If rakes were never introduced... bunkers would be feared as hazards. Places to avoid at all costs. Not just a different condition where skilled players expect to get up and down 52. 8% of the time, or whatever their average is...
Of course, low index US country club players would howl if rakes were removed!
Funny story: I was a former Grounds Chair. We were about 1/3 finished with a full bunker restoration where we were rebuilding all of our bunkers as Charles Banks had originally built them. The new bunkers were deep with beautiful new, consistent sand. The old bunkers varied greatly and were in dire need of work, but we weren't spending any money on those. The scratch players were howling. They put one of their group, a good friend and 4-time club champ, up to calling me. We had a long phone conversation during which I basically side-stepped all of his complaints. He was frustrated that I was not agreeing with him (since I was a 3 handicap, he expected me to understand) and he finally said, "Bill, it's getting so bad that I'm standing in the fairway thinking: I better not hit it in the bunker." I didn't say a word and after 30 seconds he said: "I guess that's the point, eh?" I said, yup, it's a hazard, don't it it there!