Are you guys being critical of A.W. Tillinghast's concept, design and construction of the 18th hole at BPB ?
Can you now produce better golf holes, including the ability to route golf courses over the terrain at BPB ?
SPDB,
For who, PGA Tour Pros that come there once every 7 years.
That would seem like a misdirected effort.
You have to remember, this is a public facility with the skill level of the thousands of average golf who play it, well, well below that of a PGA Tour pro. And, pace of play remains a consideration for any changes made.
Besides, wouldn't diagonal cross bunkers on # 18 become too repetitive of a feature on this golf course in light of the previous holes with cross bunkering ?
Ask yourself, does the 18th at Bethpage provide an interesting challenge for the average golfer ?
I know it did for me.
Mike Cirba,
The 18th hole is anything but gawdy.
It's also tough to make a comparitive analysis between tow holes when you've never seen the previous golf hole.
This is a short, testing golf hole, with options.
Hit your driver, understanding the risk/reward factors associated with that club, and alternative selections, or select other clubs, leaving you a more difficult approach.
On most holes at BPB you have no options off the tee, and finally when you get one, all you guys can do is whine.
I don't understand it.
Matt Ward,
Is # 14 at BPB such a great hole ?
Is # 13 at BPB such a great hole ?
Is # 18 at Plainfield such a great hole ?
Is # 18 at Somerset such a great hole ?
Is # 18 at Olympic such a great hole ?
Is # 18 at Inverness such a great hole ?
# 18 is a nice change of pace, a drive from and elevated tee to the fairway filled with peril below, and a second shot from a valley to a green perched high above, surrounded by deep bunkers. Seems like an interesting hole to me.
It certainly provided all of the challenge I required, and, it appears from the statistics that this little, short hole provided the best players in the world with plenty of challenge.
If a short little hole can provide the best players in the world with challenge, it must be a credit to its inherent archectural merit. Perhaps you fellows haven't yet discovered it.