Inside ‘bit bland’ Bethpage Black: I walked arduous Ryder Cup course and this is what I made of it
Golf correspondent Martin Dempster delivers his first impression of Long Island venue
It was the calm before the storm and, boy, was it something to savour. As it started to warm up after a glorious but chilly start to the morning on Long Island, the climb up the biggest grandstand for the 45th Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black produced one of those special moments.
They are all the same for golf’s biggest team event, I hear you say, but not this one because, unlike any other Ryder Cup I can remember, the huge wraparound structure I am referring to not only sits behind the first tee but the 18th green as well.
By my estimation, the two are separated by no more than 20 yards and it was actually a bit surreal seeing Keegan Bradley, the Team USA captain, casually walk over from the first tee to the 18th green, take out the flagstick momentarily and then place it back in the hole.
It was just before 8.30am and Bradley, who is locking horns with Luke Donald, reappointed as the European captain after masterminding a 16.5-11.5 victory in Rome two years ago and now bidding to join Tony Jacklin as the only captain to win both home and away in the transatlantic tussle, was waiting on his players to arrive for their first official practice round.
On Friday morning, the same area will be as noisy as Manhattan, which sits around 40 miles to the west, but, in contrast, it was an oasis of tranquility at the start of Ryder Cup week due to the fact it’s Tuesday before any fans are in attendance.
Surreal start to Ryder Cup week in New York
Which meant the only sound you could hear was birds chirping loudly and it was very therapeutic, especially when you’ve been awake since 2.30am due to arriving the previous day and your bodyclock not having adjusted to US time.
When the first group of Team USA players - it included Bryson DeChambeau, one of three LIV Golf players competing in this edition - arrived on the first tee, it almost felt surreal as there was no-one else there other than their caddies, coaches and a few officials whereas a global audience will be watching on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
It was tempting to stay in that grandstand on such a lovely morning and also enjoy what will be one of the best seats in the house, so to speak, later in the week, but it was more important to get out on the course and see why so many people seem to rave about it.
There are five 18-hole courses in Bethpage State Park and, according to a gentleman with a strong New York accent, the bus I took from a media parking lot at Farmingdale State College to the venue dropped us off on what is normally the tenth hole on the Yellow Course. It’s the Black, though, that is world-renowned, having hosted two US Opens, the first of which was won by Tiger Woods, and a PGA Championship.
I have to admit that the opening hole won’t go down as the best in Ryder Cup history as, quite frankly, it’s a bit bland. Big-hitting DeChambeau, the first to tee off in his group, had a crack at the green over the trees on a hole that doglegs to the right but came up 50 yards short. If he can’t drive it, then no-one probably will.
The biggest thing that struck me as I walked around the entire course is that it is going to be a tough shift for the fans, especially on the front nine as there’s a lot of elevation changes before a flat section of holes just after the turn offers a welcome bit of respite. If those New York fans want to turn up the noise and make it uncomfortable for the Europeans, then they’ll have to be fit, especially with two sessions on both Friday and Saturday.
To be honest, I’m not convinced it is a great golf course, though many will probably say that’s become the norm for the Ryder Cup. The par-5 fourth is a great-looking hole while I also liked the eighth and 14th - two par 3s - from a visual perspective as much as anything, though the latter in particular could create a bit of drama.
An interesting aspect of this particular Ryder Cup course is that a road runs through it, though, needless to say, it will be closed this week. You cross it for the first time heading to the second tee then go back over it again en route to the 15th tee and a closing stretch that gives the impression that it is located in a small town due to the vast structures that have been built specifically for this week.
For my money, the par-4 18th is easily the best hole on the course and here’s hoping that we see as many matches being concluded there as we did at Marco Simone Golf Club on the outskirts of Rome two years ago because it demands accuracy from an elevated tee to avoid a line of bunkers on both sides of what looks to be the narrowest fairway on the golf course.
The rough for 45th Ryder Cup is not thick at all
As has become the case with Ryder Cups in the US, the rough is not thick at all and Bradley will be hoping that proves an advantage for his team, with DeChambeau, for example, unlikely to be penalised if he’s bombing tee shots that are not necessarily straight.
The Europeans, of course, were here last Monday and Tuesday to do their homework and, for me anyway, I reckon they’ve got a far better chance around this golf course, which, in bits, reminds me of Oakland Hills and Medinah and, let’s remember, they both produced away wins.
That’s my first impression of Bethpage Black and I can’t wait to be making that climb up the grandstand again very early on Friday morning.
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