The bunkers on both sides of the fairway are almost like the churh pew bunkers.

I didn't realize it before, but the overall diagram seems to show two sets of church pew bunkers!

How is the driving "option" on this hole different from the much maligned 18th at Bethpage Black?

How far to lay up short of the bunkers?

How far to carry them entirely?

Thanks

How is the driving "option" on this hole different from the much maligned 18th at Bethpage Black?

How far to lay up short of the bunkers?

How far to carry them entirely?

Thanks

No clue on the first question, but here are the yardage stats, circa 2003, via yardage book scan. Looks like 234 to the left bunkers, 242 to the right, 275 to get past them:

So just like Bethpage Black 18 you hit a 225 yard tee shot to the widest part of the fairway avoiding any chance of going in the fairway bunkers and you are left with a 160 yard approach (8-iron for pros).

Will anyone attempt to either drive over the bunkers or thread between them for a wedge approach? Is their much/any advantage to this for certain pin positions?

Thanks for the tour George.

Quote from: Garland Bayley on January 02, 2007, 05:34:49 PM

I didn't realize it before, but the overall diagram seems to show two sets of church pew bunkers!

There are a set of restored Church Pews left of the 15th fairway, if that is what you are noticing. The other ones that appear somewhat Church Pew-like are multiple bunker configurations.

If this is a recent restoration, then that would explain why I didn't see them on Google Earth.

Quote from: George Pazin on January 02, 2007, 05:50:05 PM

Quote from: Garland Bayley on January 02, 2007, 05:34:49 PM

I didn't realize it before, but the overall diagram seems to show two sets of church pew bunkers!

There are a set of restored Church Pews left of the 15th fairway, if that is what you are noticing. The other ones that appear somewhat Church Pew-like are multiple bunker configurations.

If this is a recent restoration, then that would explain why I didn't see them on Google Earth.

Correct, Google Earth's picture is from when they were renovating the church pews between 3 & 4.  They basically went in order around the course so that picture was taken early in 2005 or late in 2004 I believe.

Having only been to Oakmont back in 1983, I am still amazed every time I see another picture of the tree clearing.

It's incredible how different, and how much better (the STARK look is perfect for the terrain and course personality) everything looks.

Just fantastic!!  

One of the most interesting tee shots at Oakmont, in a sense perhaps the most effectively blind and hard to manage for that very reason.

Just an incredible green that fits so well for the basic length of the approach shot.

I can't imagine why that green and surround has not been more copied in golf---it would be so easy to do almost anywhere.

It's one of those fairly short holes that're so good for the simple reason something could go seriously wrong throughout it in a heartbeat, and it's just not that easy to tell why.

It just may be the one that can and does lull golfers into a sense of false security the most on the course, although #2 and #14 may beat it out in that regard.

...
Here is Mark Studer hitting his second shot from the left rough on #5.  The knob behind him is all that can be see from tee.  The previous picture from the fairway was taken 20 yards to the right of where Mark is standing.


...

If I were to walk just off the border of the course, would I find terrain like that shown above?

Garland,

Six is a downhill par 3.  The only thing at the top of the hill are the third green (well to the right of that picture) and the 4th tee.

If you mean the mounds, no you wouldn't.  The mounding around the bunkers is artificial as it was in many courses back in 1903.  The dirt that was dug out of the bunkers was piled behind them to make mounds.

SPDB,
The aiming pole lines you up with the middle of the fairway from the tee.  That and the knob mentioned before are all you have to help with alignment.

Geoffrey,

Having not played Bethpage, I can only describe the choices I had yesterday.  We were playing from the monuments which are at 347 yards or so.  I had three choices.  
1) I could layup with a 5-iron to a wide part of the fairway, leaving a 160 yard shot.  

2) I could layup with a fairway wood along side the bunkers leaving a 130 yard shot.

3) I could take a driver and hit past the bunkers to a narrow part of the fairway and possibly bring the ditch short of the green into play, leaving a lob wedge.

I chose to hit 4-wood in the slot, hit it perfectly and was left with a pitching wedge to the green from the middle of the fairway alongside the bunker Mark is above.

Something that struck me was how sharply canted that end of the fairway is after the bunkers and before the creek.  It is pretty well-banked right-left and downhill.  It was pretty firm and fast in September and a couple of shots that were just inside the right bunker complex wound up running off the fairway left...