Transitioning of Bunker Maintenance ‘Ideals’

[Lyne Morrison]

Gentlemen,

Expanding the thread on bunker maintenance expectations and playability I would be keen to hear feedback from anyone who has undertaken or experienced a transition of maintenance practices – i.e. reducing detailed trimming / adopting naturalised edges etc.

Has your club committed to move away from finely trimmed bunker edges and friendly surrounds to a more naturalised state so as to provide for a less intensive and less costly maintenance regime ?

As a golfer have you been able to reconcile the goals of such an initiative with your experience and enjoyment of playing the course ?

As a super I expect there would be some challenges particularly with regards varying expectations - how did you travel through this process ?

As a committee member what did you learn from undertaking such an initiative ?             

With thanks – Lyne


With regards conceptual examples, each of the following is outstanding in its own right – but the approach to bunker and surrounds maintenance varies, impacting both play and the bottom line.

 


Hidden Creek #11

 


Huntingdon Valley #4

[Jeff_Brauer]

A question for the supers here....are the jagged edge bunkers really any less to maintain than the smooth edges?

I tend to believe the cost is mostly in keeping the middle of the bunkers "perfect".  And from that perspective, I am not sure there is a huge cost difference in either photo above.  They both slope about the same, have the same amount (i.e., very little) surface water coming in them. HV has whiter sand, which may lead to more contamination issues.  It also looks like it would be easier to rake with a machine, rather than by hand, although there is argument there that hand raking is almost as quick, and much better results wise.

As always, I could be wrong......

[Lyne Morrison]

Just to clarify – in addition to edge treatments perse, when looking at the bigger picture I’m interested in comment from those who may have incorporated existing bunkers into broader areas of naturalised rough as a conscious move away from intensively maintained ground.

Cheers - Lyne

[Eric Morrison]

Both need raking, weed control, insect control, mowing surrounds...bunkers in second pic you can use a mower...first pic all by hand. probably need growth regulator on ragged edge bunkers to keep that look. Bottom line...bunker maintenance has come a long way and costs money...

[Carl Rogers]

Isn't it axiomatic that severe deep bunkers require a higher standard of maintenance just so the golfer can escape it?  Unless your objective is to torture the golfer.

A shallow bunker (it seems to me) can be let go into a 'waste area' much easier.

[David Smolensky]

In my previous life I dealt with issues relating to product design, product quality, the cost of producing that product, and customer satisfaction during the useful life of that product.  As an engineer in a Fortune 500 company it was my department’s responsibility to first provide a product that the customer wanted to buy, that was perceived to be a value to that customer and be high quality.  In order to walk this tight rope I relied primarily on facts….data.

As additional background I spent 12 years as a Board Member at my Club and 6 years as Greens Chair during the 30 years I’ve played golf.  Everything golf interests me.  So, I understand the issue to be:

Has your club committed to move away from finely trimmed bunker edges and friendly surrounds to a more naturalized state so as to provide for a less intensive and less costly maintenance regime?

As a golfer have you been able to reconcile the goals of such an initiative with your experience and enjoyment of playing the course?

As a super I expect there would be some challenges particularly with regards varying expectations - how did you travel through this process?

As a committee member what did you learn from undertaking such an initiative?
Looking at the photos the following is obvious;

1.    The bunkering around the green and outside of the fairway edges are left natural at Hidden Creek while all the green side bunker are manicured at Huntington Valley. 

2.   Hidden Creek has 3 bunkers and Huntington Valley has 7 green side bunkers (tough to make an apples to apples comparison)

If we assume that both clubs spend equal time (cost) maintaining the center of the bunkers then one could/would also assume that 3 bunkers (of equal slope to 7 bunkers) are going to have a lower cost base.  Further we need to factor in the cost of detailing the 7 manicured bunkers at Huntington Valley vs. a straight line fairway cut to the green as is the case at Hidden Creek. 

Manicuring by definition calls for detailing (trimming edges and hand mowing or weed whacking) a product and suggests more time, quality and perhaps cost input to the product.  Should there be doubts as the this very simple analysis I would suggest that anyone interested in making a change from one concept to the other evaluate the maintenance cost as measured in man hours ($) for a month for each “look” then make the decision. This needs to be done on the same green as to eliminate differences found in different green complexes or turf conditions.

Oh…….forgot the customer satisfaction point of view.  It’s been my experience that members are in awe of the natural look but not really interested in playing on it regularly.  They simply do not want to look for balls or advance them only a few feet due to these conditions.

Regards
Smo
“World’s Fastest Golfer”