What to do with stones in bunkers

[Kvarn1]

Hi all,

A few years ago, I joined a golf course (Woodhall Spa). Loved every moment of it, challenging course. It's a solid 9/10, but the one thing that lets it down is the number of stones in the bunkers.

I'm wondering if anyone else has had an experience with stones in bunkers and what their course did to rectify it, if anything.

 

[rulefan]

As they are Loose Impediments, just move them.
If you are asking what the club can do - filter the stones from the sand or change the sand. Both of which take time and a lot of money.

 

[KenL]

I expect they are coming up from the ground and not in the sand. Difficult to stop long term without a lining of some sort. They bring their own problems though.

 

[Mandofred]

Plenty of small rocks in ours....it's a pain. The bigger ones I pick and throw into the bushes. I tend to think that this type of sand is cheaper to buy so.......

 

[Shooter McPowick]

I played the Hotchkin last year and was genuinely shocked at the amount of stones in the bunkers - my 54 degree wedge still wears a huge dent on the toe. I appreciate that there’s so many bunkers the expense would be astronomical but I can’t help but feel it’s a cop out as some are just about as big as golf balls. At least try and sieve the bigger stuff out!

It’s an incredible course but I felt it soured the experience. They need to be lined but you’re talking millions to do them all.

 

[Mandofred]

The rocks in the sand at both my courses aren't because the traps aren't lined, they just bought cheaper sand that has bits of larger rock in it. I get it, kind of.....getting the best sand costs more and around here would possibly just blow away.

 

[Voyager EMH]

We have member volunteer workers days throughout the year. Mostly the retired geezers and geezeresses.
We like our greenkeepers to spend their time doing more important/skilled stuff than litter picking, sand sieving or divot hole filling.
Rarely see stones in ours. I think that is because most members, like me, pick them out and chuck them. I would think greenkeepers do this as well when deep-raking.

 

[rulefan]

The rocks in the sand at both my courses aren't because the traps aren't lined, they just bought cheaper sand that has bits of larger rock in it. I get it, kind of.....getting the best sand costs more and around here would possibly just blow away.

Hadn't thought of Harrogate as being an especially windy area and hadn't noticed stones as a particular problem on any of the courses.

 

[jim8flog]

They come up from the ground in some of our bunkers (and on the fairways on 2 holes) occasionally some of them are the size of half a brick.

The ground is sandstone.

Sadly a new head green keeper a few years ago decide to rotavate the bunkers and brought loads to the surface. We had tried this previously and realised the problem it creates so stopped doing it.

 

[jim8flog]

We have member volunteer workers days throughout the year. Mostly the retired geezers and geezeresses.
We like our greenkeepers to spend their time doing more important/skilled stuff than litter picking, sand sieving or divot hole filling.
Rarely see stones in ours. I think that is because most members, like me, pick them out and chuck them. I would think greenkeepers do this as well when deep-raking.

Our previous manager stopped volunteers from working on the course on Health and Safety and liability insurance grounds.

 

[Mandofred]

Hadn't thought of Harrogate as being an especially windy area and hadn't noticed stones as a particular problem on any of the courses.

It can be, although nothing like some courses that are really exposed. The sand at Oakdale they have had for 3? years or so now...the sand is mixed with a lot of slightly larger bits. These bits are all over the greens since they fly a lot further than just sand. When I'm looking at my putts I'm looking for these little bits. If they had a sifter I guess it would be fairly simple (although horribly time consuming) to screen out those bigger pieces. At Ripon I regularly pick up 1/2 to 1 inch rocks and toss them. When I was at Knaresborough I think they had put in some sand with larger grain because they were losing some sand on the windier days.

It's N Yorkshire....not as windy as some places.....let's call it very breezy