The dogleg left second will likely be played with less than a driver off the tee.  The green is perched up on a ridge, so only the top half of the flagstick is visible for the short-iron approach shot.  The putting green is relatively flat, making birdie a realistic chance.

Perhaps Bethpage's best hole in terms of beauty and strategy.  It can be played conservatively as a three-shotter or may be challenged in two.  The green, which slopes front to back away from the player, is not particularly receptive to approaches - especially ones played from the drive zone, which sits much lower than the green.

Most players will lay up their tee shots to the top of the hill overlooking the green.  This will leave mid-irons to the green, which sits some 50 feet below the drive zone.  If successful in finding the bottom fairway, players will have rather simple pitch shots onto the green.

This downhill one-shotter will likely end up being the most exciting of the par 3s.  Since 2002, the original size of the putting green was restored - bringing the putting surface right up to the pond that fronts the green.  However, conservative play off the tee will call for a deft putting touch coming back down the hill to the front portion of the green.

The 10th hole is one of three par-4 holes measuring more than 500 yards.  A slight dogleg left, the hole's location on the course exposes it to the wind -- and also exposes errant tee shots to the fine fescue grasses in the rough.  Deep bunkers guard both sides of the drive zone.  But length off the tee will still be a factor as the putting green is fronted by bunkers and a deep swale.

This par 4 is the last of a difficult three-hole stretch.  The tee shot provides options - play safely to the right of the deep cross bunker and leave yourself a very long approach shot, or challenge the left cross bunker with a carry of some 260 yards.  While the putting green is one of the largest on the course, it has a pronounced tier separating the front and back of the green.

The 14th is the shortest and should be the easiest of the four par 3s.  A miss short will likely take birdie out of play while a miss long over the green will almost certainly take par out of the equation.  The 14th is still a birdie hole, but with changes to the green a mediocre tee shot may make par challenging.

This gentle dogleg left 16th hole is played from high up on a teeing ground that overlooks the entire hole.  The green is guarded by deep bunkers that partially obscure the view on approach shots.  The putting surface has "bowl-like" features on the right and left, making both recovery shots and putts a challenge.

The home hole should provide a dramatic finish.  The downhill tee shot on this hole gives the player a choice.  One is to lay up short of the deep clusters of bunkers that guard both sides of the drive zone.  This option gives the player a wider fairway but leaves a longer approach, likely with a mid-iron.  The other choice allows the player to be more aggressive off the tee and attempt to drive his ball between or beyond the bunkers.  As with a half-dozen other holes on the Black Course, the uphill approach shot is played to a blind putting surface that slopes from back to front.  The 2012 Barclays may well come down to a player being forced to choose how aggressively he wishes to play this final hole.