grass bunkers on golden age courses

[Jeff_Lewis]

Interested in thoughts from those of you who have participated in restorations of golden age courses. Have you found grass bunkers that over time had been filled with sand, sand bunkers that over time were grassed, or grass bunkers that members wanted changed to sand for whatever reason? What did you think was the original intent of using a grass bunker vs. a sand one? If you found a bunker that had been converted in type either way, did you put it back?

[Peter Zarlengo]

From my limited experience in looking a golf course restoration (a few days on sites with architects), I believe that most of the grass bunkers that one sees today are the result of grassing over once existing sand bunkers. Trying to recapture those sand bunkers, while eliminating bunkers added over time on a whim is a major part of a bunker restoration.

Many of the newer bunkers on older courses are new construction and not grass bunkers filled in with sand. On the older, more revered courses, additional bunkers (or other features for that matter) come from certain "experts" telling a club how a bunker should go there and there and there.....

One thing I really liked that was done at CommonGround was the construction of grass bunkers or partially filled in bunkers to give the course the feel of an older, more established course. A kind of "camouflage" technique to a new course built in the middle of an older environment.

[JNagle]

Jeff -

We have seen many of the instances that you speak of.  Most of what we see are depressions that at one time were bunkers.  Often we will reinstate the bunker.  Prior to doing so we must evaluate why the bunker was removed.  Was it a "fore" bunker (100 yards or less from the tee - Tillie refered to them as Duffers Headaches), was no longer in play, was it too penal.......  Then we must see if the reinstated bunker ties in with the design intent of the hole (mind you this is relative to restoration).  We have seen many grassy depressions (not craters or like pot bunkers, but large self draining swales) that were intended as fill sources for greens and as a feature much like a bunker.  In most instances we do not put sand in these just to make them into a bunker.  

If you refer to a post from last week regarding LuLu you will see a course that had many grassy depressions without sand.  It is our thoughts that the Club simply ran over budget at the time of construction in the mid-teens and did not fill the bunkers with sand.  The prevelance of grassy depressions without sand at LuLu far out numbered the ones with sand.

[D_Malley]

merion west has several grass bunkers which i believe never had sand in them.  i also remember seeing a drawing which showed the 3rd hole with many bunkers that were never built.

[Mike_Cirba]

The 9-hole Charlevoix Golf Club (it was 18 at one point, with Willie Watson's heavy involvement) has some great grassy depressions.   I'm not sure they ever had sand, because there are still quite a few sand ones on the property as well.   I'll try to add some pics this weekend.

[Adam Russell]

One thing I really liked that was done at CommonGround was the construction of grass bunkers or partially filled in bunkers to give the course the feel of an older, more established course. A kind of "camouflage" technique to a new course built in the middle of an older environment.

No, No, No Zarlengo! I'm calling you out... that is not the conversation that happened in the trenches... it went a little something like this

Par 5, 3rd hole - Mid June-ish

(One Intern) - Hey, when are we going cut the line on that bunker
(Bunker Nazi) - Leave that one alone, it'll get seed only, we're making the course feel old
(All Interns, In Unison, strange expressions) - What???
(Bunker Nazi) - Think Depression neglect, like the course ran out of money
(All Interns, after Nazi left, also in unison) - That's the dumbest thing I've heard all day

Big Z, you're on notice... now will you please tell JoePa to lose one more game so we can party in Tampa??

[Kyle Harris]

One thing I really liked that was done at CommonGround was the construction of grass bunkers or partially filled in bunkers to give the course the feel of an older, more established course. A kind of "camouflage" technique to a new course built in the middle of an older environment.

Big Z, you're on notice... now will you please tell JoePa to lose one more game so we can party in Tampa??

Not on my watch.

[Kyle Harris]

A nice example, done presumably to cut costs, is at Jeffersonville Golf Club in Norristown, PA.

Pictures forthcoming, but a good number of the "duffers' headache" bunkers are now all grass and serve their purpose without being terribly punitive.

[Jeff_Lewis]

Apparently several of ours are on the high sides of greens and were intended to be more punishing than sand bunkers in the same spot. I would think better players would prefer sand, but duffers would probably prefer the grass.