|
Post by grovey31 on Sept 10, 2020 7:32:55 GMT -5
I feel like you’d be hard pressed to find less of a Bethpage Stan than me, but the pic of the fairway bunker with the person walking next to it for scale is EPIC. Yeah, that's the 9th fairway bunker and one of my favorite holes out there. It's carved into a large hill on the left side, right at the turn of the sharp dogleg. That fairway is like a roller coaster and by far the most undulating on the course.
|
|
|
Post by Demonondalinks on Sept 10, 2020 8:53:17 GMT -5
Didn't see the pics. Not available to view for some reason. I got a chance to play the Black in 1999. Just a few days before they closed it down for the US Open transformation. It was a legendary Muni then even though it needed some love. Here were your lies. FW, 8 inch bent rough, nasty whispy 2 foot grass and big ole unkept FW bunkers. A 6 hour round where some golfers should play an easier track. Carded an 85. Word has it that was AW Tillinghast's last course.
|
|
|
Post by mvpmanatee on Sept 10, 2020 9:30:24 GMT -5
Unpopular opinion and I'm sure I will change my mind if I ever get to play it IRL but Bethpage does nothing for me. Long, awkward and bland are my takeaways from seeing it on tv and playing numerous versions over many years of video games (granted does not give my opinion much weight). Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of crashing in the car and waiting for first light to get a ticket, but there's way more interesting and exciting tracks that the USGA could get excited about. Awesome pics though and cool experience 👌 Tillie's use of the property and the way he used elevation into strategy on every hole is one of the most exciting I have ever played, so I am not sure it can be considered bland. I understand it has been butchered by greens committees who want to make an everyday tournament venue, but the scale and routing alone make me want to come back to this place every time. I think the routing might be Tillie's best use of natural features, and he doesn't try to hide the fact that parts of the property are dead flat, but he used them to create variety in shot selection. In analyzing the front 9 alone there are 7 downhill shots, 5 uphill shots, and 4 flat shots. I don't think video games or live coverage really portray how hilly and wide this course is. Also I agree, it can be awkward at times, but isn't every great course awkward? I don't mean to call you out, because everyone obviously has a fair opinion on the matter, but I did once agree that the course felt bland, too long, and penal, until I was able to play it myself and realize that it is an amazing experience, and it's only $75 as a NY State resident!
|
|
|
Post by joegolferg on Sept 10, 2020 10:54:29 GMT -5
The design of the course itself I find very interesting considering I've seen a whole map of the layout with it's original sized greens and width to the fairways, plus some extra hazards/bunkers that were altered. I wouldn't pass up a chance to play in it's current form but I don't think I'd punish myself by playing from 7500yds. Next stop Philly Cricket Club? I would love to see that map if possible! And funny you should mention PCC... I've tried and failed to find the map I had. I screenshot it from the GCA forum a good while back, maybe two years back and unfortunately I've since cleared my photo album on my phone. It should still be knocking about on the GCA forums somewhere but it's a very dated forum and extremely difficult to find specific posts in threads.
|
|
|
Post by wildy33 on Sept 11, 2020 1:33:02 GMT -5
Unpopular opinion and I'm sure I will change my mind if I ever get to play it IRL but Bethpage does nothing for me. Long, awkward and bland are my takeaways from seeing it on tv and playing numerous versions over many years of video games (granted does not give my opinion much weight). Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of crashing in the car and waiting for first light to get a ticket, but there's way more interesting and exciting tracks that the USGA could get excited about. Awesome pics though and cool experience 👌 Tillie's use of the property and the way he used elevation into strategy on every hole is one of the most exciting I have ever played, so I am not sure it can be considered bland. I understand it has been butchered by greens committees who want to make an everyday tournament venue, but the scale and routing alone make me want to come back to this place every time. I think the routing might be Tillie's best use of natural features, and he doesn't try to hide the fact that parts of the property are dead flat, but he used them to create variety in shot selection. In analyzing the front 9 alone there are 7 downhill shots, 5 uphill shots, and 4 flat shots. I don't think video games or live coverage really portray how hilly and wide this course is. Also I agree, it can be awkward at times, but isn't every great course awkward? I don't mean to call you out, because everyone obviously has a fair opinion on the matter, but I did once agree that the course felt bland, too long, and penal, until I was able to play it myself and realize that it is an amazing experience, and it's only $75 as a NY State resident! Oh absolutely buddy! I've been fortunate enough to play some top courses that I had turned my nose up until getting an invite and entirely changing my opinion on them! Without playing it my opinion has no validity, no doubt but coming from the UK, Bethpage doesn't excite me enough to make it a destination compared to say Pinehurst or Pebble. If I was in the area and got a opportunity to play, I would definitely jump at the chance and I'm sure it would blow me away, it's just not on my bucket list.
|
|
adx321
Weekend Golfer
Posts: 100
|
Post by adx321 on Sept 22, 2020 19:34:16 GMT -5
Unpopular opinion and I'm sure I will change my mind if I ever get to play it IRL but Bethpage does nothing for me. Long, awkward and bland are my takeaways from seeing it on tv and playing numerous versions over many years of video games (granted does not give my opinion much weight). Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of crashing in the car and waiting for first light to get a ticket, but there's way more interesting and exciting tracks that the USGA could get excited about. Awesome pics though and cool experience 👌 I've played about 90 of the top 100 including Augusta and Cypress Black is my favorite. It has this way of making you feel like an ant or something. Standing in 4 fairway ready to hit a simple little 200 yarder to leave yourself a flip except the bunker is as far as you can see and it seems to be 50 feet above you. Imagine having to NUT it to carry 200 and then you're rewarded with a 100 yarder over the deepest bunker you can imagine. You never see any other players and when you slowly climb up 18 hill and head toward the car you know you've had as tough a test as the game will ever give. Bland it most definitely is not.
|
|