Below is a timeline for the multi-day wait to play Bethpage Black (to return to main story, click HERE).
Monday, May 20, 2002
10 p.m. Guy Sulzberger of New Jersey pulls into parking space No. 1.
11 p.m. Ray Kitson of Farmingdale, New York, claims spot No. 2
11:05 p.m. Two golf reporters arrive to become Car No. 3
11:20 p.m. Kitson talks reporters into filling out their foursome with two of his friends
Tuesday, May 21, 2002
12:15 a.m. Park police officer W.P. Kruse issues stern warning
12:40 a.m. Bedtime
1:11 a.m. Car No. 4 arrives
3:30 a.m. All six spots for Wednesday foursomes are filled
4 a.m. Tee times distributed for park’s four other courses
5:15 a.m. After much debate upon realizing that the Black course is closed Tuesday, Car No. 4 leaves; line reshuffles
5:16 a.m. Scott Scannell of Smithtown, New York, backs into spot No. 6. He dances a jig in the parking lot
5:17 a.m. Pretense of sleeping dismissed
5:50 a.m. Car No. 4’s Ed Parlow of Bethpage tries to buy his way into the first or second tee time with Yankees tickets. No takers.
6:30 a.m. Alex Dench gives up hope as Car No. 7 and decides to come back that night to try for Thursday
7 to 8 a.m. Second shifts arrive for Cars 2, 4, 5 and 6. Only Cars 1 and 3 go the distance.
11:30 a.m. Thursday times start filling with Car No. 7 officially in place
12:40 p.m. Lunch in the clubhouse Oak Room
5:35 p.m. Secret shower in the clubhouse
6 p.m. Brian Jonker of Branford, Ontario, shows up and is crestfallen to find out he can’t play; he decides to wait to see if he could fill in any canceled vacancy
7:50 p.m. Mickey Walsh arrives to pass out golden wristbands to representatives of the first seven cars
8:20 p.m. Scannell returns with a rented RV that sleeps his entire foursome comfortably
9 p.m. Park police declare lights out will be at 10 p.m.
9:30 p.m. Dench returns to find out the soonest he can play now will be Friday; he backs into line
10:50 p.m. Mike Daley of New Hyde Park, New York, arrives to fill the final foursome … for Friday
11:15 p.m. Bedtime
Wednesday, May 22, 2002
3:15 to 3:50 a.m. Cars start filling up with foursomes
3:35 a.m. Meet grateful playing partners Lou Giampa and Tommy Connelly, who inform us we’re not allowed to pay for anything the rest of the day
3:45 a.m. With two no-shows, Sulzberger makes the day for Dench and Jonker by inviting them into the opening foursome (Parlow seethes in Car No. 4)
4 a.m. Danny Pepe arrives to pass out bakery tickets, bracelets all foursomes and sends them to the ticket counter
4:15 a.m. Groups trade in bakery tickets, exhibit bracelets, present IDs and pay $31 greens fees
4:55 a.m. Car No. 3 arrives at Embassy Diner along with members of Cars 2 and 5
6 a.m. Enter Skyway driving range across from the airport to work out kinks pounding more than 100 balls
7:25 a.m. Return to Bethpage to pose with warning sign and practice putting
8 a.m. 20 players gather above the first tee to watch Car No. 1 tee off; nobody hits the fairway. (Parlow seethes)
8:06 a.m. Approach Frank Navarra at starters hut to verify IDs and get bracelets cut off wrists
8:09 a.m. Watch Car No. 2 tee off; only Kitson hits fairway
8:18 a.m. Take first tee; nobody in Car No. 3 hits the fairway (Parlow seethes)
8:26 a.m. Abandon search of lost balls near green; glance back to see Parlow’s group searching for balls in the rough
1:55 p.m. Complete round under the watchful gaze of Cars 1 and 2; triple bogey rounds out 101
3 p.m. At the car line, a PhD student from Sweden named Per is napping in the back of his Subaru wagon. He hopes to be the first guy off Saturday morning.
Scott Michaux