Less is more......single bunkers

[Kevin Pallier]

What are some of the best designed holes where "a single" greenside bunker dramatically influences the playability of the hole ?

Why are they so good ?

For mine:
Exhibit A = 17th TOC.......one can't help but think about the Road Hole bunker on virtually any approach to the green
Exhibit B = 8th Royal Liverpool. Try to go for the green in two means one probably has to flirt with the single front right bunker. Land in it & you have one tough bunker shot ahead of you.

Others ?

[Patrick_Mucci]

What are some of the best designed holes where "a single" greenside bunker dramatically influences the playability of the hole ?

Why are they so good ?

For mine:
Exhibit A = 17th TOC.......one can't help but think about the Road Hole bunker on virtually any approach to the green

It's not the single bunker at the "road hole" green, it's the configuration and angle of the green and more importantly, what's behind the green.
If the back of the green was fairway/rough, the front bunker could be ignored by overplaying the approach.

The same factors exist at the 7th green at NGLA

In order for a single bunker to be successful or critical to avoidance other factors must be present.

Exhibit B = 8th Royal Liverpool. Try to go for the green in two means one probably has to flirt with the single front right bunker. Land in it & you have one tough bunker shot ahead of you.

Others ?

[Jeff_Mingay]

Kevin,

Your question immediately brings the 2nd hole at Talking Stick's North course, in Arizona, to mind. Coore and Crenshaw laid out this par-5 - about 550 yards, I think - immediately adjacent to out of bounds left. A single greenside bunker right affects those who've shyed away from the boundary.

Very simple design, featuring a single bunker, which seems to work beautifully. 

[Sean_A]

What are some of the best designed holes where "a single" greenside bunker dramatically influences the playability of the hole ?

Why are they so good ?

For mine:
Exhibit A = 17th TOC.......one can't help but think about the Road Hole bunker on virtually any approach to the green

It's not the single bunker at the "road hole" green, it's the configuration and angle of the green and more importantly, what's behind the green.
If the back of the green was fairway/rough, the front bunker could be ignored by overplaying the approach.

The same factors exist at the 7th green at NGLA

In order for a single bunker to be successful or critical to avoidance other factors must be present.

Exhibit B = 8th Royal Liverpool. Try to go for the green in two means one probably has to flirt with the single front right bunker. Land in it & you have one tough bunker shot ahead of you.

Others ?

Pat

I agree with you, however, other factors are always present, just some aren't as meaningful as others. 

I like to cite Woking's 3rd as a great example of the single bunker dictating the approach and possibly the tee shot as well for the better players.  Of course, the green and fairway surrounds/shape works in conjunction with the bunker (just as with TOC's 17th), but that merely means that a good marriage of the two doesn't require multiple bunkering.  In other words, multiple bunkering can be used as a way to create a bit of variety/diversity rather than as a blueprint for the design of the course as often seems to be the case.

In a reverse sort of way, Turnberry's 8th was a great example of one fairway bunker dictating the tee shot decision and it was no accident the the 8th was one of the best holes on the course.  Of course now they have added more bunkering up the right which has altered the makeup of the hole.

Ciao

[Scott Warren]

Woking #3 as Sean said and Woking #11 as well, IMO.

Prince's #8 on the Dunes nine as well.

[Kevin Pallier]

.....but that merely means that a good marriage of the two doesn't require multiple bunkering

Sean

That's exactly my point - how often do we view a hole with a multitude of bunkers at the greensite and think surely some are superfluous ?

Patrick has raised some valid points re: the combination of the surrounds and that is what I am looking for. A combination where the strategy of the hole is simple visually yet so confounding at the green - in part - because of the placement of a lone bunker.

[Jaeger Kovich]

18th at Winged Foot West... the only green on the course with a bunker on only 1 side...

When there is only a bunker on one side of a Tillinghast green, that normally means you don't want to miss on the other!!!!