I just got back from my long flight back home. I spent a week out at Bethpage for some work. I played the Red on Friday and got my car in the 1 spot at 8am. I played the Red then waited in the club house and then slept in the car. The weather was suppose to rain it out, but the rains where very light that night. It was going to be a perfect day. I was able to get the 1 spot at the 8:00 am teeshot. I stripped my teeshot out there and walking down the 1st tee it started to rain and it kept raining the entire 18. It unfortunately did not let up once. Rained for the entire 4 hours.

Even with all the rain it was an AMAZING experience. Half my foursome walked back in after 8 holes. I was going nowhere, they would have to drag me off. I really was a amazed they let me play the entire 18. The last 3 to 4 holes, the greens were soaked. With all the rain gear on and raining and windy, I would love to come back and see how far the ball can go. I was hitting my driver good, but the conditions just couldn't get any advantage. I would like to play it when its dry. I have never seen bunkers like that in my life or probably never again.. Truly amazing. The course is ready now. The fairways are perfect and so are the greens. The rough is just a little spotty on being the same length. That will be fine in 2 months

Something I'm very fortunate to claim is that I was the First person to hit a teach shot on 1 and the first person to finish 18 for 2009 on the Black

Here is some photos of the experience. I also had Joe Rehor director of Golf at Bethpage sign my flag.

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18th green shot. Look in the fairway, its a river down there.

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Famous par 5 bunkers
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Congratulations, what an exciting experience, and to be the first one to play 18 this year... awesome!

When I got out there this fall, it actually started sleeting at one point. Like you, I never considered stopping.

Were you NUMBER 1 for the entire year?

Yes, I was the first one to tee it up for 2009. That was the first day it opened for 2009. If the rain had come 30 minutes earlier they probably would have closed the course. I was very fortunate to play in that weather.

so happy to hear you got settled and got out there! way to go! i hope my bits of advice were helpful. how long after you did the #2 spot in the lot got taken?

that's really unfortunate about the conditions. i've played Bethpage in the rain many-a-time, and I am actually shocked they let you stay out there, especially on Black. they usually dont screw around when the conditions are poor, so thats good for you at least. how did you enjoy Red? sucks about all the tents but the course is playing beautifully. its got almost as much legnth as the Black, but there's not as much rough and you can run it up on every hole so it doesn't feel as long.

(fyi for everyone else, along with the tents on #1 and #18, making them par 3's, the Red now has more tents on #5, making that a par 4. booooooo this.)

anyway, glad to hear how much you enjoyed it despite the rain!

Thanks Mark for all your help. Everything you told me was spot on. I did get to play the red. Very nice course, I was a little bummed that 3 holes were effected. Besides that it was a VERY good test of golf. Ya the black has NO run up holes. I think one hole you can run it up. If you don't hit the green its over.. your in high rough. I also couldn't believe how many holes had long carries to the fairway. I think we only played 3 or 4 holes that had the tee box all the way back. Those holes where they had the long carries, I took my laser and most of them where between 220 to 260 from where are tees were that day. I was also looking back to the tips and thinking those carries would be around 240 to 290 to CARRY. I wish I could attend now. I would be really interested to see if the USGA plays them on the very very tips. The tips where two back most of the time where we played. It will be interesting to see how many of the pros use 3 wood out there. I think whoever hits his driver long and straight will win. I think that is a golf course if you have a bad driving day you will not survive at all. The length will wear them right out. I can't wait to watch.

I actually heard about you! A buddy and I drove up from Virginia on Saturday in hopes of getting on the Black Sunday. We figured the course would be closed Saturday due to the rain. We got the #1 spot around 5pm and walked into the clubhouse. We asked if the course would be okay for a Sunday round and the folks said definitely. We asked if we would be the first to play and they said that they had a guy from Utah get 18 in because he refused to give up and come in. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume your the guy from Utah. Good on ya, man!

I played it in July a week before the NY state Open. Course was in mint shape with the ball rolling out. Same here, I'm really looking forward to this on T.V.

My absolute favorite course. Congrats on being the first out but I wish you had a better day to play. Great course to walk. After 18 you really feel pooped.

I played in weather like that last year at the Black. I was shocked they didn't close the course. I'm more shocked that they let you stay out there and play just weeks before the Open. Idiotic. I'm glad you got to experience it but theyshould do a better job of keeping that course pristine ratehr than worrying about not having to issue rain checks.

There is no tougher course in my opinion than the Black.

What did you shoot and what do you normally score?

Wow, some devotion. I live about 5-10 minutes away from Black. The day you played was terrible, it rained the whole day and finally cleared up in the afternoon. Congrats!

Yep, that was me. A rain check was doing me know good. Did you get to play on Sunday? I was wondering if it was still to wet.

You are a legend. I would have quit......cos i'm a lesser man.

Idiotic.. Maybe.. I think everybody that gets to play that course before the Open is in full respect of the course. I wasn't doing any harm, the rain was doing a lot more harm then I was. The course only started to get really bad the last 4 holes. Before that I did not see any accumulation on the greens or tee boxes. I kept thinking the rain was going to stop, it just didn't. I haven't seen to many rain storms last for over 4 hours that is steady rain. Thank goodness the wind was tolerable or I probably would have came in. When I got to the top of 15, I could see my breath, it was starting to cool down. Plus my bag felt like it weighed 200 pounds with all that water. My calf muscles still hurt.

Golf Digest ranks the black like 5th in the country for the hardest. They list Tot Hill like 7th and I shot 77 there. It makes me laugh a bit, because there is no comparison in hardness between those two. Black is so much harder, you cannot bounce anything up there. That is why it kills you, if you have a long iron into it. You got to fly it to the green. Thats why it will be interesting to see who goes for the par 5, because you have to fly it to the green, if you miss your in DEEP rough. I shot 89 on the black. I would have probably shot around 5 or 6 less if it wasn't for the rain and the crappy rain jacket I had on. I played the Red the day before and shot 75 to give you an idea.

Yea, we got out first thing Sunday morning. I gave a quick recap in another post in this Forum called "Played US Open and British in One day".

The course was in pristine condition. You could barely tell it rained. The only true indicator was the wet sand in the bunkers. But it played incredibly hard due to the 40 degree temperature and 25-35 mph winds. The course was tough on its own. The conditions made it almost impossible to score on. Pulled a 39 out of my a** on the back 9 after making triple on #10. I can't imagine what it would've played like on Saturday

welcome to the northeast, especially Long Island. storms that blow across the country in two days get here and just stall and hang over for hours and hours. it's maddening.

but yeah, you are definitely a legend. well played.

That is definitely awesome. Kudos to you for sticking that one out. I've gotta try and sneak out there one more time before the Open.

Is it the angle of the shot or is #4 missing some trees on the left side? I know the fifth tee is up there, or maybe its just lack of foliage.

is that a current picture?

July 2008

to anyone who might have an idea or have already played this year, if i were going to try and play with a couple friends on a nice weekday before the open, what time do you think id have to go the day before to ensure a time. ive played a bunch of times but only in the last few years so i dont have any idea what people were doing before the open in 02. since there haven't been many nice days lately, im sure people are going to all try for the nice ones when they roll around. any suggestions are appreciated.

I had a 9.39 tee time(for 2)on the Black Wednesday. Looking at the weather forecast, i cancelled it like a stupid a$$. Yesterday was not a bad day at all, a little rainy in the am, the afternoon evening was great.

Played it yesterday. Got down there at 6am and got the second tee time. The first tee time is 8am. You could have had a 4some before 10. Greens were as fast as I have ever seen them.

You showed up @ 6 am without a tee time and you were in the second group out!?!?!?!?

Thats awesome!!! Yesterday was forecasted as a nice day...

I was expecting to have to sleep in the car, and he who nine.

I was offered a slot to play the Black yesterday with my currently unemployed friends. I passed up the opportunity though since I'm waiting for new irons to arrive, and I am in the process of changing my grip (http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/index.php?sh...=247758&hl=).

I'm going to try to get on in a few weeks though. I heard the rough is already long and the greens are FAST. I'm very excited to play it. Heard it's in great shape!

First off congrats on getting the round in, I don't think I would have given up on it either...............

Also thanks to all on the info they've provided about playing the Black, I'm going up there on Monday May 4th to give it a shot, wanted to pose a couple of questions before I did:

I plan on getting there with a friend at about 6am or so the day before, hoping to walk on and play the Blue or Red then hop back into the numbered spots, spend the night, and play the Black on Tuesday May 5th. Is this feasible? I figured if we could get off on the Red/Blue early then get back on line about noon, we should be good, right? Obviously we don't want to goof up our chance to play the Black, but we'd love to get out on one of the others, too.

Also wondering if anyone has a recommendation as to good lodging around Bethpage, looking for somewhere as cheap as possible. I was looking at an Econolodge which was about 3 miles from the course, any other ideas?

Thanks in advance for the replies and I promise to come back with some good pics when I return.

Way to stick it out man! I probably would have to! Played in snow/rain 3 weekends ago and didn't quit either.