Bethpage Black

[Jemehl]

Flap how hard was it to get a teetime. I want one for next sunday. When should i call ?

[EightBlue]

  soup said:

The fescue is cut down each September and is re-seeded.

Agree i love the red course. if you aren't playing the tips, i think it could actually be a better course.

[flap]

call Sunday at 7 and hope for the best.If you do not get what you want do not settle and try all week till you get something you like.

[Jemehl]

Also how do you get a caddie ?

[flap]

I carry my own bag but I am told you go to the pro shop and they supply the caddie though I do not know how much.

[Jemehl]

Ya.. Thanks for all the help flap. I carried my bag last time i played. BUt going with my dad going to try and make it a nice day if not to expensive

[flap]

They do rent 1/2 way decent pull carts at the driving range if you so desire.

[flap]

just called now and got a even better time of 9:08 for a twosome on Thursday.

[Jemehl]

Enjoy flap. PLayed today it was a lot of fun, Long day

[gortyl]

Gents - I'm sure you NYers are sick of all the "how to get on Bethpage" questions, but I do have yet another question that I haven't found on any previous threads. If I spend the night and get the wristband, etc., do I HAVE to play in the morning or can I reserve an afternoon tee time? I'm thinking most of the afternoon tee times will be booked by locals and those who are in the reservation system (which I am not). My colleague won't get to the course to meet us three until about 12:30pm, so I'd want to wait for him. Desired tee time is this Wednesday afternoon....appreciate the help.

[wrx_junki]

  gortyl said:

Gents - I'm sure you NYers are sick of all the "how to get on Bethpage" questions, but I do have yet another question that I haven't found on any previous threads. If I spend the night and get the wristband, etc., do I HAVE to play in the morning or can I reserve an afternoon tee time? I'm thinking most of the afternoon tee times will be booked by locals and those who are in the reservation system (which I am not). My colleague won't get to the course to meet us three until about 12:30pm, so I'd want to wait for him. Desired tee time is this Wednesday afternoon....appreciate the help.

Replied to you in the other thread. You have a 4some so disregard the other reply. The problem is how will your 4th get the wristband? They only give the wristband to the people that are present.

[gortyl]

Sorry I'm just now getting back, but today was a travel day after yesterday's perfect day. It's funny, going in to the round yesterday, two of the guys were asking me why it's so hard. I talked about its length and it's tough green complexes, but I had no idea that they basically force you to play from 6700 yards. The only other tees are 6200, but they're the red tees and they're specifically called out as Ladies Tees on the scorecard so there's no way most of us men are going to play from 6200, so you have to step back to the next set of tees, which is 6700. It was just a perfect day for golf yesterday. Got there early, got some shirts, ate lunch out back on the patio, hit some balls, putted a few and we were off. The only negatives I'd say are: 1. the absolute crazy, maniacal process that they force you to go through to even play there; 2. the practice green was the fastest green I putted on all day; 3. the 15th green was a bit sketchy in spots; 4. slow play; 5. all the losers honking their horn as they drive by the course (happened at least 10 times during my round).

Other than that, it was fantastic. I shot 89 from the white tees with two triple bogeys on the front. I birdied # 4 with a driver, 5-iron, just missing my eagle putt. I was in the sand a lot, which was bright white and very soft, but not too deep. We had caddies, although they were a hole late. We teed off at 2:21pm and finished 18 in basically complete darkness. We couldn't see any of our drives, but I hit mine right down the middle of the fairway between the bunkers, one of my better drives of the day, leaving me 98 yards out, uphill, hit it thin over the green, miraculously found it, chipped on and two putt for the 89. My goal was to break 90, so I was very happy. Can't wait to get back some day....

[wrx_junki]

  gortyl said:

Sorry I'm just now getting back, but today was a travel day after yesterday's perfect day. It's funny, going in to the round yesterday, two of the guys were asking me why it's so hard. I talked about its length and it's tough green complexes, but I had no idea that they basically force you to play from 6700 yards. The only other tees are 6200, but they're the red tees and they're specifically called out as Ladies Tees on the scorecard so there's no way most of us men are going to play from 6200, so you have to step back to the next set of tees, which is 6700. It was just a perfect day for golf yesterday. Got there early, got some shirts, ate lunch out back on the patio, hit some balls, putted a few and we were off. The only negatives I'd say are: 1. the absolute crazy, maniacal process that they force you to go through to even play there; 2. the practice green was the fastest green I putted on all day; 3. the 15th green was a bit sketchy in spots; 4. slow play; 5. all the losers honking their horn as they drive by the course (happened at least 10 times during my round).

That's some drive and even better 5 iron to get it to stop on the green on that par 5. I usually layup to the right of the green since you can't miss that green short or long. I've never shot under 90 at Black. Usually the sand shots kill me or I just get drained at some point in the back 9. Sounds like you had a good time.

[gortyl]

  wrx_junki said:

That's some drive and even better 5 iron to get it to stop on the green on that par 5. I usually layup to the right of the green since you can't miss that green short or long. I've never shot under 90 at Black. Usually the sand shots kill me or I just get drained at some point in the back 9. Sounds like you had a good time.

We had caddies, so that REALLY helped out. No way I shoot 89 without them. And that # 4 hole was very interesting. In all honesty, I pulled my drive left of where they told me to hit it and the ball barely cleared the bunkers down the left side and it rolled almost to the edge of the fairway. It was a blind second shot. The caddie told me to hit a 190 shot, which saved me because I thought it was playing a lot more uphill and would have hit a choked-down 4-wood without any other guidance. I trusted the caddie and hit a pure 5-iron that ended up pin high (pin was middle), about 18 feet right of the pin. What's also funny about this, and probably helped me a LOT, is that as we were making our way to that tee box, my buddy mentioned that the pros play # 4 from the top of the hill and he said it plays as a 501 yard par 4. So I actually played the hole thinking it was a par 4 and when I missed the putt, I thought I missed a par putt, not an eagle putt. Only then as everyone was finishing up did I realize it was a Par 5.

Yes, the sand shots killed me as well. My short game is in disarray right now too and wasn't helped by the thick rough 3 feet off the green which is a great protector of that course too. It's kind of a tough course to walk, but definitely tough for the caddies carrying two bags all over the place. Anyway, yes, it was great time finished off by a great steak dinner in the city late that night!

[DanOMan103]

NEW GUY NEEDS BETHPAGE BLACK HELP!

Help! My brother's birthday is Saturday (oct 2nd) and I promised a round at the Black. Does anyone have a clue if an out of stater (PA) will be able to score a tee time? We will be a two some. I booked a hotel for friday night and was planning on calling the tee time system on thursday night starting at 8pm. I am registered so that step was completed.

Am I being paranoid or is there really no shot that I will get us a tee time? Would I be better off ditching the hotel for the night and just camping in the car? if i need to camp, what time should i arrive?

sorry i am asking so many stupid questions that i am sure have been asked a million times but i really dont want to let my brother down... thanks guys!

[oakdale]

here's a video some guys made about sleeping in their car for a tee time:

[wrx_junki]

  DanOMan103 said:

NEW GUY NEEDS BETHPAGE BLACK HELP!

Ditch the hotel and camp out on Friday night. It will be a good time for you and your brother as long as the weather cooperates. If you can come early Thursday it wouldn't be bad to play a twilight 9 holes at one of the four other courses as a warm up. If not then you could come by after you guys get dinner around 10PM.

[DanOMan103]

what time do you suggest that i get to the lot on friday night? i have a tee time at 1:00 at lido golf club on long island at 1 on friday afternoon so the warmup is taken care of. i am thinking about keeping the hotel so we can go there after our round friday, get cleaned up and then head to bethpage to camp out, thats where the time question comes from. do you think if i get there at midnight on friday/saturday that we would be ok for a saturday tee time?