This Bunker Deserves ...

[Mike Hendren]

Its own thread.  Photograph courtesy of Yannick Pilon as posted on the North Berwick/Perfection thread.



Stunning.  

Mike

[Dan Herrmann]

how big is this bunker?

[Patrick_Mucci]

Mike,

What I really like about the bunker is the way the surrounding grass is mowed.

This bunker was meant to be fed golf balls every 8 minutes.

I'd like to see more feeding bunkers in golf course architecture.

[TEPaul]

Excuse my ignorance but what's so stunning about that bunker? As for how big it is probably around 6-7 feet by about 36-40 ft----just look at the rake lying in it.

[Yannick Pilon]

I barely carried the one on the left when I missed my second shot.  I was sure happy I didn't land in it.  It sure is a monster!

[Mike Hendren]

Excuse my ignorance but what's so stunning about that bunker?

As my dad often said:  "We're all ignorant, just about different things.

To answer your question,

Its simplicity.
The color of the sand.
The fairway cut into the low side.
The mowing of the bank on the high side.
It's diagonal orientation to the line of play.
Rake-ability. (It's golf, not Japanese rock gardening.)
The softly rolled internally edges that will likely hold a ball up and make recovery that much more difficult.
Extraction requires "the toughest shot in golf." Not only that, but it's blind and there is no doubt that the sea lies just beyond.
Its sister dictates that it be dealt with.

Mike

BTW, don't even get me started about the beautiful trench bunker fronting the 17th green!

[TEPaul]

You're right, it is very cool---and I bet there isn't a single American architect who would say building a bunker like that would be practical. Just look at it----they'd say there's no way something like that would drain properly.  

[Mike Erdmann]

Here's a different perspective view of the same bunker:

[Mike_Cirba]

You guys are going to make me have an accident in my shorts.  

Mike Hendren....awesome insight.  

Golf as an adventure...what a novel idea!