This month’s topic is Bunkers. Our task is to evaluate how Bunkers come into play and how difficult it may be for the player to recover.
Definition of Bunker from the Rules of Golf:
A specially prepared area of sand, which is often a hollow from which turf or soil was removed.
Bunker rating is based on:
- Green Target ratings
- Fraction of the Green closely bordered by Bunkers
- Difficulty of recovery from the bunker(s) due to size and depth, bunker lip, sand condition, etc.
First, we calculate the Green Target rating (size of Green and Length of Approach Shot).
Then we assess the fraction of the green surrounded by bunker(s). In the case of the Chinook Winds #4, almost 100% of the green is surrounded by one continuous, shallow, bunker with just a small swath of grass just wide enough for the mower.
The scratch and bogey Green Target number is then used in conjunction with the greenside Bunker fraction to begin the obstacle assessment. From that point, we add in all the additional difficulties.
Extremely deep bunkers, such as this one to the right of #13 on Bandon Trails, considerably add to the difficulty of recovery if the player misses the green. Depth is judged from the bottom of the bunker to the point where the player can reach the green, not just the top of the sand.
Then we add in all the “extras”. In the case of #7 at Ghost Creek, the bunkers towards the green are too far away to be considered green side. However, between all the bunkers lining over 130 yards of the left side of the fairway, the extra earthen mounds in the first one, as well as the two short of the green that squeeze the landing zone to less than 10 yards wide, the overall effect of bunkers on this hole adds up, rather quickly.
Here are some of the Adjustments that we think about when assessing bunkers:
- Depth: greenside bunkers deeper than 2’ for Women and 3’ for Men adds difficulty
- Squeeze: bunkers border both sides of the fairway with less than 30 yards between them or 20 yards rated even more difficult
- Carry: when a player must carry a fairway bunker to arrive at their next landing zone or, a significant portion of the entrance to the Green is protected by bunker(s)
- Extreme: when punitive features make recovery from fairway or greenside bunkers very difficult. This can include pot bunkers, extra deep fairway bunkers, or other unusual features such as stacked sod, railroad ties, very long or a series of bunkers that make recovering extremely difficult
- Par 3 holes: will never have a ‘fairway’ bunker, unless the bogey golfer cannot reach the green in one shot and there is a bunker in their landing zone
- (2) adjustment: when fairway bunkers exist on two or more fairway landing zones
Just a couple of notes: Grass hollows, even if they were once bunkers, are rated under Recoverability & Rough as mounds. Whereas Waste Areas are rated as either Bunkers, Recoverability & Rough or extreme rough depending on how they are maintained and the overall conditions of the area.
Next month, we’ll go over double duty of Crossings and Lateral Obstacles.