Overbunkering at Sebonack?

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Somebody brought up the point that the course appears to be over bunkered.  Depending upon what the intent of the bunkers were meant to perform, this is probably true in places or maybe there are not enough bunkers.  From a perspective of using a line of instinct vs. line of charm strategy, then both the 3rd and the 9th are overbunkered.  In fact, I would venture to say that the 9th would play tremendously better without a fairway bunker dictating the appropriate line of the tee shot.  Unfortunately, my pictures did not come out well, and am in short supply, and am missing the 9th.  I contend, without fairway bunkers, that most skilled players would drive down the right side and find themselves blocked out for an ideal approach.  Currrently, the good player hits middle left and ends up with the ideal line, since the bunkers take away the temptation to be greedy and cut off more than advisable.

This is the 3rd hole, and the left bunkers force the tee ball out to the right for an ideal angle of attack. 

[Tom_Doak]

Well, I guess it depends what you mean by "overbunkered". 

There are certainly more bunkers than we needed to define the lines of play.  I don't know how many bunkers I dug on holes to start with, but Mr. Nicklaus added quite a few and didn't take very many out, and Mr. Pascucci might have suggested a couple as well.  [For one, there is a bunker to the left of the 6th fairway that mysteriously appeared a couple of years ago while I was away.]

But, it should also be considered that Sebonack consists of just four landscape elements -- trees that had to be preserved, native grasses that had to be restored and tend to be very thick, short grass, and open sand.  From that perspective, I would contend that Sebonack already has plenty of trees, plenty of native grasses, and plenty of short grass, so I don't mind that there is as much sand as there is.

Two of the bunkers added by Mr. Nicklaus were at the par-5 9th [which is the 8th hole for the tournament this week].  The fairway bunker in the left-center was an impossible carry for any of the women I watched from the tee as marked [they may move it up on the weekend], but the little bunker to the left front of the green did catch a couple of second shots, and caused the longer hitters to re-think how they wanted to play the hole.  I always thought the hole would be fine without the left-center fairway bunker, because even if it wasn't there, you would have landed into a crowned upslope and had a heck of a stance for your second shot ... but I got out-voted on that one. 

As for the third hole, depicted above, being way out to the right is only the best angle of attack to front hole locations.  Where the flag is on the green, I'd love to be as far left as I could be on the tee shot.  I have even played down that alley to the left of the bunkers, but I doubt you'll see anyone do that this week, on purpose at least.

[Ronald Montesano]

Hogan would have played up the alley...four straight days...then kicked Chuck Norris' arse.

I don't know what the short-grass-to-sand ratio is, but it seems proper to me.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Doesn't the direction and velocity of the wind dictate play off the tee on this hole ?

[Tom_Doak]

Doesn't the direction and velocity of the wind dictate play off the tee on this hole ?

Well, some.  In truth, the bunkering is also a bit deceptive.  If you are long enough, you are probably better off playing way out to the right for some hole locations ... almost along the tree line from the middle tee, because the ball will roll pretty far to the left in the landing area.

[ed_getka]

I haven't seen the course since I walked it during grow in, but doesn't 3 green tilt away from you a bit if you are approaching from the right?

[Tom_Doak]

I haven't seen the course since I walked it during grow in, but doesn't 3 green tilt away from you a bit if you are approaching from the right?

Yes.  A little bit of it drains out the right front, but a lot of it drains out the back left.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Tom Doak,

Unfortunately, the photos don't give the viewer the true nature of the bunkers in terms of their depth.

With the right wind and a nice draw, you can use the right side as a "turbo-boost" to get more yardage off the tee.

Hole location can dictate which type of approach is played.

It's a neat hole that requires thought and execution.

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

I have experienced the right side turbo-boost.  My contention is that the player would be lured into taking a more direct line if the fairway bunkers were absent.  the back left pin is best approached from the left due to the severe middle section of the green which would tend to bound balls strongly to the left from right side approaches. Also, the fairway bunkers actually make the tee shot easier because they frame the ideal shape of the tee shot. 

[Mark McKeever]

Tom,

Is there any reason to play down that smaller left side fairway?  It looks like a tough angle from down there over that daunting green side bunker.

MM