"It's a horrible success story"

Don't miss Max Adler's undercover Golf World cover story on the "grey" market for Bethpage Black Course tee times. And yes that's right, Golf Digest paid $850 for Adler to experience the Black's backdoor way to tee times.

Allegedly a man known only as "Phil" operates a large cadre of people who flood the telephone system each night by speed-dialing precisely at 7 p.m., the moment tee times seven days ahead become available. To book a time, a golfer's driver's license must be registered in the park reservation system. So for New York State clients, NY Golf Shuttle will register their driver's license (or if the client is already registered, simply use their pre-existing number) and book the time under the client's name. With so many people calling in a coordinated effort, the business model works: A few are bound to get through. For non-residents, who can only book times two days in advance, it's a little trickier, especially if it's a foursome that can't be spearheaded by a resident ID number. But Dave Catalano, operations manager at Bethpage State Park, knows how it is done. NY Golf Shuttle will book the time under a resident ID number, then cancel five days later and rebook it immediately under the out-of-state client's name.