In the year 2000, GOLF Magazine announced their choices of the 18 best golf holes of the millenium... The 478-yard 5th on Bethpage Black is one of them and deservedly so.
Steve Lapper makes an interesting comment that it calls "for a precise fade off the box..." Actually the brilliance of this hole's design is that it not only demands a near-perfect tee shot, but that it rewards any and all shot types equally. A controlled fade, a controlled draw or, as my Scottish caddy Jerry once said, "Ye hit the dreaded straight one..."
On a course filled with extra-large bunkers, the one that needs carrying off the tee is probably the largest that most players will ever see or play... until they get to teh 7th hole that is. But it is far more than a bunch of sand in the way. It angles to the fairway which angles to the tee and so wreaks havoc with how to place the drive into a spot in the right-center of the fairway that is far enough out to afford a reasonable chance at the green with the second shot. This hole is the use of angles at its finest. Anything in the center or left has a progressively diminishing chance at allowing even a well-struck shot to clear the trees and reach the green which is tucked back left beyond them. It is almost a unique version of a cape hole in that regard.
By the way, the trees didn't grow in over the years, they are original to the forest that was cut through to form the course...
So there you are, having driven it 280 down the right side having barely carried the edge of the bunker and quite proud of yourself, when you look at what is next and see that you now face a 200-yard uphill shot to a green that even as an oval is considerably wider than it is deep. The front bunkers are deep and cavernous, yet better there than in the rough which is a form of green linguini from which knives and fork may be better than a wedge at getting out.
The back side bunker, which looks so benign is really very delicate and challenging for those attempting an up & down. That is because it is quite shallow and the player often has very little room in which to play at toward the hole. Many a shot has found the front bunker from here.
The green is another of those "I don't care what they say I ain't flat like you think" putting surfaces. At Open speeds there are few straight putts and some with as much as 18+ inches break.
Par isn't a good score on this hole... it is an achievement...