Great examples of cross bunkering?

[Greg Holland]

Ellis Maples used cross bunkering short of several greens (30-50 yds) to create strategic interest and visual deception on several holes at Carlson Farms of Greensboro CC (two par fives (1st and 16th) and two par fours (3d and 9th)).  

What are the best holes with this feature?  

Which architect employed it most effectively?

[Tyler Kearns]

Greg,

There was a thread starting along these lines a few weeks ago; www.golfclubatlas/forums2/index.php?board=1;action=display;thread=12591 (sorry, I tried but the link doesn't work - page 11)

Personally, I feel that the Hell's Half Acre cross bunker/waste area at Pine Valley is excellent because it eliminates the dull monotonous second shots on long three-shot holes, especially if the first stroke is poor. It forces players to A; swallow their medicine, and lay-up short of the hazard with the consequence of reaching the green in 4 strokes or B; try to clear the hazard and gain a good angle for the approach shot with the risk of compounding their problems and never escaping Hell's Half Acre. In modern golf, it seems that poor drives on par fives simply prevent players from reaching the green in one less than regulation. Tillinghast's cross hazard at #7 Pine Valley is a great example of fine golf course architecture because it brought something new to the strategic palate of 'Golden Age' designers.

Tyler Kearns

[Gerry B]

reprise of earlier thread

12th at Chicago Golf club -the punch bowl - alternating strip / cross  bunkers along the fairway with various landing areas that come into play for the long and short hitter alike. - very effective prelude to to a fantastic green complex - one of the 2 or 3 best holes on a great classic golf course

[Greg Holland]

I saw the prior thread, and I wasn't trying to rehash.  I was hoping to focus on cross bunkers just short of the green -- which seem to add lots of interest and deception on longer par 4s and on par 5s.  

[Gerry B]

gregg:

see my earlier comment on the 18th at walton heath old in london - it is fantastic

[James Edwards]

gerry,

Your comment or the hole  

No, you are right, excellent choice!

[James Edwards]

I don't know whether it is a great example of cross bunkering just short of the green, but PVGC #18 must be a contender?

[A_Clay_Man]

The first effective use of this type of cross-bunkering (that I saw) was Nugent's Forest Preserve Nat'l. I think it's the 5th or 6th hole, a par five, with this complex, short and left of the green, placed at a diagonal. The height of the bunker's top edges serve to obscure and creates the deception that they are greenside. In reality there's plenty of room over them, and is a preferred angle of attack.

Baxter used the same effect on a short par 5 here at Riverview.

[Mike Hendren]

While it is a stretch to call them cross bunkers, I really like the positioning of the twin fairway bunkers in play on the second shot at Rustic Canyon's outstanding 13th - particularly into the wind.  They force the player to lay back or otherwise thread the second shot between them into the exact place one does not want to be - the middle of the fairway - given the horseshoe green that is magnified by the front-middle bunker and vertical spine in the front half of the green.  The ideal approach angle, depending on the pin placement, would require the second shot to carry over or at least flirt with either bunker.  

Their strategic merit is easy to overlook given the fantastic green complex.  

Mike

[Matthew Delahunty]

Royal Melbourne East 17

Diagonal necklace of cross bunkers which really make the golfer think about going for the green in 2, or if laying up, whether to (a) carry the traps down the left or lay up (b)short or (c) right.

[gookin]

18 at Oakmont.

[TEPaul]

Muirfield's #8 and #9!

And perhaps one of the most perfectly placed fairway bunkers I've ever seen is on the left side of the drive zone on #6.

[Michael Dugger]

The last two at Baltusrol come to mind.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

#16 @ Plainfield. It looks like the back of a wave when looking back at it from the green.

#9 at Inniscrone is another that gets me really feeling daring.