St Andrews Beach 16 Bunker Placement and Shape

[Mark_F]

This is a hole almost universally regarded as somewhat out  of place on the course, so I had a bit of a fiddle in Photoshop just to see what, if any difference I could make.

 The 16th hole as is:

 

 The 16th hole with the offending monstrosity -apologies -removed.  I almost think it is fine like this.



 The 16th hole with some photoshop bunkers of a different shape:



 The 16th hole with some photoshop bunkers closer in shape  to the original:

[tonyt]

My mini take on the hole from about a month ago:


#16 (214-198 yards). I love it. It can look terrifying and yet to the experienced it has its soft spots. It looks a forbiddingly small target, both for the average player just looking for how to put it in play and keep his ball and make 4, and for the better golfer wanting a par or outside birdie chance.

Wedged in between a drop off of deeper rough to the left and guarded by an evil pair of bunkers right (from which many poor lies or swing opportunities lie away from the small centres of each bunker or angles see you having to aim at the left side drop off and hope), the green itself is not overly generous in size and yet there are ways of feeding the ball to your advantage if you know them.

I’m looking forward to the discussion on this hole, as it is seen as either unconventional or controversial by many. I can’t put my finger on why.

The downhill tee shot is very exposed, played from beside a small hill to the left which is most likely the highest point on the entire property. Aiming at the bunkers right and landing short is what many do, as there are two large hidden fairway zones over a pair of crests.



The adequately sized green from behind, with its mean spirited minor breaks and borrows.



From directly right of the green, looking from the twin bunkers across to the left. Being in this further right bunker, between the two or not getting a lie in the midst of the closer bunker means that a risky or brave shot is needed to get within range. The usually bustling wind at this point of the site doesn’t help any.



This hole has a wide and accommodating avenue of approach from the short right. Any shot from the tee landing in the blind hollow short in a line with the right hand bunkers will feed gently onto the front half of the green. The left bunker seeks to hide this accommodating angle by crowding the look to those not thinking. My feeling is that it serves the purpose of making the target look smaller and less welcoming than it actually is, and for that it is very clever.

[Tom_Doak]

Mark:

The hole is unusual for the course, I'll grant you that, because the green site and the drop-off are unusually steep ... most of the holes are on flatter ground, save the fourth and sixth and eleventh (you may notice a theme there).

The front bunker is there to guard the player who is deliberately playing short of the green for a running approach -- if you let up on the shot it may wind up in the bunker.  Don't see anything wrong with that.  The bunker is big because the scale of the hole (and the drop off) is big.  Honestly, I've never thought twice about it, and I did hit it in the bunker on one of my rounds back in 2004.

[Andrew Thomson]

I have always maintained that I don't dislike the hole, but for some reason it didn't seem to fit.  It seemed to be the most 'forced' hole there.

But what would I know, I've only played there once in a wind that went in every direction depending on who you talk to  

[David_Elvins]

Mark,

I think the big difference between this and every other hole on the course is that if you miss the green left, the ball will finish in the rough, there is no other hole on the course with a rough line cut half way up a slope and the ball will normally stop on short grass.  Obviously the rough is a necessity here but it does make the hole look different.  I think the bunker is perfect,  it shift the players focus to the left and encourages him to foolishly hit straight at a left side pin position.  

[Mark_F]

Tony:

My apologies for not crediting your photo, as it was obviously your fine work that I pilfered.

David/Tom:

I am not sure it is the exact placement I am querying - although I do think it looks better without - but the shape of it just isn't right.  

I know it has to be big to fit in with the general scale of the land at that point, but from a shape and form perspective, it is the worst bunker on the property - the next worst is the right hand greenside bunker on the 7th hole, which is of a vaguely similar shape...

[Tom_Doak]

Mark:

Brian Slawnik dug most of the bunkers at St. Andrews Beach, so it's really his work you are critiquing and not mine ... and I think he did a superb job overall.

I like the bunker at 16 the way he did it.  Extending it to the left draws your eye further down to the left towards the trouble side of the hole, and most likely makes more people miss the hole to the left as a result.  The bunker you depicted in photoshop, is contained by the trees to the left, and would more likely result in more people missing the green wide to the right, which as we both know is even worse if you hit a solid shot.

The last attempt at a photoshop bunker is really bad, because the upper lip of the bunker interrupts the line of the back of the green, and leaves a cut-off area of mowed grass orphaned to the left.  Even the previous version has the bunker more pinched up at its lip, so that you see less of the green.  I don't understand why you'd want to do that.  But, that's why Slawnik is running the job and you are critiquing it!  

[Tim_Weiman]

Mark,

I'm surprised by criticism of #16, specifically of the bunker protecting the left side.

When I returned to St Andrews Beach early this year after my first visit two years ago, the 16th hole was one I most looked forward to playing. It's the kind of hole I'd like to hit shot after shot to..... trying to hit the "perfect shot".

Do you land the ball on the green? Or attempt to bounce the ball and see it trickle on to the green?

I'd happily hit shot after shot. I think it is among the most fun shots at St Andrews Beach.

There is no problem with the left side bunker.

[Mark_F]

Mark:
Brian Slawnik dug most of the bunkers at St. Andrews Beach, so it's really his work you are critiquing and not mine ... and I think he did a superb job overall.

Tom:

He did a GREAT job overall - but after all, he only did most of them.  

Sometimes I almost wish he hadn't sone such a great job - then the knobaches behind the project wouldn't be so fixated on getting him back to do the Fingal, and coming up with every excuse in the book as to why they can't start it until Brian is available - last week it was because there was a special on Whiskas Turkey Feast at his local supermarket.

God help us when he actually gets a cat.

Tim:

Maybe there needs to be some reveg work done, and it will look better - I still think it is unimaginative, and a little out of place shape wise with the rest of the bunkers there.

But it is a good hole.