The joy of hidden bunkers

[Kyle Harris]

Sean's point about anxiety got me thinking about some of the true motivations of the golfer again, and particularly why blind hazards can be thought of as so unfair.

The problem is, and I am really beginning to believe this, is that the golfer feels that, while standing on the first tee - there exists a "perfect plan" to score on that golf course, and anything that contradicts that perfect plan (most likely developed on the Driving Range - the affects of Driving Ranges on the attitudes of golfers toward architect being a whole new thread on its own) is "gamey" or not "fair."

The golfer wants to feel prepared and in control. Blind hazards make for an uneasy situation as they add a variable to that mix. They don't move, but they are also not "in sight" and therefore not able to be made a discrete part of the mental equation.

Perhaps if more golfers started preparing for the unknown and spent less time honing their "one trajectory" blind hazards and other unforeseen circumstances would re-earn their rightful place in the game.

[Sean_A]

Sean:

I'm on film now talking about just that feature while walking The Old Course ... but you won't be able to see it for another 12 months or so.

To me, at least, the blindness is a less-than-ideal feature of those bunkers on The Old Course.  It would be much more ideal (for strategic purposes) if you could see them all, but it wasn't practical there.  (The fact that you cannot see them from the tee allows them to be very small without looking silly and out of scale in the landscape, also.)  So local knowledge has to suffice.  And I am certainly not against a course which rewards local knowledge, by any means.

I love The Old Course; I think I can safely say that I love it as much or more than any other living architect I know.  I love that it's closed on Sundays and kids play football on the 14th fairway and dogs try to hurdle the smaller bunkers; and I love that it can be played backwards, which is where a lot of those blind bunkers actually originated.  I love that they didn't build the tees up, and I'm not saying they should so you could see more of the bunkers, as (you are correct) most modern courses would do.  

But do you really think the anxiety off the tee at The Old Course because people don't know it is a GOOD thing?  To me it robs them of all the strategic interest of the course, and gives that all over to the caddie.  Anxiety just makes them make bad swings, whereas most of the good players listen to their caddy, pick a line and fire away.  I know when I caddied there, it took me a while to learn that I just shouldn't tell people about the Sutherland on #15 or the bunkers in #12, because it just made them anxious ... so I gave them a line and let them hit freely, and trusted not many of them would find those bunkers.

If I had my own piece of flat, sandy dunesland, you'd probably get to see something more like St. Andrews than anyone else has built.  But I still rely on clients to pay me to design courses, and I've never had a client who would go for blind fairway bunkers en masse ... not Mike Keiser, not Julian Robertson, not Rupert O'Neal, none of them.  And I have not played a new course in many years that had a blind fairway bunker that struck me as a cool feature.  Maybe, someday, I'll find the right spot to build a bunch of them; but it's pretty far down my list of ideas to try somewhere.

Tom

Yes, I do think a bit of anxiety on the golf course is good.  Why else would I go for the odd hole of shit right, shit left, hit it straight or lose the hole?  Its a test of who is the most confident with their swing.  I don't want a load of this sort of golf, but a hole or two to really separate golfers from wannabees is a good.  

I agree with you concerning TOC.  I think there are far too many blind bunkers and this is why #s 2-6 is just an ok stretch of holes imo.  I am speaking more of the odd blind bunker as in the case of Lederach.  Especially how it is presented where the player can see it from the 2nd tee even if he can't quite place it in context.  The bottom line for me concerning the judicious use of blind bunkers is the ball isn't lost or difficult to find - so it works with blindness in a way that oob, water and harsh rough can't.  

One thing folks haven't zeroed in on is the bunker at Lederach isn't that bad as the lip isn't high facing the green.  What it does is give pause to the player trying to reach the par 5 in two and he may play conservatively because he doesn't (or at least he shouldn't!) quite know the carry distance due to blindness.  It may not be everybody's cup of tea, but I thought it was ingenious and original - for that it gets high marks in my books.

NIall

You have had my opinion on bad design.  So long as the engineering works, there is no such thing as bad design. We need all types and manner of design.  The trick is to strike the right balance especially if one is going to get creative.

Ciao

[Rory Connaughton]

What it does is give pause to the player trying to reach the par 5 in two and he may play conservatively because he doesn't (or at least he shouldn't!) quite know the carry distance due to blindness.

Sean, interesting point on anxiety.  My knowledge of the hidden bunkers but inability to pinpoint them exactly motivated me to make a bolder play for the green rather than laying up to a short distance.  From a match play perspective, especially on the 16th hole, i think that its a plus when the course is inviting you to make a bolder play that, if executed properly, would allow you to win the hole outright especially if the more conservative play provides an opportunity to make bogey or worse if not executed properly.  In short, on that hole, the blindness adds to the fun.

[Sean_A]

What it does is give pause to the player trying to reach the par 5 in two and he may play conservatively because he doesn't (or at least he shouldn't!) quite know the carry distance due to blindness.

Sean, interesting point on anxiety.  My knowledge of the hidden bunkers but inability to pinpoint them exactly motivated me to make a bolder play for the green rather than laying up to a short distance.  From a match play perspective, especially on the 16th hole, i think that its a plus when the course is inviting you to make a bolder play that, if executed properly, would allow you to win the hole outright especially if the more conservative play provides an opportunity to make bogey or worse if not executed properly.  In short, on that hole, the blindness adds to the fun.

Rory

In the case of Lederach, the deck is completely wide open and in view.  I hit a lovely drive and was in position to go for the par 5 green in two.  However, after playing the first two holes (both had surprising elements) I suspected something was up.  Just like the feeling I get on a links when I see a dark area -  I suspect a bunker is lurking.  Of course I saw the bunker on the 2nd tee AND had the archie stood next to me and I still had anxiety.  I probably could have had a successful go (I will never know), but because I couldn't see the trouble I elected for safety.  So far as I am concerned the bunker did its job - it made me think (which effectively created a longer hole without adding any yardage) and will do again if I ever go back.  

Conversely, because there are so many blind bunkers at TOC they don't do their job properly.  Oh sure, if you go in them they exact a penalty, but bunkers should be about making the player think about the risk and possible reward of challenging them.  Just as playing nine holes where anything but straight doesn't make you think, the load of blind bunkers at TOC can turn anxiety into indifference.    

Ciao

[Tony Ristola]

I'm not a fan. Blind shots are another story - there is sense of excitement and adventure with the potential peril of a blind shot over a hill or dune. Hitting a drive or shot onto nondescript unguarded fairway, only to find your ball lying in a hidden hazard does not do much for me. I hate unseen hazards behind greens too - bad design IMO.

What if the contours of the green subtly reveal the position of the bunker(s)... for those that pay attention that is.

Personally, I'm not much of a fan having bunkers flashed up behind a green when there is nothing to tie the contours into, or where the berm the bunker is built into lacks a functional role beyond flashing the bunker.

Guess I'd seen to many "pot bunkers" cut into hills of fill.

.

[Dan Herrmann]

PS - Full disclosure - Rory hit a great 2nd shot onto the green and two-putted for a birdie

Tom said something got me thinking that I should've mentioned.  That bunker actually looks a bit like a TOC bunker that was built when the course played backwards.  It's quirky, adds to the strategy, and is a lot of fun.

And, after all, I'm not being paid to play golf - I do it for fun.  And this feature indeed increases the fun factor, at least for me.  (of course, there's just the one blind bunker out there; any more and I might grow weary of them)

[Norbert P]

The Alps hole at Prestwick works as a great blind bunker intimidater.