What US Courses Have Bunkers that Pros Fear?

[Phil Benedict]

Ben Curtis was saying that pros don't care about hitting the ball in the bunkers in the US but need to avoid them at all costs at Royal St. Georges, where virtually every bunker is a bad place to be.  I think that's true of most Open Championship courses.

Oakmont and Winged Foot come to mind as places with tough bunkers but otherwise I can't think of too many US courses that present the kind of hazards the pros will be facing this week.

[Anthony Gray]

  I've always heard San Fransisco.

  Anthony

[J_ Crisham]

Fairway bunkers at Olympia Fields North are to be avoided. Even the pros did not hit midirons out of them. Deep with severe facings- good combination to complicate recovery shots.
                                                                                  Jack

[Richard Choi]

There is not a single course in US where the pros will prefer US Open rough over a bunker. Not even Oakmont or WF...

In fairness, the pros probably won't prefer US Open rough over most The Open rota bunkers, but The Open does not have rough like US Open.

[Carl Rogers]

7th Hole ANGC Greenside bunkers.  I remember several pros through the years say it is easy to get a buried lie in those bunkers.

[Sven Nilsen]

7th Hole ANGC Greenside bunkers.  I remember several pros through the years say it is easy to get a buried lie in those bunkers.

Interesting distinction between not being able to play out because of the depth of the bunker or height of the face v. having a buried lie.  I'd guess that the bunkers at 7 would present no challenge to the tour player if they had a decent lie.

Erin Hills used to have a greenside bunker on the old 4th that in places seemed like it was no more than 3 feet wide.  These ravine-like fingers necessitated playing away from the pin just to get out.

[Tim Martin]

I would think some of the bunkers at Bethpage Black would give the pros a shiver.

[Kalen Braley]

All of them...

..if you rake with an old style furrowed rake instead of the modern ones.  Jack did this at his tourney a few years back and the pros bitched and whined a ton!!

[Keith Doleshel]

The bunkers at SFGC are tough to be sure, but nothing that professionals would classify as punishing or fear inducing.  The ones at RSG on the other hand...nothing nice about those.  I would say that the one thing that the courses mentioned have in common are tough green complexes, which in turn make the bunkers a tough place to be.   

[Chris Flamion]

Doesn't Harbor Town have a couple of bunkers that are super small and nearly impossible to find a decent stance out of?

I have to believe that is one of the most troubling shots a standard tour pro can get in.  Impossible/unbalanced stance with a sand lie.

[Jay Kirkpatrick]

Doesn't Harbor Town have a couple of bunkers that are super small and nearly impossible to find a decent stance out of?

I have to believe that is one of the most troubling shots a standard tour pro can get in.  Impossible/unbalanced stance with a sand lie.

Steve Stricker says hello...

[Kevin_Reilly]

  I've always heard San Fransisco.

  Anthony

The hardest approach shot there is any second shot to #7, or perhaps now any second shot to #13, but other than those (which are difficult from a bunker or anywhere else greenside) I can't imagine any bunker there posing much of a problem for a professional. 

[Mark Chaplin]

Links greenside bunkers are no real fear for the pros unless they jst trickle in or get caught on the side wall restricting the stance. The real punishment is fairway pots where you cannot gain more that 50 yards unless lucky. Royal Troon has small shallow fairway bunkers but they are so small even with a two foot face you are too close to get any distance.

[Mark Johnson]

Bay Hill.

More driven by the sand that the design of bunker, but a buried lie or two always impacts the last round.

Also, though there hasnt been a tour event there for a while.  Shoal Creek.   I can remember several bunker there where you cant go anywhere near the pin.

[Jay Flemma]

All of them...

..if you rake with an old style furrowed rake instead of the modern ones.  Jack did this at his tourney a few years back and the pros bitched and whined a ton!!

I agree with Kalen.  Also, who was it that used to have the GCA tagline "I prefer dirty bunkers..." they were on to something...

[Andy Silis]

The touring pros would definitely be sniping big time if they still had the Western at Butler National....Just played there....You DO NOT

want to hit it in to the bunkers there.....Especially the fairway bunkers!!