Links course with best example of bunkering ?

[Niall C]

Following on from Tom D’s thread about bunkering on links courses let me ask this question, which links course is the best exemplar for bunkering, and more importantly why ?
I have one course in mind but I'll let others have their say first.


Niall

[Jon Wiggett]

Niall,

I suppose the obvious answer would be Muirfield as the bunkers are key to the strategy of the course having an influence on all standards of player and in all weather conditions. Another course would be Kilspindie which uses its bunkering as its major defence and demand that the player take account of them in shot decision making.

However, though not the entire course I would put forward your old hunting ground of Moray Old and in particular the first 6 holes as an excellent example of a bunker scheme. All the bunkers are relevant to the play and more importantly it is an excellent example of when to refrain from using bunkers. The third, forth and fifth holes are a great stretch of holes showing great refrain. Many GCAs would have thrown in a few more bunkers into the ridges and hollows on these holes just for the look when in fact they would not improve the course.

Jon

[Niall C]

Jon


You got me. Moray Old was the course I was keeping up my sleeve. The reason I think it ticks the boxes is in terms of variety. Not only in terms of the type of bunkering ie revetted, grass faced, RCD style bunkering with heather and marram but also the shape and size of the bunkers is varied. Some are gathering bunkers, some aren't. There is variety also in the way they have been positioned/used in that there isn't really any repetition that you get on some courses.


The final thing I like is that they aren't over used, IMO, and that when a bunker becomes redundant it has been left to grass over which I find quite attractive and interesting. Yes old grass bunkers are eye candy, hands up to that, but I think that more honest than building bunkers specifically as eye candy. All in all it is very well done.


Niall

[Sean_A]

I would throw up Princes as a well bunkered course.  Many bunkers are more middle of the park...on lines to the hole.  Plus, the course isn't jammed with tons of bunkers so efficiency of design is well served. 

Ciao

[Niall C]

Sean


I've never been to Princes but for some reason I've always imagined it flattish and therefore the bunkers would be circular pots that you have to climb down into. Am I far off the mark ? Is there a nice variety ?


Niall

[Jon Wiggett]

Niall,

I have always thought that redundant grassed over bunkers (old tee pads & greens) give a tantalising glimpse of the history of a course. Moray is a great example with old bunkers popping up in all sorts of places often facing a totally different way to the direction of play. It is such things that make you want to dig into a club's archives to find out why.

Jon

[Thomas Dai]

Are there any links courses that have no bunkers?
Atb

[Sam Krume]

Sean


I've never been to Princes but for some reason I've always imagined it flattish and therefore the bunkers would be circular pots that you have to climb down into. Am I far off the mark ? Is there a nice variety ?


Niall

Niall,
Even though it is as you say, quite flattish, there is definitely enough movement across the ground to keep you interested. There is a main spine that runs through the course, offering some really good golf. Bunkering is quite varied in shape and size. The 6th on the shore 9 is one of my favourite par 4's any where. 410 yards I think.Got to hit a fade off the tee, couple of pots on right hand side, just to catch you but if you pull it, there's another on the left waiting to snaffle you up. Second shot a draw upto a green perched atop of said spine. Probably 12-15 feet about fairway level. Luverly as Del Boy used to say!!!

[Ryan Coles]

RCD are probably the most striking and memorable. Wouldn't want to engage with them every week tough. Not played it but really liked the look of Aberdovey on Thomas Dai's pictures.

I like Burnham's bunkers and how they are sparingly used. Ditto porthcawl.

Kingsbarns strikes a good balance.

I don't generally like bunkers that look uncared for or in need of restoring, whether it is faux or not. I like the craftsmanship and greenkeeping skill that links bunkers require. I don't like ripped or whethered jeans either.

[Sean_A]

Ryan


Yes, I often forget that Burnham is one of the best bunkered courses around, not least because it strikes a good balance with dunes and humpty bumpty terrain.  The scheme is rather random and left footing in terms of placement.   


Niall


Princes doesn't have many deep bunkers, but there is a great mix of fairway and greenside bunkers.  Within these two categories the balance between carry bunkers, skirting bunkers, pinching pair bunkers, greenside flanking bunkers, greenside carry bunkers and bunkers set well off greens is excellent.   Spend 5 minutes looking at the overheads.


http://www.princesgolfclub.co.uk/play/course-overview/dunes/9




Ciao

[Bill_McBride]

Princes is odd in that the holes themselves are flattish but there are lines of dunes separating holes, so certainly not a flat course.   I found the constant cross wind shoving tee balls into the rough in those dunes to be more daunting than the bunkers. 

[Niall C]

Bill


That's interesting. I'm trying to make up my mind whether the fact that the bunkers are the less of a concern suggests the bunkering scheme is a good one or whether its a bad one since to an extent they are ignored. In other words the tenet that a good bunker refuses to be ignored, which would suggest it's a bad scheme, at least for you. Does that make sense ?


Niall

[Kalen Braley]

I must admit,

I'm a little surprised to not have seen TOC mentioned here yet?  With all the love it gets on this site for bunkering that is expertly placed, both forward and reversed, I would have thought it'd be up there.

Unless I'm reading the OP differently and this is about the "look and style" of bunkers, not the "strategic placement" of said bunkers relative to each hole.

[Rich Goodale]

Tough question, particularly since most links or faux/nouveau links are drastically over-bunkered.  Off the top of my head, Elie is the best and the Old Course one of the worst.

[Bill_McBride]

Tough question, particularly since most links or faux/nouveau links are drastically over-bunkered.  Off the top of my head, Elie is the best and the Old Course one of the worst.

Hang on there hoss, not sure how you can criticize the Old Course to that extent, although I bow to your superior knowledge of the links.


It seems to me that in many cases on the Old there is a bunker exactly where you don't want one to be.


Drive safely left of the Principal's Nose?   Yikes, there's the Wig Bunker right in your way.


Play safely away from the wall on 14?  Yikes, there sit the Beardies, right in your way.   


Play left of the Coffins for a look at the flag on 13?   Yikes, there's a nest of pots over there. 


No need to say anything about the Strath and Short Hole bunkers, they dominate play on the par 3s. 


Is there anywhere in golf more influential and intimidating bunker than the Road Hole bunker?


I could go on and on but believe I've made my case. 

[Kalen Braley]

Tough question, particularly since most links or faux/nouveau links are drastically over-bunkered.  Off the top of my head, Elie is the best and the Old Course one of the worst.

Hang on there hoss, not sure how you can criticize the Old Course to that extent, although I bow to your superior knowledge of the links.


It seems to me that in many cases on the Old there is a bunker exactly where you don't want one to be.


Drive safely left of the Principal's Nose?   Yikes, there's the Wig Bunker right in your way.


Play safely away from the wall on 14?  Yikes, there sit the Beardies, right in your way.   


Play left of the Coffins for a look at the flag on 13?   Yikes, there's a nest of pots over there. 


No need to say anything about the Strath and Short Hole bunkers, they dominate play on the par 3s. 


Is there anywhere in golf more influential and intimidating bunker than the Road Hole bunker?


I could go on and on but believe I've made my case.

Thank you Bill, agreed on those points.

And in general it seems for TOC that if you go left for the safer play, you encounter more bunkers, but if you want the better line in from the right you must challenge OB.  Seems to me like the general scheme is excellent in how it makes you pick your poison, with its relative rewards and penalties...

[Niall C]

I must admit,

I'm a little surprised to not have seen TOC mentioned here yet?  With all the love it gets on this site for bunkering that is expertly placed, both forward and reversed, I would have thought it'd be up there.

Unless I'm reading the OP differently and this is about the "look and style" of bunkers, not the "strategic placement" of said bunkers relative to each hole.

Kalen,


What I was looking for was what people thought the best exemplar was for bunkering on a links course. That takes in positioning in terms of strategy, positioning in terms of fitting into surrounding landscape, the style of the bunkers, the shape, penal nature, variety etc. Basically all of it. To be honest I don't think there's one answer as the answer will change to suite the site specifics of the particular course.


As for TOC, I tend to side with Rich although I maybe wouldn't go quite as far as him in describing it as one of the worst. There are some fabulous bunkers on TOC in terms of individual design and intent however there is also the series of pot bunkers down the right side of the first few holes out that were basically there to narrow the course thereby replicating the OB on the right for the holes on the way in. Hands up, I'm not the expert on TOC but that to me suggests a lack of variety.


Niall

[Niall C]

Actually, re my comments on TOC bunkering perhaps a better way of putting it is repetition rather than lack of variety.


Niall

[Kalen Braley]

Niall,

I think that's a good explanation.  Certainly TOC is a lightening bolt, as I've often been critical of the 17th myself.

Its hard to see how a course that is consistently ranked so high, (and I think even TD gives it a 9).....could garner such a rating if it had nothing short of a good to great bunkering scheme.

[K Rafkin]

Niall-Are you looking for the best examples of bunkering stylistically? Strategically? Or both?


So many links courses share the same style of small revetted pot bunkers, which are cool but at times leaves me wishing for something different now and again.  So when i hear the question "Links courses with the best example of bunkering?" my mind immediately goes to the examples that are more unique visually rather than more important strategically. 


My first thought was that RCD and Castle Stuart would be tough to beat from an aesthetic standpoint, although i think a lot of this has to do with how much they are outside of the norm of links bunkering.  Other examples include Machrihanish Dunes as well as Aberdovey (which i haven't seen, but saw some recently posted photos from Ian Andrew).


From a strategic point of view (although i still find them quite pretty) Muirfield is the obvious choice, which goes well beyond the strategy of just placing a bunch of bunkers all over the place (even though there are bunkers all over the place).

[Thomas Dai]

Imagine TOC with bunkering akin to that at Aberdovey these days, or as per Royal County Down or as per some of the yee olde ones posted in black and white photos on this thread -


http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,62505.0.html


That might be interesting. Might be rather nice too



Atb

[Ben Malach]

I think the bunkering at Hoylake is very good. In my quick walk of the course it seemed to provide a majority of the interest on what is a fairly flat piece of ground.

[Lyndell Young]

 I for one like the look of  Royal County Down,I much prefer the beardies look to stacked sod.

[Thomas Dai]

Different links courses have different sorts of sand ranging from fine grade to heavy grade including sometimes small seashells and the like.


Would it be correct that finer sand bunkers need more protection from wind blow, ie sturdier lips/revetts etc, than heavier grades of sand where perhaps a more natural look would be okay?


Does the angle of the prevailing wind in relation to the bunkering also have a effect?

This would seem a good time to cross-reference to Ian Andrew's recent "A complete look at bunkering" essay from GCA Dec '15 - http://golfclubatlas.com/best-of-golf/on-bunkers-by-ian-andrew/


atb