Why do we need bunkers (on most courses)?

[Sean_A]

I have come to agree that most courses have WAY too many bunkers.

Sterling Forsythe and I played Royal Ashdown Forest before this year's Buda. This was my first zero-bunker course and I was impressed with how much I really didn't miss the bunkers. The course was interesting, challenging and fun... which is about all one could ask... and, the lack of bunkers was a non-factor.

Huntercombe is another course with many non-bunker challenges. As I have commented many times before, Huntercombe is a course that all architects should be required to study before they are allowed to design their first course.

Whitty

Don't you think RAF would be better with some bunkers?  The course has a lot of forced breaks with earthworks etc blocking the paths to greens...sometimes bunkering would be a good alternative.  Though I understand the club can't put bunkers in...just thinking hypothetically.  I think Kington would be better with some bunkers.  I have long been advocate of bunker reduction, but that is mainly because I want to see more balance features.  Go back to the something close of the original Huntercombe design and we are talking about a course with incredible balance of sand, hollows and humps.  I think there are some American courses that do this well...in pix Myopia looks to be one.

Ciao

[Jack Carney]

Tom - funny thing about the quarry at Merion. I was on the grounds crew at Merion while in college 1969 - 1974. During that period the US Open stopped by in 1971. They had us build the middle bunker in the quarry about two weeks before the event. Apparently just for TV as it had no effect on play. Not really sure anyone hit in in there all week. They also had us roll three different greens every morning with a 500 lb roller from the 1930's. I don't think the architect gads that in mind either.

[Peter Pallotta]

Jack - thanks for sharing that neat experience. Just last week I was watching an interview with Lee Trevino. He said that the first time he thought "hey, I actually have a chance to win this" was after the rain delay during the playoff. He said that, before the rain, the greens were so hard that he didn't think his low ball flight could hold them, especially compared to Jack's towering irons. Now I know why they were so hard!


Peter

[Jack Carney]

I was able to finagle my way into being one of the flagboys for the playoff so we watched them putt out and then ran down the fairway to spot the tee shots. Not many hit in the rough that day but got me inside the ropes.

I was standing next to Rabbit; Trevino's caddie, when he pulled out the snake. The whole idea was for Lee to throw that snake into the crowd in the grille area adjacent to the first tee. The entire week had been beautiful weather. However - that morning it was cloudy with a chance of rain and the awning for the grille was down. Rabbit and Lee weren't sure what to do with it so finally Lee tossed the snake in the direction of Nicklaus - and the rest is history.

[JBovay]

We do need them, we just don't need as many as most courses have. Where we need them most is when we have no other natural features available because you can't always use short grass and grass banks. After a while it will all blend together.


btw, I finish my Best of Golf piece on Bunkering with "Are they losing their strategic value?"

It's here: http://golfclubatlas.com/best-of-golf/on-bunkers-by-ian-andrew/

Ian: Thanks for the reminder about your Best of Golf piece on bunkering. It's a nice read.