Bethpage Black

[Rafcin]

...Plus: where else in the world would the fans call our Sergio for taking too long!?! lol

Wow, here is something to be really proud of, isn't ? Somehow in my book behavior like that and comments like yours and JP's have very little to do with THE GAME I try to play. Putting "lol" after ever sentence doesn't change anything. Both of you missing the point of somebody posting a personal experience and having two "dudes" shi#%ing all over it with their moronic comments. Let me guess: if I post a story about my wife (28hcp after 2yrs of play) putting the ball 2" from the cup with a 4 iron from 130yds... all I'll read from you and JP will be stories about how YOU hit your 60deg wedge that distance and how pathetic it was?!?!? Geez, get a clue "dude"

[Rafcin]

Gotta say I applaud you guys for playing the tees that properly corresponded to your ability. I wish more people would do that and stop thinking that they have to play from the tips to play "the real course." It's guys like that who create the 5 1/2 hour rounds for the rest of us

Wow ! A reader with sense, what a refreshing thought

Thank for the nice words FAH. As a matter of fact - we finished under 5hrs, what was commented by flap and his friend as "unusual"

[jamesduncan]

wow.

man, you picked the wrong guy here to subject all your issues onto.

godspeed with that therapist. wow.

[flap]

JPsuff you are wrong.The tee on 9 was exactly where the Reds are now and was a driving mat not even a Tee box and I will put my money on it.I have played the Black since 1969 in High School and will tell you you are full of shit you dont reach the green from there with a 3 wood.And like I said last week yes there are womens tees on the Black and they have been there since it was redone for the open because the USGA demanded it.You must be one of the morons in the Nassau players club and think the black is your private course well it aint so learn to live with it.

[iacas]

JP has now had a few people tell him he's wrong, including our host flap. In addition to the stupid "all shafts are the same" thread, it's safe to say JP's credibility has come into serious question.

But he's supposedly "deleting this site from his computer" now. I'll assume that means he's deleting a bookmark, but the way he seems to think it's almost as if he believes he has the power to actually delete us. Good riddens.

We did take some pictures, to the person who asked. They are here:
http://web.mac.com/iacas/iWeb/pages/...e%20Black.html

[Peter_in_Atl]

Flap,
I have a question for you since you've played the black for so long. I used to play it during the 1980's. I had heard that before then, they had moved the 18th green. That the original one was up where the flag poles now stand. Is this true? Can you shed some light on the subject? Thanks.

[jamesduncan]

You must be one of the morons in the Nassau players club and think the black is your private course well it aint so learn to live with it.

interesting.

so atleast we know where everyone stands here now. out of interest, why do u think the NPC are a bunch of morons? agreed theyre a fairly boorish bunch, but some great players in there too. some insight would be helpful. just seems like a sweeping generalization thats all. personally i dont know any of them, but see them regularly at the top of many mga/liga/nysga events.

[flap]

Bethpage is a New York State park paid for by New York State Taxpayers and most of these people in that club seem to think that less skilled golfers dont belong there when in actuality they are paying the frieght.As for the 18th question there were large traps behind the green and in front of the flags which used to be a large scoreboard for when the college kids played or they held a tourney.Maybe I am a little cross with all of that club but they must understand that it is a municipal course and all have equal rights.I agree that some people do not belong on the Black but if the state does its job and has rangers move them along as they did right after they reopened it 20 min a hole and pick it up.You must understand Iam against turning it into anybody"s private course.

[jamesduncan]

I guess therein lies the rub.

Personally I sorta feel, to play the blues, one must show a handicap card (under 20 or something).

But then its not true public course if you did that. Id fully agree that it shouldnt ever be privatized. I didnt realize that was the intention of the NPC, to privatize Bethpage. Ill have to ask around to get some follow up on that desire of the Club.

Again is this a known fact or are you just generalizing?

It sounds like you have a beef with them, which is fine. But just trying to seperate any beefs with actual stated gols of the NPC. Hope thats clear.

Again I dont know any of them at all other than seeing them consistently top most amateur events in the region. To be that does carry some weight to me I guess.

But given the slow pace in general at Bethpage, Ive actually never had a round longer than 5hrs or so on Black and usually its never backed up

Yet Red etc?..forget it. I think it has more to do with the lack of carts on the Black course to be honest.

Personally, I feel the State does a pretty great job at keeping the course in the condition it is in, given the amount of play all the courses get (compare to other municipal NYC courses run by America Golf).

Sure the lack of marshalls is a sore point, but given the pace of play at most NYC area clubs (marshalls or not, its 5.5 hours +) I still do a walk up at BPB on Sat and Sun and get my rounds in regularly.

[Mr.Totality]

What tees are you planning on using?

I am from LI, and my father had played there several times and I was about to write something very similar.

[FAHooGolfs]

We did take some pictures, to the person who asked. They are here:

Thanks for those, they are great pics! I must say, having seen those pics as opposed to the ones you normally see of the Open setup, it looked completely different than what I was expecting. The course seemed to be very "open" and not anywhere near as many trees as I was expecting.

And just to reference my 5 1/2 hour round quote from earlier, down here in Virginia, we typically get our rounds in around 4 - 4 1/2 hours so 5 1/2 hours was meant to represent an excessively long time. I guess that'd be more like 6 or 7 hour rounds for you fellas up north.

[Finn07]

Ive heard of people sleeping in their cars the night before just to get out and play there during the week. Now Ive heard from some people that its first come, first serve, but I would have to think they have some tee-time reservation system. Anyone have an answer? Im gonna try and get out there in the next month or so but dont know how I feel about sleeping in my car the night before to play golf, although from what I understand it would be well worth the experience.

[flap]

Good for you and all the people who think like you.I am not a highly skilled player anymore and at 54 I should not play any course over 6700 yards as my distance would dictate hitting a wood for a second shot on par 4's and that is how I decide my tee boxes.The mrs and I played the Red on Friday at 11:56 am and watched the group in front of us have 2 old guys 50-55 play from the tips and hit woods for second shots on a majority of the par 4's 5hrs and 20 min later I asked one of the guys in the parking lot about this and his reply was "I have allways played the blues and since its my money I will continue to do so".So as you can see some people just don't have a clue.As for the NPC I don't belive that any club should be at a public/municipal course unless anyone can join it and actively partisipate in all its functions and I do not think NPC would be open to all at Bethpage.I may be wrong but over the years that is my impression of this club.

[golfchief]

From what I understand residents can make tee times for the black,they leave some open tee times for walkons(six or seven ?) so you best chance to secure a tee time is spending the night in the parking lot so you can recieve a wrist band saying which open tee time your allowed on the black. It also costs more for non residents but the price is still good. If i'm wrong please update me. The PGA made them sign a contract not to up the price (read gouge) the people coming to play the black.

[FAHooGolfs]

For non-NY residents, I think you can make a tee time if you register with the NY State Parks department or something along those lines, but I think its a royal pain to do so. Somewhere on the Bethpage State Park website it talks about what to do and if you call the people there, they're pretty helpful.

For NY residents, you just have to give them your driver's license # or something to make a tee time.

[flap]

516-249-0700 and enter your SS# if you are out of state or your driver ID # if you are NY resident.Out of state people can reserve 48 hours in advance and NYers 7 days.It aint perfect but its the rules.

[tartanjack]

Had my annual round at the Black with the Met Golf Writers yesterday. Shotgun start, course immaculate, beautiful breezy weather and set up with pins from the final day of the Open and play essentially from the blues (not the pro/Open tees). At 7200 plus yards, just too long for me. Four or five of the par 4's are unreachable for me with even my best drive and 3 wood. That said, it's still my favorite course - wild around the edges, with some gorgeous holes. Bunkers have deteriorated just a bit with some pebbles and stones emerging from before the pre-Open makeover, there's some poa showing up on the greens but that does not affect putting. Still one of the greatest bargains in all of golf.

[iacas]

Had my annual round at the Black with the Met Golf Writers yesterday. Shotgun start, course immaculate, beautiful breezy weather and set up with pins from the final day of the Open and play essentially from the blues (not the pro/Open tees). At 7200 plus yards, just too long for me. Four or five of the par 4's are unreachable for me with even my best drive and 3 wood. That said, it's still my favorite course - wild around the edges, with some gorgeous holes. Bunkers have deteriorated just a bit with some pebbles and stones emerging from before the pre-Open makeover, there's some poa showing up on the greens but that does not affect putting. Still one of the greatest bargains in all of golf.

Yeah, the stones in the bunkers got me. Only when we got to 16 did one fellow we were playing with said that they usually played an unwritten local rule that said "move your ball or remove the pebbles if you can see them under or near your ball."

Sounds like you had a great time as Rafi and I (and flap) did.