obviously) everyone else does too...

(sorry to hijack your thread, Flap!)

[DavidFehertysBike]

It was open over the winter..I played there a couple months ago. If you think its brutal in decent weather, try it when its under 50 and the ball wont travel. I shot 104 and was happy about it. How'd you like the tee shot on 12....and 13...lol. Ridiculous.

[flap]

I usually do not like to correct anyone but the Black was closed from November till 2nd week of April as it is every year.

[nevets88]

I took a day off from work yesterday and could have played black, but did not want to wait. I got there at 10:30 and had to wait 2 hours for a tee time. Don't people have to work?

[erova]

devets, when i played i showed up at 8 am (after driving from central jersey), and teed off on the black at 1.

no complaints here.

[golf_junkie27]

Correct me if I'm wrong but it is my understanding that as long as you have a valid NY Driver's License, you can make a tee time. It is a $4 surcharge. I did not make the tee times, a friend, did. Additionally, if you show up as a single, you can look at the board and it will list all four courses with available tee times and the amount of open spots.

This is what I saw when I played, there, last week.

Great pics!

[erova]

that's correct--I'm a Maryland resident and registered my ID so I could make tee times 48 hours out. that day i made it out at 1 i actually had a tee time at 4. by showing up, well, 8 hours early i landed one of the walk-on times that opened up that day.

easily worth it and will definitely try to make it back this summer all over again...

would really like to experience the Red too...

[Sickman]

I played The Black last Saturday. It was not in mid-season form, particularly the greens, which were slow and bumpy. Also, the rough was cut WAY down. While there was some wind, the claws were retracted and I matched my lowest score ever there.

Previous posters are generally right about the tee time system. I didn't have a reservation, was there at 8:00, waited about 50 minutes for a spot and was out at 10:08. btw, I don't recommend anyone else walk up without a tee time

[nevets88]

Even if you have a tee time, this is what happens. You have to show up an hour early. So you come early, you get to the starter. There's a 1/2 hour backup. Starter says, oh, that's not too bad. *&^*! - so 1.5 hours elapse before I hit my first tee shot. And at times, though not always, I'm waiting 5 minutes between holes to tee off.

So I take advantage of coming 1 hour early and do some shopping or errands. I bring reading material or practice chipping between holes.

It's fine to wait if you come once in a while, but if Bethpage is the most convenient course for you, the time wasted adds up.

There has got to be a way to make the reservation process consume less time.

If it weren't for the fact that my parents are close by and I would not play Bethpage as much - it's a great track, but it's just too time consuming.

There are courses in the metro area (Hudson Valley, NJ) where you show up 10 minutes early, tee off, finish in 4.5 hours or even less. This is not Back Up Bethpage, not even close.

My compromise is to leave around the 14th hole to save time.

I don't want to take away from the quality of the courses, the layout, and the great job done on course maintenance. It's just that the place is such a time killer, it takes away from the experience.