Should bunkers be raked or should they be HAZARDS?

JustOne

JustOne

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Following on from the extreme golf course thread...

Should we rake bunkers orshould we all just play as the ball lies?. Thinking that you might land in the footprints of the last guy who dug his feet in might dramatically change the way we approach them.

I have to admit that it wouldn't bother me in the slightest.
 
Personally I think they should be raked. Most courses get a huge amount of traffic on a daily basis and so I think it would be harsh if you were out early and the greenstaff had been maintaining the bunker and you got a good lie and then went out later and coped an almost unplayable one. For a large majority of golfers who are only out to play an enjoyable game being in the bunker itself is punishment enough. If you start making the challenge too difficult the game will lose its appeal and clubs will lose members
 
I think they should be raked...
But on another note on the extreme if they were classed as hazards would that mean that the club could be grounded!
 
If they are not raked there will be a fight to tee off first every day !!
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Why? they wouldn't have been raked. No need to prepare them at all.

It would mean your greenkeepers could focus on other things... like nice greens and tees where you can actually start with a flat lie.

One of the things I like most about golf is creative shots, we all go on about how great Seve was and yet most people want the easiest ride possible... I think that's strange.
 
Bunkers would definitely have to be raked because if they werent they would look like a disgrace and for some courses well raked bunkers make it look great
 
Why not replace the bunkers with grass bunkers. Really lush thick grass about 5 inches deep. That'll make them a hazard.
I know I'm a lower middle order handicapper but getting out of bunkers is pretty straightforward if you read the books, watch the dvd's and copy. Its getting out to the place you want to be that's difficult. Try it next time if you struggle from bunkers. Just get it out - don't worry about where it goes just get it out. You'll make it more often than if you think about where it's going to finish.

To be honest it doesn't matter if you rake them or not - at most courses I've played there are sodding great hoofprints all over them anyway
 
Very odd OP. :D They have to be raked imo, the problem is getting all members to do it, and properly. I agree with Homer - if you make the bunkers too difficult, some people may just decide to jack it all in.
 
I quite like the idea of making them grass only... a lot less prep and just as tough. A 6 foot deep hole in the ground full of divots! Awesome.

I know a local course to me (Royal Ashdown) that has only grass bunkers and that's a fine track used for Open qualifying.
 
Interesting question and one that has been raised by a few top designers over the years. I'm in the camp that you shouldn't expect a perfect lie every time in a bunker and you shouldn't moan when you don't get one as they are hazards at the end of the day and you get what you get.

However I think the massive difference between getting a good lie and landing in a 3 inch deep heel print only a few inches away brings too much luck into it. I know you can argue that luck already plays a part but with bunkers round most greens it would be coming into play far too often.
 
If there was one rule in golf, one rule only, stuff the rest, would it not be simpler?

Play it as it lies. The one only rule.

Forget about raking bunkers, free drops, winter rules, plugged lies, golf as it was meant to be, men against sheep. Come on you pussies.
 
Doesn't make much difference to me, I was in 3 bunkers yesterday didn't get out of 1 first time...effing disgracefull :o
 
Doesn't make much difference to me, I was in 3 bunkers yesterday didn't get out of 1 first time...effing disgracefull :o
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I didn't find one at all yesterday. But going by the divots I was taking you'd have thought I was trying to create a few more.


Correction. Did find one on the 2nd hole. Got out of it OK but took about 3cwt of sand out with the ball. ;) ;)
 
The problem is that bunkers need to be maintained part of that is raking them if you did not maintain them you would end up with a big hole in the ground.

Our greenkeeper is of the opinion that parkland courses should not have bunkers he would like to replace them with grass bunkers much simpler to look after and you need just as much skill to get out of.
 
When you rake out a bunker are you allowed to remove stones from it, because they've been my biggest bug bear lately.

I think they should be raked though. Stop raking bunkers now, and it's stop replacing divots or repairing pitch marks next.
 
IMHO bunkers should be raked. Have been in plenty of footprints where they haven't been and it is really annoying!

Stones in bunkers are usually covered by a local rule so check the scorecard for the course to make sure it is there before removing them. Not all courses have this.

If you want tough bunkers try the ones at Royal County Down. Some of them you have to come out of backwards as the front overhangs part of the inside of the bunker and it is not physically possible to play out towards the hole. A lot also have the grass left to grow wild. Amazing course but tough if you end up in the sand.
 
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