Back when Bethpage Black was in its peak as far as play goes, I remember one Sunday in particular that was like the one you had. The difference was I showed up to the golf course at 10:30PM to sleep in the car. It was hot as balls so sleep was out of the question. Even at 10:30 the spot I pulled into was looking like a mid-morning round as a lot of people play the Red and being as hot as it was I get out even early.
Watching the clock blink with every second until I get my baker’s ticket and head to the clubhouse. Get to the screens, 12:40. 12:40?? It’s only 5:30 right now! I was 17 at the time back in 2001 and said F it, I’ll take it.
Now the sun is starting to come up and I got nowhere to go except back to the car to “sleep” and not die in the car. To wrap up this story, nearing 100* and humid and you know the feeling of the fairway just radiating that heat back up to you and up your shorts. This was back in the day when they didn’t put water coolers out and and had to use the 50yo water fountains you found randomly that pumped out air temperature water. Yetis? What are those?
Taking those shoes off was amazing! Wait...now I have to drive back home with no A/C(had a shitkicker) and most likely NYC bound traffic from the Hamptons?
I was back the week after, and after, and after. And here we are 19 years later and I’m still doing it. Although if I have to show up after whiffing all week online, it’s usually 4AM since the hype isn’t what it used to be.
