With the Champions Tour at Eisenhower Park recently, many golfers - pros and locals alike - are looking to June 2009 when the US Open again visits historical Bethpage State Park.

Craig Currier, head golf superintendent of the park, works with the USGA years in advance planning revised landscaping, aligning volunteers, and seeing how to maximize the millions of dollars donated by the USGA for renovations to Bethpage State Park.

Originally owned by the Yoakum family, the land of today's park was first leased to the Lenox Hills Country Club. In the 1930's Bethpage State Park purchased the land and built Bethpage State Park. Renowned golf course architect A.W. Tillinghast designed and oversaw the development of the Black, Red, Blue, and Green courses for Bethpage. When golf's popularity increased in 1958, Alfred Tull designed the Yellow course for beginners. Playing the holes of Bethpage State Park brings you a sense of history.

USGA Executive Director David Fay grew up in New York, played at Bethpage State Park, and knew that Bethpage Black was gold standard. He noticed the genius of the course design and the challenging links compared to other parks.

"Holding the U.S. Open at Bethpage was really a restoration and modernization at the same time," Fay said.

Currier says that the USGA donated $3 million to renovate the park for the last U.S. Open played here in 2002. Local duffers play an estimated 35,000 rounds a year here, so the bunkers needed renovations along with the fairways and greens.

Hosting the Open means accommodating concessions, galleries, grandstands, scoreboards, a media center, restrooms, merchandise tents and corporate tents. During the event, Farmingdale needs to handle an estimated 25,000 cars and public transportation to the event, and offer hotel rooms for visitors and thousands of fans.

The 2002 US Open gave a face lift to Bethpage State Park, with major renovations to the public golf courses, catering facilities and picnic areas.

The Open helped Bethpage invest in its facilities and invite tourism. The event raised revenue brought in a reported $70 million to NY State. Money raised not only went to Bethpage, but to other Long Island public golf courses as well.

Following the great success of the 2002 Open, the 2009 US Open is estimated to bring in a $100 million with 30 to 40 hours of live media coverage. Hosting the Open at Bethpage again allows the park to keep on investing in its facilities to the satisfaction of Long Island golfers.