[ian]

Seemed fitting with all the talk of bunkers.

I found this gem of an article on the toughest bunkers in Golf Magazine, it was originally published in 1983 by writer Mike Bryan. He put together a list of panellists to pick the top 10 toughest bunkers in America (June 83) and the toughest in the world (July 83).

His group was the following: Isao Ioki, Seve Ballesteros, Deanne Beaman, PJ Boatwright, Ben Crenshaw, Joe Dey, Pete Dye, Tom Fazio, Joe Finger, Robert Trent Jones, Chi Chi Rodriguez (where’s Les Nessman when I need him), and Ken Venturi

The list they came up with for the World was the following:

1. The Road Bunker, St Andrews
2. The Devil’s Asshole, Pine Valley
3. The Church Pews, Oakmont
4. Fairway bunker on 8th Hole, Royal Melbourne
5. The Quarry, 16th hole, Merion East
6. The back bunker, 12th Hole, Augusta National
7. Hell Bunker, St. Andrews
8. Fairway Bunker, 4th Hole, Royal St. Georges
9. Hells Half Acre, Pine Valley
10. Back bunker, 14th Hole, Muirfield Village

The American List was:

1.     The Devil’s Asshole, Pine Valley
2. The Church Pews, Oakmont
3. 14th Hole green side, Pebble Beach
4. The Quarry, 16th hole, Merion East
5. The back bunker, 12th Hole, Augusta National
6. Hells Half Acre, Pine Valley
7. Back bunker, 14th Hole, Muirfield Village
8. 14th Hole green side, Harbour Town
9. 6th Green side cluster, Seminole
10. 18th fairway bunker, Pinehurst No. 2

Bunkers such as; the 6th at St. Enodoc, Braid’s Bunker at Carnoustie, the 5th at Royal North Devon, 10th green side at Merion also were mentioned in the articles.

I’m curious given 20 plus years, what an update of that list may bring. Pete Dye's bunker at the 16th at PGA West springs to mind immediately, as well as some MacDonald/Raynor/Banks creations too. What about the modern bunkers from Sand Hills, Bandon Dunes (15th!!) or Pacific Dunes too. There's o many more places that I just can't think of.

I look forward to suggestions

Rather than giving your top 10, give me what you would remove as not worthy and what you would replace it with.

And if you have pictures, please post them for any of us who haven’t seen them.

On the modern end the 15th at Bandon Dunes is the most difficult shot that I can remember recently, and St Enodoc has to be on the list. I would drop Muirfield Village and the quarry at Merion because I have a struggle calling that a bunker.

[Thomas_Brown]

A little surprised Eden at St. Andrews didn't make the cut.
Guess you can't have St. Andrews dominate the list.

[Willie_Dow]

Ask David Graham about the right side of #14 at Merion?

[Dan Grossman]

I'm surprised that none of the 181 (or so) bunkers at Royal Lytham made the cut!  Although all of them seem to be super difficult, I guess I will nominate #8, pictured here.

[Dan Grossman]

Now that I look at my other Lytham pictures, this fairway bunker on #16 might be worse than the greenside bunker on #8!  There is absolutely no play other than to chip out sideways.


In addition to Lytham, I would include the Spectacles on #14 at Carnoustie.  (No picture available, sorry!)

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Dan, I bet you I can get out of it! At least I'll try if I ever make it there!

[coota]

Yes, perhaps the post should read, the most notorious bunkers, rather than the most difficult - most of the OPen links course are littered with impossible pots.  I remember one I got inot at Birkdale, that I thought was an April fools joke, it was about 2m deep but only 1.5 m wide at the base. I was up against the face and had no swing in any direction, all I could do was tap it into the middle of the bunker so that I could then get a swing at it to play out backwards

[Dan Grossman]

Tommy -

I actually got up and down out of the greenside bunker on #8.  Much to my caddy's chagrin, since he lost 20 pounds to the other caddies.  

[Doug Siebert]

Dan,

Your caddie bet against you?  I hope he at least got favorable odds!  If he was giving 20-1 I think I'd want to switch caddies  

[ian]

Dan, I thought about Muirfield, the same as you have about Lytham, but had a lot of trouble picking a particular bunker too.

There is a fairway bunker at Turnberry on the 8th, where I remember having to play backwards, but I still don't think its in the same league as St. Enodoc or St. Georges (as bloody impossible).

I'm suprised there hasn't been some modern sugggestions.

[Bob_Huntley]

Ah, the 8th hole at Royal Lytham and St. Annes. Back in 1984, twenty stalwarts from MPCC went on a trip to Ireland, Scotland and England playing courses that had hosted an Open. Royal Lytham was the last stop on the tour.

One of our better players, who shall remain nameless, was in the running to win the overall medal score for the trip. He was in the bunker shown. An aggressive swing hit the lip and rebounded back to hit him. The ball dropped in his footprint. Another couple of swings and the ball shot out into yet another bunker. Exasperated beyond belief, he helicoptered the club down the fairway and uttered the longest expletive known to man, plus a few others. He was not delicate.

Standing nearby and unknown to him was a lady member of the club out walking her dog. Immaculately dressed in tweeds and a pearl necklace at her throat, she looked uncommonly like the Queen Mother. In one of those wonderfully modulated plummy English accents, she posed the question to our friend..... "I take it you are not enjoying our golf course."

We've ribbed the chap unmercifully ever since.

[Brian_Gracely]

"Big Bertha" on 17 at Royal Portrush is rather formidable, although the "really huge bunker to the right side of the fairway category" was probably already taken by #4 at St.George's.

[Dan Grossman]

Doug -

Actually, now that I think about it, my caddy lost 20 pounds to one of my buddies in our group.  My buddy said to my caddy (without me knowing) that I would probably get up and down.  My caddy said that there was no way that I would get up and down, much less just out of the bunker.  So, they argued a little more and then bet.  Meanwhile, I had no idea that this was going on and I was busy sizing up my shot.  

So, one huge Phil Mickelson swing with my Ping Lob Wedge and a 4 foot putt later, my caddy had lost 20 pounds!  He didn't bet against me the rest of the day out of a bunker.

Brian - I thought of #17 at Portrush too, although I couldn't find a digital picture.  I have one of me standing in it, but I don't have a scanner!

[Gerry B]

Add the front left bunker on #8 at Cypress point  / the front bunker on # 4 at Mid Ocean Club (especially when the pin is upfront) and the back greenside bunkers on the 12th hole  at the National in Toronto - it is a par 5 but similar to the 12th at Augusta in terms of required shot.

Re: the front right bunker (as previously referenced in this thread) on the 15th at Bandon -described by my caddie as their version of "The Devil's Asshole." Was told prior to hitting the tee shot at least 3 times to not be short and to stay away from the right side at all costs -did not listen(of course) as it was a  sucker pin that day.To the caddie's amazement -got up and down  - hit the very top of the lip and it released near the hole. Could try the same shot 50 times and not get as close.

Add to the list the fairway bunker  on the Par 4 18th Hole  at Walton Heath Old  - Located about 50 yards in front of the green across the entire fairway  -end up in the front of that fortress and 5 is a good score  

Agree that # 16 (the Quarry) at Merion is not a bunker - it is best described as a nightmare - ask Dr Cary Middlecoff about his final round at the 1950 US Open.

[Andy Levett]

Apparently this (Doonbeg's 11th) is an easy birdie hole - if you miss the bunker

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I like the frequently quoted comment about Rye that the hardest shots on the course are the second shots on the par 3s.  I was told the same anecdote when I picked out of the green-front bunker on the 2nd at Royal Dornoch having hit it under the face and having no backswing, sideswing or any bloomin' shot at all.  Remember Duval and Garcia in the Road Bunker last time the Open was at St A's?

[ian]

The Road Hole Bunker was picked by everyone and was at the top of the list for the majority of the panel.

[A_Clay_Man]

Certainly, the rightside bunker on the 17th at Sand Hills is a winner. Complete with a free standing mesa of sand standing at least 12' tall, recovery from there is as good as it gets.

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