The golf grounds crew at Bethpage State Park was as busy as ever this past offseason, making sure its five public golf courses rebound nicely from the 250,000 rounds played in 2021 and preparing them for another quarter million likely to be scheduled this coming season. Much of the work, however, won't be immediately noticeable to the locals and visitors who line up at the park each day.
Bethpage reopened in full three weeks ago with the Black Course's 2022 debut, and with no major hole modifications like in recent years, the park's headline attraction underwent some necessary infrastructure improvements, according to superintendent and director of agronomy Andrew Wilson. The irrigation system on holes #15 and #16 were completely renovated, Wilson says, allowing for better water coverage and healthier turf.
The biggest change to hole layout is over on the Yellow Course, where the par-3 14th is significantly less sandy than it was when most players last saw it in the fall. The front-right bunker was eliminated, replaced in part by an extension of the grassy approach area and a smaller sand trap built closer to the green. Wilson says the previous bunker had fallen into disrepair.
"In the past we've renovated bunkers in the style of the Black Course and the results have not held up over time," Wilson says. "While spectacular upon completion, the bunkers get more play than on the Black but have smaller crews to maintain them."
Wilson also says the trap (pictured above, pre-renovation) was overly deep and penal for Yellow Course players. "I don't think having a golfer miss 20 yards short into a bunker 20 feet below the green did pace of play any favors," he says.
If the weather cooperates in the 2022-23 offseason, the crew plans to renovate #14's front-left bunker in similar fashion.
Elsewhere around the park, maintenance crews focused on removing trees and other growth to open up views and improve airflow and turf health. At Green #7, the crew removed a tangle of vines behind the tee, a subtle change that should strengthen the adjacent turf. They pruned branches and eliminated invasive trees ahead at #11, opening up the short par-3.
"We did some similar pruning on Red #4," Wilson says, "which allows use of the whole tee and vastly improves the look of the hole."
The Black Course will host the New York State Open and the Met Open later this year. "For the grounds crew, these tournaments serve as great training and help us prepare for future majors and daily play alike," Wilson says.
Spring aeration wraps up this week, with the Blue Course closed today and the Green closed May 4 and 5.
View photos of the offseason and ongoing renovations by visiting Wilson's and Bethpage Golf's Twitter pages at @Greensideup17 and @BethpageGolf.
[Red #4 photo above courtesy of Andrew Wilson]
AMAZING ALL IT TAKES TO MAINTAIN A QUALITY GOLF COURSE!!!
Posted by: Michael Smith | May 04, 2022 at 10:38 AM