Raters put Bethpage Black to the test

This time, when eight devoted golfers walked off the course, not one of them posted a score. Only the course did.

Actually, the golfers did physically write down the numbers and hand in the results. But it was the course's score that counted. In fact, those devoted golfers didn't even have their clubs. Instead, they carried laser range finders, a Stimpmeter, intricate evaluation sheets and copies of a U.S. Golf Association manual.

It was Tuesday morning at Bethpage Black, and one Metropolitan Golf Association staffer and seven volunteers were there to rate the course, as they do at every Long Island course once every six years.

The Black Course's new "score" will come in the form of an updated rating in April. An MGA computer program will have digested the wealth of data compiled Tuesday by the raters, who meticulously gauged the widths of fairways (36 yards in the landing area on No. 13) and perused every clump of trees and patch of fescue. Ten months from now, we'll see if the Black (blue tees) retains its strong 144 rating from the last time it was studied by the MGA committee.

Every time at every course, it is a painstaking process. This week, four members did the front nine, four the back and all worked for 3 1/2 hours, which is longer than it takes to play nine even on a busy day at the Black. Still, there were no complaints.

"It's a good gig," said John Busch of Garden City, who has chaired the Long Island rating committee for 10 years and has covered every inch of every course on the Island. "I'm retired and this gives me something worthwhile to do. This is to make it fair for everybody, no matter what your level of competence is. Given enough strokes, you can play against Tiger."

Ratings allow a golfer to know what his or her handicap is on a given course, allowing for a fair match. Someone who plays to a 10 at a home course could be a 12 or more at the Black.

SEE PHOTOS2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black

What golfers don't know see is the detail behind the ratings. Committee members on Tuesday used laser technology to tell how long a tee shot it would take to reach each fairway (196 yards from the blue tee on No. 11). They measured the depth and width of each green. On many greens, they rolled a ball to see if a normal shot would slide off. They graded bunkers for severity and marked down how many trees come into play.

"There are 10 obstacle factors we take into account on each hole," said Kevin Kline, the MGA's director of course rating and handicapping, who was in the back nine group. "We're not just putting our finger in the air and looking at it."

Nor is it a matter of someone's opinion. A committee has only a few judgment calls and those are explicitly structured by the USGA manual. For example, every green is given a point value based on whether it is flat, moderately sloped or severely sloped. Raters come to a consensus on which of those three descriptions fits best.

Four sets of eyes can pick up different nuances. Richard Cini on Tuesday noticed that a golfer in the deep right bunker on No. 11 would have no view of half the green. After he mentioned that, the other raters each added a "degree of difficulty" point on his scoresheet.

Kline pointed out that the MGA does not rank holes from 1 to 18 in terms of difficulty. "Each club is responsible for that," he said. He also said that raters are chosen for their experience and service in golf. Yes, they do get to play the courses. But they also must take classes, attend seminars and pass tests.

On Tuesday, they worked around Bethpage's daily fee golfers, who were intrigued by all the research. That always happens, Kline said, adding, "Sometimes they tell us, 'Bring the rating down' and sometime they tell us, 'Bring it up.' "