U.S. Open 2009 recap June 25, 2009

Last week, Bethpage Black Golf Course hosted the 109th U.S. Open [Golf] Championship.  The Black Course is one of five golf courses at Bethpage State Park.  The other ones are Yellow, Red, Blue, and Green.  Depending on where you are on the Black Course, you are in Old Bethpage, Melville, or Farmingdale, New York.  The course also hosted the 102nd U.S. Open in 2002 won by Tiger Woods.

Heavy rains delayed the tournament on Thursday and Saturday.  That pushed each round up a day.  The first round was mostly played on Friday, the second round was played on Friday and Saturday, the third round was played on Saturday and Sunday, and the final round on Sunday and Monday.  Needless to say, the suspension-of-play airhorns (or whatever they’re called) got quite a workout.  Those rains, coupled with thousands (at least) of feet walking on the grounds created widespread mud puddles.

I was there three days during the week of the Open: Sunday, June 14, for the free pre-championship opening weekend; Tuesday, June 16, for the second Practice Round; and Sunday, June 21, for much of the third round and the start of the final round.  (In 2002, I was there on June 9 and 15.)

In the days and weeks ahead, I will gradually add pictures taken on the 14th and 16th to this post.

Here are pics from June 14:

This was a special exit on the Seaford-Oyster Bay Expwy. (NY 135) northbound for U.S. Open shuttle buses coming from Jones Beach.

Heading for parking lot C:

Entering Lot C:

Getting on the spectator shuttle to the Black Course:

This is normally the parking lot for the golf courses, but during the Open, it was a pick-up/drop-off lot:

Entering the course…

Testing the jumbotron:

Fans watching players on the practice range:

The merchandise pavilion:

As people exited the pavilion, they were greeted by posters for future U.S. Open Championships:

The site for the 2016 Open was later revealed to be Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania:

One of many concession stands:

The back of the practice range grandstands:

Walking up to the grandstands:

A tee shot in mid-flight:

Another one:

Both pictures were cropped versions of larger ones.

The main gate for shuttles to and from Jones Beach:

Let’s look inside the American Express Championship Experience tent…

The history of the U.S. Open:

An Open timeline:

Back outside, this is the gate for shuttles to and from LIRR Farmingdale Station:

Me:

Pictures from my practice round trip on June 16 still to come.

After 72 holes had been completed, Lucas Glover had won.  It was his first major championship, and only his second win on the PGA Tour.

8/18/12 UPDATE: In a major case of procrastination, I never got around to posting pictures from my practice round trip.  With The Barclays coming to Bethpage Black next week, it’s time for me to finally post those pics.  Since there are so many, I’m posting them in gallery form.  Unfortunately, I don’t know how to limit what pictures to include in the gallery.  So, scroll down until you see MC61609003 – a picture of buses.

8/2/16 UPDATE: I figured out how to limit the pictures. Forget what I said in the previous update. All pictures in the gallery below are now from the practice round.