Rakes in Bunkers - Moving Forward

[aussieashley]

Preferred lies in bunkers changes the player's strategy and undermines the architecture of the course.
e.g. Going into a fairway bunker would be an advantage by being allowed the perfect lie to clean hit a long iron or 3w.
Ditto around the greens, when faced with a steep face and water on the other side of the green.

I’m not sure about the architecture, my strategy is generally to try and hit fairways and greens. Bunker preferred lies doesn’t change that.

I can see the advantage a preferred lie can give in a fairway bunker, but I also reckon that will mostly benefit low markers and good bunker players. But surely a low marker isn’t thinking I’ll hit in the fairway bunker so I can sit my ball on a nice pile of sand and blast a 3 wood. They must want fairway first?
If you’re crap out of bunkers even a preferred lie doesn’t help. I can still easily take 2 or 3 to get out of a bunker, with a preferred lie

My club is still doing no rakes and bunker preferred lies but Club Champs are in April, so will be interesting to see if that changes.

[Jazz18]

We do have a lot of ****ing bunkers, I’d hate to count them let alone maintain them ������

It's actually No.4 in Sydney! Lol! You were close!

[Captain Nemo]

I wouldn’t have a clue mate.
Im blessed to play there week in week out....

[Jazz18]

I’m not sure about the architecture, my strategy is generally to try and hit fairways and greens. Bunker preferred lies doesn’t change that.

I can see the advantage a preferred lie can give in a fairway bunker, but I also reckon that will mostly benefit low markers and good bunker players. But surely a low marker isn’t thinking I’ll hit in the fairway bunker so I can sit my ball on a nice pile of sand and blast a 3 wood. They must want fairway first?
If you’re crap out of bunkers even a preferred lie doesn’t help. I can still easily take 2 or 3 to get out of a bunker, with a preferred lie

My club is still doing no rakes and bunker preferred lies but Club Champs are in April, so will be interesting to see if that changes.

So if good players don't need preferred lies and poor players don't benefit from them, what's the point to them?

[Jazz18]

I wouldn’t have a clue mate.
Im blessed to play there week in week out....

Yep, it's a nice track alright.

[aussieashley]

So if good players don't need preferred lies and poor players don't benefit from them, what's the point to them?

Club doesn’t need to maintain them as much, greenkeepers can spend time on other parts of the course.Members don’t whinge about plugged lies and footprints.

[3Puttpete]

You should be allowed to throw it out of a bunker with your opposite hand, facing away from the hole.

[Ron Burgundy]

You should be allowed to throw it out of a bunker with your opposite hand, facing away from the hole.

First good idea I’ve read in this thread

[thecollective]

You should be allowed to throw it out of a bunker with your opposite hand, facing away from the hole.

What about the scrapes green rule, two rakes then place your ball. That way you can still walk into a golf shop boasting about your vanity cap of 9


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[Jazz18]

Club doesn’t need to maintain them as much, greenkeepers can spend time on other parts of the course.Members don’t whinge about plugged lies and footprints.

I was being facetious......

[Jazz18]

You should be allowed to throw it out of a bunker with your opposite hand, facing away from the hole.

Over the shoulder or between the legs?

[3Puttpete]

Over the shoulder or between the legs?

Exactly

[mrbluu]

My vote is for rakes out for all but major events.

[backintheswing]

My vote is for rakes out for all but major events.

So only when Peppa's plays for lunch?

[mrbluu]

So only when Peppa's plays for lunch?

I didn't say major social event.

[petethepilot]

I am led to believe that the cost to a club annually for each bunker is $4000-$5000....maintenance, equipment cost, time etc.

Get rid of most. Tight mown grass swales or rough is a big enough penalty!

[mrbluu]

I am led to believe that the cost to a club annually for each bunker is $4000-$5000....maintenance, equipment cost, time etc.

Get rid of most. Tight mown grass swales or rough is a big enough penalty!

Twin Creeks GC could use this advice!!

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[BUSHY]

I am led to believe that the cost to a club annually for each bunker is $4000-$5000....maintenance, equipment cost, time etc.

Get rid of most. Tight mown grass swales or rough is a big enough penalty!

Pete,

We did a review a year or two back and worked out we were spending upwards of 50hrs a week on bunker maintenance. ESSENTIALLY one staff member dedicated to bunker maintenance. So we decided to start filling all those that presented little to no strategic value with a view to remove more and reduce the size of others.

For a place that gets as much rain as we do bunkers are horrendously difficult and costly to maintain even to what I’d call substandard level.

You’re 100% correct with tight grassy swales being a legitimate penalty for missing a green.

In terms of fairness the whole concept of bunkers were areas that sheep slept in at night to get out of the wind.

I say suck it up and just play golf.

[Johnny Canuck]

I am led to believe that the cost to a club annually for each bunker is $4000-$5000....maintenance, equipment cost, time etc.

Get rid of most. Tight mown grass swales or rough is a big enough penalty!

Grass bunkers are severely under utilised.

[Captain Nemo]

Pete,

We did a review a year or two back and worked out we were spending upwards of 50hrs a week on bunker maintenance. ESSENTIALLY one staff member dedicated to bunker maintenance. So we decided to start filling all those that presented little to no strategic value with a view to remove more and reduce the size of others.

For a place that gets as much rain as we do bunkers are horrendously difficult and costly to maintain even to what I’d call substandard level.

You’re 100% correct with tight grassy swales being a legitimate penalty for missing a green.

In terms of fairness the whole concept of bunkers were areas that sheep slept in at night to get out of the wind.

I say suck it up and just play golf.

**** we’ve got a heap, I’d love to see a review on ours!

[BUSHY]

**** we’ve got a heap, I’d love to see a review on ours!

We’re only a little club mate.

[PerryGroves]

I think the point Bushy makes about the weather conditions in Cairns and also how low lying a property may be is the issue. We are alongside a lagoon that floods, the soil contamination of the sand (its expensive to replace) and the bunker wash aways are the issue.

Loz: you are on sandy soil, you can have as many bunkers as you want and the maintanence bill will be significantly less.

Bushy: we have the capillary concrete in our greenside bunkers, a very expensive solution to the problem. I like your solution albeit, someone's strategic worth bunker is another persons, "useless and should be filled in"

[Captain Nemo]

PG, we have a lot, like ****ing heaps, and they aren’t just on the flat!
Takes a lot of time and effort to cut edges, clean up rake etc, I’d hate to know the amount of time and cost!

Just for example:


Like over bunkered IMO.

[BUSHY]

Bushy: we have the capillary concrete in our greenside bunkers, a very expensive solution to the problem. I like your solution albeit, someone's strategic worth bunker is another persons, "useless and should be filled in"

We are looking to trial the capillary concrete in a few of our worst bunkers.

In terms of filling them in, it’s been targeted. We had a course strategic plan done up some time ago and those slated to be removed on the plan are the first ones on the list.

[markTHEblake]

In terms of fairness the whole concept of bunkers were areas that sheep slept in at night to get out of the wind.

And those bunkers were naturally sand, which means unlike Cairns, the Gold swamp, and most of australia, bunkers are shite when they are a bucket load of sand on top of some mud.

They are so blessed in the sand belt to dig a hole and voila, bunker, with uniform depth depend on how deep they rake it. They aint gonna get 2inch deep footsteps in melbourne.

You are right about getting rid of bunkers. One of Australias most notable (nortorious) arkytechs is big on that one and has created many bunkerless holes.

Also, just cant have fancy bunkers with deep faces here either, they need to be flat and have grass banks instead of lips, and I see a few courses going that way too.