News:

Welcome to the Golf Club Atlas Discussion Group!

Each user is approved by the Golf Club Atlas editorial staff. For any new inquiries, please contact us.

Pages: [1] 2   Go Down

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers New
« on: July 16, 2006, 06:54:22 PM »
more or less.  I think this site has gone bunker mad.  It seems all people look at is sand.  Are there great courses in the US without endless pits of sand?  I would be very curious to hear of some. 

Ciao
« Last Edit: May 25, 2023, 10:47:43 PM by Sean_A »
Logged
New plays planned for 2024: Nothing

David_Tepper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2006, 07:09:28 PM »
Sean -

Augusta National would probably wind up near the top of the list. I can't recall what the exact count is, but I am guessing there are less than 40 bunkers there.

DT
Logged

Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +3/-1
Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #2 on: July 16, 2006, 07:19:07 PM »
Sean:

I wish I had a count of how many bunkers there are on each of the top 50 courses, but I don't.  I would guess there are only five of the top 50 with less than 50 bunkers, if even that many.

Some of those UK links have a lot of bunkers, too, though.

Ballybunion probably has the fewest of any course given a "10" on the Doak scale.
Logged

Gary Daughters

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2006, 07:36:28 PM »

Unofficial count of bunkers at Augusta National is:  41

Sean,

I'm with you on the bunkers (but not on Dave Edmunds/Nick Lowe).

Why exactly do we have more bunkers in the U.S. vis-a-vis England and Scotland?  
Logged
THE NEXT SEVEN:  Alfred E. Tupp Holmes Municipal Golf Course, Willi Plett's Sportspark and Driving Range, Peachtree, Par 56, Browns Mill, Cross Creek, Piedmont Driving Club

Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +3/-1
Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #4 on: July 16, 2006, 07:42:49 PM »
And Augusta only had 22 bunkers when Dr. MacKenzie was alive!

There are more bunkers in the U.S. because the courses are watered and the ball stops more quickly.  In the U.K. a bunker defends about forty yards of ground behind it ... not so in the U.S.  There were all sorts of articles about that in the early twenties, that Americans were becoming better players because our courses were more tightly bunkered.  [Apparently no one in the U.K. had ever heard of demographics!!]

Also, Americans are much more into aesthetics than the Scots.  Lots of bunkers on the great links are more or less blind ... name one well-known American course where that is so.

« Last Edit: July 16, 2006, 07:44:25 PM by Tom_Doak »
Logged

Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +3/-1
Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #5 on: July 16, 2006, 07:53:05 PM »
Bill V:  I must have missed it the last time, can't imagine where I could have been!

I think it's a great question, and I'm working hard to come up with some examples.  So far:

Whitinsville :)
Misquamicut, I think
Highlands Country Club?
Great Waters at Reynolds Plantation
Crooked Stick is probably just a bit over 50
and I think Wild Horse doesn't have much more than 50

I think Apache Stronghold has about sixty bunkers in total.  I remember that we were determined to hold down the numbers there, after building 90+ on our previous course.

Sean:  Your sentiment echoes that of the late Joe Dey, who really admired Augusta National.  He was green chairman of The Creek Club (Macdonald/Raynor) and his ultimate plan was to get it down to FOUR bunkers -- out of 120 that Macdonald put in!
« Last Edit: July 16, 2006, 08:04:14 PM by Tom_Doak »
Logged

Andy Troeger

Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #6 on: July 16, 2006, 08:15:17 PM »
I believe The Golf Club has less than 50 bunkers, so I think it qualifies.
Logged

john_stiles

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #7 on: July 16, 2006, 08:15:21 PM »
Less than 50 ??

I think, I think, Secession in Beaufort, SC has less than 50.  Several holes have none (#7, #8, #14, #15 ) and there are no bunker clusters.  Holes #2 and 13 only have one bunker.

I enjoy play there.  When the wind is up,  you do have to tack around the course.  Most greens are open in the front, and it plays fast and firm most of the time.  

The 17th is a starkly different hole, and all unto itself.  If you are counting, this very small island green has no bunkers.
Logged

Gary Daughters

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #8 on: July 16, 2006, 08:15:38 PM »
My favorite muni, which may or may not count in this survey, has 26 bunkers.

15 are greenside bunkers
11 are fairway bunkers

None blind

The course is wide open and plays firm and fast

George Cobb, 1972

(it would not qualify as a "best course," just my favorite)
« Last Edit: July 16, 2006, 08:22:11 PM by Gary Daughters »
Logged
THE NEXT SEVEN:  Alfred E. Tupp Holmes Municipal Golf Course, Willi Plett's Sportspark and Driving Range, Peachtree, Par 56, Browns Mill, Cross Creek, Piedmont Driving Club

Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +3/-1
Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #9 on: July 16, 2006, 08:40:44 PM »
John:

Yes, but Secession also has marsh or pond right up against 12-14 of the 18 holes, so it's got plenty of hazards ... I doubt that was what Sean was after when he started this thread.

And yet, I suppose some other architect would have built 80 bunkers at Secession, too.
Logged

jim_lewis

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #10 on: July 16, 2006, 09:24:42 PM »
Cherokee Plantation (Donald Steel) in Yemassee, SC has somewhere between 25-30 bunkers. I don't remember the exact number, but I do remember that each seemed to have a strategic purpose. In fact, this course would probably be my answer to the question posed on another thread regarding the best placed bunkers.
Logged
"Crusty"  Jim
Freelance Curmudgeon

Patrick_Mucci

Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #11 on: July 16, 2006, 09:28:15 PM »
I believe that Hidden Creek has less than 50 bunkers.
Logged

Robert_Ball

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #12 on: July 16, 2006, 09:49:05 PM »
Peachtree.  And probably Point O'Woods.
Logged

John_Conley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #13 on: July 16, 2006, 10:29:31 PM »
Rochester.  I don't recall it being even close to 50.
Logged

Andy Troeger

Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #14 on: July 16, 2006, 10:35:35 PM »
Quote from: Robert_Ball on July 16, 2006, 09:49:05 PM
Peachtree.  And probably Point O'Woods.

I tried thinking through the Point in my head, I'm pretty sure you're right on that one as well. The bunkers are generally large, but there really aren't that many in terms of numbers.
Logged

CHrisB

Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #15 on: July 17, 2006, 12:17:55 AM »
I thought Victoria National might qualify, but I count 52 bunkers there. Close though.
Logged

Donnie Beck

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #16 on: July 17, 2006, 05:26:05 AM »
Fishers - 42
Logged

Gary Daughters

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #17 on: July 17, 2006, 05:43:44 AM »

The idea that bunkers "guide" a player is something that has continually vexed me.

How would a player know what a given architect's intent is?  

If the answer is that repeated play on a given course will teach this, well, ok.  But after repeated play a semi-observant golfer can find plenty of stuff to aim by.. trees, mounds, passing clouds, whatever.

Logged
THE NEXT SEVEN:  Alfred E. Tupp Holmes Municipal Golf Course, Willi Plett's Sportspark and Driving Range, Peachtree, Par 56, Browns Mill, Cross Creek, Piedmont Driving Club

Andy Troeger

Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #18 on: July 17, 2006, 07:39:11 AM »
Sean,
  I think perhaps you used the wrong name...I don't believe I've posted anything about bunkers recently other than pointing out a couple courses with less than 50 on this thread. I also agree with you...I don't believe bunkers are there to "guide" the player; if anything I prefer some of these courses that have minimal (but well-placed) bunkers!
« Last Edit: July 17, 2006, 07:40:06 AM by Andy Troeger »
Logged

Andy Troeger

Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #19 on: July 17, 2006, 07:45:14 AM »
Hi Sean,
  Whew...I was just surprised to read your post in waking up this morning...was wondering if I had some kind of realization during the night that I didn't agree with this morning!  ;D
Logged

Eric Franzen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #20 on: July 17, 2006, 07:46:02 AM »
Quote from: Sean Arble on July 17, 2006, 04:02:08 AM
Turnberry: 65ish (I wonder if my memory is off here as well)


They added 30 new bunkers last year (before that they had 66 - so your memory is just fine).
Logged

Tony_Chapman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #21 on: July 17, 2006, 10:28:20 AM »
It looks like (from the air) that their are 55 bunkers at Wild Horse.
Logged

Mike_Cirba

Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #22 on: July 17, 2006, 12:17:40 PM »
Don't have the info with me, but Lederach surely has less than 50 bunkers, a good number of them are blind, and the rest seem to be in the center of the fairway.
Logged

Tim Leahy

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #23 on: July 17, 2006, 02:43:15 PM »
Olympic Club in San Fran., only one fairway bunker and I dont think many greenside traps.
Logged
I love golf, the fightin irish, and beautiful women depending on the season and availability.

Jim Sweeney

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Best Courses in US With Fewer Than 50 Bunkers
« Reply #24 on: July 17, 2006, 03:55:47 PM »
There are no course with less than fifty bunkers.

There are many with fewer than fifty bunkers, however.
Logged
"Hope and fear, hope and Fear, that's what people see when they play golf. Not me. I only see happiness."

" Two things I beleive in: good shoes and a good car. Alligator shoes and a Cadillac."

Moe Norman
Pages: [1] 2   Go Up