[Andrew Simpson]

The bunkers on my home course have riveted faces but there was a plan by our greenkeeper to change the faces to sleepers to something like this and this is one done as an example,

The course is fairly traditional and some faces are 4-5 feet high, I think they would look too harsh and unnatural but a bit of me thinks they are quite tidy and would cut back on our limited time for upkeep.
Would they be a good or bad thing?

[Bill_McBride]

How windy is the course typically?  Is the soil sandy?   Sleepers are great for keeping bunker sand and walls in place. 

[David_Tepper]

Based on what I have seen, revetted/stacked-sod bunkers require a fair amount of both recurring and annual attention.
 
The faces of revetted bunkers need to be swept clean of sand that is thrown up against them. Grass and weeds that grow thru the faces of the bunkers need to be removed.

Clubs in Scotland seem to use the winter months to repair/replace the sod walls that have deteriorated over time.

Seems to me the biggest risk of timber/sleeper lined bunkers is a poorly hit bunker shot that ricochets off the wall and hits somebody hard.    

[BHoover]

I much prefer the look of the bunkering at Royal County Down (which one poster described earlier this summer during the Irish Open as "scruffy little sand pits") to the revetted bunkering seen at many courses in Scotland. I thought the bunkering at RCD looked much more rustic, natural, etc. than the revetted bunkers, which seem too artificial, at least in my opinion.

Full disclosure, I am basing this view solely from watching the courses on television. I have no clue how they play.

[Andrew Simpson]

Bill, we are on the North East coast of Scotland, it's windy.
David, We used to have rebuilds over the winter but unfortunately there has been Zero maintenance done in the last 2 years, not totally sure if it's just the GKs sheer laziness or if it was to make the sleepers look more attractive. The ricoshet could be a problem too!
Brian , I like the natural/scruffy look too and some of our bunkers could suit that style but the depth of some and the position in the wind would't suit others.

[Niall C]

Andrew


For what it's worth I think it looks awful, particularly in the smaller scale you have at Wick. I'm also surprised to see it as it's a safety hazard as David suggests. I suspect your young greenkeeper got the idea from Castle Stuart however at CS, from what I remember, the use of sleepers if effectively in off play areas and not actually anywhere it will do damage.


I'd also question whether the maintenance is any less as you still need to trim the grass round about them and eventually the wood will rot and need replacing, unless of course you use a preservative which isn't all that environmentally sensitive in that kind of environment I'd have thought.


David


I've said before but I reckon that in the old days a lot of older links not on the A list got by with renewing their revetting a lot less often than the Open rota courses and the like do now. Personally I think there was a bit of a sea change when TOC got put on the rota every 5 years and they renewed the revetting for each Open, and as a consequence a lot of links courses followed suit. Perhaps the UK's equivalent of the Augusta effect.


Niall

[Mark_Rowlinson]

There's a famous sleepered bunker at Sandy Lodge. Markes, the founder and owner, experimented with the angle of the sleepers so that a ball wouldn't escape if not hit well enough and yet would bounce back over the head of the golfer into the sand.

[Sean_A]

I am in Niall's camp, the bunker is too small for sleepers.  I also think his 5 year redo plan for revetted bunkers is overkill.  I really like eroded revetted bunkers.  We need to stop being so precious about our courses.





Ciao

[Ally Mcintosh]

I really like eroded revetted bunkers.

If there was one of those "huge round of applause" emoticons, this is where I would use it.

[Niall C]

Absolutely agree. Links should look scruffy round the edges IMO with nice tight turf on fairways and greens.


Niall

[Andrew Simpson]

I am Niall's camp, the bunker is too small for sleepers.  I also think tis 5 year redo plan for revetted bunkers is overkill.  I really like eroded revetted bunkers.  We need to stop being so precious about our courses.





Ciao

I can agree with that and to be honest they are near that at the moment.
The problem was when the grass was 18" long before being cut a month ago!

[Niall C]

Andrew


Was that by choice or was that due to resourcing ? I have to say your guy appeared to be well on top of the job when I was their earlier in the year. In fact I think commented on the other thread how good the condition and set up was compared to other nearby courses.


Clearly your guy is looking to experiment and use some of the ideas he picked up at CS and elsewhere and while not all will work fair play to him for trying.


Niall

[Jon Wiggett]

Andrew,

I like both looks though agree with Sean that we are often over manicuring courses in GB&I these days. I am very surprised that the grass growing out of the riveted faces is 18" long, never seen that. I can assure you that James is not lazy and am surprised that you suggest such. How many GKs (All year & seasonal) do you have looking after your 18 hole course at Wick?

Jon

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