The "Sand Trap Liner" thread made me think about some discussions I had about bunkers and bunker design. I personally
appreciate Paul Cowleys way of thinking when he designs and builds a golf course in relation to its maintenance. That is obviously a great
attitude to have and there should probably more of it in the business. But when he personally doesnt prefer to use liners (which isnt a bad thing),
and he lowers grass lines for the bunker edge where gravity works against the sand staying in place, is this designing more for the function
than the form? My point is this, what if a steep flashed face bunker was the appropriate design element for that bunker. The steep flashed face
served a real purpose in the strategy and playability of the hole (i.e. hiding the green surface, depth deception of the green, protecting the
green, you get the point). Would you try to do anything you could to pull it off? Or would you lower the grass line and build it with a grass face?
This reminded me of when I was working at Riviera and we started the renovations with Marzolf. I was all excited because I thought we would
try to bring back the look of the old bunkers had (that I salivated over in books). We started the first bunker which was the front right greenside
bunker guarding #3 green, and I asked Mr. Marzolf if we were going to bring back the old scallops they once had. His reply was no because
the weed eaters would just cut them off again. I was extremely disappointed and something felt wrong about it.
I dont think design should be so outrageous that is is so difficult for the super to maintain. But I also think that the design and the art of the
design should come first, with the maintenance adjusting itself to the design. If all design was completely maintenance friendly we would have
some bland golf course architecture.
I think form should dictate function in golf course design.