Bunker edges

One of the concerns we have been getting about our 2" bunker edges is the potential for a ball to hung up in the bunker next to the edge, not leaving any room for advancing the ball.  Certain holes are more prone to this happening vs. others.  Fairway bunkers seem to cause this due to their more flat construction and the fact that most balls entering a fairway bunker come in at a more flat trajectory vs. a green side bunker.  It has been discussed at the Grounds Committee meetings that tee shots have been known to roll into the fairway bunkers and come to rest at the far edge of the bunker.  While this scenario will never be eliminated because of our trimmed edge, we are trying to maintain the bunkers to aid the ball in rolling down the slope on the green side of them.

To aid the ball from getting trapped along the greens side edge of the bunker, we moved the edge of the bunker up the hill creating a slightly larger slope allowing the ball to roll down to a more reasonable space for a advancing shot.

Once we determined where we wanted our new bunker edge, we removed the sod and soil from that area and added to sand to enlarge the bunker.

Most of the bunkers out here have enough slope to them that the ball will roll away from the edge if the sand is firm enough.  The Grounds staff went around on Tuesday and fixed the bunkers that seemed to be causing most of the problems.

 

It is important to remember that our bunkers have a more flat construction and are not "flashed" bunkers.  There will always be that threat of the ball not coming to rest at a favorable spot in the bunker.  Many of our bunkers are extremely flat on the tee side and sides parallel with the hole.  If a ball trickles into the bunker, there is no slope causing it to roll away form the edge.  If you find yourself frequently along an edge with limited options, keep in mind that the bunkers are a hazard and are meant to penalize you.