Hello and welcome to TST! Have you read through this thread?  

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.

Day 2 thoughts: Bit of a slog today. 2 of my group missed the cut and it was obvious at about hole 12. They were pretty down, and it wasn't as fun as a group of guys who were playing pretty well. They complained about the course a decent amount. Somewhere, Doak is clacking and rolling a blunt. The main complaint was that you couldn't fly the ball to a hole and get it to stop. I think they had some reasonable points (the par 3 greens out here are a little too severe for a 220+ yard holes), but damn. Just because you can't stop the ball right at the hole doesn't make it a good hole. Sometimes, par is a good score. I think the guys today weren't as good as the ones yesterday. They played worse overall, but they were also shorter that the guys yesterday and didn't make many birdies. Hard to tell when you just have 18 holes with them, but it was interesting. Mind you, it was pretty small margins, but it was there. 1 of my guys is through to match play. 2 other guys are in the playoff tomorrow (18 for 6 spots). A couple of photos. Not great quality, since I'm technically not supposed take pictures and I was trying to be somewhat surreptitious.

Day 7 Worked with my 58° on getting the ball to stop as soon as it hits the ground.  Starting to understand how to open up the face.  Spent about 15 minutes on this.  

Some of the courses near me, this is the only kind of bunker that they have. It's pretty much either mud or rocks, and it is rare to see people hitting out of them. Generally the only people that do are those that are new to the game and are "playing it as it lies" (which is a good thing), but haven't learned that it isn't worth the damage or frustration. The people that know what to expect are used to putting it with the bunker they landed in between them and the hole. I don't think this is bad etiquette, more just common sense and frustration control. I suppose if you are playing on a course like this and its in a league or tournament, it would be different, but I even play a small betting game where not playing the bunkers is standard procedure on those courses, even though the rest of the way is "real golf" as the guy that runs the game calls it. For me, my worst problem is hitting up on people. I don't do it often, and never on purpose, but sometimes when someone is really slow in front of me, I put a little extra pepper on a shot because I am mad, and it can get within 15 yards or so of them. This has happened 2 times this year, and after the round I made sure to find them in the parking lot/club house and apologize. I've been hit up on before when the course was packed, and it isn't fun, so I try to make it right with them.