bunkers

[clubchamp07]

Whats the opinon of bunkers, should they be real hard hazzards or just something to avoid. I mean if you get into a bunker should u not have a shot or should u be in a bunker and still have a shot to the target? I love playing bunker shots I think they make u think more about ur shot than just a normal chip. The old cigar advert was great where the guy couldn't get his ball out so he lit up.
What's all ur thought's on bunker's?

 

[John_Findlay]

I think they should be real hazards...not something you aim at....like the pros do!

At my home course we have very steep riveted bunkers around raised greens on every hole. There's not a lip which is less than 4 feet high. Some are 8 feet high or more. If you just trickle into one then there's every chance your stance means that you're gonna be hitting out backwards or sideways. You can't reach any green from the fairway bunkers either because of the steepness of the faces. Isn't that how it should be? It's a penalty for an inaccurate shot.

A lot of our members moan that our bunkers are too severe. Tough luck. They're not the kiddies sand pits that most courses prefer. Learn how to play them, I say. It's part of the game.

 

[medwayjon]

I agree, It makes me think "whats's the point" when you see so many pros hitting rescue clubs 200yds onto the green from fairway bunkers.

There is a course near me which has a ridiculous amount of bunkers, around 75% of which are there for the sake of it as only the most inept of hackers would ever bring them into play.

They should most definately be a hazard.

 

[Junior]

I agree with Monty , He has always said that the penalty for going in a fairway bunker should be half a shot.

So if your game is good enough , you at least have a chance to get a up and down skilfully .

 

[BunkerMentality123]

I really enjoy bunker play, but what really gets my goat is when you find yourself in one and its full of gluey builders sand, where you have about as much chance of getting it out as I have of winning the Open.

By all means make them deep or whatever to create a real hazard, I admit you shouldn't hit the ball there in the first place, but if you do happen to land in one, mostly around the green in my case, where you've leaked the ball slightly or come up short, the least the club could do is put semi-decent sand in them instead of sub-standard stuff thats been thrown in to keep costs down.

Also really hacks me off when people can't be bothered to rake the bunkers as well. Nothing like being in a nice 3-4 inch hoof print!!!!

 

[RGuk]

I detest bunkers! not the greenside ones or well placed fairway stuff but courses that put them all over the place without considering the point. I turned down an invite to join the most prestigious club in my area because the bunkering drives me crazy.
The distance from tee should represent the driving distance from the whites for the good players and the yellows for the less good; i.e. in about the same place.
At this particular course they have also added (for some crazy reason) bunkers across the middle of the fairway 380-420 yds making lay-ups nigh on impossible. Now the good players are going to fly these, but it makes the conservative 3 shot strategy (for the club player) a nightmare. Also the hardest bunkering is on the long par 3s...did I miss something? - to leave a 10 yd gap into a 230 yd par 3 (when folks are taking woods) is just stupid.
I don't get it.....if you want to protect greens from good players (which I agree with) make the yellows further forward and give everyone a fair chance.

Dave

 

[Atticus_Finch]

I play at Carnoustie and I love them. Not being in them. But you know what I mean.

 

[Greenkeeper]

This is an interesting subject!
This is one of my pet hates, poor bunker placement and the unnecessary over use of bunkers. Its architecturally poor, the easy option. A good architect will make design hazards without reverting to sand all the time. Protecting greens with bunkers is again unintelligent design and actually course more problems. This only places pressure on the course manager to put excess water on the green to help soften the surface. This is then detrimental to the green and defeats the object of the bunkers in the first place.

A good bunker should be a hazard, one that gives us options, makes us consider our options, and plan our strategy to avoid it.

A poor bunker, is non punishing, gives us no option, and is strategically inept.

Cheers I feel better now!

 

[rgs]

I personally agree with Monty-bunkers should penalise a player-I have played his course in Carton House annd can attest that the bunkers are difficult.

I also beleive that in pro tournaments that the bunkers should not be raked from the start of play on thursday until play is finished on sunday-then we would see the best players trying to get up and down from shoe prints, "divots" etc would make them think twice about aiming for the bunkers, especially on US type courses where the fringe grass is more difficult than the greenside bunker.

 

[clubchamp07]

great point rgs about the pro's aiming for bunkers. The only thing the caddies don't use in a bunker is an Iron. If the pro's had to face some of the bunkers us guys had to play out of they wouldn't dare aim for them. The tour's dont even use rakes anymore their more like smoothing rakes.

 

[RGuk]

I wondered if anyone had an opinion about fairway bunkers on holes with OOB. There are two or three holes at my club where there is a bunker missing at driving distance on the side of the OOB. If they were there, they might well stop a reload after a small hook/slice. Also, I reckon the short par 4s would actually benefit from more bunkers, stopping the relentless bash it, find it, and stick it on the green approach to short holes. If there were plenty of traps on these short holes, it would reward the iron off the tee style.

Dave

 

[The_Squire]

I agree with the Monty quote about the half shot penalty and can tell you all from experience that he has done just that with the bunkers on his new course 'The Montgomerie' at my home club the Celtic Manor, although the bunkers on the other course 'The Roman Road' are still a very good test to your skills as they are very well positioned to catch the poor shots.