Folks,
I am up early on this Father's Day, disturbed by the underlying tone so widely evident throughout most of the threads addressing the Open, the course, the state and the region. It seems all it takes is a select few miscreants to start bashing a course, a place, and a region many have spent soooooo very little time really experiencing or understanding. It is especially disappointing to read most of this whining as it comes from few with any real understanding of the present conditions or circumstances (3+ weeks of incessant and voluminous rains) that we here in the Metro NYC area are experiencing.
Let me start by telling you most of us here in the NY-NJ-CT (and some even a little further south in the city of Brotherly Love) have some thick skin. We like to give it good, and as such, are willing to take it good. That's our native psychology. We like to playfully banter with anyone and lead the league in calling ourselves out on our own bull. How many of you in Chicago, Salt Lake, Boston, or points west of the Alleghanys can say that?? Do any of you look at the NY Post, Daily News, Newsday, NYT daily?How many listen to some of the NY sports radio stations? DO you even have media (other than FOx & Rush for political drivel) with differing points of view? Few in the bigger world can rightfully say that we don't call it like we see it. Sure, our favorite Muni is yielding lower scores than we'd want, but hell, it's been non-stop raining cats and dogs here for 3+ weeks and we haven't caught more than a 24 hr break over the last 20 days!!! Try that at Bog Hill, the tree farms of Medinah, Pebble, Torrey or elsewhere....better yet, ask your super how they would pretend to keep any green quick, without sub-airs or new USGA-spec rebuilds?
? At least a wise and worldly Chicagoan like Lavin understands what incessant precipitation does to a grand old-course. You didn't hear many NY'ers bush-league bashing Olympia Fields after their deluge did you?
You want to complain about the Black's greens and defenses...call mother nature and ask her!!! Better yet, call Mother Theresa and ask her to pray for the rain to stop. Hey Mike Wagner...how much interest do you expect from a subtle-contoured green with a
water table staying less than 2 inches from the surface? C'mon, if you can't figure that out, hit the local library and start searching under agronomy. Get past google, get out from under the rock and get some idea.
Dave, you cheerful curmudgeon
, how is that you can keep going off on a bender when Sweeney outs your past and everyone else over 8yrs old on this site (that have been a member here for over 2-3yrs...back when the site was less populated by soulless fools) knows you are just vocalizing and venting the ever-hapless, losing-tolerant Chicago sports fan rant? It goes like this (and works well for Boston too, but they at least seem to have turned it around, if not temporarily
):
"We love our losing sports teams and everything related to Bratwurst and bullying. Our "broad shoulders" yearn for the day when the national championship comes back to town(we really miss the MJ era) so we can go on another once-every-few-decades fan binge. We still worship our louts (Ditka) and liars(Sosa), but please remember us when you want award any prestigious event. Hows that Olympic effort going for you? Now that Mike Royko isn't around, ain't nobody around in our media to take on the ownership that perpetuates our losing histories." Boo hoo, boo hoo.
Please feel free to critique the NY golf fans. Go ahead, really. While you are all nitpicking Bethpage, just ask any of the media on-site about them and please let us know how they are holding up. In fact, ask ANY of the competitors how they feel. Shy and church-mouse like, I guess they don't deserve the accolades they are getting, do they? I defy ANY venue west of the Monongahela to exhibit such engagement! Hell, even Scott Hoch loved them in 02!! We ain't always polite, but we are smart and funny (doesn't extend south or West of the Hudson River).
Everyone else here rightfully can take pot shots at our Matt Ward...it's a perfectly fine and welcome endeavor...just look at my record of it! Matt embodies the best and worst of the NJ know-it-all mentality. Those of us who know the real Matt (the traffic reporter for 1010 News) love him and appreciate that he's become a talking pinata. But be very careful, because when it comes to Bethpage Black, only Phil Young Doc Gene and Doc Geoff and a few other guys (self inc) who've been out there for DECADES...know as much or more about the joint. Yes, it's OUR MUNI and while we take great pride in it, it ain't perfect (never has been) and it's vulnerable (like any other damn track) to record rains with no meaningful respite! The Black is a treasure, but exposed, just like any course, to the elements. Funny thing though, if it's the "dog" track many of you claim why don't we hear much about other places having lines of parking lot sleepovers for the right to play?
Now, before I go on too long, I suggest all of you in front of your computer pray that the angry downpours out my window this am stop. Why? Because if they do, I go out and play, participate, enjoy and don't just sit here all day giving back to you NY bashers and Saul Steinberg-depicted what you deserve.
XOXO
Happy Father's Day to all of you!!!
PS...Thx to the likes of Cirba, Kirk, Lavin, Uncle Bob and J. Goldman for being the voices of reason....something for you newer GCA'ers to learn from