When golf fans head back to Bethpage Black Friday, they might not have to deal with rain but they will have to cope with the inconvenience of not having a cell phone.

Unless given a special exemption, cell phones, Blackberries and other mobile devices are strictly forbidden on the course. While some fans say they were glad to be disconnected from technology for a day, others say not having a cell phone put a damper on their everyday routine and business.

?I?m in the real estate business and hoping nobody is calling us for houses,? says John Brady, of Huntington.

When the first day of the U.S. Open ended after three hours of golfing due to torrential rain, the public telephone tents were jammed as fans dialed furiously to the outside world.