Welcome to my 'hood
June 10, 2002
What do you know about Long Island? The Great Gatsby? What you've seen in glossy magazine photos? Take it from me, FDNY battalion chief Dan Melia, that's not the real Long Island. I grew up in Plainview, a couple of miles from Farmingdale, N.Y., home to next week's U.S. Open, and caddied at Bethpage Black...
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...So let me take you on a tour of my home turf. Welcome to the neighborhood
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HOLE
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PAR
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YARDS
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1
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4
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430
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Birdie hole for big boppers who can cut dogleg right
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2
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4
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389
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Better to take extra club on tricky, uphill approach
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3
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3
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205
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Distance control is everything; par is a good score
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4
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5
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517
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Pros will go for green in two but won't hold it
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5
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4
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451
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Tricky tee shot. Miss right; left is pitch-out territory
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6
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4
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408
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Bewildering tee shot calls for long iron with a draw
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7
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4
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489
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Converted par-5 probably toughest hole on front
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8
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3
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210
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Front-right tree blocks approaches to back-right pin
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9
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4
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418
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Easy hole for those who hit long, tight draw off tee
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OUT
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35
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3,517
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10
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4
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492
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New way-way-back tee favors gorilla-long hitters
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II
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4
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435
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Straight and short-nice place to lick wounds after 10
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12
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4
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499
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Another beast, and rare green with some pitch to it
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13
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5
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554
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Easiest hole on back; eagle is distinct possibility
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14
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3
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161
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Second-best birdie hole-and last one on course
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15
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4
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459
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A killer. Long, uphill hike to toughest green of the 18
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16
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4
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479
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Nice view, hard hole. All in the drive off elevated tee
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17
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3
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207
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Two-tiered, 43 yard-wide green elicits three-putts
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18
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4
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411
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Better be straight. Landing area only 16 yards wide
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IN
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35
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3,697
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70
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7,214
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What do you know about Long Island? The Great Gatsby? What you've seen in glossy magazine photos? Take it from me, FDNY battalion chief Dan Melia, that's not the real Long Island. I grew up in Plainview, a couple of miles from Farmingdale, N.Y., home to next week's U.S. Open, and caddied at Bethpage Black...
Island Hopping
New York City
Shea Stadium
FLUSHING
The Yankees will be visiting during the Open. I had season tickets and was there when the Mets beat the Red Sox in the '86 Series—Games 6 and 7.
Howard Stern
ROOSEVELT
He went to Roosevelt High, same as Dr. J ( Julius Erving). Howard used to joke about how he was one of the only white guys there.
Jerry Seinfeld
MASSAPEQUA
He joked on one of his albums that his hometown is an Indian name meaning "by the mall."
Lindbergh Monument
WESTBURY
This is where Charles Lindbergh took off when he made his historic New York to Paris flight. Now the place is a mall!
Steve Guttenberg
MASSAPEQUA
He was the ball boy on my hoops team at Packard Middle School. Look at him now!
Powell Home
FARMINGDALE
As kids we'd walk by this historic landmark, all lit up, and believe what we'd been told: that it was a brothel.
56th Fighter Group
FARMINGDALE
A bar that claims to have the biggest happy hour on Long Island. (I believe it.) It also has a large collection of World War II stuff.
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