Loose Impediments

U.S. Open Playlist

Music can move us in a way mere words sometimes can't. In that spirit, here is a playlist that recaps the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black.

Preview of the 109th U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, the longest course in tournament history
AC/DC: "Back in Black"
Billy Joel: "New York State of Mind"
The Beatles: "The Long and Winding Road"

Pre-Tournament Favorites: Woods and Mickelson, who turned 39 on Tuesday and was serenaded by the gallery
Survivor: "Eye of the Tiger"
Stevie Wonder: "Happy Birthday"

Thursday: Play suspended at 10:16 am
Credence Clearwater Revival: "Who'll Stop the Rain?"
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: "The Waiting"

Friday: After a lengthy delay, the weather clears and first-round leader Mike Weir flirts with the 18-hole Open scoring record before shooting 64.
Jimmy Cliff: "I Can See Clearly Now"
"O Canada"

Saturday: More delays, and Ricky Barnes sets the 36-hole scoring record of 132
Eurythmics: "Here Comes the Rain Again"
Steely Dan: "Rikki Don't Lose that Number"

Sunday: Barnes and Lucas Glover separate themselves by the end of the day
Ryan Adams: "Two"

Monday: Glover and Barnes slip on the front nine, and many players have a chance, but former Clemson All-American Glover birdies the 16th to win his first major.
The Bangles: "Manic Monday"
Clemson Marching Band: "Tiger Rag"

Soggy Bethpage

During the next drought on Long Island, the authorities should hastily put together a golf tournament at Bethpage Black. Any tournament.

Because Black isn't just the name of the course; the color perfectly describes the clouds that seem to descend for any event here.

The 2009 U.S. Open has seen its first weather delay just 3 hours and 16 minutes after Rickie Fowler hit the first shot.

And as I sit here listening to the rain pelting the roof of the media center, I am reminded of 2002 U.S. Open, when the second day was soaked and a delay on Sunday caused winner Tiger Woods to putt out in near darkness.

Bethpage: Beyond the Black

There is little doubt that the Black course is the big star at Bethpage State Park, especially this week for the U.S. Open. But Bethpage is hardly a one-course show. While plenty of golfers come from far and wide and go to great lengths like queuing overnight in the parking lot to play a U.S. Open course, many regulars opt to play one of the park's four other courses.

That's because in addition to the Black's difficulty, the course is tough to navigate. It is walking only, and the pace of play is predictably glacial. Before the USGA came calling, it wasn't all that hard to get on the Black because of these factors.

I grew up on Long Island, and have played all of Bethpage's courses—Black, Red, Green, Blue, Yellow—scores of time. I have played them in all seasons, in all weather conditions, during all times of day. There is little doubt that a round on the Black should be on the to-do list of every golfer. But while you're here, it would be a shame to not take the time to play one or more of the other courses here. 

If you're interested in camping out at the park—or at least in the parking lot for tee times—for a few days, here is a guide to the other Bethpage courses.

Second Shot

In an odd but most welcome scheduling hiccup, I was able to play two of the best courses in Northern Ireland twice last week. I played Portstewart and Royal Portrush (fairway bunker on the 17th hole, pictured) before my conference then got to play both in a single day the day after.

What struck me was how much my opinion of the Strand course at Portstewart changed during my second visit. After my first round, I thought that the course too extreme. The front nine is routed over and between some of the biggest dunes I have ever seen on a golf course—some were 200 feet high. 

The experience wasn't so much links golf as it was mountain golf. The back side was much flatter, and the holes were so different from what had preceded them. After putting out on the 18th hole, I felt disoriented, as if I had just finished riding a roller coaster. Hours later at dinner, even after gathering our wits, my playing partners and I couldn't figure out the layout.