Bethpage Black

[nevets88]

I've never done the overnight thing, but the earlier the better. I think 10PM might be cutting it a little too close. I definitely agree to cancel the hotel and play another Bethpage course as a warmup so you can get on the line earlier. Not sure how the line is in the latter stages of the season, but if it were me, I'd get there around 4-5PM? Maybe that's a little zealous, but if it were me and I wanted a guaranteed tee time, I'd get there around 2-3pm. There's a LA Fitness nearby the course - maybe you can pay a fee to shower there.

This is the on site-sign with the instructions. If you zoom in, you can read it, barely:



This is a useful writeup:

http://www.golfvacationinsider.com/c...age-black-1979

[wrx_junki]

Think 5PM is a bit overkill but I guess if you want a guaranteed time you should do the overkill instead of regretting later.

[wrx_junki]

Okay some general Bethpage information.

Yellow course is the walk-on for the month of October.
The Black course will be aerated on October 4-5 (6th is the rain date).
The Blue course will be aerated on October 12-13.
The Red course will be aerated on October 19-20.
The Green course will be aerated on October 25-26.

The Black course will be closing on November 15 according to the lady I spoke to at the front office.

[DanOMan103]

Thanks for all your help guys. I am going to call the reservation system tonight at 7 and see if i can get a time. I have a couple friends that will be calling at the same time so hopefully one of us gets through and i get a time... if not i am going to show up around 6pm tomorrow (after dinner) and then do the camp out thing. either way we will play "The Black" on Saturday if its the last thing i do! haha. thanks again everyone.

[wrx_junki]

Today we were due for some rain and it looks like that got pushed to tomorrow. If you camp, just be ready to be on the wet side. Saturday the course should be in great scoring conditions so good luck out there!

[nevets88]

So how'd you make out?

[DanOMan103]

We made out great! We got into Farmingdale around 3:30 on Friday afternoon and went straight to the course to acclimate ourselves with the situation. When we arrived there was already a car in spot #1. We backed into spot #2 and took a walk up to the clubhouse to look around. It was pouring rain so all courses were closed for the day which killed any chance of a late day 9. We were told that the guy in spot #1 could hold our spot for us if he was up for it. We asked and he obliged by putting a trash can in our spot for us. We took a ride to Dominico's pizza (great stuff) and stopped in the 7-11 next door for beer and food for the night/next day. The guy came around at about 6:30 and gave out the bracelets, he told us that there is likely to be a delay the next day but we would not know until morning. We were up until about 10pm and then slept in my TSX which was not the most comfortable thing I have ever done but could have been worse I guess.

At 5:30 the guy came down with the bakery tickets and said that we were delayed 2 hours. The guy in the #1 spot as it turns out was playing the Red so we were the first off on the Black at 9:54 instead of 7:54. I actually enjoyed the delay. We went and got breakfast in the clubhouse, cheap and really good. We got a locker, took showers, got changed and went to the driving range. Then onto the putting green for a while and then into the clubhouse bar to watch the Ryder Cup. I liked the relaxed pace we were on because of the delay and it let us take in everything and not be so rushed around.

Now as for the round... first tee jitters were an understatement. I have played in Amateur tournaments with my name announced on the first tee and been much less nervous. However to my relief I split the first fairway and my knees almost buckled hahaha. There was a pretty big crowd with all eyes on us by the way. The rough was extremely wet but the fescue was cut down so it was a give and take as far as difficulty I guess. We played from the back tee's and I will have to say, the course is an absolute bear... the angles, the undulation, the forced carries to fairways/greens etc... the bunkering, everything about it just keeps coming at you. I LOVED IT though. I think it was the most fun course I have ever played even though it is so brutally hard. Keep in mind I am a 9 handicap

Now for the highlights of the day:

Hole #1 - Split the fairway

Hole #6 - Up and down from the right bunker for par

Hole #10 - Drive into fairway bunker on right, 2 hybrid about 20 yards short from there, scramble for par. If you haven't played this hole look at the yardage from the back (best 4 I have ever made)

Hole #13 - Nearly chip in for Birdie but the ball hits the pin and stays out... not sure how it didn't go in. I have never seen a ball rolling so slow bounce off like that.

Hole #15 - drive to left rough, hybrid out of the deep stuff to 40ish yards short, pitch to about 10 feet and leave my par putt on the lip... I really really wanted that 4. Hands down the toughest walk on the course here.

Hold #16 and #17 KILLED my round. I was +4 on the back until that point, well on my way to my goal of breaking 90. I tried to be a hero and get a 3 iron to the green from the left rough on 16... bad idea. I end up in the short right bunker, heel one into the shorter right bunker on a down slope, leave it in there, finally get out and 2 putt for 7! #17 wasnt much better, toe the crap out of one short left, barely move it out of the rough to shorter left, pitch to about 8 feet and make 5... triple and double on those two and the day is getting rough.

Hole #18 - This hole saved the entire day for me. I hit a very iffy drive to about 150yds on the left side of the fairway and proceed to stick an 8 iron to 2 and 1/2 maybe 3 feet. AND I MISSED THE DAMN PUTT!!!! This summed up my day... The greens look flat but there is some deceiving breaks, I noticed mostly at the hole they seem to move a lot if you dont give them the correct speed, next time I think I will be a little better on them.

Now for my Brother... the kid is a high 3 Handicap. He beat me by 1 stroke on the front 9 and then proceeds to shot 4 over 39 on the back for an 87! Hell of a round, well the back 9 anyway was very impressive to watch.

the final tally

Me = 93
Nick = 87

All and all it was probably the best day I have had on a course, Nick agreed. He loved this as his birthday present and it was agreed on while falling asleep in the car on Friday night that this will be a yearly occurrence for both of us.

I don't recommend, I insist that EVERYONE does this once in their life if not every single weekend haha.

God Bless The Black!

Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

[MSchott]

Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

Sounds like a great day on a great course. Can I ask why you decided to play from the back tees? Did these play the full 7300+ yards? Even with 3 and 9 handicap's it was obviously too hard for you two if you shot those scores. I played the Black about 10 years ago when I had an 18 handicap and shot in the in the mid 90's from the appropriate tees.

[DanOMan103]

To be honest we both figured if we are going to play it and go through everything we needed to go through just to get on, we wanted to see the whole package. As far as length is concerned i dont think it was too difficult for either of us. We both hit the ball very well as far as distance is concerened. The scoring issues I think were mainly caused by A: not knowing the course, not having a caddie etc.. and B: Possibly respecting the course too much. I know that sounds crazy but taking some more aggressive lines would have been possible (i.e. the 5th hole we both could have bit off a lot more of the right bunker than we attempted to). We both made some major unforced errors on 2 that lead to 7's for both of us (i.e. skulled bunker shots that were totally unexceptable)

On 3 for instance the hole was 217 to the pin, i hit 4 iron pin high and ran through the green... I never thought I would get a 5 to the hole but apparently I could have. On 8 I hit another 4 iron into the bunker behind the green, again never thought I could get there with a 5. Course management would have been nice haha. Also, hitting ANY putts would have been swell. I hit one putt from outside of 5 feet and that was the par saver on 6. Needless to say I played much worse then the course was difficult. I realize I have a 9 handicap but I have gone through some MAJOR changes to my game this year and that 9 is being played to more of a 3-4 currently. I am not trying to sound cocky or brash but I have been puting in about 20+ hours of work a week on my game and I feel that it is starting to pay off. I can not wait to tackle the Black again next year, and yes I will play from the tips again.

YES the course is hard... VERY hard... Can you score there? Most likely not... are there birdies to be had there??? Not really, the only 2 holes i think you can have a legitimate shot at birdie are 6 and 14. Possibly 18 as it is rather tame for a 400 yard par 4. Can you shoot in the 70's there? I dont know.. you reallly really have to be on your game. is an 87 a good score for a 3 handicap? No when you take in the slow start and the 48 on the front 9. Could that have been a 79 as the course rating suggests it should be for 3 cap? Yes if he started the same way he finished. You MUST take into consideration the total overwhelmingness you have playing this place the first time. But when you break it down, calm yourself down and go after it, a good score can be had... and by good i mean low 80's and MAYBE MAYBE MAYBE a high 70's round.

Oh, and my score card read over 7,400 yards, closer to 7,500.

[wrx_junki]

Sounds like a great day on a great course. Can I ask why you decided to play from the back tees? Did these play the full 7300+ yards? Even with 3 and 9 handicap's it was obviously too hard for you two if you shot those scores. I played the Black about 10 years ago when I had an 18 handicap and shot in the in the mid 90's from the appropriate tees.

Doubt it was at full 7300+ length. They don't use the championship tee boxes and they are usually overgrown by now, correct me if I'm wrong but they've done this the last two years.

[DanOMan103]

I am not really sure, there were 2 or 3 holes i think that we were not on the furthest tee box back. if i remember right it was 13 and 7. and 7 plays to a par 4 for the open i think so i dont know where they have those boxes then. i dont think it was 7300+ either but between the ridiculous undulation there and also with it being soaking wet and basically 99% carry all day it felt like it was 8000+ haha.

[nevets88]

Glad you had a great time.

Depending on the pin position, 8 is also a legitimate birdie hole.

Did you have to pay to use the lockers/showers?

[MSchott]

To be honest we both figured if we are going to play it and go through everything we needed to go through just to get on, we wanted to see the whole package. As far as length is concerned i dont think it was too difficult for either of us. We both hit the ball very well as far as distance is concerened. The scoring issues I think were mainly caused by A: not knowing the course, not having a caddie etc.. and B: Possibly respecting the course too much. I know that sounds crazy but taking some more aggressive lines would have been possible (i.e. the 5th hole we both could have bit off a lot more of the right bunker than we attempted to). We both made some major unforced errors on 2 that lead to 7's for both of us (i.e. skulled bunker shots that were totally unexceptable)

Thanks for the thoughtful answer. It's been a while since I played it and it was before the course was restored but I remember it being hard but fair. Everything is right in front of you but the bunkers are fearsome and there are a lot of elevated greens that require proper club selection to find the right tiers on the greens. I remember playing 17 and 18 in the near dark. I may have parred one of them. I still have the scorecard somewhere.

Congrats on the experience and I hope you can do it again.

[DanOMan103]

The lockers are a must if you are sleeping out for a tee time. $5 for the entire day (2 showers for me) and a $20 deposit that you get back when you return the key. Its nice, but not incredible by any means. The lockers themselves are high school style and the bathroom smelled of body odor, not badly but noticeable... but what do you really expect considering the situation? I would absolutley get them again. And it also adds to the experience a little.. it was neat to get ready in the same room as Tiger and Glover, to come down the steps and walk through the clubhouse to the first tee like I saw so many pro's do at the open... it was neat, but maybe im just a softie for that kind of thing hahaha. I will take the BO smell for the Pro feel any day!

[ryanbecker]

The Black is the best part of living in New York.  I feel like the golf season really opens when I can head up for the first time.  I have gotten out on the Black a fair amount just heading up as a single and I have always had a great time paired with the random people I am with.  You can't not love the course, even though you get your brains beat in for 18 holes!  I love it though, can't get enough.  My best round there is an 89 and I am damn proud of it!  Nice to think about the Black on a day in NYC when I can't even see out of my window because of the snow/ice/rain mix.

[nevets88]

Black and Bethpage is awesome, but New York as a golfing city isn't so great, unless you're filthy rich. Lack of variety of courses, practice facilities, cost and the traffic make it time consuming to the point your schedule can't fit or you just don't want to go through so much trouble.

[ryanbecker]

Quote:

Black and Bethpage is awesome, but New York as a golfing city isn't so great, unless you're filthy rich. Lack of variety of courses, practice facilities, cost and the traffic make it time consuming to the point your schedule can't fit or you just don't want to go through so much trouble.

I could not agree with this more!  The toughest part about NY golf (especially Bethpage) is that you have to block an entire day to play.  Even if you go off around 10 am, you have to get there an hour before your tee time to check in (or risk losing your spot) and it is easily a 5.5 - 6 hour round on a weekend, which is just brutal.  I have found that Black plays a bit faster than the other courses because the people playing it are generally more experienced and I think they may stagger the tee times a little bit more to keep the amount of rounds down.  But that said, to get out and play the Black is well worth the experience!

[nevets88]

Ask a NYer what are the great courses in the area and Black comes first obviously, but then afterwards is a pause. There's the other Bethpage courses, but NYers are hard pressed to come up with another public course on par with Black, unless you're one of the very few who can get onto those super exclusive courses. So Black, what else?  Uhhhhh.... :-( I like the Links at Union Vale and there are great courses in NJ and Westchester, but they're farther from the city.

There's no way to do a half day full round at Bethpage so you can do other things on that day unless you tee off before 8. No way. I've pretty much been playing 9s to counteract the complete time suck that is Bethpage.

I don't know what it is with us.

We drive fast, eat fast, want things right away, overnight mail like it's nothing, but golf, ssssllllooooowwww.