AC, nice recap and nice comeback, going -3 through 13 on the back to me is like the most satisfying thing with Bethpage.
Anyone else having an issue with BP #4 do what many pros do in real life and scale back, a driver is not needed on #4, you wont be able to reach in 2 if you pound it. I often will play a 3 wood depending on the wind. Also depending on your lie if you hit the left bunkers, you can often still reach the top tier but you need to play it correctly. You need the most lofted club that can carry, and you need to aim left where the fairway begins on top. Even if you hit far left and up in the rough if the pin is back you can still attack.
Having played the REAL BP numerous times, the game does a fine job imitating it. Many consider it to be a really tough course, and it is both IRL and here, but its the most fair tough golf course I know. Up until 2yrs ago my best round came at bethpage black in relation to par (a very odd -1 70 with some friends after not playing for a while now replaces my 73 at BP, but I still consider the round at BP being my best). You hit good shots you have realistic birdies. You hit bad shots or just not play the hole correctly and you will be penalized heavily. First hole is a great example to me, I can cut the corner with driver and have 105left and have done so making birdie. Or I can block my drive end up in those trees or worse hook left and end up in the fescue and make 6 (I have done that as well). While 15 is the hardest hole on that course IRL and here, there are many #15's on the real course. 5 is ridiculous from the tips, hard to carry the bunkers to the fairway, hitting through the fairway to avoid the bunkers, the trees actually blocking your approach from the left rough, and the bunkers.
7 plays an easy par 5 IRL but is monster par 4 if played that way. The 10th pray for the wind to be low or favorable. I have hit monster drives before, 330+ but I tagged a drive into the wind on 10 from the tips, and followed that with the best 3 wood I have ever hit and been 20yds short because of the wind. 11 easy on here but miss your drive left or right in real life and that back to front sloping green and a bogey is your best reward. 12, pray you can carry the bunker or be faced over 235 to the green. 15 is 15 but with hitting a high ball is manageable (yet still I have never parred it), but something not in play in this game is the green side bunker on the left and the drop off on the right if you miss then green. Besides that front hill, the green wants to break severe back left to front right. The pin we dont have here is the one they love IRL, 2ft on top of the down slope.
16, to me is one of the hardest holes. You have to hit the fairway or barely miss, anything far left or right and good luck getting a 6. 17 fun in the wind. 18 fun is tough driving test and that back right pin can bring 6 into play.
Fun course, tough course, but finishing 18 is an accomplishment.