Bethpage State Park, USA. Fourth Hole: Black Course
There was a trilogy of qualities which the great landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted achieved in all his works. The notion of 'picturesque' came from his preservation of the wilder and rougher qualities of a site. The 'sublime' was achieved by preserving a great and awesome setting, while 'beautiful' was best defined by Olmsted as pastoral, spacious stretches of turf, quiet streams, and open groves of trees. Olmsted’s great work of the 19th century was Central Park, and it has a twentieth century equivalent with golf architect A. W. Tillinghast’s work at Bethpage State Park on Long Island, New York. Like Central Park, Bethpage was a New York Parks Commission, which preserved acres of open space and provided countless New Yorkers with recreational opportunity. It is at Bethpage’s five golf courses and specifically at the Black course, where I'm struck by the landscape qualities captured by Tillinghast--the very same ones that Mr. Olmsted worked so hard to reveal in his works.
Nowhere is a site’s natural character better displayed in a golf course routing than at Bethpage Black. All eighteen holes meld beautifully, and the routing is outstanding. In my opinion, the fourth hole exceeds them all. This is an excellent example of one hole brimming with picturesque, sublime, and beautiful features: all doled-out in equal portions. Picturesque is where the rough areas recede into the rugged treeline, peppered with golden hues on top of rock-outcroppings. Sublime is simply the tremendous view from a narrow wood downhill and beyond into an open meadow setting. The contrast of twisting, green fairway and white sand, illustrates the beautiful.
Surprisingly though, 'awe' and 'challenge' are the terms that best explain my fondness for the fourth hole. In describing the experience, one must begin on the third hole, which is surrounded by trees, giving little advance knowledge of the true character of this fantastic piece of property. Upon putting out on three green, and turning to the fourth tee, one of the most fantastic views in golf is revealed to the golfer. It is this view that encapsulates picturesque, beautiful, and sublime. Tillinghast’s textbook example of a strong par-five--fully utilizing the best natural qualities of the rolling Long Island topography--awaits all golfers. Personally, nothing could ever match the sense of wonderment when I first experienced this turn, yet it is still as breathtaking today. The thrill is achieved without an ocean or mountains: just high point, to ridge, to ridge, to high point.
As stunning as the fourth hole appears visually, it is primarily its existence as an architectural marvel--one that has stood the test of time and technology--that impresses me more. The reason it has so successfully remained relevant over the years, in spite of equipment advances by the manufacturers, is found in the cross-bunkering, partially 'blind' fairway areas, and a putting green that is tilted away from all approach shots. These elements make it mandatory for golfers to employ thoughtful shotmaking, over brute strength. I have worn out Max Behr’s mantra, “The direct line is the line of instinct, and if we wish to make a hole interesting, we must break up that line and create the line of charm”, always picturing Bethpage Black's fourth hole.
The teeing-ground is located in a narrow chute of woods and steps down the hillside. From the tee, a grand fairway sand bunker is set into the left hillside, creating a turn in that direction of this Tillinghast ‘elbow’ hole. Beyond the first landing area is a second bunker, even grander than the first. Along with a smaller bunker to its far right, the bunker extends almost from treeline to treeline and delineates the ground from the lower, first landing area, to a higher, second landing area. This bunker is the epitome of Tillinghast and his larger-than-life persona, plus his undoubted design talent. It fits naturally into the land and serves as a focal point for the golf hole, where no undue earthwork was required to make it work. The hazard helps to define landing areas, and assists in simple grade change. Its enormity is in proper scale with the bucolic scenery of the golf hole and creates a great patte d’oie technique: 'fool the eye'. It is so large and impressive that many first-timers to the Black are deceived into thinking it is reachable from the tee. In fact, it is about 370 yards away! The detailed, haphazard placement of the capes and bays further add to the expressive nature of this bunker.
From the tee, the golfer can shorten the hole by shaping their tee-shot from right to left, drawing as close to the first fairway bunker as possible. However, a drive of 245 yards can end up in the sand. Yet be aware: this 'line of instinct' isn’t as charming if one strays too far left. For a ball positioned down that side does shorten the second shot, but it leaves the golfer completely 'blind.' One extra deterrent: it's more of an acute angle should you wish to reach the green in two. On many occasions after reaching the fairway and decided to cut the left side short, I've pulled my second shot sufficiently left to find myself blocked by the trees, or finished fifty feet below the green with no view of the flagstick. Tillinghast utilised the natural topography to create challenge and defense along this 'line of instinct.' The further right that one places one's tee-shot, the more the second landing area and green opens up to full view. The angle of approach for the second and third shots is considerably more favorable from the right-hand side of the fairway.
The second landing area begins at the top of the second fairway bunker, and covers the last 140 yards to the green. A front-left, greenside bunker creates a twist in the fairway, and Tillinghast so often specified this in his design work. The fairway meets the green along the longer route down the right side. Although the green is stationed level with the rising plateau fairway, it is well protected on three sides by severe slopes. A further complication is that the fourth green pitches away from the golfer. This keeps golfers painfully aware of rolling off the back of the green, down the hill, and into the woods. Design of the green makes it receptive to smart short-iron play, far more so than most will be able to produce with a long-iron, or fairway metal-wood.
The fourth hole at Bethpage State Park’s Black Course is a great example of natural topography creating strategy, as well as acting as a defense against unbridled technological advances. Tillinghast’s forethought back in 1936 has withstood the threats of time and progress. His ability to develop this hole while presenting the beautiful, picturesque, and sublime qualities of the land is what makes this hole my favorite to walk with clubs in hand. Thanks, Tilly.
Originally featured in the book Favourite Golf Holes by Design: The Architect's Choice compiled by Paul Daley.
Nowhere is a site’s natural character better displayed in a golf course routing than at Bethpage Black. All eighteen holes meld beautifully, and the routing is outstanding. In my opinion, the fourth hole exceeds them all. This is an excellent example of one hole brimming with picturesque, sublime, and beautiful features: all doled-out in equal portions. Picturesque is where the rough areas recede into the rugged treeline, peppered with golden hues on top of rock-outcroppings. Sublime is simply the tremendous view from a narrow wood downhill and beyond into an open meadow setting. The contrast of twisting, green fairway and white sand, illustrates the beautiful.
Surprisingly though, 'awe' and 'challenge' are the terms that best explain my fondness for the fourth hole. In describing the experience, one must begin on the third hole, which is surrounded by trees, giving little advance knowledge of the true character of this fantastic piece of property. Upon putting out on three green, and turning to the fourth tee, one of the most fantastic views in golf is revealed to the golfer. It is this view that encapsulates picturesque, beautiful, and sublime. Tillinghast’s textbook example of a strong par-five--fully utilizing the best natural qualities of the rolling Long Island topography--awaits all golfers. Personally, nothing could ever match the sense of wonderment when I first experienced this turn, yet it is still as breathtaking today. The thrill is achieved without an ocean or mountains: just high point, to ridge, to ridge, to high point.
As stunning as the fourth hole appears visually, it is primarily its existence as an architectural marvel--one that has stood the test of time and technology--that impresses me more. The reason it has so successfully remained relevant over the years, in spite of equipment advances by the manufacturers, is found in the cross-bunkering, partially 'blind' fairway areas, and a putting green that is tilted away from all approach shots. These elements make it mandatory for golfers to employ thoughtful shotmaking, over brute strength. I have worn out Max Behr’s mantra, “The direct line is the line of instinct, and if we wish to make a hole interesting, we must break up that line and create the line of charm”, always picturing Bethpage Black's fourth hole.
The teeing-ground is located in a narrow chute of woods and steps down the hillside. From the tee, a grand fairway sand bunker is set into the left hillside, creating a turn in that direction of this Tillinghast ‘elbow’ hole. Beyond the first landing area is a second bunker, even grander than the first. Along with a smaller bunker to its far right, the bunker extends almost from treeline to treeline and delineates the ground from the lower, first landing area, to a higher, second landing area. This bunker is the epitome of Tillinghast and his larger-than-life persona, plus his undoubted design talent. It fits naturally into the land and serves as a focal point for the golf hole, where no undue earthwork was required to make it work. The hazard helps to define landing areas, and assists in simple grade change. Its enormity is in proper scale with the bucolic scenery of the golf hole and creates a great patte d’oie technique: 'fool the eye'. It is so large and impressive that many first-timers to the Black are deceived into thinking it is reachable from the tee. In fact, it is about 370 yards away! The detailed, haphazard placement of the capes and bays further add to the expressive nature of this bunker.
From the tee, the golfer can shorten the hole by shaping their tee-shot from right to left, drawing as close to the first fairway bunker as possible. However, a drive of 245 yards can end up in the sand. Yet be aware: this 'line of instinct' isn’t as charming if one strays too far left. For a ball positioned down that side does shorten the second shot, but it leaves the golfer completely 'blind.' One extra deterrent: it's more of an acute angle should you wish to reach the green in two. On many occasions after reaching the fairway and decided to cut the left side short, I've pulled my second shot sufficiently left to find myself blocked by the trees, or finished fifty feet below the green with no view of the flagstick. Tillinghast utilised the natural topography to create challenge and defense along this 'line of instinct.' The further right that one places one's tee-shot, the more the second landing area and green opens up to full view. The angle of approach for the second and third shots is considerably more favorable from the right-hand side of the fairway.
The second landing area begins at the top of the second fairway bunker, and covers the last 140 yards to the green. A front-left, greenside bunker creates a twist in the fairway, and Tillinghast so often specified this in his design work. The fairway meets the green along the longer route down the right side. Although the green is stationed level with the rising plateau fairway, it is well protected on three sides by severe slopes. A further complication is that the fourth green pitches away from the golfer. This keeps golfers painfully aware of rolling off the back of the green, down the hill, and into the woods. Design of the green makes it receptive to smart short-iron play, far more so than most will be able to produce with a long-iron, or fairway metal-wood.
The fourth hole at Bethpage State Park’s Black Course is a great example of natural topography creating strategy, as well as acting as a defense against unbridled technological advances. Tillinghast’s forethought back in 1936 has withstood the threats of time and progress. His ability to develop this hole while presenting the beautiful, picturesque, and sublime qualities of the land is what makes this hole my favorite to walk with clubs in hand. Thanks, Tilly.
Originally featured in the book Favourite Golf Holes by Design: The Architect's Choice compiled by Paul Daley.
Richard Mandell Golf Architecture
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