Thanks for the compliments Mike. I never meant for the conversation to get mean-spirited, so I hope it doesn't come across this way. But I do feel like supers get a bad rap alot....not just here, but in many different circles of conversation. So I'm glad we have this outlet to share and educate as much as possible. That's a big reason I created the blog as well.
I'm not sure about bunkers going away, but I will tell you what's beginning to lack: all perimeter areas are getting little to no water and/or maintenance, weeds are beginning to run rampant, necessary regular handtrimming is not getting done as regular so bunker edges, tight unmowable areas, etc. are always overgrown, and mostly importantly, intensive maintenance and repairs like addiing drainage, changing out contaminated bunker sand, irrigation leaks, regular and frequent thatch management, cleaning up of landscape beds and hardscape trash around the clubhouse and entrance....all these things are falling farther and farther down my list of "to-do's" and though not readily apparant at the moment will definetely start showing their long-term effects in the next few years. We're literally down to bare-bones mow and blow maintenance and I feel many other courses across the nation are in a similar situation. Trust me when I say the fat is being cut, heavily, or it was a long time ago. Which is why I STRONGLY urge any new design and construction to try and think harder and longer about getting things right from a low-maintenance standpoint in order to avoid creating unsustainable products and business models for the future.