Chris,
What purpose do the left bunkers serve on the 5th hole. It would seem all they would do is save a poorly executed tee shot from a worse fate.
Why not just let the balls run out and get stymied by the tree?
I have never seen the hole in person but they would seem to be nothing more than framing and/or savior bunkers.
Great question
This hole changed the most of any on the course and I think is a great example of width in golf. One thing that can't be seen very well is that the creek that crosses in front of the green continues as a hazard all along the right side of the hole and driving zone. Also, if you carry the right bunker (270) from the tips slightly downhill, and go just a little right you have a series of humps and bumps (existed before the renovation) that can give you a squirley lie. It is a better angle but tougher lie.
The two left fairway bunkers are meant to deceive a golfer. This fairway is some 70 yards wide. I believe that the best way to "trick" a better player is to not frame or define small targets for them. (The 13th hole is another example but that is another story).
By providing a huge fairway I hope to give the regular player plenty of room on a tough hole and I hope to lull the better player to sleep. They see all kinds of room and may just end up "playing safe" to the distant bunkers on the left that look lie a good place to hit it. Both bunklers are about 300 yards from the tee so it is hard to reach them which is another reason a better player may just hit it over there. Anything at those bunkers or left (where there is still more room) is blocked out (a little) by the large hardwood tree (the r.i.t.f.w) one
A player would have to try and hit it over (very difficult) or play a substantial draw to get around the branches. Also, the green contour has two very large internal mounds on the inside left of the green that make the approach from the left difficult.
This is a 9400 sq. foot green described as a "potato chip" by Mike. First third influenced by the two internal mounds pushing everything right and short. The middle section that carries the humps is pretty level and then the back portion has a back right shelf and a back left area that turns back to the left. A back left hole location can allow a player who carries the ball deep into the green to actually feed a ball back and left to the hole.
I'll post a few pictures that may show some of the roll of the greens even better.
So, the left bunkers are really meant to catch the better players' eye as the last thing he glances at as he subconsciously tries to avoid the hazard and bunker on the more aggressive right side play. Also, by giving such a wide target a (right handed) golfer that overswings on a long hole may pull his shot to the left and again find himself in the worst spot to approach the hole from.
The last thought is that Mike and I really tried to avoid the type of hole where the "correct line" is obvious. We prefer to let the player decide what may be best for them. So on #5 while I may think the ideal line is to play just slightly over the left hand side of the right bunker some players who don't want to risk the bunker or the uneven lie on the right or the right hazard may prefer the safety of the wide bail out left even if it means having to play a great shot over, around or maybe under the tree on the approach shot. Also, the hole location may dictate how much risk one needs to really take off the tee. With a front right hole for example, a three wood safely left may be the play.
Hope this explains a little what we were thinking
Oh--I think someone asked about the grasses:
Tees are diamond zoysia, Fairways are 419 Bermuda and Greens are a blend of A-1 and A-4 bent. Broomsedge, Indian grass, little blue fescue, foxtail, spartina, tall fescues, assorted hard and chewing fescues, scotch broom, switch grass, lovegrasses, native azaelas all over the rest of the course.