The Torrey Pines crowd played the course, too, but most of them are used to seeing Woods & Co. at the Buick Invitational each year. There is a far greater feeling of pride at Bethpage, and Justin Leonard couldn’t help but notice.

“Bethpage, being a public course, it seems like all you hear there is, ’How do you like our course?”’ said Leonard, a Texan doing his best to deliver a New York accent. “They take a lot of pride in hosting the U.S. Open. It’s like you’ve got 50,000 owners out there, all wanting to see you play on their course. It’s fun.”

Bethpage didn’t always look this good.

Fay recalls it being shaggy, and part of him misses that gruff appearance. The USGA paid for the renovations, in which bunkers were rebuilt and replenished with 9,000 tons of sand, tees were rebuilt, the course lengthened and irrigation was installed.

Catalano bristles at the notion that Bethpage Black is only pristine when the U.S. Open comes to town. About the only difference is the firmness and speed of the greens, which requires USGA nurturing to keep that way for a week. The grass would die if it were kept that short the rest of the year.

“That’s not true. Whoever said that doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Catalano said. “If you ask anyone who plays frequently, they would tell you the U.S. Open could have been conducted in any year since 2002 with a month or two notice. The course is maintained almost as well as it’s done for the U.S. Open.”

The tough part is finding those who get to play frequently, because getting a tee time is a chore.

Bethpage is famous for people sleeping in their cars overnight in a “The Car Line” with hopes of getting one of the few spots available on the Black each day, although far more common is registered golfers booking a tee time over the phone. For his group, Andriano worked his magic on speed dial seven days in advance, as only New York residents can do.

“I don’t imagine myself sleeping in a car to go play a round of golf,” former U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk said. “But I think it tells you how special that place is to the people that live there, and how good a golf course it is.”

How tough is it to get a tee time? The USGA couldn’t even negotiate a spot for pop star Justin Timberlake, who wanted a practice round on the Black Course ahead of his made-for-TV exhibition the weekend before the U.S. Open. Catalano couldn’t make it happen.

“He can’t cut anybody any deals,” Fay said. “That would fly around that place in a New York minute.”

Catalano said the peak of Bethpage came in the 1960s, when an average of 300,000 rounds were played on all five courses. They sent them out in seven-minute intervals back then, when golfers played faster.

The courses will be closed, not only the Black for the U.S. Open, but adjacent courses for corporate hospitality, practice ranges and merchandise tents.

It will be back in business a week later. The demand figures to be just as high, with fees a mere $50 during the week and $60 on the weekend for residents, double the price for out-of-state golfers. Using the telephone means an extra $5.

The Black will be as tough as ever.

The foursome from Albany finished their round in six hours, tired and satisfied, then stepped into the Oak Room for a burger and beer. It was the second time they had played a match on the Black, with Andriano and Crudo winning this time.

The appeal of the Black goes beyond it hosting a U.S. Open, although that doesn’t hurt. Steve Lemon, who runs a car dealership in Albany, headed out to the parking lot after his long day and couldn’t wait for a chance to return.

He spoke for his foursome, if not thousands of others who want to experience big-time golf without paying big money.

“It’s one of the best golf courses in the world,” Lemon said. “And we can play it.”

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