[Jordan Wall]

Why isnt this tactic used more?

I have lots of trouble with downhill, greenside bunker shots and they are so hard for me.

Am I the only one or do you guys think downhill, greenside bunker shots should be used more too?

[wsmorrison]

I'm not sure what you mean by downhill greenside bunker shots but you might be referring to bunkers above green level with the green falling away from you.  Flynn built rear greenside bunkers (greens usually sloped back to front) that made for difficult recoveries.  When many of these bunkers were made deep and steep it made recovery from the greenside upslope easier to play.  It also created near impossible recoveries from the rear downslope of the bunkers.  They should have been left shallow pits as was intended.

[Mike_Young]

On a hole requiring a short iron approach i have often had the floor of the bunker shaped where the lowpoint is on the greenside and the further from the green the shot is missed the more of a downhill lie one has.  Is this what you mean?

[Jordan Wall]

Notice the bunker directly in front of the green (behind the green from this angle) and notice how much above the green it is located.

It seems that most holes have bunkers below the green but very rarely above the green, hence the downhill bunker blast.

[peter_p]

One reason they may be more difficult is it is a shot seldom seen and its perspective by the player is very different from normal. Explosion shots need to be more precise on distance control because there is less roll.

[Doug Siebert]

Jordan,

I don't know where you are playing, but I don't think there's a shortage of such bunkers.  Or maybe I just manage find all I come across and it just seems that way.

I do really enjoy them, given the lack of challenge of most greenside bunkers on US courses, its really an interesting dilemma when I find myself in one, particularly if I'm short sided.  Its always an interesting question whether I should try to just barely carry it out of the bunker and risk leaving it behind but give myself a decent chance for an up and down, or just lump it and take my bogey with a two putt from 40 feet after playing it safe.

And don't worry Jordan, they give everyone trouble, even the pros.  Not that you'll see the pros in them that often, they avoid them like the plague.  Its fun to see the look on their face when they hit into one and pan back to the fairway to show the player's reaction.

[cary lichtenstein]

From my experience, there is a shortage of the bunkers that Jordan is talking about. I always liked that shot, it's fun and challenging and where appropriate, I'd like to see more of it.

It is especially fun when there is water on the other side

[Bill_McBride]

Cary, I was thinking about intimidating the shot must be from the bunkers behind #18 Bay Hill, #14 Muirfield Village and say #12 Augusta.  There are lots of other examples.  Very scary when the greens are stimping 12.........

[archie_struthers]

 

Jordan,

It might be that there is a dearth of these bunkers because of maintenance issues.

It is harder to drain them effectively and also they require lots of hand raking.

They are definitely challenging!

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