Mike,
I really am not the great defender of Bethpage, as I have only play The Black less than 10 times, and The Red only once, but you are not seeing something. On Long Island alone here are some of the courses where a road cuts through:
* Shinnecock (road cuts through 2 holes!)
* National Golf Links of America (road cuts through 2 holes !)
* Maidstone (# 2 is on it own peninsula surrounded by road not water !)
* Southampton Golf Club (rarely mentioned here but is a Seth Raynor course)
Then there is this course in Scotland that plays out and back, has a road and a hotel building come into play, and has 6 courses in the complex that the public can play. It is called St. Andrews.
Bethpage doesn't have an exclusive club feeling? Lets see anyone on this website try to get into The Nassau Players Club, which is limited to 100 members. Take a look at the link below and tell me that picture could not replace the post round pictures from some of the GCA outings. From their website:
http://nassauplayers.org/npcmemberframe.htmFounded in 1993, The Nassau Players Club is proud to be based at the Black Course at Bethpage State Park, the site of the 2002 U.S Open.
The club has a full membership of 100 players, as limited by the NPC Constitution and By-Laws, and actively participates in the various regional governing bodies. We impose a strict Code of Conduct on our members whether playing at home or away.
The Trees! It is a Parkland course! Go back and read Bruceski's hole by hole account of his round. How many holes did the trees come into play. Not that many.
Big Bunkers! Go to Mullen, Nebraska look at the bunkers at Sand Hills and then tell me that BB has big bunkers. BB's bunkers are on the same scale as Winged Foot.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I only wish I had the secret code to the telephone reservation system so that I could actually get onto the course. I guess I will have to call some Winged Foot friends which is easier to get on right now
