Paul asked, "BB has very flat greens - were they always that way or did Rees make them flatter?"
No they weren't and no Rees didn't, but the story of the Black's greens is far more complex.
When the Black was restored, the greens, with minor exceptions other than 18, were left at the dimensions that they had become in the late 90's. This was done because no one could verify what the actual dimensions were as originally designed.
Because of this decision, the rebuilt bunkers were moved closer to a number of the green surfaces as they were too far away. Some had suggested that this was caused by their moving outward due to poor maintenance.
The truth is very different.
After much research I believe that I have uncovered information (photographs, etc...) that chows the greens to have been, by & large, greater in size.
When Tilly designed greens he would more often than not define the green dimensions along the crest lines of the moundings he used in creating the complexes. By doing this he would then run the green surface up the face of the contour, sometimes even to the very crest itself.
This can be clearly seen in photographs found in the three books of his writings compiled by Rick Wolffe. Some examples:
The Course Beautiful:
p.47 - the Duel Hole of SFGC
p.58 - the 4th green at Cedar Crest
p.87 - 12th green at Golden Valley
p.88 - 4th green at Baltusrol Lower
We all know that bethpage suffered for years from poor maintenance, and over the years this resulted in the greens on the Black being shrunken in size. By the time of the restoration, some of the putting surfaces were now as much as 10 to 12 feet away from bunkers that were once tucked into the sides of them.
By moving the bunkers into the greens and only minimally reclaiming putting surfaces, areas that were originally parts of the green now serve as rough and fringe. These are also areas where dynamic undulations and elevation changes exist even now. Returning these areas to putting surfaces would change the entire aspect of how the greens on the Black are viewed.
A fwe weeks ago I spent an afternoon riding around the course with Craig Courier talking about this subject and examining most of the greens. We identified a number of areas where green surfaces should be restored, and if it is done will allow for some incredible new hole locations, especially for the 2009 Open.
Ironically, Bethpage has been taken to task by some for the expansion of the 14th green. This work was done because as Craig told me, "I was down to about a 15 foot area where we could put the cup and the green was taking a beating... we needed new hole locations..."
What is ironic here is that the extension to the crest of the hilltop in the back and also behind the right-side bunker, inadvertantly restored the green in those areas to their original dimensions. The additional front left "tongue" extended forward of the old suface, in my opinion, has created an incredible location for a hole.
Whether one likes this work or not, the hole has gone from being a 140-160 yard hole with the hole always in the front center to one that can now play as short as 125 yards to a 15' circle of green with bunkers on both sides to 180 yards with a hole far back right behind the back of the bunker.
Not only does the player have many more shot options, but it now also allows for a number of very different ways for the hole itself to present itself.