It was the second time in eight years, the 7,400-yard par 70 layout about 30 miles east of New York City in Farmingdale, New York, was host to the country’s national championship. The Black Course is among the longest and most difficult layouts used in the U.S. Open rotation.

It’s not often a golf course is deemed so difficult that its pending players are warned. On the first tee of the Black Course, a sign reads: “Warning. The Black Course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers.” While certainly the course has been “tweaked” in accordance with United States Golf Association (USGA) specifications, it’s the same course where the public can play weekdays and weekends with green fees (no carts) ranging from $50 to $120.

Designed by golf course architect A.W. Tillinghast, the Black Course was opened in 1936. It first served as the site of the 102nd U.S. Open Championship in 2002, and it was the first time the USGA began to include public courses into the U.S. Open rotation. Previously the U.S. Open featured exclusive country clubs like Shinnecock Hills, Oakmont, Congressional and Merion.

Last year in the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines (another public course) in San Diego, California, Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate competed for 91 holes before Woods prevailed in what is now considered one of the greatest rounds of golf ever televised.

Next year the U.S. Open will be played at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Chambers Bay, just outside of Tacoma, Washington, will be the site of the 2015 U.S. Open and Erin Hill in Wisconsin is expected to be selected as a U.S. Open host course within the next decade. All are open to the public.

The Black Course at Bethpage (there are also the red, green, blue and yellow courses), like other U.S. Open courses, features narrow fairways, high rough and well-placed bunkers. And just like other U.S. Open courses, the winner rarely accumulates a regulation total score better than a few under par.

What separates Bethpage from other U.S. Open courses by most accounts is the architect’s vision of what bunkers represent. Players who hit shots into the large, nearly omnipresent bunkers will likely be penalized. Some of the bunkers are located only 10 yards from the fringes of greens and only 20 yards from the hole.

That equation makes for difficult shots for amateurs and pros alike. And as such, it gives pros and amateurs something else to potentially share. If the opportunity arises maybe they can commiserate.

Rory McIlrory

Like Canadian kids who learn to walk playing ice hockey and kids in Spain who do the same on soccer fields, Rory McIlroy grew up outside of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It’s where golf is not so much a recreation as it is a way of life. And just like Tiger Woods whose toddler days included television clips of a two-year-old making putts on a national television variety show, Rory McIlroy’s golf history has its moment of infant legend.

Most bios of McIlroy, who this week makes his debut at the U.S. Open at Bethpage in New York, include a reference to the now 20-year-old golfer hitting a 40-yard drive at age 2.

Comparisons, fair or not, have been made between the golfers many times since. McIlroy, like Woods, hits it hard and far and he had impressive amateur success. And also like Woods, McIlroy has opinions, like categorizing the Ryder Cup as an exhibition and not as important to him now as success on the European Tour.

McIlroy’s comments attracted some criticism, but it didn’t faze the golfer’s increasing popularity. Depending on his play and network television’s decision how often to follow the curly haired youngster with the boyish face, McIlroy is likely to become more popular.

McIlroy has been well-known in golf circles for several years, but the mainstream sports world is just absorbing the newcomer on the golf scene.
This year, while playing a purposely limited PGA Tour schedule, McIlroy has made the cut six of his seven tournaments.

“I don’t want to play 30 events a year and get burn-out,” McIlroy said. “I had not planned on having a PGA Tour card for two or three years, so it was an easy decision to make in that respect. I’m very happy in Europe. I’ll play the majors and the World Golf Championships and I think the way my schedule has worked out is perfect.”

Like many of his countrymen, McIlroy had early success in Europe. His amateur tenure included titles at the West of Ireland and Irish Close Championships. He represented Europe in the Junior Ryder Cup, and he was the world’s top-ranked amateur before turning pro in 2007. It didn’t long for McIlroy to find quick success as a pro, either

In 2008, McIlroy made the cut in his first professional event and finished third in his second professional event, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

This year, McIlroy’s had his breakthrough with a wire-to-wire victory in the 2009 Dubai Desert Classic. By winning in Dubai at age of 19 and 273 days, he became the sixth-youngest winner in European Tour history. Last April, McIlroy finished tied for 20th at The Masters.

This week, McIlroy is playing one of the most demanding public courses in the country. He’s never played the course, but remembers watching the 2002 U.S. Open on television when Bethpage Black hosted the event for the first time.

“From seeing it on TV at home I remember it being long and tough,” McIlroy said. “In particular, the 10th and the 12th had such a long carry to the fairways that the guys were having trouble making it, so that’s obviously something to look out for.”

“I’d won the tournament and some of the event officials walked me over the 18th for the award ceremony,” Perry recalled. “Other tournament officials escorted Bob Hope to the awards ceremony and he stood right next to me.

“While a sponsor or someone else was talking, Mr. Hope looked at me and said softly, ‘Pardon me, son. Do you know who won the golf tournament?’ I said, ‘Yes, Mr. Hope. I did.’ ”

Perry’s recollection serves as an ideal microcosm of 50 years of great golf and great laughs at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. Hope, who died in 2003 at age 100, added his name to the tournament in 1965 and became the Classic’s Chairman of the Board.

In addition to the winner’s check, Perry was given a jewel-studded ring for his Bob Hope Chrysler Classic win. The ring included a raised image of Hope with a jewel on the tip of his nose.

“It’s an expensive ring,” Perry recalled. “But it’s nothing that I ever really wanted to wear. It just wasn’t very attractive. I wore it oncee, and then put in the trophy case.”

The tournament stopped giving the ring several years ago. But what it continues to give PGA Tour players, an evolving field of celebrities and spectators, is a one-of-a-kind event on the PGA Tour. It’s the only 90-hole event of the season and it’s played on desert courses conducive to low scores.

No one represents the tournament’s lore more than Palmer. He won the inaugural event in 1960 and played in the tournament 42 times.  Palmer, who was also victorious in the event in 1962, 1968, 1971 and 1973, had 62 PGA TOUR titles.

In its debut, the event was called the Palm Springs Desert Golf Classic and was played at Bermuda Dunes Country Club, Indian Wells Country Club, Tamarisk Country Club and Thunderbird Country Club. Palmer had a 333 total, good for a three-shot win over Fred Hawkins.

Palmer’s winning total remained as the lowest winning total until Rik Massengale’s six-stroke win over Bruce Lietzke at 337 in 1977.

Palmer’s win, of course, occurred in his initial year in the event. He remained the only debut winner until Charley Hoffman’s victory in his first appearance at the event in 2007.

In the nearly five decades between the landmark wins, much has happened. The tournament has had four additional official names, and the careers of Jack Nicklaus to Phil Mickelson and Johnny Miller to Justin Leonard have all had extensive chapters written at tournament.

As a celebrity pro-am, a half-century has provided many Bob Hope Chrysler Classic moments of laughter via amateur entrants ranging from Johnny Weissmuller to Zeppo Marx, Desi Arnez to Don Knotts and Bing Crosby to Eddie Van Halen.

And in its most important capacity, the tournament has donated more than $45.5 million to local charities throughout the Coachella Valley. And it’s champions also include Kenny Perrr, who’s now a  lot more well-known.

“You only get one trip around life,” Armour has said often. “Golf is just something that I love to do. I don’t play for the money, I never have. I’ve made a lot of good friends playing golf professionally.”

Good times off the golf course are a personal choice. But persistentcy and consistency keep golfers on the pro circuit. And Armour has fashioned a long career (he turned pro in 1981) with rare moments in the spotlight, but many years of being in the mix.

Now five months from eligibility on the Champions Tour, Armour finished 64ht last week in his 13th PGA Tour event of 2009 at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial in Ft. Worth, Texas. He hasn’t won in 2009, but he has five top-25 finishes the season.

In fact, Armour has won only twice on the PGA Tour, but his name is omnipresent in professional golf for three reasons:

* Armour’s win at the 2003 Valero Texas Open is still a PGA Tour 72-hole record pf 34-under par;

* Armour is the grandson of Tommy Armour, the three-time major tournament winner and member of the Golf Hall of Fame;

* Although he’s not involved, the Armour family name is the signature (his grandfather’s) logo on the top line of golf equipment.

Armour’s family legacy isn’t a keen topic for the current PGA Tour player. He doesn’t shy away from discussions of his grandfather or his father, who was a businessman but not a pro golfer. But Armour doesn’t start a conversation about his family, either. The reason? Perhaps it’s a case of “actions speak louder than words.”

At least by reputation, Tommy Armour III seems a lot like Tommy Armour I. Here’s how the original Tommy Armour is described on the golf equipment’s web site:

“During golf’s golden age, a flash of silver appeared from across the sea: Tommy Armour, the Silver Scot. While he gained renown as a world-class raconteur, drinker, and gambler with an eye for the ladies, Tommy Armour was also a wounded and decorated veteran of World War I.

“He was a master bridge player. A concert-level violinist. A best-selling author. And, in his later years, the most respected—and expensive—golf instructor of his day. Ultimately, Tommy Armour was a champion. And his 25 PGA victories—including three Majors— have earned him a place in the World Golf Hall of Fame.”

Tommy Armour III doesn’t share all of his grandfather’s talents and interests, but he’s upheld the family tradition in several ways.

With rare exceptions, Tommy Armour III had retained his PGA Tour status throughout his career. But last season was among his best. He had five top-10 finishes and finished 62nd on the money list with more than $1.5 million in officials earnings. It was the first time in his career Armour surpassed $1 million in a season.

Armour also ended more than a four-year pro tournament winless streak in 2007 when won the uniquely formatted Callaway Golf Pebble Beach Invitational. The “Silly Season” event features men and women players from the five major pros in head-to-head competition. Armour successfully defended his title last November on the first hole of a “sudden death” playoff against former U.S. Open winner Scott Simpson and young pro Brock MacKenzie.

This season, Armour has one top-10 finish and five top-25 finishes in 12 events. He will become eligible for the Champions Tour of Oct. 8. He’s undecided on what Tour he’ll favor next season.

Regardless, the Armour legacy remains.

Earlier this season, after an opening-round 67 at the Northern Trust Open, Armour was asked about his long career and if he’s made any drastic changes:

“A couple of wives,” said Armour to an immediately laughing audience. “As for golf, I’ve always worked at it and had fun working at it.”

Like Mickelson, Harrington has now won three majors. In less than two years, beginning with 2007 British Open, the Irish golfer with the quick wit and dry sense of humor has emerged among the small confident corps of players believed capable of remaining on even terms — skill to fan appeal — with Tiger Woods.

And like Woods and his “Tiger Slam, Harrington, the PGA Tour reigning player of the year, has built a strong following with his personality and a media-generated angle, the “Paddy Slam.”

Woods’ designation was the result of his four consecutive major wins during two seasons. Harrington entered this year’s Masters with back-to-back wins in the 2008 in the British Open and the PGA Championship.

Harrington’s ascension to the top level of golf was similar to Mickelson’s fortunes.

Mickelson now has 36 PGA Tour victorious but in the five-year span from 1999-2003, he finished second or third in PGA Tour event six times. He also now shares the record with four second-place finishes in the U.S. Open.

Harrington’s career is even more runner up-plagued lopsided. Before claiming his first major, Harrington finished second four times in European Tour events and second or third in the Order of Merit four times. And he’s also twice finished second in the Players Championship.

The end of Mickelson’s runner-up dilemma included game adjustments and work with golf psychologists. Harrington’s improvements are likely like more the benefits of his upbringing in Ireland,  where golf is a way of life, regardless of weather.

“I just like to play,” said Harrington, 36,  “I was brought up playing bad weather; It’s natural to me. I understand it. I can adapt to it. I don’t have issues with it. But I’d rather play in 80 degrees and no wind. But I understand that other players will find it harder than I do. So I’ll adapt well.

“One of my strengths is to adapt to unusual conditions. By playing in Europe, you play a lot around the world. But being brought up in Ireland, you get a lot of different conditions. You can have a nice summer’s day or you can have a wet and windy day, and you just have to get on with it and adapt. Certainly that’s a trait of mine that has served me well.”

Harrington has stumbled, too. Despite his stocky build and strong appearance, Harrington does have a particularly long driver. Nearly a decade ago, he began an agility and strength workout routine and increased his average distance. He’s also suffered from dehydration in tournaments.

But playing well or not so well, Harrington relishes the challenge of golf, particularly when inclement weather reminds him of his formative years in Ireland.

“As an amateur we used to play a tournament in the west of Ireland,” Harrington recalled. “It was our opening championship of the year and we played it in March. By description it’s in the west of Ireland looking out to the Atlantic Ocean. Next stop would be New York. As you stand there it’s kind of on the sea or kind of on the cliff edge and you can see the weather fronts come in, and the weather used to get so bad that it was close to gale force winds, hailstorms.

“When the real bad winds came in you used to have to huddle into little ravines or whatever or bunkers to protect yourself from the hailstorms. You would be wearing a tee shirt, like a polo neck — you’d wear a vest, a polo neck, a tee shirt, two jumpers and a rain jacket, and you could feel the hailstorms through that, so you had to huddle. Thankfully being a player I got to get in the middle.”