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Who is the Architect of Record for Bethpage Black?Changes to the Black
I was wondering if anyone had had a chance to play the Black Course this spring/summer and had observed some of the changes that took place over winter in preparation for next year's US Open? The par 4 9th hole has a rather daunting bunker built into the side of the hill as the fairway begins the dogleg left. I haven't had a chance to pace it out from the back tee but it's going to force a lot of players to hit further right resulting in a blind second shot. I'm sure the longer hitters can carry it but it will definately put doubt into their minds and make for a tougher hole. The par 5 13th has a few new twists with a new back tee which adds an extra 80-100 yards (approx). The tee is also further left than the 2002 tee which points the player towards the right rough and OB. It will induce a draw but a fairway bunker left has also been added to those that go too far left. All in all I like the changes and find them consistent with the original layout and the modifications made by Rees Jones before the 02 Open. That said, I haven't yet been a victim of these new hazards so my view might change after that! Thu, 2008-06-05 17:12 login to post comments
Width restoration?
Every time that I play at the Black it is jarring to the eye to see the fairway bunkering sitting so far out to the side of the fairway cuts, especially on the Glacier hole. With the bi-directional cutting method of such uniform width fairways thoughtlessly placed in an effort to require accuracy, it always reminds me of a squeeze of Aqua-Fresh toothpaste - the one with two separate colors. A jarring visual and a complete ignorance of the original design intent. Would it be too much effort for our society to petition the parks to restore the original widths of the fairways? I think it would go a long way to help educate the public golfer in the concept of width creating strategy. Just as an aside, Ron Whitten did a very poor job defending his case for Joe Burbeck. One might even call him an idiot, but I'll be very nice and just say the thought was idiotic to anyone truly familiar with the great works of Tillie. Trying to advance the ideals of strategic architecture, with such a great work open to all to play this is an area we ought to step up and make an effort. If the course could be kept firm, it would make for a very interesting venue for a US Open with the width restored as the courses have become so homogenized in setup. This would be a bold move for the USGA and a great project for our supporters. Mon, 2008-04-07 14:50 login to post comments
Ask Bethpage State Park
According to Bethpage State Park, the golf course architect of record for Bethpage Black is A.W. Tillinghast. Sun, 2008-02-24 19:07 login to post comments
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Will this controversy created by Golf Digest is the preview of the 2002 U.S. Open be resurected for the 2009 U.S. Open?