US Open 2009: What’s your Bethpage Black story?
June 16, 2009 by deo_lookout · 8 Comments
(Copyright USGA/John Mummert)
Here’s your chance to tell the world your US Open 2009 Bethpage Black story…
Did you take the train or drive? How did the shuttle work out?
Who did you come out to see and who did you actually see?
Drop a comment in the box below and tell us your story.
See David’s story below – Gracias, Angel – from 6/19
I graduated from Farmingdale H.S. in 1981. My father was born in Farmingdale in 1924. My favorite story is the one my dad told me when I was younger. He was a caddy there from 1937 to 1954 or so (except from 1942-1945 during WWII). Before he would go to school, he would caddy a round of golf on the Black Course. My dad is a small guy. So small that there was anrticle written about him and another caddy about there height difference at the age of 14 in the Brooklyn Eagle. The story is, my dad would tie a string to his foot and hand it out the window. The golfers would come early in the morning to get my dad. They would pull the string so hard, my dad would fly out of bed. That story always makes me laugh when I hear it. I will be attending sunday’s round with my dad. He really wants to go. I will be bringing the picture I have of him and the other caddy from the Brooklyn Eagle article hoping to get it signed for him. That would be a great treat.
The Tuesday practice rounds were great! I live in Bethpage and had my wife drop me off, which was tough because of the road closures and traffic. Everyone there was very friendly and helpful. The course is so sculpted its amazing. If it was dry this week no one would break par but I think it will play easier than last time. I followed Mike Weir for a few holes because he’s left-handed like me. Watched Rory Sabbatini, the local guy Svoboda, Rory McIlroy, Paddy Harrington, Ben Crane – who was talking with spectators more than with his caddy, Vijay Singh and Anthony Kim. They all signed autographs between holes. They were all hitting great drives but a lot of their approach shots to the elevated greens were off target. Saw Geoff Ogilvy, Jim Furyk and others on the driving range. Walked the whole course – it’s really long and the hills are tough. Food was good, merchandise was OK, and there are two cool exhibition tents, one for Lexus with a drive simulator and a closest to the hole competition, and one for American Express with free 10 minute lessons. It was a good time overall.
Just back from the Wednesday practice round… we parked in Lot 4 out at Jones Beach. They make you go thru airport style metal detectors… don’t even think about taking your cell phone. It was a 25 minute bus ride to the grounds at Bethpage – no problems.
After making our way through the crowds, we found a spot in the grand stand next to the first tee. The par-4-dog-leg-right plays 430 on the card. Stewart Cink pushed it right into the trees that guard the dog-leg. Boo Weekley drove it solidly down the middle the fairway from the elevated tee box.
Next, we walked down the first fairway toward a little lunch. I picked up a hat at a merchandise tent. There are many areas to pick up gear. The main tent by the entrance has the largest selection…that said, i choose from 22 different hat options while on-course.
We ate lunch and watched a few groups come through hole 1. The pin was cut in front of the two-tiered green, most of these guys landed their approach on the hill and rolled it back toward the pin.
We finished the day watching Matt Bettencourt and Carl Pettersson play 16/17/18. 16 requires a long approach into the green, these guys were hitting their metal-woods or hybrids. 17 is a 200+ yard par three protected by bunkers all the way around. I think Pettersson rolled in a birdie from 15 feet out. And last we saw these two tee off at 18. The fairway landing area really narrows down to maybe 15 or 20 yards – flanked on both sides by huge bunkers. Both of these players put their tee shots right down the middle. Even from the middle of the fairway, you have a tough uphill (pretty much blind) shot into the green. I didn’t see where it exactly landed; the crowd at the bleachers by the 18th green certainly liked it.
All in all…it was a good day out at Bethpage… Let’s hope the rain holds off…
I was 17 years old in 1970. My brother and two friends and I went to Bethpage to play for the first time. We saw the 2-4 hr waiting times and decided to play Black because it had zero wait. We had no idea how difficult the course was. I shot a 139 and thought, “No, golf is too hard a sport!” Little did we know that we were playing the toughest course on Long Island! Have played it 25 times since and it’s still a rough place to be!
Tim
i picked up paul casey’s ball mark on 15 inadvertently. i didn’t realize it until i came off the course and watched highlights of tiger woods marking his ball on one of the greens with a tee when play was suspended. my apologies to paul as i thought it was curious that one of the golfers left his tee behind and i thought it would make a nice souvenir. If anyone needs verification of where pauls ball was marked, it was right in the middle of the fairway of 15 at a a fan crossing. good luck to paul and all the rest of the golfers in the field.
The title of this little diddy is “Gracias, Angel.”
We arrived at Bethpage late Wednesday morning. The crowds were heavy, and I am not a fan of crowded places. My companion needed to make his way to the media tent to check-in, receive his credentials, etc. So, we made our way around the clubhouse to the practice green.
I scoped out a spot at the fence of the green and realized that I was standing not 6 feet from Masters champion Angel Cabrera who was quietly working on his 10 footers. He finished up, and come directly over to my area of the fence with a black sharpie. I needed something, anything, to have him autograph. Would my chest be too forward, I thought? Thankfully, I was only one beer into the afternoon so I smartly left my shirt on. I reached in my pocket, grabbed whatever was in there and presented it just in time for Angel’s pen to find a home on the back side of my US Open ticket – the perfect spot! As he cooly finished me off, I whispered in his ear, “Gracias, Angel.”
Went to the practice on Wednesday with my 22 year old daughter who loves to watch golf. My son is a golf pro on his quest for The Tour. So, we got to meet John Feinstein who was signing his new book at the Merchandise Tent…nice guy! Also, went to Sunday’s round. Stayed around the 18th green and 1st tee. Mud was awful! That was the only downside. Daughter got a few autographs of un-notables and amateurs plus one, Charlie Wi. Watched Phil from the bleachers on 18 and his beautiful putt
and then we all helped Ricky Barnes find his ball in the rough off the 18th green, everyone standing up shouting and pointing…it was pretty funny. It was fun…different than Shinnecock in 2004.