How Do You Deal With Different Bunker Conditions?

[David in FL]

I don’t expect the same lie, let alone a perfect or consistent lie if I’m in the middle of the fairway.  Why should a bunker be any better?

I simply deal with it as best I can.

[Killa]

2 hours ago, David in FL said:

I don’t expect the same lie, let alone a perfect or consistent lie if I’m in the middle of the fairway.  Why should a bunker be any better?

I simply deal with it as best I can.

It’s not about the lie. It’s also not about bad bunker conditions. I can deal with concrete bunkers, I can deal with fluffy bunkers. I can’t deal when I’m in a fluffy bunker on one hole, then a concrete in the next and then on the next hole one that looks and feels like concrete but plays like a fluffy one or vice versa. 

[David in FL]

18 minutes ago, Killa said:

It’s not about the lie. It’s also not about bad bunker conditions. I can deal with concrete bunkers, I can deal with fluffy bunkers. I can’t deal when I’m in a fluffy bunker on one hole, then a concrete in the next and then on the next hole one that looks and feels like concrete but plays like a fluffy one or vice versa. 

One fairway is firm, another wet.  One area of rough is long, another bare.  It’s all part of the game. 

At least as I see it. 

[Typhoon92]

What bums me out is I used to be a good bunker player.  Probably still am but our bunkers used to be fine.  The thing is they fixed 2 of them by making them less than half the size they were and making them more of a pot bunker to save the sand from being washed out.  This could be done in half our bunkers.

 

Just the other day we were walking up #8 and I was pointing out to my friend Frank where the bottom edge of the bunker used to be.  It  is now 8-10 feet past that due to wash out.

[Patch]

28 minutes ago, Killa said:

It’s not about the lie. It’s also not about bad bunker conditions. I can deal with concrete bunkers, I can deal with fluffy bunkers. I can’t deal when I’m in a fluffy bunker on one hole, then a concrete in the next and then on the next hole one that looks and feels like concrete but plays like a fluffy one or vice versa. 

Conditions change from hole to hole, and course to course.

Golf has always been a game of adjustments during a round of play. 

[CharlieB]

This year I went away from the Ping SW that came with my set. I bought a Vokey SM6 in 54*-08 M grind for hard pan bunkers and a 58*-12 in K grind for deep sand bunkers. It seems to have helped me, as I usually get out on my first try.

[gbogey]

On 9/13/2019 at 4:36 PM, NavyDave said:

Bunkers are my nemesis, and firm sand is the worst of all.

 

Are you saying you would approach playing the ftim sand shots like you would from from the grass? I'm assuming a softer strike and let it pop out and roll on? These shots have always eluded me.

No actually the opposite - with firm sand you have to give it a good thump behind the ball so that the club won't bounce off the surface of the bunker.  Hitting it firm takes away a lot of distance control and the ball rolls more, so my expectations are lower.

[saevel25]

Lots of sand - You have to be the most precise with your contact point. I almost feel like I want to pick the ball clean. 
Right amount of sand - You got more leeway. I play this like a normal pitch shot. I try to hit the sand about half an inch behind the ball. 
Little sand - I just assume the ball will come out a bit lower with more spin and make the adjustment on landing point. I tend to hit it like a normal bunker shot. 
 

[NavyDave]

17 hours ago, gbogey said:

No actually the opposite - with firm sand you have to give it a good thump behind the ball so that the club won't bounce off the surface of the bunker.  Hitting it firm takes away a lot of distance control and the ball rolls more, so my expectations are lower.

Didn't  realise this. Thanks for the advice. I've got a round tomorrow and given the usual standard around South London I'm guessing most of the bunkers are going to be bare, stoney pits I'll probably have to give it a try! 

[David in FL]

On 9/14/2019 at 5:43 PM, gbogey said:

No actually the opposite - with firm sand you have to give it a good thump behind the ball so that the club won't bounce off the surface of the bunker.  Hitting it firm takes away a lot of distance control and the ball rolls more, so my expectations are lower.

Interestingly, I find firm (not rock hard) sand to be much easier to control my distance from than very soft.  I also find it easier, not harder, to spin shots.

[Shindig]

I hit two greenside bunkers today and, to my surprise, they both had sand in them (not at L.A. City course evidently).  I hit one to 18' and the other to about 10'.  So maybe it's the lack of sand that's my issue.  OR maybe what I think is lack of sand in L.A. city is actually firm sand and that means I need to learn something or another, like @gbogey's technique from above. 

[RichWW2]

A few of the courses I play pretty regularly have some "bunkers" that are entirely dirt.  No sand anywhere in sight.  In those instances where it looks like the course has abandoned any upkeep on them, my group will usually just drop in the grass behind the bunker.  I imagine if courses wanted to save money, filling in bunkers they aren't going to maintain would be a good start? I get it's supposed to be a greenside hazard, but thick rough would probably give the same penalty without nearly the cost of upkeep.