The Black (The Back)

After getting torched for a 49 (+13) on the front, I had to turn things around on the back -- though a 22 to get to even par was not in the cards....

10 A relatively flat hole in comparison to most of what we'd just seen, and the start of a string of ridiculously long par 4's (it's measures 502 yards from the tips). Fortunately, the tees were up a bit -- it was probably "only" playing 450 yards for us. I hit my best drive in a while, a low trajectory 300 yarder down the left side, into the 1st cut of rough. From there I hit an 8-iron to the green, leaving my first real birdie oportunity of the day, about a 15 footer -- uphill with a little right to left break. I reached the hole (!), but just underestimated the break, and tapped in for par. Score: 4 (+13).

11 Another relatively flat but long par 4, this one comes in at 435 yards. There are maybe 4-5 large sand traps lining either side of the fairway, so it's pretty initmidating off the tee. I pulled my drive left and somehow found a spot in between 2 bunkers, with a pretty clean lie, though the ball was a bit above my feet. I tried to hit a choke-down hybrid but didn't compensate for the lie enough and got a lot of draw spin. The ball came down somewhat about 25-30 yards left of the green, close to the 10th tee, deep into the fescue -- I never found it. After a drop I was able to flop a 60 degree wedge onto the green and 2 putt (again) for double bogey. Score: 6 (+15).

12 A monster dogleg left 501 yard par 4. Read that again. Honestly, this is where the memory of the round gets a little murky. I know I popped up my drive short of the trap that guards the corner of the dogleg; if memory serves, I slashed the ball around 3 times before hitting a lofted wedge onto the green and making 2 putts for another double. Ouch. Score: 6 (+17).

13 The first hole on the back side that wasn't a monster par 4... instead it's a 600+ yard par 5. Despite the length, this is a very playable hole, relatively straight and flat without much trouble. I again pulled my drive into the left rough -- and that was trouble enough. I was able to get a 5 iron through the thick stuff but carried it too far and found the thick rough again on the right side of the fairway. Now I had both rough and a tree to contend with -- I went for a cut 8 iron that came up just short and spun into a deep bunker on the right front of the green. I had a good lie and was able to get onto the green with only about 10 feet for par... but missed and made another bogey. Score: 6 (+18).

14 By far the easiest hole on the course, a straightforward 161 yard par 3. We were dead into the wind, and after watching my brother come up short with 7 iron, I went with a 6. I pushed it a bit right, but found the edge of the green just over the bunker. I left my 1st putt about 6 feet short, but made the 2nd for a rare par. Score: 3 (+18).

15 Now we come to what some have called the toughest 4 finishing holes in golf. I have to agree. The 15th is the number 1 handicap hole, and it deserves it. It's a "paltry" 478 yards, but plays more like 500+ with a severely uphill aproach shot that is all carry over some menacing looking bunkers -- and, as it turns out, the green slopes pretty severely off the back. I hit a terrible drive, pulled dead into the thickest of the thick rough and only a bit more than 200 yards off the tee. The ball was beyond buried, and I hit the hardest 53 degree wedge of my life just to get back to the middle of the fairway -- honestly, it was probably my best shot of the day. I had about 185 left, and had to hit a real good 4 iron to carry the bunkers, and I actually found the right side of the green. I had a real putt for par, but left it way short, then missed the follow-up to end up with a 3-putt double. (I hate 3-putts.) Score: 6 (+20).

16 The 16th comes right back at you with 490 yards of dogleg left par 4 action. This time, though, the tee-box is elevated up above the fairway, and the green for once is on relatively level ground; if there's any chance to score on the last 4 holes, this is it. Having hit my last several drives poorly and to the left, I tried to play more of a fade of the tee and ended up crushing it well right -- making this a very long hole. I tried to advance the ball and get back to the fairway with an 8 iron out of the fescue, but the face closed up in the tall grass and the ball shot almost 90 degrees to my left, all the way across the fairway, and back into the very thick rough. From there a 6 iron stayed a bit too far right and found yet another bunker; a sand wedge and 2 putts later left me with (yet another) double bogey. Score: 6 (+22).

17 One of the prettiest holes on the course, and the touchest par 3 I've ever played. 207 yards, all uphill, with tall fescue all the way to the green -- except for the mown walkway down the center. The green is very shallow, though relatively wide for The Black, and of course is protected by 5 bunkers. I hit a 3 iron and left it just right of the green, somehow finding just about the only spot of grass available between the traps. I had a decent lie and hit a soft SW pitch that settled just a foot left of the hole; a tap-in par I have to say I'm pretty proud of. Score: 3 (+22).

18 If I remembered any one hole from the Open in 2002, this was it. Just 411 yards, but steeply uphill for the last 150-200, this is the hole that has a whopping 11 different sand traps, and (of course) they're all in play. I hit a decent drive, about 280 yards down the right side; unfortunately, the fairway narrows down to maybe 15 yards at that point and I found the inside edge of one of the bunkers; I had almost no shot to clear the lip, but it was the 18th so I had to go for it anyway. I blasted an 8 iron... and predictably clipped the top of the lip, ending up in (where else) the thick rough about 105 yards out. The lie wasn't bad, though, and I was able to hit PW to about pin-high. That left about 20 feet for par on the 18th at Bethpage -- something I'm sure many pros will be envious of in 2009. At least I reached the hole; bogey would have to do. Score: 5 (+23).

Suffice to say, The Black got the best of me. But all-in-all, I actually think that I could have been about 5 shots better with better putting (which should have been easy -- the greens are all actually very flat) and a little luck -- mostly notably on the 5th hole where twice being one foot to the left would have changed things dramatically. It was, to say the least, quite an experience.

Final Score: 94. (See the scorecard here.)