Following on from Bob Randquist's Feature Interview on bunkers, it is apparent that so many members of so many clubs all regard their home club as having the worst bunkers in the world. How can this be?
A separate thread seeks discussion on the relative input from architects/committee/superintendents when determining the key playing and maintenence characteristics of a courses bunkers. Neither of these threads are about whether bunkers should be consistent (they are hazards), this thread in particular is attempting to discuss why members would universally proclaim their condition to be such a problem.
Some initial dot points include:
- inflexible player technique (one style of shot does not suit all conditions and bunkers, the lesser player generally employs a fuller swing, no matter the conditions)
- the free-draining nature of sand used in the bunkers (leading to varied playing conditions from different parts following rain and/or overnight irrigation and/or downpour)
- the high frequency of play from these areas, versus the periodic frequency of staff maintenance
- the damage down to the bunkers by 'blast shots' followed by well-intended deep raking of the area from 'unskilled' rakers.
- the different construction techniques used to build the bunkers across the course (bunkers are more likely to have a variety of construction methods than the greens. Imagine the variety of playing surfaces with 6 USGA greens, 2 latter ones with different sand, 5 old push-up with local soil and 5 more recent push-up with soil amendments. Bunker construction is more likely to have involved construction over many years and so imply such combinations).
- the variety of natural drainage issues faced by the bunkers. Some are dug below ground, some are more free draining, some at surface level or even above ground etc etc.
These sort of issues imply to me that bunkers are the one playing area on a course whose playability has to vary to some degree during any given day, and must, by definition, have more significant playability variations from day to day. Perhaps golfers don't notice these latter variations as much when they visit other courses (they probably only visit one or two bunkers in that round).
There must be some sound logic for the common view that 'my home club has the worst bunkers'? Any thoughts.