Should golf do away with bunkers?

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

I occasionally play a course in upstate NY that has 1 bunker. And it's not really even in play. The course is very easy and the slope rating is very low.

[Gunther]

A course in my area has removed a bunch of bunkers in the past year in order to save $. Plenty remain but I think the course is much more playable now. Soft, deep bunkers are the most difficult for me. I noticed some were like that at Whistling Straits and even the pro's struggle with them, which made me feel not as inept. The groups I play with play the ball down in bunkers but if we get into footprints or other severe unnatural lies on a poorly maintained muni, we allow moving the ball or raking and placing. Gotta play plugged shots and the like but we do give that leeway to compensate for idiots who don't rake or maintenance issues. I enjoy bunker shots, both greenside and fairway, wouldn't want to play a course without them.

[Divotmaker77]

A few courses in my area are letting several traps grow in now because of budget issues.  They are mostly letting the fairway bunkers go and putting their money and effort into the ones around the greens. I love bunkers because I am really good hitting out of them, but it does get difficult when you are hitting off of hard dirt with no sand.  Course finally made them ground under repair spots because enough folks complained about them.

That said, I have seen more courses let their greens go because of budget issues and that is a complete no-no in my book.  Let your greens go and I no longer play there.  Course near my home I used to play all of the time has allowed their greens to get completely away from them and I have only played it once this year and told the shop I would not be back until they replace them all which basically means I won't play there again.  You can let your tee boxes and fairways go to an extent, but once the greens are shot I am done.

[Mr. Desmond]

Some architects, Jay Moorish comes to mind, use sand traps as a visual, when the course lacks hills, water, scenery, and that can lead to 100 traps, which are difficult to maintain. Instead, you can have mounds for visuals or sloping fairways, and slope/undulate the areas around the greens with rough complemented by tightly mowed areas to present challenges around the greens and minimize the number of traps so they are not omnipresent.

[Fourputt]

This is the type of bunker that I have the most trouble with.  I've taken 3 to get out of this thing before.  It's one of several similar bunkers at Fossil Trace that is more than 50 yards long, with soft sand.

[DeadMan]

Golf should not do away with bunkers, but there are a lot of courses that should cut down on how many bunkers they have. I agree with all of your points, but it's not a golf issue, that's an individual course issue. For what it's worth, I play almost exclusively mid-tier public courses (i.e., around $50 for a round), and I rarely run into traps that are truly terrible. It does happen, but it's pretty rare.

This is the type of bunker that I have the most trouble with.  I've taken 3 to get out of this thing before.  It's one of several similar bunkers at Fossil Trace that is more than 50 yards long, with soft sand.

Solution - lay up short of that bunker off the tee and then hit over it with your second shot. Just saying

[DaveP043]

This is the type of bunker that I have the most trouble with.  I've taken 3 to get out of this thing before.  It's one of several similar bunkers at Fossil Trace that is more than 50 yards long, with soft sand.

There's always the option of hitting sideways.  Of course, as long as I have the potential to go forward, I'm going to try it, and if I mishit it, I'll hit it again from the sand.  I got to play at Carnoustie a few years ago, and it felt like I hit into a dozen or more fairway bunkers.  In those, the only choice was sideways.  THEN into the greenside bunker, again come out sideways, and 3-putt for 7.  Its too tough for me!

Golf should not do away with bunkers, but there are a lot of courses that should cut down on how many bunkers they have. I agree with all of your points, but it's not a golf issue, that's an individual course issue. For what it's worth, I play almost exclusively mid-tier public courses (i.e., around $50 for a round), and I rarely run into traps that are truly terrible. It does happen, but it's pretty rare.

I agree, golf shouldn't get rid of bunkers, but certainly some golf courses should consider it as a cost-saving measure.  At my club we have a number of bunkers that have continually washed out, and are now classified as GUR.  When we have the funds to rebuild them into a more stable and maintainable configuration, we'll do it, but for now they're not maintained.

For what its worth, I believe good architects use bunkers not just to penalize a player, but to guide the player in how the hole should be played.  The staggering of bunkers can tell you to play a fade or draw off the tee, or to miss the green to one side instead of the "dangerous" side.  A bunker that a LONG ways off can be an aiming point in an otherwise featureless landscape.  Its fun to "read" the bunker placement and try to understand what the architect wants you to do.

[billchao]

Should courses get rid of all bunkers? No. As others have mentioned, they are used to protect greens, shape holes, influence shot decisions, etc. They can be an important part of any course. Sometimes I'll even use a bunker strategically. There's one par 3 I play often where the green is 30' above the tee box and the whole area is built on the side of a valley so there are all sorts of slopes everywhere. I aim to miss towards the bunker behind the green because it's the only place I'll get a clean lie if I miss the green. Where I feel bunkers need to be removed are the ones placed in spots that affect high handicap players more than better players. Also the courses with terrible bunkers that can't maintain them properly for whatever reason can probably do away with a few.

[Jon Hoover]

No, bunkers are a vital part of the game IMO. Plus with all the recent droughts in the west, you'll probably see a lot more being added as you don't need to water them.

[dkolo]

If sand traps were removed from golf courses what would happen to the sandtrap forum? :)

The Closely Mown Collection Area doesn't have as nice of a ring to it, does it? Haha

Think about how much money it would save the average golfer! Noone would need a sandwedge anymore.

Yeah, but in fairness, I use sandwedge for almost all of my pitching and about half of my chipping.

Should courses get rid of all bunkers? No. As others have mentioned, they are used to protect greens, shape holes, influence shot decisions, etc. They can be an important part of any course.

Sometimes I'll even use a bunker strategically. There's one par 3 I play often where the green is 30' above the tee box and the whole area is built on the side of a valley so there are all sorts of slopes everywhere. I aim to miss towards the bunker behind the green because it's the only place I'll get a clean lie if I miss the green.

Where I feel bunkers need to be removed are the ones placed in spots that affect high handicap players more than better players. Also the courses with terrible bunkers that can't maintain them properly for whatever reason can probably do away with a few.

Bunkers are fine, but courses where a missed green means you're in a bunker are just miserable to play. I'm also not crazy about fairway bunkers that require a PW or higher to get out of. Some of my most rewarding shots have been going for a green with a 5i or a hybrid out of a fairway bunker. Bunkers shouldn't mean you're boned on the hole, just that it's a tougher shot.

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

I honestly don't mind bunkers. I don't find myself in them often and I don't usually struggle to get out of them. My sand game is decent.

[Dave2512]

Golf courses need bunkers IMO it's a critical component to how golf is played. The problem isn't the bunkers it's usually lack of maintenance.

[Jeremie Boop]

Golf courses need bunkers IMO it's a critical component to how golf is played. The problem isn't the bunkers it's usually lack of maintenance.

Exactly, courses shouldn't have more bunkers than they can maintain to a reasonable level.

[saevel25]

Exactly, courses shouldn't have more bunkers than they can maintain to a reasonable level.

I would agree with this. I know a few bunkers on a local municipal that they filled in and converted to a grass bunker.

[HeGotGame]

What about using grass bunkers? I have played some courses that use grass bunkers instead of regular bunkers and I actually liked the idea and concept. Still played as a hazard. And there is nothing more frustrating that not knowing how the ball is going to come out. I played a bunker shot the other day and the sand looked great, but it was only about an inch deep and under that was clay and when I hit the shot, my club went through the fine sand, hit the clay underneath and my club just bounced really hard off it and shot my ball directly right. Talk about being pissed off! Bunkers just don't seem to be very well taken care of on most courses.

[DeadMan]

What about using grass bunkers? I have played some courses that use grass bunkers instead of regular bunkers and I actually liked the idea and concept. Still played as a hazard. And there is nothing more frustrating that not knowing how the ball is going to come out. I played a bunker shot the other day and the sand looked great, but it was only about an inch deep and under that was clay and when I hit the shot, my club went through the fine sand, hit the clay underneath and my club just bounced really hard off it and shot my ball directly right. Talk about being pissed off! Bunkers just don't seem to be very well taken care of on most courses.

What do you mean by grass bunkers? The way I imagine them - thick grass where the ball is likely to sit down - would led to a lot of lost balls. That causes a pace of play problem, which golf definitely does not need.

[HeGotGame]

What do you mean by grass bunkers? The way I imagine them - thick grass where the ball is likely to sit down - would led to a lot of lost balls. That causes a pace of play problem, which golf definitely does not need.

No, not thick grass bunkers, but just like a short rough, but the shape of bunkers and make them kinda deep to have to get up and out of like a bunker shot. Thats how the bunkers were set up on the one course I played and I really liked the concept as I at least knew what the shot was going to consist of. To many times these bunkers look fine, but under the top layer of sand is just terrible and you cant take a true bunker shot. To many inconsistancies in bunkers on courses these days.

[Duff McGee]

I was having a great round (for me) the other day and I landed in a sand trap on a par3. It was my first of the day and my uncle had warned me multiple times that it was like hitting off of concrete. Sure enough my sand wedge hits the sand, bounces, and I blade the ball over the green into an unplayable lie. Took a 6.