Why the Hate For Bethpage Black?

The latest murmuring from the PGA Tour is that the Barclays, an event that is part of the always exciting, and never criticized FedEx Cup playoffs (It's playoffs! In Golf!), could land Bethpage Black as their host golf course as early as 2012. The problem is, some PGA Tour officials and such aren't so keen to the idea of always stopping at Bethpage, which makes little sense to me.

The two U.S. Opens hosted at the public course in New York went swimmingly, with Tiger Woods battling Sergio Garcia, among others, in 2002, and Lucas Glover outlasting Phil Mickelson and David Duval in the other, which was one of the most exciting Opens in recent memory.

But the PGA Tour seems to look at the Black like Camilo Villegas must look at a quarter pounder with cheese, highlighted by this quote from Mike Davis of the USGA.

Mike Davis, the senior director of rules and competition for the USGA, said he was not aware of a deal for The Barclays to go to Bethpage Black. But he said it would be at least a decade before the U.S. Open returned to the public course.

"I've only heard rumors about it," Davis said about a deal with Barclays and the Black. "I do know the Bethpage people have been looking at other events they could do. It's fair to say that at least what we have named to date (for the U.S. Open), and what we will name in the very near future, won't be Bethpage."

Umm, again, why? It's a fun golf course that is public, and brings in some colorful fans that seem to enjoy watching the top pros compete for a major championship. If the tour could be at Bethpage every year, how is this bad?

I guess I'll never be in charge of the USGA or PGA Tour, but it seems Bethpage Black is exactly what you'd want in a golf course and a fan base. It's different, it's edgy, and it's incredible.

But, by all means, if we can get a few more country clubs in the mix, that would surely be better.