Fellow Wrx'ers,

This is a public service announcement for anyone thinking about playing the Black before the end of the month and parking your car in the numbered spots.

My plan for this past weekend was to get up at 2:45 on Saturday morning, pick up Wrx member Marrrk (great guy BTW) in Brooklyn, park my car in line for the Black, play 36 Saturday (Green in the AM and Red in the PM), sleep out and play the Black Sunday morning. Sounds good, right?

Well, by the time I got to the parking lot at 6:15, there were already 6 cars in line! We walk to the clubhouse, play the Green and after the round walk back to the car where I find a pre-printed note that says that at least one person needs to be at the car at all times (provides for 1 hour away from the car) and that I have to go to the end of the line (only 2 cars after mine, so not a huge deal). Right off the bat I went to those people behind me apologizing ensuring that I wasn't trying to pull anything (didn't leave the car there to go home).

The person that left the note then drove up and told me that I had to go to the end of the line. I told him that I was playing 36, obviously giving the coures my out of state greens fees and since I'm on the grounds as a paying customer, isn't that sufficient to which he said no. Since I was playing another 18 I just pulled my car out of the line completely.

I know it's irrelevant, but this makes no sense to me. I give the park over $150 between 2 greens fees and food and have to move my car, while guys who aren't giving the park a dime are sitting in line?

Anyway I just wanted to relay this information in case someone else had a similar idea.

And, BTW, for anyone going up, the Red is a phenomenal golf course. There are a lof of similarities between the Red and Black. The biggest difference is that there are a number of holes where you can run the ball up to the green, while you have to carry the ball to the majority of the greens on the Black.

luxman

i was the #6 car (the black pathfinder) right before yours (i assume you are the maroon suv from PA?). its understandable to be angry about the policy however if they let anyone just park and leave the car, then anyone would just show up at 4AM and drop off their car and go home. no one would ever camp out. we would all say we were "playing other courses" when in reality we would be at home taking a nap or relaxing. the whole point about the system is to inflict a little pain and see who willing to endure the long hours to get to play the prized black. and not to be an a** about it, but the sign plus the announcement on the Bethpage Parks website both say that someone must be at the car at ALL times. you're allowed to walk away for a few minutes to go to the bathroom or grab a bite, but thats really it. you shoulda switched off with your buddy and one of you play in the morning and one play in the afternoon. you definitely would have had a lot of angry people on the line behind you if you were allowed to stay on line. the marshalls were sticklers about the rules this weekend because there were a lot of people who just dropped off their cars and went back to their homes for hours and hours. even roger maltbie in the #1 car had 1 of their 4-some stay all night.

just my 2 cents...

Kind of sucks, but that is the way it is. Anyway I was going to play the red 2 weeks ago on a Sunday and walked up at about 7am and lo and behold there were about 8 spots open on the black. Guys wait until after the open. you will be able to get on alot easier then...and yes the Red is a great course.

Seth,

Yes, that was me. While I understand what you are saying, IMO there's a difference between parking your car and going home and being a paying customer that day. I'd be pi**ed off too if someone parked their car and went home, but I wouldn't have any problem knowing that someone got up at 2:45 in the morning to get their car in line, played 36 and then was with their car the entire night.

As for "saying you were playing other courses", that's what a paid receipt is for.

But, by your argument that someone has to be at the car at all times, what's to keep someone from paying someone to stay with their car while they go home and then come back (which does in fact happen)? How much pain would have been inflicted by that person? And, why shouldn't everyone who is playing in a group have to be there the entire time if the point is to inflict a little pain. Why should pain be inflicted by just one person?

And, BTW, trust me, by getting up at 2:45 on Saturday morning, driving 3 hours, walking 18 on the Green, 18 on the Red then sleeping in the car, there was plenty of pain inflicted as I'm still feeling it in my legs today!

In the end it is what it is and I just wanted to let people know in case they had a similar idea.