Most Expansive Bunkers

[Lihu]

I was looking at reviews for Arcos and GG and noticed this monstrosity of a bunker that looks very well groomed, and expensive.

 

Know of any huge or expensive bunkers? Please post them.

 

[iacas]

I changed the name to "expansive" as you have no idea how expensive that is. It appears to be pretty much the natural soil, and thus, may be relatively inexpensive.

[saevel25]

Southern Dunes Golf Course just south of Orlando, FL. When a par 4 has as much bunker area as grass area it gets a bit fun :) 

That bunker on the bottom runs nearly the entire length of the hole. They are bunkers, not waste land areas. 

[kpaulhus]

Ive been stuck in all of these and they felt like they went on forever.

 

Pinehurst #2 went on a huge bunker overhaul for the US Open last year. Pretty large bunkers there...but you could also call those waste areas.  

Bethpage has some big bunkers on the Par 5 #4.

 

 

Also, TPC sawgrass has some pretty large bunkers on #12.

 

[DrvFrShow]

  On 12/27/2015 at 4:39 PM, Lihu said:

Post other bunkers.....

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Par 5 Seventh Hole, Pine Valley NJ - also called "Hell's Half-acre."

[Lihu]

  On 12/27/2015 at 8:26 PM, iacas said:

I changed the name to "expansive" as you have no idea how expensive that is. It appears to be pretty much the natural soil, and thus, may be relatively inexpensive.

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Oops, I kind of meant "expansive" anyway. Thanks.

[RayG]

At least the Driving Range is grass...

 

 

[DaveP043]

  On 12/27/2015 at 4:39 PM, Lihu said:

I was looking at reviews for Arcos and GG and noticed this monstrosity of a bunker that looks very well groomed, and expensive.

 

Know of any huge or expensive bunkers? Please post them.

 

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@lihu, I recognize that one, the 5th at Tobacco Road, near Pinehurst.  What the photo doesn't show is that the green is 30 or 40 feet higher than the tee, its a really intimidating shot,  Even laying up to the right is a blind tee shot, but for me that's the only logical choice.

Kyle, I was a volunteer at the Pinehurst US Open.  I was having a wander around on Monday, and saw a group of  rules officials  being trained  as to what was and was not a "hazard."  Essentially, every bunker had an identifiable lip on all sides, so it wasn't too tough to determine whether the ball was in the hazard or not.  The size of the actual bunkers didn't change a lot from before the renovations, although some of the lips and other surrounding contours were revised.

  On 12/27/2015 at 10:07 PM, kpaulhus said:

Pinehurst #2 went on a huge bunker overhaul for the US Open last year. Pretty large bunkers there...but you could also call those waste areas.  

 

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[Fourputt]

  On 12/27/2015 at 4:39 PM, Lihu said:

I was looking at reviews for Arcos and GG and noticed this monstrosity of a bunker that looks very well groomed, and expensive.

 

Know of any huge or expensive bunkers? Please post them.

 

Expand  

The question I ask:  Is that truly a bunker or is it what is loosely termed a "waste area"?  Just because there is sand, that doesn't make it a bunker.  Many courses have large expanses of sandy ground that is not a bunker.  A bunker is specifically defined in the Rules of Golf:

  Quote

Bunker

A "bunker" is a hazard consisting of a prepared area of ground, often a hollow, from which turf or soil has been removed and replaced with sand or the like.

Grass-covered ground bordering or within a bunker, including a stacked turf face (whether grass-covered or earthen), is not part of the bunker. A wall or lip of the bunker not covered with grass is part of the bunker. The margin of a bunker extends vertically downwards, but not upwards.

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[Lihu]

  On 12/28/2015 at 5:10 PM, Fourputt said:

The question I ask:  Is that truly a bunker or is it what is loosely termed a "waste area"?  Just because there is sand, that doesn't make it a bunker.  Many courses have large expanses of sandy ground that is not a bunker.  A bunker is specifically defined in the Rules of Golf:

 

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I can see patterns in the sand which indicate to me that they groom them, so are waste areas usually groomed as well?

[Fourputt]

  On 12/28/2015 at 5:18 PM, Lihu said:

I can see patterns in the sand which indicate to me that they groom them, so are waste areas usually groomed as well?

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They could be - depends on the course.  I'd ask in the golf shop.  Find out if they are classified as hazards.  If not then they aren't bunkers.  I've seen some pretty big bunkers, but never a true bunker that was anything like the photo you posted.   

At most courses I've played which had a mix of waste areas and bunkers, they only put rakes out around the bunkers, and that's one way to tell the difference.  The Nicklaus designed Old Works course in Anaconda MT has black slag sand in all waste areas and bunkers so they all look the same, but there are no rakes around the waste areas.

[DaveP043]

  On 12/28/2015 at 5:10 PM, Fourputt said:

The question I ask:  Is that truly a bunker or is it what is loosely termed a "waste area"?  Just because there is sand, that doesn't make it a bunker.  Many courses have large expanses of sandy ground that is not a bunker.  A bunker is specifically defined in the Rules of Golf:

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I've played that course a few times, but couldn't remember how they're defined.  I did a google, and someone said they're all played as waste areas, although I specifically remember a few rakes in the green-side sand.  The Dormie Club in Pinehurst is another place where there are no sand "hazards", everything is played as "through the green."  They don't have any rakes at all, so most people try to smooth the sand a little with their feet, but you can get some pretty nasty lies.

[vangator]

Reunion Golf Club in Orlando.  Played a scramble here and started on this hole.  I was contemplating purposely driving it in the rough down the right instead of battling these babies.  The fairway is a thin ribbon just this side of the cart path running at about a 45 degree angle to the tee.  We bogeyed it.

[DrvFrShow]

The infamous Church Pew Bunker at Oakmont

 

I see these holes. I know they want to make a hole challenging, but this stuff is downright sadistic. There is a special place in hell for these course designers.

[Lihu]

  On 12/28/2015 at 8:46 PM, DrvFrShow said:

The infamous Church Pew Bunker at Oakmont

 

I see these holes. I know they want to make a hole challenging, but this stuff is downright sadistic. There is a special place in hell for these course designers.

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That also looks expensive.

[DutchGolf]

  On 12/28/2015 at 8:46 PM, DrvFrShow said:

The infamous Church Pew Bunker at Oakmont

 

I see these holes. I know they want to make a hole challenging, but this stuff is downright sadistic. There is a special place in hell for these course designers.

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Really like how they add grass in that bunker. "Lets give a golfer a chance to hit from grass!"

[iacas]

  On 1/10/2016 at 4:32 PM, DutchGolf said:

Really like how they add grass in that bunker. "Lets give a golfer a chance to hit from grass!"

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You don't want to be anywhere near that grass, though…

[DutchGolf]

  On 1/10/2016 at 4:36 PM, iacas said:

You don't want to be anywhere near that grass, though…

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Wow, that can create some terrible lies in a ridiculously large bunker. Also fun raking such a thing, not really positive for pace of play.