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Post by grovey31 on Sept 8, 2020 20:40:53 GMT -5
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adx321
Weekend Golfer
Posts: 100
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Post by adx321 on Sept 8, 2020 20:43:14 GMT -5
We play there a few times every summer and travel 1,000 miles to do it. And it's worth it every time. The red is no slouch either.
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Post by xvshitanvx on Sept 9, 2020 3:44:32 GMT -5
Looks so lush, very jealous. How was the golf itself?
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Post by grovey31 on Sept 9, 2020 7:56:05 GMT -5
Looks so lush, very jealous. How was the golf itself? The golf was difficult but awesome. Between the three of us we average about a 2-3 handicap and on day 1 we had two scores of 80 and I brought up the rear with an 86 (which felt like an 80!) I shot 87 the second day which I'm happy with considering I was firing at about 85% capacity. Driving the ball accurately and far is ideal since the course plays so long and the rough so penal. If you hit it in the fairway, you generally save at least half a shot on the hole. Our long irons got a serious work out especially on the back nine of which two of the first three par fours are over 500 yards and then two other holes (15 and 16) that are a combined 975 yards. All in all, we all three played pretty well. I drove the ball fairly good both days which kept me in play and I did hit a few pure long irons which always feel good. Here are a few highlights: Day 1: a chip-in birdie on the 3rd hole of the weekend, a perfect drive that led to a par on the famous 4th hole, that was followed by a roasted drive and then a pure 4 iron to make par on the extremely difficult 5th, another smashed drive and solid 4 iron to 15 feet to make an easy par on the crazy hard and intimidating 15th hole. Day 2: a tee shot to about 15ft to set up a par and play the 3rd hole in -1 for the two days, another perfect drive on the 5th that went about 295 down the preferred right side, a perfect drive and 6 iron to set up an easy par on the 9th (one of my favorite holes out there), a bombed drive on the 500+ yard 10th which I then got up and down from the green side bunker to make par, a perfect cut 7 iron to within 18ft of the tucked back right pin on the par three 14th (probably my favorite par 3 on the course) which gave me my last par of the trip Sorry if that was more than you asked for but I love this place and could literally talk about it forever. If you haven't been, you NEED to.
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Post by mvpmanatee on Sept 9, 2020 9:00:50 GMT -5
Living in NYC I always love the one or two rounds each year I get to play the Black course.
I have always played the tips, you gotta do it right?
So penal yet so enjoyable to play because at least you don't really lose golf balls, you are just always trying to struggle for par. Give me a course with penal rough all day over a course with hazards on every hole...
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Post by supergolfdude on Sept 9, 2020 9:58:36 GMT -5
Spectacular photos, and I'm glad to hear about your great experience. I'm a photographer - did you take these pictures with your phone? Pretty good quality.
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Post by lessthanbread on Sept 9, 2020 10:00:16 GMT -5
I think for my game I'd be taking an unplayable from all of those greenside bunkers. Good lord those look mean.
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Post by rjwils30 on Sept 9, 2020 14:32:16 GMT -5
Aww man. Lucky guy. The scale of that place is just huge. Played it back in 98 just after the Reno. Slept in the car, the whole deal. Just a beast of a course but some really fun holes. Love the 4th and 5th. The 8th is pretty cool as well.
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Post by grovey31 on Sept 9, 2020 16:21:03 GMT -5
Spectacular photos, and I'm glad to hear about your great experience. I'm a photographer - did you take these pictures with your phone? Pretty good quality. Hey there, thank you! And yes, it was just with my measly old iPhone 6s. The perfect weather and overall environment made it pretty easy to take good photos though.
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Post by grovey31 on Sept 9, 2020 16:27:23 GMT -5
I think for my game I'd be taking an unplayable from all of those greenside bunkers. Good lord those look mean. Yeah... the bunkers a no joke. They are very deep and absolutely massive which makes the greens appear even smaller than they actually are. Another unique feature is that the course only has five holes where the fairway connects to the green so you are constantly having to take on the bunkers on your approach shots which just adds to the intimidation factor.
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Post by grovey31 on Sept 9, 2020 16:32:49 GMT -5
Aww man. Lucky guy. The scale of that place is just huge. Played it back in 98 just after the Reno. Slept in the car, the whole deal. Just a beast of a course but some really fun holes. Love the 4th and 5th. The 8th is pretty cool as well. The scale really is legit and it's what makes it what it is. We always say how beastly of a walk it is to go around that place, especially after spending a night or two sleeping the parking lot. Couldn't agree more about 4 and 5. I think 2, 9, 11, 14, and 16 are some of my other favorite holes out there.
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Post by gamesdecent on Sept 9, 2020 17:49:47 GMT -5
I feel like you’d be hard pressed to find less of a Bethpage Stan than me, but the pic of the fairway bunker with the person walking next to it for scale is EPIC.
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Post by wildy33 on Sept 9, 2020 18:00:18 GMT -5
Unpopular opinion and I'm sure I will change my mind if I ever get to play it IRL but Bethpage does nothing for me. Long, awkward and bland are my takeaways from seeing it on tv and playing numerous versions over many years of video games (granted does not give my opinion much weight).
Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of crashing in the car and waiting for first light to get a ticket, but there's way more interesting and exciting tracks that the USGA could get excited about.
Awesome pics though and cool experience 👌
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Post by joegolferg on Sept 10, 2020 2:23:48 GMT -5
The design of the course itself I find very interesting considering I've seen a whole map of the layout with it's original sized greens and width to the fairways, plus some extra hazards/bunkers that were altered. I wouldn't pass up a chance to play in it's current form but I don't think I'd punish myself by playing from 7500yds. Next stop Philly Cricket Club?
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Post by grovey31 on Sept 10, 2020 7:19:56 GMT -5
The design of the course itself I find very interesting considering I've seen a whole map of the layout with it's original sized greens and width to the fairways, plus some extra hazards/bunkers that were altered. I wouldn't pass up a chance to play in it's current form but I don't think I'd punish myself by playing from 7500yds. Next stop Philly Cricket Club? I would love to see that map if possible! And funny you should mention PCC...
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