Bethpage Black Mowing Lines for the US Open - Original Design Intent?

[Carl Rogers]

Recognizing the controversy between Tillinghast and Burbeck as to whom should get the majority of the design credit .....

Was it the orginal design intent to end the fairway so many yards in front of the bunkers on so many holes or is the mowing line an invention of the UGGA to toughen things up?  What was the course like this a generation ago?

[Phil_the_Author]

Carl,

The rough lines were established by the USGA for the 2002 Open and kept in place ever since. The reason, whether one agrees with it or not, was to give as close to a U.S. Open experience for the everyday public player as possible. These lines were established by Tom Meeks who is now retired.

Mike Davis who took over for Tom has a different view of course set-up and this includes the width and locations of the fairway/rough lines.

In the last year,though most haven't noticed, there have been several small changes in these. This was to begin favoring certain sides of fairways in an effort to bring back some of the fairway bunkering into play for the coming Open. In addition, Mike also WIDENED several of the fairways for the Open and issued a memorandum to Bethpage and all future Open sites asking them to consider widening the fairways for everyday play. He doesn't believe that the courses should be "Open-tough" for the everyday player. I expect that the fairways will begin being widened at bethpage beginning later on this summer in response to this.

Tilly's original fairway lines brought 90% of the fairway bunkering directly into play with fairway areas directly into the front or side of many of them. A surprising example of this for most is the 11th hole. VERY FEW players have ever experienced the right side of fairway as it originally extended all the way to the farthest right portion of the bunkers that seem impossibly wide of everything. In other words, the fairway was some 80 yards wide at that point. Tilly never planned on all those lost balls!

[Joe Bausch]

Tilly never planned on all those lost balls!

You mean Burbeck never planned on all those lost balls, right Phil?   

[Jim_Kennedy]

Poor Burbeck, now someone is using his name in this ridiculous scam:
   In time for the upcoming 2009 United States Open, the newly formed Joesph Burbeck Association is having a one-time offering of a fine "artistic" print in honor of Mr. Burbeck's finest original work-The New York State's, Bethpage Park's Black Course.
     This seragraphic print will be a collectors item that anyone would be proud to display above their library's fireplace mantle or living room wall. It depicts the tough-as-nails 2nd shot from the fairway of the 'Black's" most respected 15th hole which will no doubt highlight Mr. Burbeck's intentions of making the 'Black' the toughest test in Golf for the common man, if not the finest Golfers ever to touch the verdant green of this Long Island gem!
     Purchasing the print also helps the Association, because a small but generous portion of your donation for this print goes to the JBA for the betterment of all of the Bethpage Courses, as well as helping further JBA efforts to save other Burbeck-designed courses which have been wrongly attributed to other more well-known designer-architects. Be part of the team today!
     Prices for the prints are as follows:
Print only, on fine acid-free parchment: $29.00
Print, on fine acid-free parchment, framed in dark red Bethpage Fir (purchased at 99¢ Only Stores®): $65.00
Print, on fine acid-free parchment, framed in dark red Bethpage Fir (purchased at 99¢ Only Stores®) Numbered and artificially-signed by Bethpage Park Consultant, A.W. Tillinghast (limit: only 200 special editions available): $95.00

With all regards,
The Joe Burbeck Association
Bethpage Park, Long Island, New York

joeburbeck@gmail.com

 I love this beaut, they'll give a 'small but generous portion of your donation' to the JBA, meanwhile they use the man's name, the US OPEN and the complex at Bethpage to suck some dollars out of your pocket. Pathetic,  these people should be ashamed of themselves. They can't even spell Serigraph correctly.

[Matt_Ward]

Carl:

Widening the fairways at BB would be best from both a strategic standpoint and allow for the real design greatness of BB to shine. The place doesn't need to be THAT narrow. It undercuts what made BB so much fun prior to the massive redoing of the course.

BB will still play tough even if the fairways were widened another 20 or so yards in spots. The elevated greens and sheer demands of the course are still there. The idea that "helping" the course to be even more narrower is really an overkill idea that I would like to see thrown out the window.