Long Island pros have a longer shot at next year's PGA at Bethpage Black

ST. LOUIS — Long Island’s club pros will have extra incentive to qualify for the PGA Championship next year, what with the major coming to Bethpage Black. It will be harder than usual for them to get in, though.

The top 20 finishers in the annual national club pro tournament are awarded spots into the PGA Championship, which is the highlight of their competitive season. But starting in 2019, the major is moving from August to May, which means the club pro championship must move from June to March. How are pros in the Northeast supposed to be in peak form?

“I haven’t figured it out. I’ll probably just play in the cold,” said Matt Dobyns, head pro at Fresh Meadow Country Club in Lake Success, who this week played in his fifth PGA Championship. “Maybe I’ll play in a couple events, probably in Florida. The bottom line is, I won’t be ready.

“You’re going to see a lot of guys from the South in the event and you’re going to see some new faces qualifying,” he said Friday after having shot 1-over-par 71 to finish at 7 over.

No matter what, though, Dobyns will still try. It is worth it for everyone he knows, especially the Fresh Meadow members.

“It gives them someone personal to follow, a friend in a field like this. I get lots of nice notes. It makes it really special. I try to reply to everybody. I hope they get some camaraderie out of it and I hope they share in the good moments,” he said. “As long as my body holds up and I feel like I’ll be competitive, I’ll give it a shot.”

Bethpage super collects info

Bethpage superintendent Andy Wilson was at Bellerive this week, meeting with PGA of America officials and members of the rules staff assigned to the 2019 PGA at the Black Course. He collected contact information from superintendents from all over the world who volunteer to help out at every PGA.

He was impressed with the superintendent Carlos Arraya's Bellerive staff, which had to deal with drenching thunderstorms Friday afternoon and evening. “I left at 9:30 and they were still out there, working,” Wilson said from the airport early Saturday. “And they said they were going to be back at 3:45 this morning.”

The logistics and the atmosphere made Wilson that much hungrier for next May. Referring to the weekend crowds, which were expected to reach 50,000, he said, “I hope we can match their enthusiasm.”

Navigating golf life

Suppose you are a  Baby Boomer golfer who is planning to move permanently or seasonally to Florida and are looking to find the right club to join down there. The people at Golf Life Navigators say they have just the right match for you.

In fact, the company’s founders, PGA pros Jason Becker and Lynn Josephson, say their operation is a combination of eHarmony and real estate marketer Zillow for golf enthusiasts. They have developed a database of Florida courses, filled with details about each club’s characteristics. The company (golfnavigators.com) also has devised an online 10-minute survey for golfers to determine what aspects they find most appealing.

 “I think we all agree that it’s not just about 18 holes and tennis courts anymore,” said Becker, who was at the PGA Championship this week.

 Data from survey-takers in the Northeast and Midwest was remarkably similar, he said — and different from what might have been revealed in a survey 25 or 50 years ago. Becker said that the average golfer shopping for a club these days is not very interested in exclusivity or the dining room menu. Top priorities now are how friendly the club’s culture is, the overall quality of the club and the weather in that part of the state.

Outings

The Sixth Annual Mastic Fire Department Outing will be Oct. 1 at Pine Hills Country Club, Manorville. Email Golfinfo@Masticfiredept.com.