FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- While attending St. John's, Keegan Bradley and his teammates had a rare privilege -- playing the famous Black Course at Bethpage State Park, the site of this week's Ryder Cup, when it was closed to the public on Mondays.

Then-St. John's coach Frank Darby had worked out the deal with Bethpage Black superintendent Craig Currier, whom Darby befriended while helping stage the New York State Open at the course over the years.

The Johnnies didn't have a home course, so they bounced around clubs in the New York metropolitan area. When private clubs closed for the winter, Bethpage Black stayed open for a few more weeks. The state park course known as the "People's Country Club" soon became Bradley's favorite.

"It was like being able to shoot basketball at Madison Square G

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