Bethpage Black Bad Experience

[Aaron from Baltimore]

This is a photo from last Friday at Bethpage Black. I tried to post a summary of my experience at this course on Golf Now but I think they don't post comments/reviews they deem too disparaging. We drove up from Baltimore for a 9:20am round we secured on their archaic reservation system. We teed off under threatening skies but the radar indicated the storm that was coming would pass. To make a long story short we ended up huddled in a gazebo on two separate occasions for over an hour waiting for the storm to pass. When the storm finally passed we attempted to finish the round starting on the 6th hole. We did not finish the 5th as we were making a dash for shelter. After teeing off the ranger came out to tell us the course was closed and kicked us off without offering us a ride in or even telling us how to get back to the clubhouse. Being directionally challenged our group took a serpentine route back to the clubhouse where we were promptly told that we were not going to receive any compensation because we were "out there too long and must have played more than 5 holes" (which is the number of holes they cut off for compensation). Being a native of Long Island I told my group on the long walk in that we should expect this type of treatment and for the few times in my life I was 100% correct. We were treated with the customer service you would expect from government workers at a golf course that has a full tee sheet and $135 green fees. I must admit the course is beautiful but there is a lot of courses just as nice that treat customers like humans. We played Bulle Rock on the way back to Baltimore and were treated to a much better experience. My advice to anyone from out of state thinking of heading out to the Island to play Bethpage is DON'T!! Save your money and have a nice pleasurable round somewhere else.

[RandallT]

A few folks have posted about Bethpage Black in different threads fairly recently, and thought I'd @mention them in case they have thoughts on the subject:

@Seals, @MrDC, @kpaulhus, @GIL_2410, @nevets88, @RayG, @LankyLefty

Edit response to Bill below: I believe @Groucho Valentine has played there regularly too 

 

[billchao]

@jamo played there, too.

[jamo]

I played there a few years ago on a bright sunny day. I didn't have any issues with the staff at all, but aside from making my tee time and paying my greens fees I didn't really have any interaction with them. 

It sucks to be treated that way. I would have expected at least a rain check. 

[MarvChamp]

Isn't that the course whose signage says "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here!"? Sounds like they mean it. _marv

[Buckeyebowman]

We were considering Bethpage as a kind of "bucket list" experience. But after considering the time, expense, and hassle of the enterprise we decided that there were a lot of great courses a lot closer to home. So, Bethpage remains in the bucket, but if one of us wins the lotto, look out!

[nevets88]

I agree with @jamo, it sucks that you didn't get a rain check, but I guess demand is still so high, they can afford to be like that. In the times I've played there, I've never had any direct dealings with the staff, have seen the maintenance crew get sharp with players who did something I can't remember what, maybe not rake the sand trap or damaged the course. 

[kpaulhus]

I've played it twice just walking up in the morning. Both times it was very nice and to @jamo's point I didn't have much interaction with the staff. Now I can see how easily a New Yorker can do a 180 on you and make life suck, but it just sounds like you had some pretty extreme circumstances. That sucks, but as busy as that place gets they tend to probably not give a crap if you enjoyed it or not. 

[Aaron from Baltimore]

Thanks everyone. Thought I would share my BP experience with fellow golfers. FYI the golf now app course review will not post reviews that are deemed "too critical". 

[nevets88]

I agree the reservation protocol is from the dark ages and they'll tell you we've been doing it this way forever why it works why should we try and improve it? Definitely something going on the down low but it's NY, what isn't rigged? Also it basically adds an hour to your round requiring you to be there early. IIRC you have 20 minutes slack. 

[Groucho Valentine]

Ive played over 100 rounds at the various courses there over the years and I've never had a particularly bad customer experience. When i was a kid the bethpage courses where kinda shaggy munis where people just farted around and got out of the city. So the vibe was looser. We used to be able to jump between courses there and nobody really cared. But since the US open the vibe there has changed, ill admit, and the nassau players club and their butt buddies on staff act like they own the f'ing place. Nobody should be treated that way.. but long island... Its just the way it is. CLASSLESS! 

[RayG]

A bit of tough luck weatherwise, but you can't control that. Having come from so far away to play, and having possible weather issues, I certainly would have checked on their RC policy before heading out. And at the FIRST sign of severe weather- back to the clubhouse to make a claim, or at least make them aware that you are waiting for a weather window. Plenty of apps to keep an eye on radar to see if it is worth waiting.

Playing there myself for many years before the "Open era", it was a much more relaxed attitude all around. The staff did what they could with what they had. After the Open, things tightened up rules wise, but the staff were still on their game. And the rudest people out there are the generally the players themselves. 

[Slowcelica]

Why didn't you tell them to check with the ranger, if he stopped you on the 6th tee? Surely he would have remembered, and he could have vouched for you.

[Aaron from Baltimore]

RayG, I think you missed the point. We did not decide not play, we were aware of the weather and rolled the dice and were fully prepared to finish if not being kicked off the course. We are fully aware of weather apps thanks. I'm a native of Long Island and played the course in High School tournaments before the renovation and now I have played the course after and the service is commensurate with a course that has a full tee sheet and is located on Long Island. Thanks for the information on the weather apps. Maybe you can convince me the tee time system is state of the art also. Cheers

[RayG]

I got the point. YOU decided to roll the dice... and lost. As mentioned- the Ranger could have backed up your story if you pressed them on it.

I'll admit if they actually CLOSED the course, it's a bit draconian to make the cut off 5 holes. Most places use 9- IF they close the course, and don't plan to re-open as it dries out.

As for the reservation system- I think it's the best alternative to not having anything at all. Modernizing the system to some computerized hackable program would take away from the experience. As has been proven elsewhere- putting in an online system makes it hackable and you wind up with a small group always getting the spots or making those spots available to the highest bidder. Especially the prime weekend spots. It may be a bit old fashioned, but it works. And everyone who tries to get that time a week in advance is playing the weather game and takes their chances.

[saevel25]

4 minutes ago, RayG said:

I got the point. YOU decided to roll the dice... and lost. As mentioned- the Ranger could have backed up your story if you pressed them on it.

He could have if he remembered them. How many people did he go tell on the course? I suspect if it is Bethpage there were a lot of people out there. His job is to get people off the course, not remember everyone and what hole they were on. If he does, then that is a perk above what should be expected.

It sounds like the guy just had a bad day all around. It sounds like the rain policy was just the final nail in the coffin.

[Aaron from Baltimore]

Yes, that is accurate. I give up on Ray G. Rolling the dice means we were prepared to play through it. Not used to being told we can't finish AND can't get a rain check.  I notice you did not bother to address the tee time system. Wonderful experience keep playing BP Ray G. 

Carrier pigeon would not be able to be "hacked" either. Better yet how about smoke signals.

[nevets88]

I think the current reservation system is already hacked. Making people show up 1 hour early when rounds are typically 6 hours on the weekend effectively makes the round 7 hours. The way Bethpage is run is typical New York. Whomever knows the right person at the right time with the funds gets first dibs and it becomes ensconced, very little correlation to merit. I recall seeing Windows error messages on the reservation board, they're probably still using XP which is not officially supported by Microsoft anymore and very much hackable. I do see the other side though. New Yorkers/Long Islanders will skirt the rules whenever they can and Bethpage has to combat this. It's rule abiding people who have to tolerate the result of these polices. Big cities will always be a cesspool of silver tongued opportunistic conniving sharks.