"Theme" Bunkers

[Dan Kelly]

I would apologize for the footprint, or others, but they come into strategically into play, and a far from being the "signature gimmick/feature, and are not the highlight of the courses.

Apologize? No, no, no! You can't even think about apologizing -- even if the bunkers had no strategic merit.

(Correct my memory if it's wrong, but your giant's foot caught YOUR ball the day we played!)

For my money (such as it is), these funny bunkers are a good reminder that golf is not a matter of life or death -- and that golf course architecture needn't be treated with the solemnity and passionate intensity characteristic of, say, any gca thread that mentions Rees Jones.

[Forrest Richardson]

I designed a bunker in the shape of a kidney bean once.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Forrest,

Just once?

There are some architects who like those really well, well enough to do them 18 straight holes!

Dan,

Nah, no apology.  I told the story once about arguing to get in just that one, and also trying for several feet, suggesting motion.  They thought it was goofy, and I said, "Golfer's love that stuff, trust me."  I think the footprint logo (similar to the NC Wolfpack logo, but one less toe) outsells everything else they got.  I should have got a royalty.

[ForkaB]

How about the "Principal's Nose" at St. Andrews? Can't remember the name of the architect, however...............

[jes]

Pete and PB Dye pulled a fast one on their Kearney Hill Golf Links in Lexington, KY, home of the UK Wildcats. Right of the 14th fairway is a long, deep bunker complex, and the bunker itself looks an awful lot like Indiana Universities "IU" symbol...

[Jeff_Brauer]

Jes,

Somehow I forgot my KSU "Cat's Paw" bunker.  It may be the weakest hole on a strong course, but it seems to be a local favorite.

[Mike Benham]

I designed a bunker in the shape of a kidney bean once.

In a past life, did you design swimming pools too?

[Daryl "Turboe" Boe]

Jes,

That reminds me I think there are an "O", an "S", and a "U" bunker situated on various holes of the Scarlet and Grey courses in such a manner that from the sky you would see and OSU if you looked across several holes.

I have found a couple of them during some of my visits, but cant recall if I have found them all and definitely couldnt tell you where and what holes.  

Maybe Scott B it would be interesting on one of your Aerials if we could prove that one way or another.

[JohnV]

Can't think of any more bunkers to add, but one time on the Futures Tour we had an area of Ground Under Repair that looked just like Africa.  So we started drawing in the country borders.  The next day as I drove past, I saw a piece of paper stuck in the ground around where Cape Town would be.  On it was a note from one of our players that said, "I live here, Chip."

We had to go out the next day with green paint and cover up the borders because the people in charge wouldn't have appreciated the joke.