Distance between green and greenside bunker

[Joel_Stewart]

This is obviously a very vague question and should probably be changed to what should be the maximum distance between a green and greenside bunker?  Today I was out at my club and walked off 18 feet between a green and greenside bunker.   Its a perfect example of a green shrinking over a long period of time.

Does anyone have a formula or common sense theroy?

[Joel_Stewart]

I should also say that on our other course which is about 5 years old, I measured another green and bunker at 8 feet which seemed appropriate?

[paul cowley]

....it really depends on a designers style and strategy ,but some practical considerations apply;

if the greens are to be walk mown ,3ft from the green leaves room to turn and have a collar.

when designing for tri-plex mowing ,then 5ft is better as a minimum.

[Tom_Doak]

I've had contractors tell me there had to be at least 5-6 feet between the green and a bunker so they could run the trencher through there to put in the irrigation loop.  They get two choices:  dig it by hand, or don't loop it.  They usually manage to get the trencher through in three feet on those terms!

A lot of the Sand Belt courses have zero feet between the edge of the green and the bunker lip.  They hang the mower reels right off the edge of the bunker.

It does cost a little more to maintain a course every time you put a bunker really close to a green ... it slows down the maintenance crew a bit when they have to be careful.  But sometimes it's worth it.  If you put all the bunkers 15 feet off the edge of the green, and the flag another 15 feet the other side of the edge, good players have to hit it downright fat to leave it in the bunker.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Joel,

Dick Wilson had many of his bunkers go right up to the fringe cut on the green.

[Tyler Kearns]

Joel,

    On a number of holes at my home course, it is very obvious where the original green dimensions extended to. It has been recounted to me that the greens had shrunk early on to accomodate the large rough mowers. Because of this, now many bunkers are situated 12-15 feet from the putting surface.

Tyler Kearns

[Chris Kane]

Tom Doak,

Besides Metropolitan, which sandbelt courses are you referring to?  I can't think of another off the top of my head.