Bunkers and Bogeys at Bethpage Black

(Photo By Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Jeff Berlinicke

If you follow golf even a little closely you’ve heard all the stories about Bethpage Black.

The home of this year’s U.S. Open is known for a lot of things, mostly players driving the Long Island Expressway in the middle of the night to get in line for a morning tee time. Reservations aren’t required, just a couple of thermoses of strong coffee when the midnight temperature dips below 50.
 
You know about the most ignored warning sign in all of sports. You know that somehow Tiger Woods tamed the course back in 2002 when it was a controversial pick to be the first strictly public course to play the Open.

Mostly you know it is because, if you don’t want to pay enormous membership fees for a private club, Bethpage Black, along with the four other courses that comprise Bethpage State Park, you know it because it is your course. Except for the few weeks surrounding the U.S Open, anyone can play it without reservations if they are willing to spend the night.

You have just as much a chance as anyone to play one of the world’s most difficult courses. The courses play host to more than 70,000 golfers per year.

Just do yourself one favor: pose at the sign on the first tee. It might be the last smile of the day.

The signs sitting right at the first tee, reads, “THE BLACK COURSE IS AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT COURSE WHICH WE RECOMMEND ONLY FOR HIGHLY SKILLED GOLFERS.’’

After waiting all night, few players heed the warning. In fact, David Catalano, the Bethpage Director of Facilities, said it’s mostly there now for show.

“It’s a really great sign with some great words that describe it perfectly,’’ Catalano said. “Everybody simply ignores it but it adds an aura to the course. I’ve seen golfers shoot up to 195 on that courser but, they read the sign, so we can only hope they had a good time anyway.’’

The course that the duffer plays is almost the exact same one that will be played by the professionals at the Open, which runs from June 18-21. The rough is grown higher than it is for the rest of the year, but the fairways are narrow, the greens are harsh and the undulations are the same year-round.

Just having the availability of tee times doesn’t guarantee a start. For most of the year the first six tee times are held for walk-ups and the rest are for players who reserve in advance.

New York golfers can reserve tee times one week in advance. After all, it is a state park.

The rest of the year, times still go to the first six tee times and the rest are a mix of walk-ups and reservations. Catalano said the course can’t please everyone, but that the Bethpage Red Course is almost as difficult, although there are no black danger signs at the first tee.

Bethpage Black has always been a monster, but was never really on the USGA’s radar to host its premier event. The course has been around since 1936 after a design by legendary golf architect A.W. Tillinghast.

He also designed Baltusrol Golf Club, which has hosted seven U.S. Opens, and Winged Foot. A Tillinghast course is known for its signature bunkers and are little like the typical TPC courses and newer tricked-up courses.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?