A course with no bunkers!

[Sam Krume]

Recently played Royal Ashdown Old course. A wonderful track that does not suffer due to lack of sand. The Heather and gorse and topography more than makes up for this. Does a golf course really need sand to be deemed as great.

[Jeff_Mingay]

I don't think so Sam; but, as you say, it definitely needs good topography. And, along with that, to consistently be in firm condition.

I've always been fascinated that Augusta National opened with 22 bunkers. I wrote an article for Golf Architecture magazine a few years ago arguing that they could take out more than a few of today's 44 and the course would be just as good. I can think of many other courses that would probably be just as good without bunkers, too ... St. Andrews-Old?

We're working on a restorative-based project at Fircrest Golf Club, in Tacoma, where I'm trying to do the same. A.V. Macan, the original designer, was an advocate of using as few bunkers as possible; his original plan for Fircrest had just over 50 bunkers. The topography is good enough at Fircrest - some links-like contour - that I'm trying to get away with using under 40 bunkers. But, really, Fircrest would probably be just as good without bunkers.

[Tom ORourke]

One of the courses on the RTJ Trail in Alabama (Hampton Cove) has zero bunkers. It is not a good thing. A good number of the greens have some elevation and once you miss them, or even hit near an edge, you just keep saying sit, sit, sit, until the ball ends up in the woods, or in a lake. Sand traps would make the course easier. I am a member at a club with a Bob Cupp course and seven of the holes do not have greenside bunkers, and there are less than 25 on the entire course. That kind of greenside setup works great as it gives you a myriad of chipping challenges throughout your round. But the lack of sand does not make a course easier or better. And I think well built bunkers add a lot of visual stimulation to a course.

[Ben Hollerbach]

As an advocate of sand free course, no it is not a requirement for a great course. But the challenge sand commonly presents will need to be re-introduced in other ways. If the course is blessed with great topography then the need for sand diminishes. In a lot of ways a combination of grass filled bunkers and shortly mowed chipping areas can create a greater challenge to the player around the green, but the lost of visual contrast my detract players from frequenting the course as it may look "unfinished". But if the challenge to the player is strong enough they might not even realize the sand is gone.

[Thomas Dai]

Sam,
Have you played Kington or Minchinhampton Old or Painswick or any other bunkerless courses?
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[Sam Krume]

Jeff - i don't know if you have played Royal ashdown but the turf has a wonderful feel to it and when ever I have played is always great.

Thomas - unfortunately I have only played Kington out of the courses you mentioned but I have to say I loved it. Minchinhamton old is a course that I have beeb meaning to visit but as of yet I have not been able to play it. Is it a course you know well?

[mike_beene]

I think Pinehurst #2 would be fine without bunkers

[Thomas Dai]

Sam,
Minch' Old is a real favourite of mine and I make a point of playing it a couple of times per year. Not just interesting golf playability, architecturally and maintenance wise IMO but also somewhere with a terrific feeling of space and tranquility. A real throwback to yee olde times. There is an excellent course photo tour of it by Sean including interesting contributions by others. If you type Minchinhampton into the search engine it should come up. The club website - www.old.minchinhamptongolfclub.co.uk - has numerous very high quality photos. The best time of year to play the course is probably April-May. And the cost is a bit of a steal at £15 high season on a County Card.
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[Sam Krume]

Thomas,
I have just taken your advice and been on the clubs website. Some great looking holes, especially some of the green sites (no. 11...) but the thing that's really tickled my fancy is, I can imagine that on a late May afternoon it would be somewhere special, somewhere very peaceful to play this wonderful game.

[Matthew Rose]

Pioneers in Lincoln, NE is a muni with no bunkers and only one water hazard.

Most of the green complexes are surrounded by mounds and hollows grown to rough height. I worked there briefly and nobody seemed to mind or talk about the "bunkerless" thing; in fact I played it several times before I even noticed it myself.

I think the concept works for the type of course that it is, which is a public muni on a hilly site that gets a ton of rounds, especially from novice players.

[Eric Strulowitz]

The River Course at the RTJ Golf Trail complex in Huntsville, Alabama has no bunkers.  It was RTJ's only bunkerless design

[Sean_A]

Sam

I am going to have to give RAF another go.  I was profoundly disappointed with the course on my only play a few years ago.  I likely had boosted expectations by a Doak 7 that I think considerably misses the mark.  Still, on a county card its good golf at a good price.  At £70 for full whack somebody is having a laugh.  

I am not convinced by the value of the bunkerless courses.  Its impossible for me to imagine any course couldn't benefit from at least a handful of pits.

Ciao

[Grant Saunders]

Arrowtown Golf Club

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,34305.0.html

There is absolutely zero need for the introduction of a single bunker on this amazing course.

[Sam Krume]

Sean,
Played it a couple of weeks ago for daily green fee of £45. I would be interested to hear what you felt let RAF down. To me the last hole is the only real let down on the course as I think it's just a weak finishing hole to such a lovely and natural golf course.

[Sean_A]

Sam

Yes, a winter rate is okay, but RAF in particular needs summer conditions to take advantage of the hilly site and fully zing.  

Yes, the last hole is dozy, but my issues with RAF are the high percentge of forced carries, blocked fairways and up n' down design.  For me, RAF is a Doak 4, certainly good enough to play many times, but at the summer rate I don't think the design affords good value.  RAF's calling card is no bunkers, so what?  Do you think the course would benefit from some bunkers?  Cut the green fee in half and now we have a green fee in line with the design.  Good course for sure, but nowhere near the top of the tree in England.

Ciao  

[Sam Krume]

Sean,
I dont necessarily agree regarding needing summer conditions, as the course was playing quite lively when we were there. The up n down as you say I think serves the site very well and gives rise to some  fantastic holes (IMO).,Just a very natural feel to the course

[David Minogue]

Jonathan Davison has a current project in the UK which will have no bunkers, would be interested to hear what is the thinking behind the project.

http://www.woolsingtonhallhotel.co.uk/

Cheers

[Jonathan Davison]

I should add, that is not the routing or masterplan for the project. That was produced by the landscape architect for the project at the beginning.
The no bunker issue came from English Heritage who didn't want to see any sand on the golf course, rather than fight them we decided to put forward a bunkerless golf course. I do not want to say too much on the project at the moment as it is going through the planning stages, hopefully we should know more in the next few months.

[Sean_A]

Sean,
I dont necessarily agree regarding needing summer conditions, as the course was playing quite lively when we were there. The up n down as you say I think serves the site very well and gives rise to some  fantastic holes (IMO).,Just a very natural feel to the course

Thats fair enough...its just that I thought a Doak 7 was very lofty praise for RAF. 

Ciao

[Sam Krume]

Sean,
I dont necessarily agree regarding needing summer conditions, as the course was playing quite lively when we were there. The up n down as you say I think serves the site very well and gives rise to some  fantastic holes (IMO).,Just a very natural feel to the course

Thats fair enough...its just that I thought a Doak 7 was very lofty praise for RAF. 

Ciao

Sean, when did you play RAF? I would on the doak rating give it, if I could 6.5, so taking the handicap theory I guess the 6.5 would have to rise to a 7!!

[Paul Dolton]

Berkhamstead has no bunkers but is very good. Although i think there was one on the practice area.

[Thomas Dai]

Any links courses without bunkers?
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[Mark Pearce]

Very difficult to see the point in a links course without bunkers given that it would, by definition, be on sand.  Most links land has natural blow outs, so in many cases the bunkers are there before the course.

[Thomas Dai]

Very difficult to see the point in a links course without bunkers given that it would, by definition, be on sand.  Most links land has natural blow outs, so in many cases the bunkers are there before the course.

I appreciate this but some links courses have very, very few bunkers, Perranporth for example, so I was just curious if there was a bunkerless links somewhere/anywhere. Unlikely maybe, but not necessarily a total impossibility. Similarly, inland courses built on sandy terrain with no bunkers.
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[Mark Chaplin]

Berkhampstead has a bunker on the practise green! Piltdown is another bunkerless Sussex course.