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Bethpage Black

• HenryEm 1 Posts

  Sun, May 30 2010 8:18 PM

  Please explain WHY Hole #4 at Bethpage @ 461 yards is par 5 whilst Hole #7 @ 502 yards is par 4. I find it confusing! ! !

• TheAceFactor 2,147 Posts

  Sun, May 30 2010 9:42 PM

  This was a little before my time here so I only (think) know what i've been told. When they had the US Open at Beth # 7 was played as a par 4 instead of a par 5 and has been a 4 since.   ???   Another player told me this sometime back , but like I said...I really don't know for sure. You got me curious now.  

                                                                                                                           "Ace"

• WGTniv 1,788 Posts

  Sun, May 30 2010 10:14 PM

  TheAceFactor:

  When they had the US Open at Beth # 7 was played as a par 4 instead of a par 5 and has been a 4 since.

  That is correct. =)

• zagraniczniak 1,984 Posts

  Mon, May 31 2010 3:47 PM

  Look at the Bethpage Black holes. The 7th has nothing coming into play at lay-up distance. It is a two-shot hole. You may have to roll it up there, but you can reach it. Furthermore there is little second-shot/third-shot strategy.

  The 4th, a shorter par 5, cuts off the first fairway, forcing you into a second shot up to a natural layup area or to the elevated green (which sheds shots in all directions - over, or in the deep traps or rough). So the smart play is off to the right of the green, and you have the same (3rd) shot except from the fairway instead of nasty sand or grass.

  That three-step approach to the hole makes the shorter 4th into a par 5, while the longer 7th remains a par 4.

• overthetop2 192 Posts

  Mon, May 31 2010 9:41 PM

  zagraniczniak:

  Look at the Bethpage Black holes. The 7th has nothing coming into play at lay-up distance. It is a two-shot hole. You may have to roll it up there, but you can reach it. Furthermore there is little second-shot/third-shot strategy.

  

  Even with the best clubs and driver 3 wood it would be tough to reach that monster of a hole...

• zagraniczniak 1,984 Posts

  Mon, May 31 2010 10:25 PM

  With the pro clubs (255-yard driver + 230-yard 3 wood) you can reach the green at BPB no. 7 in two almost every time, given a decent drive, except perhaps if there's a strong headwind.

• borntobesting 9,701 Posts

  Mon, May 31 2010 10:41 PM

  I have been on #7 with as little as a driver and a 4 iron with tail wind and full top spin. Where as I don't remember ever landing on and staying on the green on #4. If the ball lands on the green it always runs over sometimes into the nasty deep grass that leaves an unbelievably hard 3rd shot. And on at least 2 occasions the ball ran off the green so hard and fast that it ended up out of bounds. But even though the best thing to do is aim well to the right of the green in the fairway I almost always try to reach it in 2. Ego, stupidity? I don't know but I do know even at 460+ it is a true 3 shot par 5.

• Richard4168 4,309 Posts

  Mon, May 31 2010 10:59 PM

  Everyone needs to understand, for most, hole 5 and 7 at Bethpage play for par, just like a few holes on the back nine too. Birdie is certainly prevalent, but not to likely in most course conditions.

  Bethpage Rage! Long ruff, long tee-boxes, and long irons.  : )

• rehill 431 Posts

  Tue, Jun 1 2010 8:05 AM

  zagraniczniak:

  With the pro clubs (255-yard driver + 230-yard 3 wood) you can reach the green at BPB no. 7 in two almost every time, given a decent drive, except perhaps if there's a strong headwind.

  From the pro tees... not from the master tees.

• deandidthis 10 Posts

  Mon, Sep 19 2011 1:29 AM

  Reviving an old thread ...

  The 7th definitely should be a Par 5. Get there in 2? That'd be best-case scenario to do it with the 2 longest clubs in your bag ... which to me means that if you have to use those 2 clubs (Driver, 3W) then it ain't no Par 4!

  Makes no sense to me 500+ yard Par 4.