Ryder Cup fans find downtown Farmingdale's the place to cheer, or cry

A thunderous cheer echoed onto Main Street in Farmingdale on Sunday afternoon each time the U.S. Ryder Cup team inched closer toward an improbable comeback.

The hopeful fans gathered in the shadow of the tournament at downtown bars and restaurants nearly got their wish. But it would be the European fans letting out the final cheer just after 5 p.m.

As the tournament concluded, and Team Europe retained the Ryder Cup, the final rush of golf fans exiting Bethpage Black golf course descended into the surrounding neighborhoods, some headed back to downtown bars, others seeking to nab a rideshare or bus ride to their car at Jones Beach State Park. Many more made their way to the Farmingdale Long Island Rail Road station.

A disappointed Dustin Furnari, 39, of Miami, wore U.S. flag-themed pants as he arrived outside a downtown bar following the tournament’s conclusion. It was his eighth Ryder Cup, he said.

"It was fun," he said. "We lost but it was still fun."

Bill O’Neill, 43, of Colorado, said the United States had "an absolute chance" for the comeback as he waited for an Uber ride.

"It felt very grim starting this morning," he said. "And definitely felt a lot better this afternoon and through the day."

For many of the restaurants and bars, the competition was a boon to business, bringing throngs of customers each night, according to interviews with managers and bartenders. And for the residents living on the many winding residential streets around the golf course, the tournament brought traffic, disruptions and a chance for entrepreneurial spirit. 

At The Coop Nashville Kitchen Bar & Lounge, the bar redesigned its beer taps into actual golf clubs. Mary Abrams, the bar’s manager, said a customer donated the clubs as a way to commemorate the Ryder Cup. Another customer gave her a small putting green to set up outside, she said.

"Everyone has been so wonderful," she said.

David Bivona, general manager at Croxley's Ale House in Farmingdale, said the restaurant benefited from the Ryder Cup well before play began this week by hosting events for tournament staff members and people building the infrastructure on the course.

He said the restaurant’s prime visibility as one of the first stops for fans walking from the course or train station to Main Street has helped draw in customers. He said the crowds were large but "very manageable."

Paul Merriman, 60, finished brunch at Croxley's with his wife and their two friends shortly after noon Sunday. Merriman, who’s from just outside London, spent the rest of the day at the restaurant watching the Ryder Cup’s conclusion and celebrating the European title.

"Fancy coming to New York, we thought why not, and watch the Ryder Cup as well," he said of his first trip to Long Island.

Steven DeLuca, who was managing Tap Room Sunday, said "the whole town has been pretty packed all weekend."

He said there haven’t been any problems.

"Everybody on the block kind of knows each other, we all talk, and that’s been the consensus between us all," he said.

Mel Leone, 67, who’s lived on the corner of Bethpage Road and Lenox Road near one of the park's entrances, had no issues with the tournament and the stream of people in the morning walking from the train station.

"I wish they had it ever year here," he said from his driveway, adding that the biggest problem as of Sunday afternoon was a few water bottles left on his lawn.

Barriers were positioned at entrance points to residential streets and signs warned of $500 fines. Some entrances were manned by different law enforcement agencies or village code enforcement.

Some residents used the massive foot traffic as a chance to earn extra cash, selling drinks and snacks at roadside stands.

A trio of young men at a Bethpage Road home sold beers and shots for $10. A handwritten sign at the end of the driveway promoted free coffee and water for law enforcement.

Along Thomas Powell Boulevard, a residential street where fans exiting near Round Swamp Road were funneled, residents like Julia DeRosa, 11, offered lemonade, iced tea, seltzers and snacks to golf fans.

Her father, Joe DeRosa, 50, said they made close to $1,000 each day. He said they also rented out their driveway for $75-$100. Some neighbors were charging closer to $200, he said.

His wife, Kristen DeRosa, said there hadn't been any problems.

"The streets are clean," she said. "There’s no littering. There’s no rowdiness, there’s no fights."

By Joe Werkmeister

joe.werkmeister@newsday.com

Joe Werkmeister joined Newsday in 2022 and covers Suffolk County government and politics. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.

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