A few questions for supers

[David_Tepper]

1) How many bunker rakes do you buy a year?
2) How much do you spend on bunker rakes a year?
3) Is there a make/model of bunker rake you think is the best?

You are welcome to respond via IM if you do not want to respond here. Your answers will be kept in confidence. 

[Peter Galea]

Zero rakes per year.

Zero dollars per year.

Hands down, in my situation, Accuform Ace® with aluminum handles.

http://www.paraide.com/product_detail.aspx?pid=570&cid=30

In my 29 years, at 3 courses, the Accuform® has proven to be the best for me.
I have tried most and these have lasted and kept their looks.
Wooden handles, fade, break and splinter.
Fiberglass handles splinter or shatter.

Yes, the handles bend when someone runs over them, but, they can be easily be bent back to
usable form. The down side to aluminum is that they are cold in the winter.

My current set is 3 years old and still in great shape. Bought 75 and still have them all.
They do not look brand new, so maybe yearly replacement is warranted at a high level course or
private club.

[Adam Clayman]

While I love it here in the middle, I do reminisce about those frigid winters, on the central coast. 

Pete, There was a call for your expertise on one of the recent Riviera threads. Of course the subject was Kikuyu. How easy is it to control, eradicate, ect.

[Melvyn Morrow]

Sod the bloody rakes and get back to the un-raked bunkers to add a little more spice to bunkers. May not save a fortune but will add a little extra challenge for a golfer but alas not a player.

[Jim Johnson]

David, I'm no super, just a golfer. 

But in my travels last year, I golfed at a course which had the Accuform Ace which Pete mentions. In my 40 years of golf, I'd have to say that rake was by far the "best" rake I've ever used in bunkers. Lightweight, and left a nice smooth finish, it was everything a rake should be. Take it from Pete ... great rake.

[Dick Kirkpatrick]

Accuform is a company that was formed by an aircraft engineer.
The early ones were available only with the unsatisfactory wooden handles.
The only downfall of the aluminum is that they can really get your hands dirty (stained)
Some will remember that they also manufactured golf clubs.

[Sandy Smith]

Trivia question..Who is the best player to use Accuform clubs?

[Will MacEwen]

Trivia question..Who is the best player to use Accuform clubs?

DLIII?

[Pete_Pittock]

to tie this amazing thread together. Yes, Davis Love III is the most prominent user of Accuform golf clubs. Another player who used Accuform clubs is Richard Zokol, responsbible for Sagebrush Golf Club, which does not have rakes, except for a plastic gag gift. Also, did you know Accuform's founder, John Saksun was instrumental in solving the square grooves controversy between Ping and the USGA (according to Wikipedia).

The one thiing I can bring to the original question is that upscale clubs usually assign too many rakes to a bunker and could probably cut back by about 25-33%.

[Sandy Smith]

Very good Will !!
And Pete , how the hell you remember that Zokol played them?
Was for a very short time.

[Anthony_Nysse]

David,
  Thank you for that. I thought that same thing.

We purchase about 50 rakes a year to replace ones that have broken or been stolen. We spend $1000-$1200 on the 50. They are usually $22-24/each. We use the Accuform rakes, wide head but NOT the ones with the long, 5' handles.

[John McCarthy]

David,
  Thank you for that. I thought that same thing.

We purchase about 50 rakes a year to replace ones that have broken or been stolen. We spend $1000-$1200 on the 50. They are usually $22-24/each. We use the Accuform rakes, wide head but NOT the ones with the long, 5' handles.

Who would steal a sand trap rake?  What is the point - so I can perfectly manicure the bunker in my front yard? 

[David_Tepper]

Gentlemen -

Thanks for your responses and information. I appreciate it.

DT