Bethpage Black Tee Times

[mct765]

Got a question for anybody who has played the course recently. I live in the syracuse area and will only be here for a few more weeks. I want to play the black course while I am still a NYS resident. I'm thinking about going down to play this coming Wednesday. Wondering if the better strategy is to camp out in my car overnight or try the tee time reservation system? Also, if I camp out in my car what time I need to get there Tuesday night?

Thanks for the help

[kpaulhus]

I read online u can get a tee time 7 days in advance. I'd call them since you're a NY resident. If you're gonna camp u gotta be there before 6pm the day before.

[jmanbooyaa]

Go on the website. I think you need to fax over your drivers license and get put into the system before you can make a tee time online.

[colin007]

[RayG]

Weekday single times are fairly easy to get, relatively speaking. Call the week ahead and you should have a decent pick of times. If you've never played there- spend the money on a caddie. Even if you have a cart, it's a LOT hillier than you think or saw on television. Pushing a cart or lugging a bag will take a LOT out you. In my case, I played it often as a younger man carrying my bag and figured no problem, I'll grab my cart and go. I was nearly out of gas and fighting my back by the 13th hole. You can arrange for one their caddies a day or so in advance. Not sure what the rate is this year, though. As mentioned. make sure you get into the system before hand. It makes things a lot easier. You CAN, but need to be lucky, just show up at the window and see if there is a single at Black coming up. If the weather is a bit iffy, you would have better luck with this scenario.

[RayG]

Sorry, you are looking to play "this Wednesday"- I kind of skimmed over that part. If you are IN THE SYSTEM- you still have a shot getting a single. Your time choices would be less, but you'd have a shot. If you aren't in the system- then yes, doing the parking lot shuffle is an option. There are signs pointing out what to do, how to do it, where to be, etc... Just ask around when you show up. Generally, folks would help you out. You might even find three guys looking for that fourth. I THINK they still get the first hour or so worth of times to the over-nighters, then there are single slots for walk-ups that fill up quickly. But that other option I mentioned is still valid. During the week, you can show at 7 or 8am, and hope there is a single slot in the next couple of hours. If you get a 10 am slot, you'll get your bracelet, then you can have some breakfast, work on your irons at the range and do some putting. Oh, and you can't save the bracelet as a souvenir- they take it off you when you report to the starter.

[Bird E3]

I play it every year, and it's not as busy as you think. Last year after I played a round in the morning, they still had tee times in the afternoon available. I'm out of state, so you should have no problem getting a time through the phone system.

[mct765]

Thanks for all the help everybody, I have an 8:03 am tee time tomorrow, cant wait to play.

[David in FL]

Thanks for all the help everybody, I have an 8:03 am tee time tomorrow, cant wait to play.

Very cool. Pls let us know how the round goes!

[colin007]

Update? Pics?

[RayG]

Too bad you didn't tee it up on Wednesday between 9 and 10am. Sergio was at the tee giving away new SLDR drivers to EVERYONE who teed off in that hour. Of course there were only 4 groups because of all the fuss. He hit a ball with every group, and your name was announced tournament style before teeing off. http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/mark-herrmann/sergio-garcia-highlights-demo-day-at-bethpage-black-1.8493531

[dpsmith22]

I have played there using the phone system. I believe its only 48 hours in advance for us out of state golfers.

When I played there the course was in great shape.

Keep in mind you will be walking and the course routing does not come back to the clubhouse.

15 is a bear! Good luck.

[mct765]

Shot 81 from the tips, the course was brutally hard when you missed the fairway. I was a little surprised by how flat the greens were. All in all a great trip and a new favorite course, course was in phenomenal shape.

[RayG]

Yeah, the Black isn't about the greens, it's about GETTING there. The breaks are subtle and if they are playing fast (not always), they can catch you out a bit. If they are a bit sluggish, then you can drop putts all day. Yeah, and about being brutally hard when you "missed the fairway". They have sort of taken the teeth out the rough over the years (at least since the first Open makeover). Before the modifications, you know that sparse fescue off to the sides? It wasn't sparse- you had fairway, first cut (3inch), second cut (6-10"dp) then DENSE un-mowed fescue for as far as you could see til you got to the woods. If you went there, forget finding the ball. Once they did the changes, they cut back on on how far the fescue went because they needed better crowd movement. So now, if you fade off to the right, you have a shot at finding it in the thinner fescued areas. IF you really slice one, you can get past the fescue and only be in scrubby grass and rough. And find it fairly easily. Not to say that the first and second cuts these days are any easier- with the wetter spring we had, that stuff should be like brillo, pretty unforgiving. Glad you enjoyed it, though.

[Aaron from Baltimore]

What time should I log on tomorrow for the best possible time a week from tomorrow?

 

[RoxSolid]

16 hours ago, Aaron from Baltimore said:

What time should I log on tomorrow for the best possible time a week from tomorrow?

 

7 PM on the nose.

[Aaron from Baltimore]

Thanks!!

[Aaron from Baltimore]

Any intel on when they will release times for this Friday (this is the rain day for the tournament this week). I’m guessing it’s after the tournament is complete on Thursday??