Bethpage Black Course Preview: The Front 9
- Updated: May 9, 2019
@LIRR
Welcome to part I of the definitive Bethpage Black course preview for the common golfer. This ain’t no fancy yardage book nonsense. This is how it is.
For credibility purposes, I grew up 5 minutes away and used to be a caddie there. It was an incredible experience.
The 7,436-yard public golf course designed by A.W. Tillinghast will host the 101st PGA Championship May 16-19, 2019.
Other notable events played here:
- U.S. Open – 2002, 2009
- Northern Trust (formerly the Barclays) – 2012, 2016, 2021, 2027
- Ryder Cup – 2024
Here we’ll take a hole-by-hole look at a course we are quite familiar with so you can have an idea of what the pros are facing on TV. Also, if you are ever lucky enough to play it, you’ll be prepared.
Hole #1: 430-yard dogleg right par 4
http://gty.im/82983790Read the warning sign and take a deep breath. You’re going to be OK. Fairway basically looks like a ribbon from the elevated tee. Position A is a 300 yard baby cut neatly trimming the corner leaving you 130 into the center. If you can’t hit it 300, chances are you’re going opt to hit max 290 somewhere down the left side.
From there you’ll have a long to mid to short iron into a fairly deep green with a decent false front. Miss it left or right, you’ll be playing hopefully 3 from a good lie in the sand. If the pin’s in front, it should be cake. Leave it below the hole and you’ll have straight putt up the hill. Miss it just short of the green, you’re still putting.
The back of the green doesn’t look like much, but there’s a little mound that comes in off the back right corner that likes to mess with you. If you catch the pin back there, it’s either Sunday of a major or you’re just incredibly unlucky.
Hole #2: 398-yard uphill dogleg left par 4
http://gty.im/488920480Driver is not a necessity which is strange to say on the Black, however finding the fairway is. Ideal ball flight is an 8-yard draw over the corner to a fairway that runs from right to left. If you catch it a few grooves low, you want to miss it down the right half. A miss left is worse than right, but neither of them will be easy.
From there you should have anything from a 5-iron thru wedge to a blind, elevated, relatively large green that is protected by 2 oh-so-deep bunkers, one of which runs along what feels like the entire right side.
Not much in terms of complexity on the putting surface. It’s basically as flat as the world was thought of pre-1492. If there’s an opportunity to stroke one in for a red number, do yourself a favor and don’t leave it short.
Hole #3: 230-yard par 3
http://gty.im/640671522Standing on the tee, you’ll see an undulating field of fescue that leads to a green, which looks like the width of the belt you are currently wearing, and runs diagonally from right to left. Right of that is a trap. Left’s got 2 deep traps, plus a ravine that guard the front side. Long is dead. Long left is even more dead, especially when you overcook one off the tee.
The green is 38.5 yards long, but a fraction of that wide. What you do have going for you is that it’s mostly flat, except for a small hill that comes in off the right side. Do yourself a favor; somehow manage to hit the middle of the green, make a putt, and get your popcorn ready for the next hole.
Hole #4: 517-yard uphill dogleg mostly left par 5
http://gty.im/640665756Fairway is split into 2 tiers by a small desert. Driver is the play if you have a soul. Sling a draw out there shaping it along the contours of the fairway or nut a 300+ cut over the right side of the left super-trap. Soak in sights because your next shot will be blind. Pick an aiming point over the ginormous cross bunker which rises roughly 2 stories high.
The upper portion of the fairway works from right to left with more absurdly deep bunkers guarding the front and right, which is elevated, obviously. The more right you go, the more room you have, regardless of how conservative you might be.
The green slopes from front to back and it isn’t exactly receptive to anything except rain. There’s also a shaved down collection area in the back for good measure. Knock it on ideally in 2 or 3 and get out of there with no worse than double.
Hole #5: 478-yard slight dogleg left par 4
http://gty.im/640665898Plays more like something over 500. Sightlines on this hole are interesting at best. Peering off the elevated tee, you’ll immediately notice driver’s the play given the huge cross bunker which runs up the right side. Here’s the thing: the more left you go, the shorter the carry, the less you’ll be able to see the green even from the fairway, which makes total sense.
The right side is the prudent play and will require a minimum carry of 290 with zero to no bailout room. Once you poke that baby-cut out there, you’ll be staring at a mid to longish iron to a 1-2 club elevated green surrounded by 3 rich-baritone-deep bunkers. If you can’t see the pin, it’s because it’s on the left blocked out by the trees and no, this isn’t a typo.
The decent-sized green runs subtly from back to front, but for the most part is relatively flat. Carve one in there, get it up and down for bogey, and then crack open a beer at the “third-way house”. You deserve it.
Hole #6: 408-yard downhill dogleg left par 4
http://gty.im/640679222Fairly straight forward. Fairway is basically split into 2 sections, an upper and a lower. Trouble is left and right. Tee shot requires a decision which may be impaired based on the number of beers you just threw back at the third-way house.
You can either play it safely between the bunkers that flank the fairway 230-250 yards out left leaving a mid to short iron to the green, or take them on with your patented 11-yard draw with driver, finding the speed slot, and leaving a flip L-wedge. We suggest the latter.
The green is surrounded by 2 deep bunkers and has some subtle undulations that you need to pay attention to. Get it on the surface preferably in reg and walk in a putt even if it’s for double.
Hole #7: 553-yard dogleg right par 5
http://gty.im/640679548Pros will play it as a 523 yard par-4. If you don’t notice the massive cross bunker off the tee, drink another beer. Beyond that is a ribbon of fairway that meanders from left to right with another trap conveniently located over the back of the landing area. Decide how much of the turn you want to bite off and bleed a 300 yard cut out there.
Technically you’ll have two options; one is to lay up, and the other being the more respected go-for-it approach. If you choose the former, we won’t judge but know the landing area is squeezed by a yet another bunker about 110 yards out.
The sizable back to front sloping green is surrounded by 2 more traps and is generous enough to offer a 5-10 yard neck to run something up there. Knock one on in 2 or 4 and maybe snake one in for birdie, or triple, whatever.
Hole #8: 210-yard downhill par 3
http://gty.im/640666084Usually plays 1-2 clubs less depending on the wind. The expansive 2-tier green is guarded in front by the only water hazard on the entire course as well as one of the biggest trees on the property. 2 bunkers guard long and left. Right is essentially dead with a fescue mound which enjoys seeing people suffer.
If you want to be a hero, hoist a draw up and over the tree. If not, play the more prudent little cut around it, just do yourself a favor and don’t be short or right. Ideally, you’re dancing in one and can walk away with your dignity.
Hole #9: 460-yard almost 90-degree dogleg left par 4
http://gty.im/640666140The tee shot will dictate how difficult this hole will play. The ideal line is something DJ would take up and over the bunker guarding the corner about 330 to the flat of the fairway leaving nothing more than a wedge in.
However, if you are human chances are you’ll try to place one somewhere straight down the fairway while praying for a semi-flat lie. Right is pretty much dead and the shorter you are, the blinder your second will be.
The green is large enough to be considered fair with 2 bunkers guarding the front left and right. Long or very left will require some Phil-like short game to get it up and in. Drain a putt and take a deep breath because there’s still another 9 holes to play.
Click here to continue to the back 9 preview…
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