I guess a lot of the questions about the nature of our third hole need a bit more background.
The natural grass cover in the sand hills is a mixture of all sorts of grasses -- everything from buffalo grass to orchard grass to a bit of fine fescue here and there. John Kavanaugh used the quaint midwestern term "gunch" which accurately depicts what it feels like when your all is in it and the cows haven't grazed it down lately.
To turn the hazard right of #3 into a grassy hollow like at Portrush would require irrigation and seeding to fine fescue -- and the 2:1 slope down into the bunker would STILL be difficult to maintain no matter what the circumstance.
A smaller bunker like the one on the left would probably hold up a bit better in the wind if it were revetted, but revetting bunkers every 2-3 years is not entirely cost-effective, either. Sand Hills Golf Club has had success in reducing wind erosion over the last few years by using a soil cement in the winter months to prevent things from blowing around, and that's likely how we will address the issue at Dismal.
I just got back from Pacific Dunes where we went over all the same issues -- it's much tougher to solve there because the golf course is always in play and the wind is always in play, too.
P.S. to Jud: Prevailing wind in the sand hills is "full on", but the direction changes often enough that it's not much use trying to peg it.