SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
We are in the process of rebuilding all of our bunkers (four year programme). There is going to be some controversy around the depth and steepness of face of many.
The faces are going to be built in a revetted fashion using recycled astroturf - the face of the bunkers will be very steep - and many will be deep - some a fair bit 'deeper' in the face than before.
The design and objective is that a ball going into a bunker close to the face will roll away from the face into the middle of the bunker. From maybe 2ft from a face the sand will be sloped up to the face and smooth raked to enable the ball to roll away from the face. But clearly sometimes it will not.
On Sunday I found myself about 20inches from the face of a new bunker - the sand had not been fully smooth-raked and so it hadn't rolled that far from the face. The face in front of me was maybe 3ft+ high and very steep - almost vertical to my eyes though clearly note actually. I nearly got it out. It pinged somewhere high on the face and went straight up in the air - then landed plugged about a foot from the face.
I could not get the ball out.
And eventually got on the green in three.
Now this sort of scenario I can see happening quite often.
Thoughts on this. Especially - if my ball is 20" from the face of a bunker with a 3ft face is that a tough shot so shouldn't expect to get it out. Any issues with any of the above.
I'm OK with it but can imagine many members are gong to be baffled and p'd off if they take 2, 3 or more to get out bunkers when previously they had a 'good' bunker game.
I know I just have to teach myself that if I am 20" from the face of such a bunker I just have to understand that to get out I MUST accelerate through the ball and accept the club hitting the face
Advice from links players especially welcome for getting out of links pot bunkers.
The faces are going to be built in a revetted fashion using recycled astroturf - the face of the bunkers will be very steep - and many will be deep - some a fair bit 'deeper' in the face than before.
The design and objective is that a ball going into a bunker close to the face will roll away from the face into the middle of the bunker. From maybe 2ft from a face the sand will be sloped up to the face and smooth raked to enable the ball to roll away from the face. But clearly sometimes it will not.
On Sunday I found myself about 20inches from the face of a new bunker - the sand had not been fully smooth-raked and so it hadn't rolled that far from the face. The face in front of me was maybe 3ft+ high and very steep - almost vertical to my eyes though clearly note actually. I nearly got it out. It pinged somewhere high on the face and went straight up in the air - then landed plugged about a foot from the face.
I could not get the ball out.
And eventually got on the green in three.
Now this sort of scenario I can see happening quite often.
Thoughts on this. Especially - if my ball is 20" from the face of a bunker with a 3ft face is that a tough shot so shouldn't expect to get it out. Any issues with any of the above.
I'm OK with it but can imagine many members are gong to be baffled and p'd off if they take 2, 3 or more to get out bunkers when previously they had a 'good' bunker game.
I know I just have to teach myself that if I am 20" from the face of such a bunker I just have to understand that to get out I MUST accelerate through the ball and accept the club hitting the face
Advice from links players especially welcome for getting out of links pot bunkers.