Links course bunkers - 'perfect' or shaggy or in between?

[Thomas Dai]

Which style of links bunker do you prefer and why?


(photo of RAGC per JBoveys 'Around the world in 38 days' thread)

or


(photo per my Aberdovey thread)

I'm not only curious to know which style contributors herein prefer, whether for example, it be from the look or playability etc points of view, but also I'd like to know which style is preferable from the maintenance aspect.

atb

[Brent Hutto]

The clean-edged style is my preference, although either style is OK by me. I just prefer being able to see the ball either roll into the bunker or stay out rather than having a third option of it rolling into an unplayable lie in a clump of grassy stuff.

I prefer either of those options to bunker surrounded by rough, though. The possibility of a ball rolling into the bunker or not is the main thing that separates interesting bunkering from the mundane. Surrounding a bunker on all sides with rough virtually guarantees "mundane".

The thick clumpy stuff, if used sparingly, is an acceptable third component. But if there are so many clumps that the ball is virtually certain to catch a clump rather than run into the bunker, then we're back to a bunker into which the ball can only fly rather than roll. At the extreme, too many clumps can become a particularly bloody-minded form of rough surrounding the bunker.

[Tom_Doak]

I prefer the cleaner look, if you're going to do revetted walls.  In that case the bunker is the real hazard and there is no sense having balls stop on the bank instead of getting to the bunker. 

If the bunkers aren't revetted, then anything goes, though it's important to get the balance right, and that's hard to pull off.  The bunker from Aberdovey pictured is not very well done.  The bunkers at The Renaissance Club were far too shaggy ... you could play a bunker shot and lose the ball on the face!   But Royal County Down does "shaggy" exceptionally well.

[Ally Mcintosh]

I've been thinking about this a lot in recent weeks.

And I believe it is different strokes depending on site.

However, what works well is a mix of the two styles with anything surrounded with shortly mown grass finished cleanly and using sod walls if needed (though I often prefer these with grass faces)... and anything that backs in to deeper fescues or marram left with more natural edges...

[Sean_A]

It doesn't matter much to me.  Aesthetically, the shaggy bunkers look better especially when tied in with the rough.  The cleaner revetted style make play a bit easier, but can be more easily hidden into fairway folds and thus collect better, but they are harder to build in getting the right look (just look at Trump Aberdeen - many don't look right). I think on flatish courses pots are better.  On hilly courses shaggy is better, but I am okay with either style on the same course, but I do prefer the rolled over grass (ala Portrush) instead of revetting.  As always, I am more fussed over placement and numbers then style.  

Ciao

[Niall C]

I've been thinking about this a lot in recent weeks.

And I believe it is different strokes depending on site.

However, what works well is a mix of the two styles with anything surrounded with shortly mown grass finished cleanly and using sod walls if needed (though I often prefer these with grass faces)... and anything that backs in to deeper fescues or marram left with more natural edges...

.............a wee bit like Lossie maybe ?

Niall

[Thomas Dai]

I prefer the cleaner look, if you're going to do revetted walls.  In that case the bunker is the real hazard and there is no sense having balls stop on the bank instead of getting to the bunker. 

If the bunkers aren't revetted, then anything goes, though it's important to get the balance right, and that's hard to pull off.  The bunker from Aberdovey pictured is not very well done.  The bunkers at The Renaissance Club were far too shaggy ... you could play a bunker shot and lose the ball on the face!   But Royal County Down does "shaggy" exceptionally well.

Tom - Do you have an example photo you could post of an appropriate RCD 'shaggy'?



By the way, the Aberdovey bunker shown above is a fairway bunker on the par-5 7th hole. The flag visible is not on the same hole, it's actually the par-4 10th green.

Which style - clean-edged or shaggy - do those who maintain courses prefer?

atb

[Josh Stevens]

I suppose there  is a maintemance issue here. Even though there are lots of em, the sand base on a formal pot is quite small and simple and the actual cumilative area of sand that needs to be raked by the staff is quite small. Ground staff could do a bunker in about 30 seconds.  The more complex the bunker the more work surely

[Thomas Dai]

With a clean-edged bunker how do you maintain the turfs/sods that make up the face?

I would imagine that the wrong approach would damage the clean-edged look and lead to a requirement for replacement of turfs/sods, plus the potential for 'bunker creep' hence my curiosity.



Do you -

trim the topmost edge with long handled sheers standing above?
trim the top edge with hand sheers from below?
use a strimmer?
other?

How do you keep the internal faces pristine?

Do you -

trim them from inside?
strim them?
spray them with a grass growth retardant?
use a burner gun?
other?

I've observed various means used, hence the listings above, and would like to know what those in the business think is the best approach to ensure longlivity and limit bunker creep.

atb

[Carl Johnson]

Don't know a thing about maintenance, but from a look and playability standpoint I prefer the edge to blend with it's immediate surroundings, smooth or shaggy.

[Chris Hans]

Maintenance of revetted and "shaggy" bunkers is extremely maintenance-intensive.

[Richard Hetzel]

I like all types with some caveats. I like them to all be of similar style across the the whole course, stacked sod only looks well done overseas (and looks to be a maintenance nightmare) and I dislike a boring, flat, cleanly cut/carved bunker. If you are going to the trouble of creating a bunker, make it penal and interesting IMO. If I had to chose only one style I would lean towards and shaggy, unkept look.

LIKE




These are from the Gailes Course in Michigan. The first two are OK, but I hated the last sod "thing"

[Thomas Dai]

If you are going to the trouble of creating a bunker, make it penal and interesting IMO.

Nicely put Richard, and some fine photos' too.

Incidentally, someone independent of posters herein suggested that the best way of keeping the clean look on the faces of bunkers like these -



is with a weed-burning gun - kills-off the grass apparently, but without damage the turfs/sods.

Any maintenance specialist care to comment?

atb

[Ronald Montesano]

Shaggy can get to be a second hazard if you're not careful. Whispy-shaggy is fine by me, as is clean with some teeth. Shaggy where wrists break is silly.

[Richard Hetzel]

Shaggy can get to be a second hazard if you're not careful. Whispy-shaggy is fine by me, as is clean with some teeth. Shaggy where wrists break is silly.

Agreed, the balance needs to be there as well.