"Aiming Bunkers"

[Brian Marion]

Can the group give me good examples of "aiming" bunkers as they have run across them on their travels?

To be precise, bunkers that are 90-100 yards from the tee and guide the player away from an area to not hit toward, say another tee box on a similar line.

I'm not talking about far away bunkers that are not in play for most but act as aiming points but rather close in bunkers that are out of play for everything but the absolute worst tee shot on a par 4 or par 5.

[Cristian]

RSG 4, if you are playing from the right tee's... The ideal line is further right than you think from the tee.

[Wade Whitehead]

4 at Ballyhack has a great example.

WW

[Matt Day]

would the fantastic bunker on the hillside on the 2nd at Cypress be classified as an aiming bunker? From memory it wasnt that far from the tee

[Jamie Barber]

I was thinking of the 1st at Hunstanton, although the tee position is not the original so it may not have been the design intent. Here however the bunker doesn't so much guide you away from an area you don't want to hit, but rather tricks you towards hitting it out right, towards the out of bounds (I believe directly over the bunker is the line).

The club have quite nice photos on their website:
http://www.hunstantongolfclub.com/flash/hgc-golf-course-photos.html

[Scott Warren]

The one that immediately comes to mind is the one set into the ridge on #2 at Swinley. Likely not designed as such in the days of hickory, but serves that purpose nowadays.

(Photo: John Mayhugh)

[Brian Marion]

would the fantastic bunker on the hillside on the 2nd at Cypress be classified as an aiming bunker? From memory it wasnt that far from the tee

Umm, anyone have a picture form ground level. From above I think you could be correct but I have never played there.

[Brian Marion]

The one that immediately comes to mind is the one set into the ridge on #2 at Swinley. Likely not designed as such in the days of hickory, but serves that purpose nowadays.

(Photo: John Mayhugh)

So, the best tee shot would be to the left of those bunkers? How far are they from the tee?

[Travis Dewire]

At Brae Burn, here in Boston, we rennovated our 13th hole, adding a new tee box on lower ground, and building 3 squirrely bunkers about 40 yards out, that obstruct any view of the hole. The play is now to pick your line from some where on the bunkers. I personally think its great and adds a great dimension to the hole, and its fun slingin a draw on a short par 5 and you don't really see where you are going.


With that said, you asked for examples, but what about all your'll thoughts? I dont know your sentiments, but I have heard a lot of people complain about blind shots to greens. This would be a similar situation with a blind tee shot. How do you feel about the use of them? Both blind green and tee shots?

I think there is a place in the game for them.

If you don't have the fortitude to hit a ball blindly, you're playin the wrong game

[George Freeman]

There is a neat aiming bunker on the par-4 17th hole at Ravisloe Country Club on the south side of Chicago.  The tee shot plays up and over a hill maybe 80-100 yards from the tee, making the drive blind.  Square in the middle of the crest of the hill is a small round bunker that is your aiming mark for the middle of the fairway.  I like the feature.  I assume it was origianlly put there to catch the topped balls wayyy back in the day.

[Bill Seitz]

There is a neat aiming bunker on the par-4 17th hole at Ravisloe Country Club on the south side of Chicago.

First thing that popped into my head as well.  It really serves no other purpose, and God forbid you hit one into hit, you'd probably end up with a very strange stance.  It really is quite small, and a tee shot his just over its left edge should end up pretty much square in the middle of the fairway. 

[Scott Warren]

Brian,

Straight over the middle of the left0hand one, maybe toward the right if you hit a draw and the left if you hit a cut.

[RSLivingston_III]

I know you were referring to wood-shot holes, but what about The Redan? At least I used them for my line after I learned the hole.

[Brian Marion]

I know you were referring to wood-shot holes, but what about The Redan? At least I used them for my line after I learned the hole.

My motive was to find other examples around the world and compare to the aiming bunker that used to sit on my home course's (No.3 hole par 5) many moons ago. It was taken out in the 60's during a redo.

The bunker was only 80-100 from the tee and was only in play for a topped shot and was really there to steer players away from aiming down the left and at the 2nd tee. See the aerial taken below in 1941.

[Mike Jansen]

Not sure as to the Truth of this, but it was told to me by a caddy while playing an RTJ2 course (Cordevalle).... that off the tee the golfer should take aim the 'tounge' of the fairway bunkers in the distance.  As I looked at those throughout the round it did make some sense, but have others here heard of this as a design strategy used by architects, to give players a suggested line of the tee?

[Jeff_Brauer]

Pete Dye did one at the 12th (or is it 13th) at Stonebridge Ranch, in McKinney, TX

[Kyle Henderson]

Greg Norman is in love with the concept, judging for his course at Wente Vineyards (Livermore, CA). I'll try to dig up some photos tonight...