Black and Blue

By DAVID ALLEN
Equipment and Instruction Editor, GolfChannel.com (Continued)

Hole 5: Par 4, 478 yards Tee shots on this slight left-to-right diagonal hole must hug the large bunker on the right side of the fairway to give you the best approach into the elevated green. “If you push your tee ball to the right you’re going to have to carry it 270 yards to clear that bunker,” said Kestner. “But if you’re too far left you’re going to get blocked out by the trees. They’re forcing you to carry that bunker. Then you’ve got at least one more club up that hill, with two very large, deep bunkers front-middle and side-right.”
 
Hole 6: Par 4, 408 yards In 2002, most players hit a 3-wood to the top of the hill to give them the best view of the green, which sits 50 feet below the driving zone. However, the USGA converted the hillside rough to fairway, freeing up players to hit driver to the bottom of the hill. “If they can hit it far enough, they can be in the greenside bunker and try and get it up and down from there,” says Kestner. “That’s probably not a bad play for the long hitters.”
 

 
Hole 7: Par 4, 525 yards A new teeing ground has been added since 2002, adding 36 yards and making it the longest par 4 in U.S. Open history. At 525 yards, it’s 8 yards longer than the fourth hole, a par-5. There’s no breather for awhile after this hole. “They talk about the Bear Trap and other tough stretches of holes, but 7 through 12 at Bethpage, oh my God, they’re hard,” says Kestner. “It’s like the longest mile right there. You’re playing hard for pars, and if you make birdie, you feel like Tiger Woods. It’s the meat of the golf course right there.”
 

The par-3 eighth hole at Bethpage Black

 
Hole 8: Par 3, 210 yards Two new front hole locations will bring the only water on the course into play, forcing players to decide whether they want to be aggressive with their tee shots or play it safe to the middle portion of the green. The green plays extremely fast downhill, however, making two-putts no sure thing. “It’s a very underrated hole if they put the pin up and get the green speeds up,” said Kestner. “You have to challenge the pin a bit because if you’re well past it, you’re likely to three-putt.”
 
Hole 9: Par 4, 460 yards The easiest par-4 in 2002, Jones’ installed a new teeing ground some 40 yards back. Most approach shots will be played from a severely sloping fairway to a green that is mostly blind. “The shorter hitters will do what I did in ’02, and hit it to the crest of the fairway,” says Kestner. “The ball will then roll back down some 30 yards to where all the divots are. Then it’s a 4-, 5-iron up the hill. If you’re able to clear that crest you’ve got a wedge or 9-iron in. It’s a huge advantage if you’re a long hitter.”