This is not much of a post, just a couple links to interviews with Bethpage Black Superintendent Craig Currier.
Wall Street Journal - In response to a question about what the biggest challenge was, from the article:
"Getting the roughs right. This graduated rough, [a recent change in USGA philosophy where a shot farther from the fairway is more likely to find deeper rough] the USGA didn't want it too thick or too high, so finding just the right height has been tough. We're actually cutting the first few feet of rough at 2.5 inches, which is lower than we cut it every day for the public. Even around the greens, we're making a pass at 2.5 [inches]. I've actually never cut it below 3 [inches] for the public."
Grounds-Mag - Article discusses fairway fertility, Crabgrass and IPM where Mr. Currier explains the IPM program at Bethpage Black, from the article:
“We divided the course into three sets of six greens,” says Currier. “We follow a normal program using pesticides on the first six greens, while we follow an IPM program on the second six greens. On the third six greens, we use no pesticides whatsoever. It will be interesting to see the results at the end of the three-year period."
