Unraked Bunkers

[Terry Lavin]

Those grass bunkers look great at Huntercombe, but if placed on American parkland courses (for example) would probably look forced, overly quirky and out of place. Point being, like many design features, grass bunkers have their place but not every place.

[Ryan Coles]

maybe it is not about laziness but about sporting challenge.

I for one think that bunker maintenance has become OTT and that bunkers at many courses have lost their relevance as they are often easier to play from than if they weren't there.


Jon,

I'd agree.

I'd much prefer to be in a greenside bunker than greenside rough.

I've always advocated for grooming on a needs basis, not a daily basis.

I think Robert Ranquist's bunker treatise should be required reading.

The cost of daily bunker maintenance is significant.

And, I would add, what's the incremental benefit you get from daily maintenance ?
Is it worth the cost ?

A prudent needs basis would seem to be ideal.

A bunker is a hazard that to a great degree has lost a good deal of it's effectiveness, first with the sand wedge and then with the lob wedge.

I'd be interested in reading this thesis/white paper if anyone has a link?

[Jon Wiggett]

Jason,

Why do you presume that I am posting as a greenkeeper when I could just as easily post as a golf professional, sports psychologist,  golf course owner or maybe golf course builder if this will make me less lazy stupid and inefficient in your eyes. Indeed, I wonder what you are basing your opinion on?

The fact is bunkers are difficult for higher handicappers but easy for lower handicappers when raked and uniform. If left unraked they do not become appreciably tougher for the higher handicapper but do become much harder for the lower handicapper thus levelling the degree to which they are a true hazard.

You are correct on one point, I do not get the reason why anyone would post something that no one can read so it would be great if you could enlighten this lower intellect as to why you did it.


Good examples Thomas. I personally feel such features offer a more rounded challenge to all players.

Terry, do you mean that courses in the US are inherently unable to carry as great a degree of diversity than in the UK?

Jon

[AKikuchi]

I'd be interested in reading this thesis/white paper if anyone has a link?

It is an interview in three parts in the "Feature Interview" section of this site. Here's part one: http://www.golfclubatlas.com/feature-interview/bob-randquist-cgcs-part-i-november-2004/

[Steve Okula]

BC,

Yip, I really can't see that much need for sand bunkers on inland courses when you can have humps and hollows like these -

Huntercombe


Minchinhampton Old


and often made like this


atb

That's cool, but if maintenance is the issue, you won't save much over sand bunkers. All those little movements will require a lot of hand mowing to keep in a playable state.

[Jon Wiggett]

Steve,

it is to do with challenge/function and not amount of maintenance. I guess that is what many fail to understand that GCA IS NOT about maintenance.

Jon

[Thomas Dai]

Steve,
it is to do with challenge/function and not amount of maintenance. I guess that is what many fail to understand that GCA IS NOT about maintenance.
Jon

I may not be in the 'business' but I go along with what Jon is saying. I also noticed in the excellent currently ongoing thread by James Boon regarding lesser known Scottish 9-holers that Jon's own course incorporates several very nice examples of grass bunkering, but sand bunkering isn't ignored. There is a place for both.

I fully appreciate that different parts of the world are different both from the temperature/rainfall/terrain/soil/etc perspective and also from the aspect of player expectations, but in general, I suggest that on inland courses sand bunkers are over-used and grass bunkers under-used. I would like to see that situation reversed.

From my perspective there is so much more vision, shot selection and ultimately skill needed - and enjoyment to be gained - from executing a quality shot from a grassy or short-grass pit, like those shown shown in the Huntercombe and Minch' Old photos, than there is a splash shot with a modern grooved SW/LW and a spinny ball from a sand bunker.

atb